Welcome to 2010!  A whole year has elapsed since I last blogged about the importance of keeping your website content fresh and relevant.  My previous post – Website Tune-Up – focused on strategies to keep your website current and favorable to the search engines.  Today, I hope to share some equally important tips to optimize your website and online presence this year.

1.  Make the most of social media. Over the last twelve months I’ve enjoyed a significant increase in traffic to my website and blog as a result of social media.  Active participation in Facebook and Twitter has reinforced our web presence and generated many new leads and relationships.  If you have social media profiles, be sure to link those profiles to your website.

2.  Blog! Blogging offers great benefits due to easy to index regular content. Add a few basic SEO skills and you’re ready to go! Take your blog a step further: Host your blog on your own website instead of using a free hosted blog. Why? When you host your own blog your blog posts supplement the content of your website, thus increasing the quality and vibrancy of your site. Adding an RSS feed button to both your website and blog will make it easy for readers to subscribe to your feed and keep up with your posts. Additionally, RSS features can help make your online (internet) marketing strategies more effective.

3.  Don’t be anonymous. One of the primary goals of your website is to build trust and credibility. Does your website give potential customers the information they need? Is your name, photo and contact information prominently displayed? If you are a service provider you should make every effort to make a personal connection with your visitors.

4. Never underestimate the power of a well designed website. If your website is more than two years old, a revamp alone could boost your SEO ranking. HTML and CSS are the most common technologies used in making web pages, but there are also other ways to go. Flash is known for it’s excellent multimedia capabilities but is generally believed to be less search engine friendly than CSS. Some businesses have even abandoned traditional websites in favor of blog-based sites.

5. Use high quality images. Website images should be carefully selected; ideally they should represent your own work and style to help you connect with your audience (target market). Some vendors may use stock photography as part of their start-up promotions, but in the wedding and event industry I’d advise moving away from this option as quickly as possible (or risk possible damage to your reputation). By the same token, amateur photos will not adequately show even your best work – so select images with a discerning eye.

5.5 Upgrade to Video! If a picture is worth a thousand words than video is worth a million. Video is fast-rising as the newest ‘must-have’ feature because it helps build brand, it’s more engaging than static, printed text, and it’s easier to effectively demonstrate your product or service.

There is virtually no cost associated with these tips – especially if you have the ability or capability to edit your own website. Many resources and tutorials are available online if you need additional information. Otherwise, consider hiring someone to assist with migrating your blog or updating the look of your website – it will be money well spent.

© 2010 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved

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Today I have an exciting announcement!

I’m thrilled to share the news that A Flair for Affairs has been added to Style Me Pretty’s “Little Black Book of The Best Wedding Vendors”!

Style Me Pretty relies on recommendations from industry insiders, trusted LBB vendors and Style Me Pretty readers to identify outstanding service providers. Each invitation to participate is followed up with a personal interview to assure that vendors meet SMP’s high standards! Clearly this is a huge honor and I’m elated to be included among the country’s top wedding vendors!

The exclusive nature of the directory allows for only a few vendors to be showcased in each region. For example, there are only three event planners featured in Central Florida and I’m absolutely delighted to be the only wedding and event planner based in Orlando!

{ screenshot of our listing }

You may also be interested to know that in addition to the legendary Style Me Pretty blog, there is The Little Black Book Blog. In SMP’s own words, it’s described as “our official vendor blog…dedicated to showcasing the work of the vendors we love. It’s eye candy like you wouldn’t believe!”

I urge you to check it out on a regular basis because it’s incredibly inspiring!

PS: Is A Flair for Affairs in your little black book?

Earlier today I came across this quote on the BrideTide Blog:

“You don’t hire a wedding planner for what they do, you hire them for what they know. Most brides only plan one wedding their entire lives while a wedding planner has the experience and understanding of coordinating numerous celebrations for each diverse individual client. Relying on a professional wedding planner to refine the details of the biggest day of your life is not only practical, it’s an intelligent way of minimizing the opportunities for ineffectively handling any unforeseen situations that may arise.”   Rudy, Founder of BrideTide

It’s difficult for wedding planners to make statements like this without sounding like we’re “tooting our own horn”.  But I felt that Rudy’s point was presented well, and I am very pleased to share it.  Additionally, I feel that it’s hugely beneficial for brides and grooms to hear someone else’s perspective.

photo by Kevin Keelan

The experience and expertise that we bring to the table can be priceless throughout the planning process as well as on the wedding day.  I know that we have ’saved the day’ many times and in many different ways. Sometimes it seems that clients see the value of our services most clearly on the day of the event.   Our finely tuned organizational skills, natural ability to multitask and intuitive improvisation allows us to direct the event as if we are conducting an orchestra.  After the event, we always receive glowing compliments about how well everything turned out.  Recently at one of our weddings, we were quite surprised when the Minister led off the dinner prayer by saying “Let us all thank the Wedding Planner for putting together this beautiful event”.

But, I must add that what we ‘do’ is equally valuable. I think a simple clarification to Rudy’s message can be made to say that the bride & groom should have realistic expectations and/or a mutual understanding of what their chosen planner will do for them (as per their service agreement, which can vary widely). Truth be told, there’s a lot we can do and amazing magic we can work – only we don’t have a magic wand, so we need to charge accordingly.

For more insight into the benefits of hiring a wedding planner, be sure to read “Do you REALLY Need a Wedding Planner”

© 2009 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved

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WELCOME to the new and improved weditorial(tm) blog!  

I’ve taken the plunge and upgraded the blog to a format which will allow me to take full control over my content and ultimately make weditorial(tm) even more appealing and engaging. 

I must give credit where credit is due: The team at Z to A Creative made the transition incredibly simple.  Truly I think they saved me six months of work and aggravation! 

Now it’s time for me to put the finishing touches on a few posts that have been waiting in the wings and get them posted here!

The fact that I’ve not posted a blog entry since April has been a major source of frustration for me! Especially since I so enjoy writing; but it seems that all I’ve had time for is quick little posts on twitter and facebook!

In the past few months, some amazing and wonderful things have transpired! We have completed some extraordinary weddings and special events, one of our special projects has been nominated for a 2009 Orlando Wow Award, and a few other special projects are ‘in development’. It’s no wonder I’ve not had the time write! Fortunately for me, no shortage of things to blog about going forward!

I’m excited to share everything we’ve been up to!

Today started at 4 am, as I prepared for the long ride to South West Florida for the We Wed Brunch. (Thank goodness for the company of Kerline Docteur!)

We arrived at the most impressive(!) Miromar Lakes Beach Club at 9 am and were very excited by the great turnout. For Kerline and me this was a fabulous opportunity to exchange ideas with a whole new group of wedding professionals, and personally meet Kelly McWilliams (Weddings By Socialites), a well respected colleague. Kelly’s knowledge of social media marketing and networking was truly impressive; not only did she share her own remarkable stories and experiences about with us, she did an outstanding job of coaching us to better utilize blogging and micro blogging services to enhance our professional network.

I’m so glad I made the trip because it was an absolutely wonderful day! I’m looking forward to connecting with Kelly and all my new SWFL friends at the cutting edge of SMM!

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I don’t even know where to begin…. I’m feeling pretty badly about the fact that my blog is withering in the corner like an unwatered plant! It’s certainly not for the lack of things to write about…. It’s actually just the opposite.

During the past six to eight weeks I’ve had the pleasure of working on some really spectacular projects! I spent a number of weeks working with the Director of Events at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management assisting with the development of the 2009 Grande Hospitality Gala. It was very exciting to be invited back as Assistant to the Event Producer, as I had a phenomenal time assisting with the 2008 Grande Gala!

Fall wedding season is keeping me quite busy! I was fortunate to squeeze in a post on an event that took place early in October. Subsequently, I’ve been posting little blurbs on Facebook regarding my recent adventures with weddings and events.(Be sure to check out the A Flair for Affairs fan page if you are active on Facebook!)

During October I was also busy planning a wonderful event for the Central Florida members of ABC. With the help of my ABC LNG Co-Director, Kerline Docteur, we organized a luncheon at Casa Feliz and had the privilege of having Rebecca Grinnels, President of Engaging Concepts as our guest speaker! She gave an outstanding presentation to our group and I continue to receive raves about her and endless compliments on the event. It was a great day! (I could’ve and should’ve written a full blog on this alone, but alas, the days just keep flying by!… I may try to recap it more completely after I catch up…).

ISES’s monthly event was held at IKEA in October; the event centered on a Table Top Design Competition using preselected IKEA merchandise and featured well known ISES member Ira Steiman as our speaker. Teams of ISES members and guests created about a dozen amazing tablescapes which were judged by the IKEA managers. It was an incredible treat to be part of an event that has NEVER been done before!

Looking forward to December, there is a huge industry luncheon on the horizon…! I’ve been attending committee meetings for this event on behalf of ISES and ABC and I’m really excited about the holiday theme that’s taking shape! This event will take place at the stunning Ginn Reunion Resort on Dec. 4th – can’t wait!

Let’s see… Let’s see… what am I leaving out…? I think I forgot to mention the chihuahua puppy (!) who joined our family about 5 weeks ago. His name is Baci – which I believe means ‘kisses’ in Italian. He’s the cutest little thing and seems to be adjusting to his new life; overall he’s been quite good and we love him!

Whew! – I’m suddenly feeling much better!

© 2008 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved

The Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida was the host hotel for ISES Eventworld 2008 on August 21-23.

What a blast! Hundreds of ISES members from around the globe attended EW this year, and experienced a variety of educational offerings, networking opportunities and well-deserved recognition for their work.

As I mentioned last week, I was really excited about this conference for a number of reasons… For starters, this was my first time attending Eventworld, and I was looking forward to catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances. Not to mention that I was all hyped up about the Esprit Awards and the Spirit of Excellence Awards. In addition to that, the Vinoy is one of my all time favorite hotels! It’s a historic hotel (c. 1925) that boasts beautiful views of the St. Pete Pier and waterfront, incredible cuisine and luxurious amenities (like fabulously comfy beds!)

Well, unfortunately, our “Gala at the Grove” ( 2007 ABC Gala) event did not garner the coveted Esprit Award – but we are still happy that our event and team received worldwide recognition as nominees, and it was truly an honor to be in such distinguished company. And sadly (sigh) despite our best efforts, our Orlando Chapter did not take home a Spirit of Excellence Award… Yet, we are quite proud that Orlando’s own David DeLoach was sworn in as President of ISES International. (This marks the third time that a Past-President from the ISES Orlando Chapter has served as International President.)

Following the Esprit Awards on Saturday evening, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner reception in the Vinoy Grand Ballroom. You can see from the photos that the ballroom decor had a whimsical & elegant black and white theme, and the lighting was quite stunning. I had the good fortune of sharing this event experience with my friend and associate Kerline Doctuer PBC. And to our delight, we were seated alongside Sasha Souza MBC – an accomplished and well respected member of both ISES and ABC. Sasha spoke candidly with Kerline and I about many issues that we face as planners, blogging and her involvement as Events Chairperson with The SEARCH Foundation (Special Events Assistance & Resources with a Caring Heart). (Perhaps more on Sasha in a future post…)

All in all, it was a wonderful conference, and an especially memorable evening.

© 2008 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved. Image courtesy of Elisa Delgardio. Shown: Eddie Diaz, Christine Logan, J. Michael Hicks, Awny Khashoggi, Richard Streitler, Kerline Doctuer

It was a gray and rainy day in Orlando…

Seriously… tropical storm Fay is looming over Florida and we are in ‘hunker down’ mode (…for some reason that term always brings to mind an image of George Bush…) The world is quiet and we’re sitting here waiting to see what’s gonna happen next…

Seems like a perfect time for a blog entry….

I’m deep in the midst of a website overhaul. This is quite exciting for me because my revamped site will have lots of new features that my existing site can’t support. It’s also proving to be quite a lot of effort to rewrite content and collect images for the photo galleries, etc. I’m optimistic that the fresh look and new features of the site will resonate better with potential clients and make my personal and financial investment worth while.

Now that the site is close to being complete, I’m looking forward to it’s debut and hope it’ll be well received…. If my web designer and I have done our jobs correctly, I will benefit from better placement in the search engines and increased exposure. At the same time, I’m a little apprehensive about the whole matter since I’m keenly aware of how prevalent plagiarism and copyright infringement are these days. Soon enough, my focus will turn from creation to protection.

I say this with some experience. My original website was launched in 1998 and still exists in cyberspace; I abandoned it long ago when site #2 went live. Both of these sites have been copied in the past and I have had to notify the offenders that I was aware of their unscrupulous behavior. Now, as site #3 nears completion, I know I’ll need to be vigilant about monitoring for rip-off sites.

Apparently many planners/coordinators have had similar experiences, which is really quite a sad reflection on those (plagiarizers) who boast about their creativity. And somehow these geniuses think they can get away with it…. ugh! the nerve!

The most helpful and comprehensive information I have found on this topic – a research shortcut, if you will – was complied by Lorelle VanFossen, who writes a phenomenally informative blog entitled: Lorelle on WordPress. Here is a link to Lorelle’s blog, and her tips about Finding Stolen Content and Copyright Infringements. After reading through the entry, be sure to bookmark her site for future reference, because you’ll surely want to go back for more.

© 2008 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved

Wow! I never imagined the pressure of writing my very first blog entry! I consider myself a fairly experienced and accomplished writer, but this is a bold step in a new direction. Rather than try to conceive the perfect introduction, sage advice or witty anecdote to share, I will keep this initial post short and sweet; today I will be satisfied with taking the first step.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Confucius

© 2008 E. Delgardio All Rights Reserved