Fridays Favorite Finds - John Goolsby with Godfather Films

Twenty-three year IEPPV member John Goolsby is a Wedding Video Hall of Fame member who started his filmmaking career in 1986. He has gone on to film in 18 different states and ten countries. Goolsby is the recipient of the Prova Award for the Best Wedding Video in the United States three years in a row and has been voted one of the Top 25 Videographers in the World.

Since the first moment we met, John has gone above and beyond for me and for all of my brides! A true professional, and my Favorite Friday Find!

After 25 years in the business, Goolsby still thinks that preserving the memories of that one special day, time and place where everybody important to a couple have gathered to celebrate their marriage is the best job in the world.  Goolsby likes to say, “Our most treasured belongings are the memories of our life experiences”

Be sure to visit their website:      GodfatherFilms.com

John also filmed this a promotional video for my company.  Click below to see an example of his wonderful work!

Enjoy, 

Mary 

Friday Favorite Finds - Hire Elegance

I am really impressed with Hire-Elegance.  Not only are the furniture and dining products amazing, but Mark is so gracious and accommodating!

Their Italian Dining Chairs are really something special and make a huge impact, as do their tables. They stock wooden frames of 4,5 & 6ft Round and Square Tables.  The client picks their fabric and color and they custom wrap the table for the event.  It is an extremely clean look, with the fabric being used one time with no linens needed.  

Lastly, with regard to Lounge Furniture, they have an extensive line of sofas in 7ft, 13ft and 20ft in 9 colors.  To match these sofas in the 9 colors, they have daybeds, wing chairs, 5ft benches, cubes, mirrors, etc....

Please send Mark a note and introduce yourselves.  This is definitely a firm we will be seeing more of in the next few months.

Hire-Elegance

Mark@hire-elegance.com

Enjoy,

Mary

Friday Favorites "Facebook or Twitter?" A Recap of The Debate

 

Today my Friday Favorite Find is "Facebook or Twitter?"  A Recap of the  Debate.

Yesterday, I had the honor of debating with Tonya Shadoan, MBC (ABC, Master Bridal Consultant, based in Indiana) via live audio conference call.  We debated what is better for your business: Facebook or Twitter??? And this is what we came up with:

The style and tone of Facebook is: Like being a guest at a wedding or party where most people know each other…. you chat with old friends and acquaintances, mixing and mingling in an intimate manner. In this setting, people tend to feel more relaxed and “in their element”.  Conversations are familiar and center on shared experiences and connections

The style of Twitter: The style and tone of Twitter is like: can be like stepping on to a stage, where you are communicating with an audience and quickly find that you need to find a voice and say something useful and interesting or quickly lose the attention of your audience. People refer to Twitter as a mini or micro blogging platform.  Another way I view Twitter is like a big cocktail party where you see others chatting to others (so you see who knows who)  and when you hear something interesting you want to share it (by “retweeting”) with others you know.

Twitter Pros

• Easy to navigate and update, link to and promote anything
• Reach far beyond your inner circle of friends
• One feed pools all users; anyone can follow anyone else unless blocked
• Pure communication tool, rapid responsiveness
• You don’t have to be logged in to get updates; you can just use an RSS reader
• Very interactive, extensible messaging platform with open APIs
• Many other applications being developed (Twitterific, Summize, Twhirl, etc.)
• Potential SMS text messaging revenue from wireless networks (although Twitter states they are not currently getting any cut)
• Potential future advertising and/or enterprise subscription-based revenue streams
• With its “thin” overhead, Twitter is probably more scalable than Facebook, giving it a cost advantage

Twitter Cons

• Limited functionality; find people, send brief messages, direct replies
• Limited to 140 characters per update
• Not all people find it immediately useful
• Over-emphasis on follower counts
• Easily abused for spam and increasing the noise level
• Relatively smaller installed user base
• As yet no readily apparent monetization strategy

Facebook Pros

• Application mashup; find people, make connections, email, instant messaging, image/video sharing, etc.
• Most people can quickly grasp the value of connecting with friends, family and established contacts; some people report they use Facebook instead of email and IM
• More emphasis on deep connections with others vs. who has the most connections
• “True Friends” feature increases your transparency to selected connections; almost like having private and public profiles
• Huge, rapidly growing installed user base
• Inherit stickiness, third party applications, “gift giving” and personal data collection make Facebook a powerful advertising platform

Facebook Cons

• More difficult to navigate and update
• Requires investment of time to realize sustained benefit
• Opt in model requires a user to allow others to connect
• Less immediate responses; unless you stay logged on continually

I hope this inspires you to increase your social marketing practice and grow your business!

Much gratitude!

Mary

Casting Opportunity for Brides and Moms

Every week I like to showcase a Favorite Friday Find, Friend or Fact.. This week I am thrilled to share the news of a Casting opportunity on a major cable network, The Stylish OneJ!  They are casting brides and their mommy’s as they journey the last 8 weeks of wedding planning.  

They are taking sophisticated look at loving, inspirational mother-daughter relationships as they anticipate and plan for their fabulous day.  You must be getting married in April or May of 2011 and getting married in the southern California area. So if you are a bride or a planner with a bride that is planning a special wedding day with your mom, please email me for more information. 

Much gratitude!

Mary Dann-McNamee, MA

Professional Wedding Planner since 1991

Which is Better for YOUR Business? Facebook or Twitter?

2011 is going to be a great year for us at Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators. So many exciting things to share.  First I want to introduce you to my dear friend Tonya Shadoan.  She is an amazing life coach and an inspiration to all she meets.  Tonya has officially launched the Around-The-World series and asked me to tell you about her first monthly educational call! Her guest expert this month is me, MARY DANN and you are invited to be a part of the call!! Tonya and I will be having a Facebook V. Twitter FACE-OFF! These days, social media has taken over. Which avenues do you REALLY need? Which will get you more clients? Listen in on the call to hear us battle it out, share the best tactics and hear our recommendations. At the end, there will be a LIVE 15 min. Q&A session so you can ask us your burning questions! Please join us as we discuss how you can GROW YOUR BUSINESS! This call is going to be so informative - don't miss out! Friday, Feb. 11th, 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST To reserve your FREE spot TODAY & become a part of Tonya's Around the World Series: visit http://programs.tonyashadoan.com/2011-programs . Make sure to check out my new book 'Wedding Wisdom', full of insights and advice for planners like YOU! Click here to purchase!

ABC Santa Barbara Ventura

  

ABC Santa Barbara with Mary Dann-McNamaree

Leaders and Followers

Wednesday, January 19th Mary’s talk explored the dynamics of working with leaders and followers. She provided insights and tools that will serve the Santa Barbara ABC Community as they journey through any type of intimate event planning situation; such as a mother-daughter planning a wedding, teenager and parents planning a mitzvah or a corporate planner and their team planning a gala or corporate meeting.

The presentation was based on years of experience working with couples in a therapeutic situation.

The talks main objective was to identify the Leadership Personality, Leadership Traits and the ability to motivate and Identify Traits that make up a good Follower or “Team Member”.  She explored how important it is to recognize the balance intrinsic to creating a positive outcome of the team.

She and her panel of experts, Colette and Kaitlin Lopez of La Fete Weddings, and Nikki Khan of Exquisite Events, identified how good leadership affects followers, and the team success. They also shared how to recognize specific personalities within a planning environment and to leverage each individuals unique ability to contribute.

The discuss ended with an insightful discussion on how these personality traits manifest within Mother Daughter Relationships in a Legacy Business.

Enjoy, 

Mary Dann Wedding and Party Consultants