Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Investing in a Conference or Workshop

(Editor's Note: Today on the blog, we welcome the return of frequent guest contributor Jennifer Taylor of Taylor'd Events! Read more about Jennifer at the end of the post!)

The wedding industry is filled with conferences, tradeshows and other educational workshops at both local and national levels. Most of them can be tempting to sign up for, but realistically, you can’t attend every single one due to time and financial commitments.

The question is – how do you determine which will be the best experience and provide you with the most return on investment?

Stuck in a Rut? Try These Wedding Industry Best Practices for Finding Inspiration

(Editor's Note: The talented Fabrice Orlando of Cocoon Events Group is back on our blog today, offering his advice on how to get un-stuck and find inspiration again in your wedding business. Read more about Fabrice at the end of the post!)

Even the most creative wedding professionals find themselves uninspired at times, so don’t be ashamed or discouraged if you find yourself staring blankly at your computer.

While we’ve all been there, there are plenty of ways to get your creativity going and pull yourself out of a funk. Although it may seem logical to scroll through some top wedding blogs or flip through magazines for ideas, that process can actually add to the frustration, as you’ll end up seeing all of the gorgeous details that have already been done.

The Latest Trends: Why Educating Yourself on "What's In" is Essential

(Editor's Note: Today we're welcoming a new guest contributor to WeddingIQ - the talented Rebecca Hochreiter of DestinationWeddings.com! Learn more about Rebecca at the end of the post!)

In the wedding world, trends are often on the minds of engaged couples as they navigate the planning process. In some instances, they may even have a hand in influencing brides’ and grooms’ decisions. Additionally, more and more wedding professionals are making it a priority to keep tabs on the latest and greatest.

So why is it important to stay in the know? In a saturated industry, it’s imperative to stay relevant. The ability to offer industry insight will position you as not only an indispensable resource, but someone who values the client experience.

Be Smart. Be Bright. Be Sage.

Anyone who reads WeddingIQ with any regularity knows we're huge fans of Sage Wedding Pros, not only for the fantastic, industry-changing work they do, but also for the amazing people they are. Michelle Loretta and Kelly Simants have both been so generous in sharing their wisdom as guest bloggers, and the education and support they provide to wedding business owners is second to none. On a personal note, I've been lucky enough to collaborate with them as the former co-host of the DC-area chapter of their awesome networking concept, Thursday Therapy, and had a great time participating in their game-changing Simple Plan workshop. I can't endorse Michelle and Kelly strongly enough!

That said, we are excited to share Sage Wedding Pros' top-notch educational conference for the wedding industry! Be Sage Conference is for smart business owners looking to create strong strategies for the long-term success of their companies. This year's conference will take place in Cabo San Lucas this November 14-17. (Brainy learning AND margaritas - who could ask for anything more?!)

It's Time to Get Real: Your Wedding Business Probably Isn't Keeping Up, and Here's Why

Here on WeddingIQ, we've always been passionate advocates for what's truly in business - beyond the pretty Instagram snaps, the glamorous branding, the cheerful small talk at networking events. And what's more real, honestly, than realizing your business just isn't keeping up?

Starting a wedding business is such a whirlwind of excitement, and if you've got that perfect combination of skill, connections, and pure luck (which really isn't so much luck as good timing and good market conditions), your business can take off quickly. At least, that's what happened with my primary business. My former partner and I happened to launch it at a time when our region desperately needed upscale, polished, non-cheesy DJs, and we benefited tremendously from the fact that many of our would-be competitors were still embodying the bad DJ stereotype.