"Too Legit to Quit!": Just Another Step in the Right Direction

So just trying to take as many steps in the right direction towards being respected members of this over populated photography business, we've debated about what sites to advertise on.  There's so many bride websites: weddingbee, weddingwire, theknot, etc, etc, etc.  The Knot contacts us all the time about different things but just to post on their site is $160 a month.  I don't know if I can really justify that, but at the same time if it brings in THAT much business than it would be worth it.  You gotta spend money to MAKE money right?  Well maybe not that much quite yet.  We only have a handful of weddings under our belt, but we have a twice as many booked for this year so far, so maybe at the end of the year we'll think about theknot.com.  Weddingwire on the other hand you can have a "free" posting on their site.  It doesn't get you much as far as advertising but if you follow up with it and keep it up to date and get reviews from your past clients you can become a "Rated Member".  This is something that I see ALL the time at trunk shows that vendors have posted their table.  It basically means you have experience and have been rated by other brides.  It means we're legit...in fact we're now too legit!  eh hem...*cough cough* too legit to quit!  The more reviews we get the higher rated member (i.e. gold, silver) and with enough GOOD reviews we can receive the "brides choice award".  That's the prize we're looking at, and we've been SO blessed with the most amazing brides!  One review that was left on wedding wire literally brought Brand and me to tears!  Even if we never make it huge in this business, if we keep getting reviews like that, I'll never stop doing this job.  We may not be able to charge 5,000 a wedding like some photographers, but I believe we give a great service and lasting memories to real everyday people just like us and THAT my friends is what really matters and what makes America great...not getting rich quick.  Well I think soon we'll pay the $90 a month to advertise on weddingwire.com now that we're "rated members for 2010", so keep an eye out.  I'm sure you'll hear about us soon!   Oh, here's the press release sent to us from www.weddingwire.com!

       

Gronde Photography is now WeddingWire Rated for 2010

 Washington, DC (February 20, 2011) - WeddingWire, the nation's leading site for wedding reviews, just announced that Gronde Photography is WeddingWire Rated 2010 for Photography. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program for wedding professionals based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews.

WeddingWire Rated, the industry's first formalized review program, is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to locate wedding businesses. The award program recognizes wedding professionals across the country, like Gronde Photography, that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to service.
Gronde Photography has several reviews on WeddingWire. These reviews have been written by past clients of Gronde Photography, and include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of the newlyweds' experience. From quality of service to overall level of professionalism, these reviews showcase the high level of service newly engaged couples can expect from Gronde Photography.

"We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated, now in its fourth year, as a way to recognize wedding professionals for their commitment to service," said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's CEO. "WeddingWire Rated allows wedding businesses to clearly differentiate themselves in their market, while providing engaged couples an easy way to find the best services for their wedding."

 Gronde Photography would like to thank their past clients for sharing reviews of their weddings on WeddingWire. Reviews for Gronde Photography can be found across the entire WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee.

For more information, please visit Gronde Photography on WeddingWire at www.weddingwire.com/grondephotography.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 100,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands).