All tagged ethics

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Problem Vendor Series, Revisited

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Problem Vendor Series, Revisited

Guest Contributor
Ethics

(Editor's Note: Our monthlong series of flashbacks to our most relevant, relatable and (in some cases) controversial WeddingIQ posts of all time is almost done - today, Kyle looks back at the five posts we wrote in 2015 calling out problematic behaviors and practices among wedding vendors.)

We don’t always get to choose our A-Team. I would love to collaborate with my favorite vendors every weekend but, alas, sometimes I am forced to photograph among those that are less than professional and oftentimes make my job challenging. When I began my business, I naively thought my only job was to take great photos. Little did I know the political minefield I was entering, working as a cohesive team with vendors I had never met, to bring about such an important event for our clients.

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why "Wedding Confidential" Should Make You Proud, Not Mad, Revisited

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why "Wedding Confidential" Should Make You Proud, Not Mad, Revisited

Guest Contributor
Wedding Industry, Ethics, Mindset

(Editor's Note: Our monthlong look back at WeddingIQ's most influential posts continues today, as Jennifer revisits her January 2013 article, "Why Wedding Confidential Should Make You Proud, Not Mad.")

If there's one thing I've learned in almost 20 years in the wedding industry, it's that the media will apparently never tire of not only vilifying wedding businesses, but also thinking it's original to do so. The January 2013 episode of the ABC News program 20/20, titled "Wedding Confidential," was no exception.

While the program link in my original article no longer works (evidently, ABC didn't feel the show was worth archiving anywhere - which is no big loss, trust me), my feelings on the program itself remain the same.

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why We've Said "No" to Wedding Venues' Marketing Brochures, Revisited

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why We've Said "No" to Wedding Venues' Marketing Brochures, Revisited

Guest Contributor
Ethics, Wedding Industry, Marketing

(Editor's Note: We're just two weeks away from a BIG announcement for WeddingIQ! In the meantime, we continue our look back at game-changing posts from our past. On the docket today, Jen's May 2012 post, "Why We've Said "No" to Wedding Venues' Marketing Brochures.)

Boy, was I hot under the collar when I wrote this one. I remember so clearly how excited my former business partner and I were when our DJ company started seeing referrals roll in from our favorite venues. It was so validating, like all our hard work was truly paying off, and paying off in spades.

And then, the calls started rolling in. We went from receiving a few requests to advertise in our favorite venues' new marketing books - beautiful, photo-rich books, to be truthful - to receiving dozens. The quality of our referrals dipped. And after a couple of years of this, we said "enough."

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Just Gimme the Photos, Revisited

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Just Gimme the Photos, Revisited

Guest Contributor
Marketing, Ethics, Relationships

(Editor's Note: We're making steady progress toward completing a major project we'll be rolling out at the beginning of May, and we can't wait for you all to see it! In the meantime, we're continuing to look back at popular and thought-provoking posts from our history. Today, it's Kyle's March 2015 post, "Just Gimme the Photos!")

I firmly stand behind everything I wrote here 100%. Jennifer and I even created a speaking presentation "The Internet is a Thieve's Paradise: How to Properly Use Professional Images & Protect Your Website" for The Planners Suite Conference this past January because we have such strong beliefs on this topic. That presentation was derived from this post and from Jennifer's 2012 post, "How to Protect Your Website From Thieves."

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why Gender Neutrality Matters, Revisited

WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why Gender Neutrality Matters, Revisited

Guest Contributor
Marketing, Ethics

Editor's Note: As explained in Monday's post, throughout the month of April, as we prepare for an exciting announcement next month, we'll be looking back at some of the most popular, talked-about, or personally significant posts we've ever written, with a fresh perspective on our mindset today. Up first? Jen's May 2012 post, "Why Gender Neutrality Matters.")

I can't kick off this post without first saying how glad I am that so many wedding business owners have embraced gender-neutral language in their marketing since I first wrote about the topic almost four years ago. Back then, while I knew many wedding pros who privately supported marriage equality and warmly welcomed LGBTQ couples as clients, but were very hesitant to restrict the heteronormative language found throughout their marketing, let alone write marketing copy directly to non-straight couples (or feature images of them).