CRISTI + MATT | AN ALEXANDRIA HISTORIC DISTRICT VIRGINIA WEDDING WITH CORRIN JASINKSI PHOTOGRAPHY

I'm so happy to be sharing this sweet sweet springtime wedding with you all today! Cristi and Matt's Alexandria Historic District event was one of my favorites of the season and in true One Sweet Day in May fashion was as classic as they come with white and ivory florals and pops of sage greenery. 

Cristi and I connected last winter and I was so excited to add her and Matt to our floral calendar this year! We bonded over our love of anemones and a few months later Cristi approached us about adding month-of-coordination as well- hooray! It was SUCH a gorgeous day and such a pleasure to work with Corrin Jasinski Photography and the other wonderful vendors (listed below) 

VENUE AND CATERING- EMBASSY SUITES OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA

FLORALS- ONE SWEET DAY IN MAY 

COORDINATION- ONE SWEET DAY IN MAY

DJ- BLACK TIE ENTERTAINMENT

DESSERTS- HOLLIN HALL PASTRY SHOP

HMUA- JAMIE D'AGOSTINO MAKEUP ARTISTRY

TRANSPORTATION- FLEET TRANSPORTATION 

RIBBON- RUFFLED LANE 

MY LIFE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. ADVICE AND HAVING BOUNDARIES

Happy Tuesday, sweet friends! 

I'm talking today about a topic that I've felt passionately about recently. Earlier this year, (March I believe) I deactivated my Facebook account....and it stayed that way for 3 months. 3 whole months away from the non stop scrolling, clicking on unimportant links, and time wasting. Friends, it was amazing. Now, if you've known me for quite sometime you'll know that deactivating Facebook for me is a huge deal. Not too long ago I was addicted. Really addicted. I would take my phone with me into the bathroom, have it under my pillow at night, and I was that person at dinner with friends checking my feed. Yikes! Facebook with OSDIM came to a point of overwhelm with me and that was my tipping point. The constant messages from friends and fellow wedding industry pals and group notifications became too much. So one day I just did it. I hit deactivate and after Facebook asked me one thousand times if I was really sure,(yes I AM SURE) I was off it. That first day, hard. Really hard. Second day? I didn't even think about it. So strange for me, but I found it so worth it. I'm back on it now, but I've changed the way I use it and all other social media platforms. I wanted to share today the little rules I go by to get the most out of my social accounts and the systems I put in place as well as the boundaries that have helped put a little zen back in my life. 

BOUNDARIES

Boundaries on SM is hard when you're running a business. Our society as a whole is consumed with distractions and the  need of information quickly and sometimes I feel us as creatives are more prone to the constant scrolling. We want to know what our industry peers are up to and what pretty things will pop up on our feeds. We want to post and keep everyone updated with what we're working on (or what we're eating for lunch) It's normal, totally normal. We own businesses who's ideal clients are on platforms like IG, FB, and Snapchat, it's where we have to be, but it's a tricky road though. Here are some things I'm doing to make sure I'm using social media platforms to their full potential for my businesses while minimizing my time using social media. 

Facebook- 

While I'm not loving being back on it, for me Facebook is where I network with area creatives and have access to business groups that I find helpful. Those things I did miss while I was gone. Instagram doesn't have an events section so while I was off of FB I missed out on a few gatherings I would of loved to attend, but didn't know about them because I couldn't be "added" or "invited" 

So what I basically did was took out everything I could that I didn't like. I no longer check messages on there. Regardless of who they are from. One less inbox to worry about. I also unfriended anyone I haven't spoken to in 2 or more years. My feed became a lot less cluttered and more filled with the people I love. I also went and unfollowed about a hundred more people so I don't see them on my feed and did the same with pages I have liked or groups I'm in. I turned off notifications to all but a few groups so I don't get those annoying notifications anymore. Hooray! Seems a little harsh, I know, but my mental health I figured was more important.  Since taking a Facebook hiatus I'm not attached to my phone anymore and have even on multiples times forgotten it at home and actually felt relieved about it. That my friends is me living the dream. I also recommend social media free weekends- life changing. 

