- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee Blog
On yesterday’s candy characters post, reader mee!! left the following comment:
maybe for this new batch of bees you could have certain requirements so that there is more diversity on the site. i.e., a bride incorporating african-american traditions such as jumping the broom, a jewish bride (or a bride having a traditional jewish ceremony), a south asian bride having a traditional hindu ceremony, or even a bride hosting a traditional christian/catholic ceremony. i love weddingbee as a resource for wedding ideas, but i also view it as a place to learn about the wedding traditions of other cultures. it seems all the focus is on chinese/korean/vietnamese/japanese traditions. there are 22 asian bees on the site, and while they are all quality bloggers who have shared a wealth of information and knowledge that could work for any bride, i think this site could serve it readers better if there was a bit more diversity. just something to think about. keep up the good work!!!
This is something we’ve always thought a lot about here at Weddingbee. So I went back and counted: so far, we’ve had 20 Asian brides and 18 non-Asian brides on weddingbee. Based on our recent reader demographic poll, 59% of our readers are Caucasian, 33% are Asian, 3% are Hispanic, 3% are other, and 2% are African American.
If the majority of our readers are not Asian, why are there so many Asian bees?
The main factor is the applications themselves: the overwhelming majority of our applicants have always been Asian. When choosing a new bee, we take many factors into consideration - but ultimately, it comes down to the quality of the blog. We just don’t feel comfortable rejecting a good blog just because the bride is Asian, or accepting certain blogs for the sake of diversity.
Speaking of applications… we get sooo many applications here at Weddingbe HQ! It takes a lot of nights and weekends to go through them and pick out potential bees. Miss Lovebug has been a godsend here, helping us catch up on the backlog! And it’s been heartening to me that when we compare notes, we invariably pick out the same applications.
Back to ethnicity: coincidentally, the next few bees will be non-Asian. But that said, we’d still love to have more ethnic diversity on Weddingbee! Is this something that you as a reader think about? And if so, are there things that we at Weddingbee could be doing to entice a broader spectrum of ethnicities to apply?
Personally, I’ve never seen a problem with the ethnicity of the bees on the site. Everyone who blogs here has great advice, taste, and all around I enjoy coming here to get tips on my own wedding. Its not a matter of ethnicity, its a matter of the quality and the content.
I think having more diverse bees will end up bringing in more diverse readers, and producing more diverse applications. It’s a cycle that would need to start with those beginning decisions. I think it’s a good idea in order to appeal to the general wedding population.
It would be nice to have a more diverse cast, but I understand if you have more Asian applications than other races that you would ultimately have more Asian bees. If you rejected applications on the basis that they’re Asian then that’s reverse discrimination. I say as long as they have a great blog and are able to contribute great information and/or anecdotes about wedding planning they shoud be a Bee.
It’s never bothered me at all either. I love all of the bees on here — they are great bloggers and wedding-planners! It would be cool if there was some other cultures represented, but if nothing changed, it wouldn’t bother me.
I am stilling hoping for a bee planning a same-sex wedding.
What if you scouted out other blogs and specifically recruited bees who are planning weddings that are not represented here? I know through theknot or Indiebride you can link to blogs that really represent a diversity of backgrounds.
I remember before I applied I thought there were a ton of asian bees (I actually thought that was one of the criteria!). Now, though, it seems like it is starting to become more diverse, and if you think about it, I know at least two bees who are having tea ceremonies who aren’t a full asian couple. Miss Bluebell (who isn’t asian) is marrying Mr. bluebell who is chinese. Miss Snow Pea is marrying a white guy, so it’s not really 100% asian, but the ceremonies may reflect the asian parts of the weddings. Does that make sense?
We’re having a Catholic wedding, but I don’t know how to explain any of it since I’m not the catholic one. Unfortunately, I wish I were more able to share the details of our ceremony- perhaps when I learn more I can.
Still, I definitely feel the diversity is starting to change- bravo!
i would love to see more diversity! just personally, trying to plan a sephardic jewish wedding… i would love to see more on that type. each wedding is just so different, and needs so many particular aspects from tradition and religion… would be facianting to see!
kate - the problem with scouting other sites is that the people who run the site, other brides, and the bride herself could potentially be offended if we’re trying to recruit them from other wedding sites to weddingbee. and blogging for weddingbee is a pretty big commitment, so we know that people who take the initiative to apply are really serious.
we’ve given a lot of thought into recruitment efforts, but haven’t come up with great ways to approach it just yet.
I especially love wedding bee. I’ve never been bothered by the ethnicity factor. I have however, learned a bit about some asian cultures such as the wearing of the qipao(spelling?), the huge feasts, the importance of the huppah in the jewish culture and etc. I think there is nothing wrong with creating a variety of wedding ideas across all the cultures. But by no means does wedding bee disappoint with what it currently offers.
PS sidebar: I never got any feedback about my webblog.
