FemCon13 Recap

Ok, better late than never, right?

I'm only 2 and a half weeks late on this!

#femcon13

So for those of you who don't know, I went to my very first blogger conference on October 26, 2013! I was nervous, excited, and really wasn't sure what to expect! It was the very first annual Femworking Small Business and Blogger Conference in Arlington, Virginia. I had a few hour hike North but not bad. Not like Haven Conference where I'd have to fly to Atlanta, Georgia, SNAP! where I'd have to fly to Salt Lake City, Utah or BlogHer all the way in San Jose, California!

The conference was kicked off by the keynote speaker, Jill Smokler of Scary Mommy. She is hilarious and down to earth. I hadn't actually heard of her blog (no babies = not big into mommy blogs) but I'll definitely recommend it to my friends with young children and babies. She brings a sense of reality and humor to being a parent. We even got a signed copy of her latest book, Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies)! 

We had a full day of speakers and discussions lined up. Everyone was bound to learn at least ONE thing per session. I say at least one thing but if anyone was like me, they learned a ton during each session! Pictured here is the Social Media Panel. Left to right it is Christen Green of Social Shop Media, Laura Harders from Beltway Bargain Mom, and Dawn McCaslin of The Crispy Sage. They gave us all sorts of great info! A few of my favorite points I wrote down were:

• Reciprocity - If you help out someone else, they'll help you out! The more I find AMAZING bloggers to network with, the more I realize how true this is! My advice, seek out and find small groups of like-bloggers that are in it to support each other. Start with specific networks/groups like DIY, real food, home improvement, etc. and also look for networks within your home state! If you can't find a good fit for you...start your own support group! 
• Write out goals for each social media platform (Number of followers, amount of scheduled posts, repins/retweets/shares, etc)
• The first 3 or 4 words of a post MUST catch your reader's attention. 
• Focus on one or two social media outlets and be great at them. 
• Have a presence in all social media forms.
• Get used to hashtags...they're here to stay and will help people find you. 

I'll be honest, I don't like that last one! I hate hashtags. Strongly dislike if you prefer. BUT, the panel stressed that in ever social media outlet, hashtags will help people find my blog. If I write a vegan cookie recipe and use #vegancookie on Pinterest, people searching for vegan cookies will find my pin! Guess I have to work on that! In the meantime I'll keep laughing at hashtags because it makes me think of this! 

We also had a business panel, marketing, monetizing/optimizing your blog, and a legal panel. Pictured her is 3 of the 4 (well, you can actually see Nicole Dash of Tiny Steps Mommy (one of the two lovely ladies who put on this conference) in the mirror on the left. Then from left to right it's Taya Dunn-Johnson of Just Another Day with MrsTDJ, Monica Sakala of Wired Momma and Maria Jose Ovalle of Very Busy Mama'. All these ladies were wonderful and relatable. No one sugar coats things around here! Some of my favorite points from this panel were:

• Listen to your voice.
• Trust your instincts.
• Get out of your box.
• No business is going to come to you and offer you money. You need to request it.
• Create a media kit.
• No one can tell your story but you. 

I couldn't find a good picture of all the speakers of the monetizing your blog session but here's some of what I took away from it:

• Have a good bio, photo and contact (e-mail address!) info easy to find and available. 
• Don't use a contact form.
• Create a media kit. Use it as your "brag' page (guess I need to get on this one...seems to be a big point!) 
• Have a self hosted blog (It's on my to-do list I promise!)
• Work with brands that work with you and your blog
• Treat your blog like a business. Because it is one!

Kelly Sanabria and Nicole Dash, the two lovely ladies who put on this amazing conference in only 3 months! We need some virtual applause, snaps and kudos to these ladies! 

After the conference I hooked up with these beautiful gals and we got dinner before coming back for the cocktail hour in the rooftop lounge of the hotel for a bit. From left to right it's Heidi from Life In Pink, Jess of Being Mrs. Beer, Britni of Play. Party. Pin., Megan of Picture This Photo Solutions, LLC. and me! 

Overall it was a great conference and a great experience!

Have you ever been to a conference? Who wants to pay my way to one of those other huge (and expensive) conferences in 2014? Anyone??

Till next time,
Catherine

Disclaimer: All photos (except the last four) were are from here and were used with permission. 

{Wedding Wednesday} My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning

First of all, today on 9/11 I want to pause for a moment for us all to think about that day, where we were, what it meant to our country and of all those beautiful lives lost. It was a tragic day that none of us will ever forget.

For the second edition of Wedding Wednesday, I want to run through my personal tips on wedding planning with less stress. It can get very overwhelming very quickly so from the get go I want you to remember these things! It doesn't have to be stressful! These are all tips that I *tried* to remember and stick with throughout planning my own wedding.


Breathe!

