Weddingbee Blog

Being a graphic designer, it’s a given that the computer is my best friend. Ask me what I can’t live without? I would say that it’s the computer/internet. Hey, it’s a combo! One can’t live without the other. Call it an addiction, or just plain curiosity, but I’m always online searching the ‘net, sharing cool sites, and all of that.

How my blogging obsession began: (2006)
I had heard about blogging from another designer friend and was really interested in the whole concept. He had a really cool blog sharing some personal stuff, and it got me thinking, ‘Hmm, I wonder if people would read my blog.’ Intrigued, and willing to spend a couple more hours on a computer a day, I decided to start my own blog.

I was debating at first whether I would go the personal route, or the more general route, and decided to give the personal approach a try. So, I blogged about me, and shared personal and professional experiences. I did it for a couple of months but felt something was lacking. I decided to take the plunge and abandon my old blog (about me) to start a new one about weddings in general. Since I had been engaged for over a year, I was in the planning stages, and wanted to share my knowledge with others.

How I found the hive of awesomeness:
Since I was blogging about weddings, posting about inspiration boards, themes, and dresses, I became an avid reader of many wedding blogs including DIY Bride, Style Me Pretty, Something Old Something New, Perfect Bound, and Eco-Chic Weddings. So when I saw several of my fave bloggers posted about being featured on Weddingbee, I clicked on the links… and the obsession began.

Applying to Weddingbee (September 2007)
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t found this site before… I spent all that time online and never came across this gold mine. I was impressed by all the different brides blogging about their planning, DIY projects, and more. It was a whole new world for me… and like many of you, I would refresh my page a good 15 times a day (no joke).

Blogging was my way of talking about wedding stuff without having my family and friends sigh every two minutes because they were fed up hearing about the dresses, the colors, the theme… you get the point. Since the majority of the brides (at the time I started reading WB) were from the States (with the exception of Mrs. Pumpkin), I thought I would send in my application and hope I’d be accepted to become another Canadian bee.

Obviously, I didn’t have a personal wedding blog, but submitted my Glamour This! blog in my application. That was not the best idea. I received an email from Mrs. Bee saying that she really liked my current blog, but since WB was about blogging on a personal level, she wanted me to write up a few posts to see if I would be WB material. So, I created a new blog just for Weddingbee. I was dedicated, and wanted this so badly.

After a week of writing personal wedding posts, I received the email that changed my life. (I know it sounds cheesy – but I swear it’s true.) I got accepted to become a BEE. I couldn’t really share the news with my family and friends, because no one had a clue what I was talking about. But that didn’t matter.

Why the pink bird?
When I was given the choice to choose an icon, only a few birds were left in the pile, and amongst them was the flamingo. Mrs. Bee had told me I could wait for the next generation of icons (desserts), but that would mean I would have to hold off being introduced for a couple months. Um… there was no way I could wait that long! I was more excited than a kid in a candy store. Plus, looking at the flamingo put a smile on my face. It reminded me of 2 things: pink, by far my favorite color, and the whole story behind searching for flamingos in Cuba. So, it was perfect for me… um, I mean us.

Bee blogging advice:
Blogging is like anything in life. Represent yourself, blog about the “real you”, and not someone you think people will like. Don’t lose yourself in what you see out there in the blogosphere. Of course, there will be prettier DIY projects, cooler invitation designs… but that doesn’t mean yours aren’t awesome. Respect your wedding, your budget, and try not to compare apples to oranges.

Also when writing posts, know that people are visual and love pictures. That doesn’t mean you need to add as many pictures as you can (whether they’re relevant or not), but know that breaking up long posts with imagery helps the flow of the post more (obviously, do not use this post as an example!).

Lastly, never give up. Some applications are accepted the first time around, others after 3 tries… there’s really no winning recipe. You simply need to find your blogging voice and speak it loud and clear!

Why I heart WB more than I do chocolate:
Weddingbee has helped me to maintain my sanity throughout the wedding planning process. Fellow bees and readers have given the best advice and ongoing support when I needed it the most. Plus, this has become my second family, and even though I’ve only met 3 bees, I feel like I have a connection with many of them. I talk to a lot of the bees on a regular basis.

What I love the most about being an old bee is that I have seen Weddingbee grow. There have been so many changes in the last 2 years. The addition of boards, PRO, BeeTV, the new, wider look… all these little features seem indispensable, but they weren’t always there. Way to go, WB!!! Keep the awesomeness coming.

Life after Weddingbee:
Obviously, I’ll stick around as long as I can. Heck, I’ve been married 15 months, and still haven’t completed my recaps. I heart Weddingbee, and to be honest, thinking about my goodbye post scares me. So, I stick around… and hope you don’t mind. Let’s just say I’m not ready to say goodbye, just yet.

If you want to know about what’s going on in my crazy life, you can follow me on Twitter, or read my blog.

Thank you for reading my posts, commenting, giving your advice, and just being there.
xox
Flamingo