wedding – WedBrilliant

Preserve Every Wedding Card Forever with New Digital Platform, E-Bration!

Preserve Every Wedding Card Forever with New Digital Platform, E-Bration!

One thing you can absolutely count on as you get closer to your wedding is an outpouring of good wishes via congratulatory cards! Your friends and family want to show how excited they are for both of you by sharing heartfelt messages in sweet cards. Whether you receive these on your wedding day or they trickle in through the mail, you will want to collect and save them all. But, after a reasonable period of time after you’re married, what do you do with these wonderful sentiments captured on letters and cards? The days of gathering them up and stashing them in a shoebox never to be opened again… are over!

E-Bration is a brilliant new digital platform that preserves the memories of every card, message, photo and memory from your wedding!

The founders, Shea and Jeff Cohen, built E-Bration after their own wedding when they realized capturing these sentiments was a need shared by thousands of others. After easily creating an “event” in their account, couples can share the page with their guests who are able to send them a digital card straight through the site along with a personalized message and option for a cash gift. Unlike traditional ecard sites where the card is delivered via email and then scattered throughout your inbox with a card link that eventually expires, these cards are stored forever in the couple’s online account. Additionally, for any physical cards that are received outside of the website, the couple can digitally upload those into their account so they are saved with the same collection (or E-Bration can even upload the cards for them if they choose!).

After the wedding, couples can use E-Bration to create a personalized “Memor-E-Book” that matches each card with a photo of the guest who sent it. They will also always have access to their dashboard where all their cards, photos and messages will be hosted. In addition to the preservation of memories and sentiments, E-Bration gives their customers a platform to even send invitations and thank you cards.

We love this concept, so glad that someone finally addressed the question of “what now?!” and we love supporting fellow entrepreneurs. So, go check out E-Bration today as you plan your wedding! It’s free to join and set things up!♥️

Forget the shoeboxes for storing wedding cards!
Create a free E-Bration account to receive and store everything!

Gorgeous Upstate New York Wedding Venue

We know what you’re thinking. What do weddings look like next year? How do you plan to have that special day, host all the guests you want, keep everyone healthy and feeling safe, and still get that day you have dreamed of? There are options! Consider a 3-hour mini, all-inclusive wedding at a venue like WedBrilliant member, Wolf Oak Acres. Or book the venue for the entire day and enjoy full use of the private, climate controlled, handicap accessible, award winning venue in upstate New York.

Wolf Oak Acres offers an on-site shuttle for the bridal party and guests, linens, gorgeous furnishings, decor, set-up and tear-down, optional on-site lodging, 200 acres of pristine landscaped grounds with multiple outdoor ceremony locations, an indoor ceremony site with a stunning cobblestone fireplace, bridal party changing rooms, a full kitchen, and all the other amenities you may need!

Contact for more information:

Katrina Blanchard – 315-762-3090
katrina@wolfoakacres.com

www.wolfoakacres.com

Painted Wedding Stationery Elevates Everything

Often, your guests’ first peek at what your wedding will be like and a reflection of your combined personalities, is in the save-the-dates and other wedding stationery you send out. WedBrilliant vendor CharmCat Stationery & Design creates original painted works that capture moments and personalities, and that inspire, excite, and connect people through the shared experience of art.

Products include save-the-dates, wedding invitation suites, and custom watercolor commissions including wedding venue paintings. These are not just mundane to-do’s to check off your wedding planning list, these are truly pieces of art. Owner and designer, Ashleigh Pritchard recommends that couples planning their weddings add personal touches to their stationery to show off their personality. And these one-of-a-kind pieces will likely be ones you’ll look back on with fondness, long after the wedding has come and gone!

Contact CharmCat:

charmcat.net

Staying At Home? Let’s Get Those DIY Projects Done!

Ready to tackle some wedding DIY projects at home? There are countless resources available to you for inspiration and tips to reach your wedding décor goals, but here’s a great place to start:

  • Have you firmed up your theme? Going for rustic, elegant, modern? Once you know that, the décor ideas flow from there.
  • What’s accessible to you and easy to do at home? Do you have lots of jars? How about painting some for table centerpieces? Do you have craft paper? Could you make table numbers?
  • Can you outsource DIY projects? What can your MIL-to-be help with? Does your maid of honor have incredible penmanship? Can she help writing out place cards? Or addressing invitation envelopes?
  • Post your requests on WedBrilliant.com for any other projects, receive bids and identify a vendor who can help you tackle more of these “to-do’s!”