First you need to remember to breathe. Wedding planning CAN be stressful but it doesn't HAVE to be. When things get a little rocky, just remember to breathe and think logically about the situation.

Be Organized

Whether you are an organized person or not, you must be organized during wedding planning. If you're not it will stress you out and can even cost you money. Being organized will keep everything in the same place and you won't be stressing out looking for receipts, invoices, business cards and more. I used a 2" 3-ring binder with tab dividers. It was a lifesaver! Be sure to use Pinterest to your advantage as well but stay realistic. Don't pin everything you see. Pin with purpose!

Don't Procrastinate

Start planning pretty much right away. You don't want to take too much time then end up not getting your venue or photographer because they were already booked. Don't waste any time at all especially if you want your wedding on a Saturday in a peak month (May-September and near holidays) because companies will book FAST during those times.

It's One Day

I know you've probably heard this a hundred times but seriously, once it's all over it was just one day of your lives together. Granted it is one of the biggest days of your life but it is still one day. It's not worth fighting over or freaking out over. If you are married at the end of the day, that is truly what matters. 

Determine a Budget and Stick With It!

This one is extremely important! Now if you are fortunate enough to have no budget, go ahead and skip this part. But for most of us, a budget is important. Talk with your fiance, your family and his family and decide who is willing/able to pay for what. I know money talk is no fun but it's best to hash it out in the beginning. You don't want to guess at these numbers later. Check out this website for a good list of who traditionally pays for what. 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I've told this to so many of my friends during their wedding planning. If you can't find napkins that match the flowers then don't freak out! If they're not the same exact color, guess what...no one but you will notice. I can almost guarantee you that no one will notice. Or if at your wedding if something is there that shouldn't be or isn't that should be, no one's going to know but you. 

See that beautiful centerpiece picture? That's from my wedding. After discussing it multiple times, my florist didn't get it right. The vases were supposed to be filled with water, the lilies being completely submerged and there should be a floating candle on top. But, you know what? It's not that big of a deal. Yes I was frustrated but I let it go because it was my wedding reception and it wasn't worth being upset over. I was finally married to the love of my life! Some water and candles was not going to get me down! My mom and I were the only ones who knew the centerpieces weren't right. My guests had nothing but lovely things to say about them! If something similar (or even worse) happens at your wedding, your guests won't even notice, they will only see how happy and beautiful you and your spouse are!

Don't Be a Bridezilla

This one should be pretty self explanatory. If you're questioning how to not be a bridezilla, reference the three points above titled "Breathe," "It's One Day," and "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Your wedding is an extremely important day in your life but don't let it turn you into someone you're not. It's not worth it!

Have Fun! Enjoy It! 

And finally, remember to enjoy it! Wedding planning can also be so much fun. You'll get more congratulations and smiles than you know what to do with. You'll get lots of freebies and hugs, it's fantastic! Also keep in mind companies often charge more for anything labeled "wedding," but that's another topic entirely!

But enjoy this time! Savor your final moments as a bachelor/ette. Spend time with friends and family and enjoy yourself. Don't forget to go on a date night now and then with your honey and make it  a point to not talk about wedding stuff. 

Do you get stressed easily or are you cool as a cucumber? What was/is the most stressful part of wedding planning for you?

Till next time,
Catherine


If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

New Upcoming Blog Series - Wedding Wednesday!

Alright ladies and gents...get excited and get ready because starting in September, I will be doing my very first series that I'm calling Wedding Wednesday!!!

When I began planning my wedding almost 4 years ago (we had a long engagement!) I had no idea what I was getting into. I loved weddings but I didn't know anything about them other than a) the bride is beautiful and b) a happy couple was getting married!

But then every time I went through another aspect of wedding planning I kept thinking to myself, "I should really write all this down. I can't be the only one who wishes I knew x and y." I even thought about blogging about it but I didn't know the first thing about blogs. At that point in time I thought blogging was something that hipsters did to whine about things. Little did I know how far that was from the truth and that a few year later I'd be just about obsessed with blogging!

So, as I approach the year and a half mark (and 8 years of being together) of my incredible wedding, I am finally going to write about it! As usual, I'll give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. My wedding day was so wonderful but there were definitely some things I would have liked to have changed and things that I wish had gone more according to plan. But truly, at the end of the day, I was married to my best friend and that was what mattered. I want to share everything I learned throughout the course of planning my own wedding (BEFORE Pinterest!) in order to help other brides. Wedding planning should be so enjoyable! Not so stressful that even the most mild-mannered bride turns into bridezilla!

Be sure to join me every Wednesday from now until...? for wedding tips, tricks, lists and how-to's! I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am!

What are some wedding topics YOU would like to read about? 

And if you're a blogger, e-mail me if you're interested in doing a guest post with your best wedding advice/tips/stories/pictures! I'd love to have you!

Till next time,
Catherine