Weddingbee Blog

Before submitting an application to blog for Weddingbee, I pored over every single one of the posts in this series. A ton of them have awesome tips about applying and being a bee. So, if you are ever thinking about applying to blog (and you should!) I highly recommend this wonderful series.

1) How did I find Weddingbee?

I used to be very involved in the Weight Watchers online community a few years ago. I was even Facebook friends with a lot of the girls that I had “met” online there. One day, one of them tagged me in an Operation Beautiful photo, and there I found the creator of Operation Beautiful’s person blog, Healthy Tipping Point. One day she linked to That Wife (the former Mrs. Avocado around these parts). I started reading That Wife, who linked to The OMG Mom blog (a.k.a. Mrs. Dumpling). After reading both of their blogs for awhile, I decided to read about their wedding planning experience on Weddingbee.

Since I had such an affinity for the Weight Watcher message boards, I started poking around a bit on the Weddingbee boards. Then I found a section for the “waiting” ladies which was perfect for me since I wasn’t engaged yet. I lurked around there for awhile before finally creating an account and started posting on the Waiting boards. A few months later we were engaged, and the rest, as they say, is history!

2) My Application Story

Blogging for Weddingbee was a major life goal of mine as soon as I realized that I was a potential candidate—i.e. an engaged gal planning our wedding.

Once the 8 month mark started to roll around, I began to carefully craft my application and started narrowing down my blog’s focus from life/health/fitness/food/wedding to just wedding topics.

I had Mr. High Wire review my application drafts over and over again and kept working to write thoughtful posts on my blog about my wedding planning journey.

It was finally time to send my application off! I had done a lot of research and realized that getting rejected on my first try was something I really needed to prepare myself for.

And then a month after I sent my application in, I got an e-mail from Pengy. I quickly scanned the e-mail and the first thing I saw was an unhappy smiley face. Darnit. Rejected.

I took a week off from live blogging and let myself have a little pause to think and regroup. It was time to review my application and spend more time writing better posts. So that’s what I did. I drafted tons of posts and had Mr. High Wire help fine tune my application. I also wrote a clearer “About” section, among other things, on the suggestion of Mrs. Avocado. The blog needed a little face lift, so I picked out a new layout just to give everything some freshness.

A month after my first application was rejected, off went my second attempt. I wanted to show a more professional side and addressed the message directly to the Weddingbee’s Editor-in-Chief formal address (Mrs. Penguin’s-real-last-name). She wound up tweeting about an applicant who surprised her with that sort of formal address.

Two weeks later I got the e-mail I had been waiting so long for! Sweet sugary acceptance. And there were smiley faces instead.

There are A LOT of people who apply to be bees. I had a really hard time trying to figure out what would make me stand out. But I think addressing Pengy in that formal way may have helped my chances a bit. I had no idea that it would catch anyone’s attention, but I’m sure glad it did! A lot of bees suggested figuring out what it is that made you stand out, and I had a really hard time figuring out what that was. So just be your most authentic self, and whatever it is that makes you special will come out that way. I promise.

3) What it’s like blogging for Weddingbee/being a bee?

It’s incredible. Simple as that. This community is so wonderfully kind and supportive, and I feel really blessed that I am able to be a part of it as a blogger.

The members of this site are an amazing source of ideas, advice, and lessons. I also have gained a lot of support from the other blogging bees, who have been so sweet, welcoming, and supportive of me and Mr. High Wire.

Photo via Mrs. Hyena

I got to meet a few of the Dallas Bees not too long ago. Mrs. Oyster, Mrs. Hippo, Mrs. Hyena, Mrs. Elephant, Me, Mrs. Hydrangea (and her sweet smiley baby!). It was so great to swap stories and chat with fellow bloggers.

4) Advice for Future Bees

-Get involved. Connect with members of Weddingbee who live in your area or are planning similar weddings to you. Send them messages, attend meet-ups, chat with members on the boards.

Photo via Mrs. Avocado/That Wife

Mrs. Avocado/That Wife hosted a meet-meet upmeet up last year that I attended

-Write well. Draft a post and then go back and edit, edit, edit. Have other people review your posts and get their feedback. Remember your audience and write to them.

-Enjoy yourself! Blogging for Weddingbee takes up time. I’d say I spend at least 15 hours a week writing and being involved with the community. But it is so much fun! I highly recommend you apply if you like to blog, like talking about your wedding (who doesn’t?), and are able to commit the time.

In conclusion, being a member of this community is so so wonderful. I’m so thankful for all of your kind words and great ideas to my wedding planning conundrums. You’ve enriched this experience for me more than you know.

~~~

Interested in blogging with us? Check out our application guidelines and submit an application! We’d love to have you as our newest bee! We’re currently accepting brides with wedding dates through April 2012!