Limiting my time spent on Facebook has been key for me to stop the scroll. I like to "check in" 3 times a day max and for no longer than 10 minutes. Facebook for me isn't where a lot of my business comes from so it's the last thing I post to. I love to keep my business page updated, but it's not a key tool for me in the overall picture. This is just me though. I know some ladies who kill it on FB. Using it as more of an informational outlet and networking tool has worked a lot better for me as far as time and benefiting my business.  

So FB, I think I'll stick around. (but please give us a way to disable messaging for personal pages...) 

INSTAGRAM

My (and everybody's) favorite platform. I can talk for days about how much I love IG. It's where almost half of my inquiries come from and is such a huge part of my business therefore I spend the most time on it. Instagram is my brand. It's where you get to know me (as well as here on the blog) Some rules I like to abide by are...

1. QUALITY IS MUCH BETTER THAN QUANTITY

Something I've learned this year  is that for me quality over quantity is key. I know now that posting a few times a week about things I'm working on, intentional captions, and shots of behind the scenes work is a lot better than posting constantly. Quality of posts is so much more beneficial than everyday multiple times a day for me and my business. I don't have any rules when it comes to what I post (like 5 work posts 1 personal post etc) I just post what feels right. To me Instagram is little snippets of a bigger picture. Mini chapters of the book I'm theoretically writing. 

2. CONSISTENT FEED

Instagram is an extension of my brand and my website. I want it to feel like a little nook of my business and I accomplish that my sticking with a similar color scheme, exposure, and content. A pretty feed is a happy feed ! I like to also create little hashtag groups outside of weddings and work (#theschmidtchateau, #onesweetsummerfun) They make great little niches for parts of your life and creates consistency between projects. 

3. BE SOCIAL!

I always make it a point to comment back when people write a note on a photo. I also get a ton of emails asking where things in my office are from and I always respond. I think it's important to show that there is a person behind the pretty. I also comment on others photos as much as possible. It's such a good way to break the ice (I've made actual real life friends this way) And it's a great tool for bringing people to your account. Which brings me to my next rule...

4. TAKE RELATIONSHIPS OFFLINE 

I learned this one earlier this year. A comment or a few likes are wonderful, but even better is branching out and inviting that fellow creative out for coffee or lunch. This of course really only works if your local, but if not send someone you admire or would love to work with or become friends with a little note. Snail mail is a glorious thing in this day and age. Instagram might disappear at any moment (I really hope not, but you never know!) So it's important to bring relationships you start on IG into the "real "life"

5. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE OR LIKES YOU GET 

Seriously! I'd much rather have 50 likes on a post and interact with 20 of those followers than 200 and interact with 0. Again, it's about those relationships. Focus on the followers you have now and cultivate those friendships and be social with them. Your business should not be solely run on social media and based on how many followers you have. If Instagram shut down tomorrow where would all those thousands of followers be? Nowhere. Start focusing on the ones you have now. (This also works for booking clients, but that's a whole other post..) Also, please don't like your own photos...I promise you the amount of "likes" doesn't matter. 

INSTAGRAM STORIES AND SNAPCHAT

Anyone else's jaw drop when IG launched stories 2 weeks ago? Yikes! and Rude. I wasn't sure what to think at first. I'm on snapchat, but admittedly not great at it. We know that Stories is pretty much the same thing, but I quickly realized how much of a great tool it can be. lt's basically snapchat but for my for my IG audience. Gotta love that! So far I don't have any rules or advice for it, but I'm thinking of using it mostly when I'm working behind the scenes on a project or a wedding to give followers an inside look. And a little here and there in everyday life. 

FURTHUR...

if you’re needing help with managing your social media content you can look into apps like CoSchedule and Postso.com. You can also create a social media calendar to really get organized! Buy a separate calendar or planner and schedule out the next month of blog posts, Instagram, and Facebook content. Talk about a weight lifted off your shoulders. Once you have topics and and content figured out you can get to work on bringing those blogs and posts to life so that when publish time comes along, you'll be set and not stressed. High fives all around for that! 

