Weddingbee Blog

Finding the Blogosphere…
I didn’t find out about the blogosphere until I found Weddingbee in the spring of 2008. I was recently engaged and in the midst of planning my own wedding. Like many other bees, most of my friends and family were located hundreds of miles away. On top of that, I was the first of my close friends to get married, so I was completely new to the wedding scene. In fact, the last time I was a bridesmaid was when my big brother got married and I was fifteen years old! I was looking for inspiration for planning a destination, eco-friendly, daytime wedding. I found Mrs. Radish and I read every single post. That day, another addict was born…

Deciding to Apply…
When I first found Weddingbee, it didn’t even occur to me that I might apply. I had never blogged before and like so many other brides, I didn’t think that anyone would care about my wedding. I felt like there was nothing ‘special’ about my wedding. I wasn’t on a specifically small or large budget; it would be a small affair, and the destination part of the wedding meant there would be minimal DIY projects. But, the more I read WB, the more I realized there was actually a lot more diversity than my first glance lead me to believe.

A major focus of our wedding was planning a ‘green’ event. But, Mr. Pinot Noir was less concerned with eco-friendly choices and more concerned about the food, the venue, and how much fun our guests could have. The end result was what I called a green wedding in disguise.

Blogging for Weddingbee was a really great part about planning our wedding.

I felt like I had the ability to inspire so many people and spread the word about what it means (and doesn’t mean) to have an eco-friendly wedding. But, even thought blogging can be a ton of fun, it is also hard work. On more than one occasion I spent my evening blogging instead of cuddling with my fiancé. He understood how much I liked blogging, but I would be lying if I said the time commitment never caused any friction between us. It is important for any applicant to weigh the pros and cons and examine their lifestyle to see if blogging on a regular basis will fit with their goals and priorities.

Choosing Pinot Noir…
Choosing my character was a no-brainer. The beverages class of icons had just been released, and since we were planning a wine country wedding, it was the perfect choice! I just love when things work out so perfectly like that!

Blogging Tips…
I’m don’t know if I’m in the position to be giving tips about blogging – I still have so much to learn myself – but a couple tidbits come to mind.

1. Blog Often
   My favorite blogs are those that post regularly (at least 3 times a week). Because they are always popping up on my Google Reader I can remember their personal story and I just feel more connected with them.
2. Comment Love
   The best way to get new readers is to spread the comment love on other bloggers’ sites who write about similar topics as you do. I found that the number of subscribers and commenters I had quickly started to grow when I made a point of commenting on other blogs and boards.
3. Stay (Mostly) Positive
   Try to stay positive and upbeat. I’m not recommending you write posts full of lovebirds and butterflies when you are having a terrible day, but try to write more positive posts than negative ones. Most people are not going to want to listen to you whine and cry on a regular basis.

These days I’m blogging about open water swims, hilly bike rides and long runs on my triathlon blog, Commitment is Liberating. You see, I fought off the post-wedding blues by jumping feet first into the world of triathlon.