I’d *love* to see greater diversity of bees. There are so many fantastic traditions out there that aren’t being represented here. But I’d rather see a good blog entry from an asian bee than a bad entry from a non-asian bee, so I agree with your priorities.
I also agree with fizzy. If you bring in more diverse bloggers, that will prime the pump and bring in more diverse readers, which will bring more diverse applications, etc. How about sending out a casting call? Or scouring the net for someone who already has a blog and extending an invitation that way?
As with the comments above, I love WB & don’t take a Bee’s ethnicity into consideration. A good blog is a good blog. That being said, I would absolutely love to learn about or get ideas from some brides of other ethnicities just because it would enrich the experience that much more…
As a Latina it would be wonderful to see how similar Bees are bringing their ethnicity into the ceremony or reception. Some Latinas incorporate Hispanic traditions that are beautiful in a very contemporary way. Other than this, I really enjoy the site and still learn a lot from the blogs regardless of the age or race of the author.
I don’t feel that the ethnicity takes in a huge part of weddingbee. Before there were pictures of the brides, I was unsure of which brides were of what ethnicity! I totally agree with the fact that you guys shouldn’t turn down a blogger just because they’re Asian. But keep choosing the bees as you have been because each one has been GREAT!
I don’t feel that people really are bothered by ethnicity unless they are purposely looking for a particular ethnic wedding. Besides, by naming everyone Miss ____, it makes it seem more like it’s a Weddingbee family which I really like!
I also agree that turning down future Bees just because there just happens to be more Asians is a reverse discrimination and that doesn’t seem fair. I mean most of these weddings incorporate a Western wedding anyway right? It’s like saying that there are too many Caucasian weddings, but that doesn’t make any sense. Most other races are also doing Western weddings in addition to their own culture weddings, so what’s the harm there?
If most of the readers don’t care about ethnicity, should Weddingbee focus on the statistics for the few that feel there should be more to be done about diversity?
The bees are great—seriously, if it wasn’t for all the Bees my workday would be so boring. That being said, I have always been a firm believer in getting the best regardless if it’s a white bee, brown bee, yellow bee, or even a green bee. If the blog is the best–then, the best should blog. If anything, I give props to our asian bees for giving the rest of us something to aspire to… asian or not.
Thank you for all the time and effot each of you lovely bees contribute to help us non-bees make it through the day.
I would like to say that perhaps it should be pointed out that being “Asian” refers to quite a lot of different types of people. I am Vietnamese and I know very little about Chinese, Japanese, or Korean wedding customs. It is my experience that people tend to group “Asians” all together when really the “Asian” ethnicity categorization encompasses a wide variety of cultures. I understand that people not familiar with Asian culture do sometimes think that it’s all very similar (I do not know very much about the different types of African cultures, for example), so I thought it would be helpful to point it out.
Why not solicit applications for specific diversities? I mean, literally post an application request for a same-sex bride/groom, African-American bride, Indian bride, etc. or even a groom bee. Most people, me included, tend to watch from the sidelines until there is a specific call-to-action. At the end of the day, it won’t hurt and it may even work.
I agree that a good blog is most important. I have thought of applying (I’m a Latina BTW), but am not positive of what makes a good blog good. I know when I read a good blog, but I’m not sure I could say exactly WHY it’s a good blog. Could you share what makes a blog good, great even, so that I (and others) can work on it for the next round of bees? Thank you.
I was just thinking the same thing as “mee” when I first read about Miss Eggplant. I do agree that you should not include someone just because they are Asian…
Best of luck - and regardless of the ethnicity of the bees I will continue to read. There are too many good ideas not to!
PS I wouldn’t even know that many were Asain until you added the picture feature…lol…which I love!
I think what Red says has a lot of merit. If you’re looking for specific bees- tell us 
I think that while every one of the bees has great taste and are helpful… I also think bees in certain predicaments such as a same sex couple, a couple with a destination wedding, etc would really help the site and bring a more diverse readership (is that a word?!).
I didn’t at first notice the ethnicity of the Bees–all of the advice seemed just really stylish & sound. When I did notice the prevalence of Asian Bees, like Miss Kiwi, I thought it must’ve been a requirement…
I think that the site is naturally becoming more diverse as it’s been growing and a wider audience of readers (and therefore writers) has found it. That natural growth in diversity can only add depth to Weddingbee’s content.
As for recruiting for diversity… that’s tough. It seems that I do recall once in a while seeing a Beehive request that touches on other cultures’ wedding traditions (cultures not yet represented on Weddingbee). You might want to use such requests as jumping off points to find someone who might be able to contribute regarding that specific question, and perhaps can go beyond the Hive request to become a regular blogger or pop in for some guest blogging…
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Mrs. Bee, New York Age and Occupation: 29, Weddingbee Publisher Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Internet Engagement Date: May 7, 2004 Wedding Date: March 5, 2005 Venue: Westside Loft, New York About Me: Yes, my name really is Bee! I love my blogging, wikis, and tabasco sauce!
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Latest Gallery Pics