There are so many other tools out there to help professionals lead a more organized and stress free life so that we can reach our goals. Everyone and every business is different. Find the boundaries that work for you and the "rules" that take your Social Media game to the next level. 

Warmly,

Michelle 

3 REASONS TO MEET IN PERSON FOR CONSULTATIONS.

Since starting One Sweet Day in May, Meeting clients one-on-one for that initial consultation has become imperative to my business and for me, has been the way I have booked the most clients. I've had phone calls, Skype sessions, email chains, and through time and looking back on what events I booked and events I did not, I have booked every bride, but one that I met with. Though some wedding pros prefer to have that first consolations over the phone and for very good reasons, I always request an in person meeting if applicable and today I'm going to tell you 3 reasons I love to meet in person and why and give you a peak inside my process.  

1. YOUR CLIENT EXPERIENCE STARTS HERE.

My business is experience based and that starts before I even talk about floral visions, pricing, and design details. Meeting in person allows me the opportunity to start that relationship and my wedding experience off right every time. My venue of choice for that first consultation is Starbucks. I find the atmosphere to be so welcoming and homey and it really sets the tone for how I want a bride to feel from beginning to end. (Thanks Starbies!) I like to find out as many details about their wedding before we meet so I can know what I'm jumping into and can be prepared. I find out their drink/coffee of choice early on too and love to have it waiting for them with a little surprise when they walk in the door. Usually that surprise is a flower they told me they love or a ribbon tied around their drink in a wedding color. If the meeting is at their home, then I make sure to bring a wedding magazine with me to gift to the bride. My client experience is already off to a wonderful start and without much of an investment from me. 

During that first meeting, the bride can get to know me just as much as I can get to know her. Finding out if we are a good fit is essential to both parties. I like to bring my portfolio and my iPad for our discussion and for inspiration. Because I have not booked the bride yet, this first meeting is all about the bigger picture (think guest count, wedding party information, and colors) and not so much about specific ideas and details. You do not want a bride to leave with all of your ideas and then email you back in a week saying they met someone who can do the "same" work for cheaper. (Which is whole other post and why my proposals are not typically specific and itemized as well. The detailed work and exacts are brought to life once they book) Brides should not leave with specifics. They should leave thinking that you are a great fit for their vision and want to work with YOU. 

2. CREATES TRUST.

Throughout the planning process I meet with my brides several times for multiple design chats, venue walkthroughs, and rental meetings. Meeting them for the first time at our consultation means we already have an established relationship before the important decisions have to be made and the bride is more likely to trust my opinions and feel comfortable making changes and adjustments with me. I've said it since the beginning, my brides become my friends and that is really because of my experience based business and curating these relationships right from the start.

First impressions are everything, but that top shelf level of attention and attentiveness needs to continue once they have booked with you. When you have an experienced based process everything becomes so much more fluid and that trust is there. If one thing goes awry (like a certain flower not being available one week before their wedding.) but you have created a friendship with that bride throughout the planning period, then that one problem is not going to derail that client's perception of you and your business and they are likely to understand and tell you they trust you to do whatever you think is best. (Trust me this has happened on more than one occasion) Now, if you haven't curated a relationship with your bride and just booked them, written a few emails back and forth, and never put any effort into getting to know them and something goes wrong, chances are they will be upset and blame you. Then you're scrambling to make it right in fears of bad reviews or word of mouth. 

3. IT'S A JOURNEY

A client experience based business that starts from that get-go is so beneficial to both you and your bride. And for me, it all starts at that first in- person consultation and doesn't end until the bride is looking like this at the end of her incredible wedding...For a bride it's a journey and that's what I believe your time with her should be looked at as. Bride's care just as much about the little things as they do the big things and showing up to their first consultation with you where you welcome them, get to know them, and have a few surprises up your sleeve goes a long way. And a happy bride is more than likely to tell her friends and family about her incredible experience with you and that just may lead to referrals and more lovely engaged ladies heading your way. 

Photo by my dear friend Annmarie Swift 

Warmly,

Michelle