In the meantime, here’s some more inspiration to get the creative juices flowing:

19 Clever Ways to Use Mason Jars at Your Wedding

60 DIY Wedding Decor Ideas to Wow Your Guests

23 DIY Wedding Centerpieces We Love

Pretty Pink Countryside Wedding (With Cute Aisle Signage)

Wedding Pro Wednesday: WedBrilliant

Wedding Pro Wednesday is a weekly blog post series by our friends at The Wedding Hacker, aimed at featuring amazing creatives, creators and industry experts. These wedding pros share a little about their business and passion for their craft, and some professional guidance for those planning on a slim budget. We’ve included their most recent post featuring our founder, Melissa, here!

We know very well that planning a wedding can be stressful, especially in this day and age with the internet and social media; there are a plethora of businesses and vendors to choose from for your special day and it can feel overwhelming. Facing loads of options can be daunting, but what if we told you there is an easier way to sift through vendors? And ones that offer exactly what you’re looking for and fit right with your budget?

Founder and CEO, Melissa Wilmot, found a solution to that problem and created WedBrilliant. WedBrilliant is an online marketplace for engaged couples and wedding professionals alike. This site allows couples to post their wedding needs and receive bids from a list of vendors across the nation, then couples can select the vendors that are a best match. After, clients leave wedding vendor reviews to help future engaged couples make educated decisions as they plan for their wedding.

What is your background? How did you get started with the wedding industry?

Prior to this I was actually in public relations, so I had no background in the wedding industry. WedBrilliant came out of a need that my husband I had. We were living in Portland and got married in my parents backyard in San Diego. It was so hard to find vendors in all the different categories when we were two states away. I was having my mom meet with photographers, and florists. We weren’t there to narrow down a number of vendors to meet with; it was a shot in the dark with our online research and was a lot of work. I ended up having to fly out a number of times to meet with countless people.

After that process, I saw that there was a need in the marketplace. It took years ultimately of talking to other couples and trying to figure out the best solution. Finally, I thought of an easier way to select vendors: for them to bid on parts of a wedding.

How did you come up with the name WedBrilliant?

I jotted down so many concepts about what this business would do. And after sharing my idea with others, so many people responded that this was a “brilliant idea!” So that was pretty much how the company got its name. Also, it was a fun play on words with the idea of wedding rings and their brilliance.

How did you find these vendors?

At first, it was a word of mouth effort. We had a handful sign up shortly after we launched the company. In Portland, where we’re based, there are tons of vendors and each have their own network that they would share WedBrilliant with. That’s how we started picking up some steam. We’ve also done some outreach to vendors through Pinterest ads and Facebook ads, but overall it’s been organic growth. We hope to start a huge outreach campaign in the future.

How many and what kinds of vendors do you have at WedBrilliant?

We have more than 4,000 vendors across the country! We have vendors including wedding planners, photographers, DJs, catering companies, bakers, tux rental shops, wedding dress designers, as well as hair and makeup artists. We even offer couples access to wedding officiants and premarital counseling, and food trucks. We cover all the bases!

Can you describe the process of setting up an account with WedBrilliant as a vendor or a customer looking to hire vendors?

For couples:

You can create a quick profile for free. You’ll add the key details such as location and how many guests you’re expecting. Once couples do that, you can immediately start posting requests. couples can propose their estimated budget and post their specific needs and wants. Once they hit “submit,” it goes out and our vendors in those categories get an alert. And none of it is hidden, they can go call the vendor separately and set up a time to meet, and drill down the details

For Vendors:

The process for vendors is similar to the sign up process for couples. When they create their account they will note the region they live in, their professional background, as well their work experience/portfolio. They can upload photos and reviews, and they can choose to be a member for $5 a month or $50 for the entire year. If they’re not ready to commit to paying a monthly/yearly fee, they can host a free profile page, so it’s a very low cost of way of advertising.

What are the general price ranges of these vendors? Would you say that their prices fit for all budgets?

There are vendors to suit a range of budgets. For sure!

We’ve had couples come in with a total budget of $50,000 who are more hands-off with the planning and lean on a planner to find the right vendors. We also have vendors meeting price points that range from $1000-$4000 for photography for instance, so couples can choose to go with the lowest cost option, if they want.

There is definitely a range, from the higher-end boutique vendors down to people who are starting off in their careers, and are going to offer their work for a lower price. WedBrilliant generally skews to couples who are on a budget, so I think this is a great way for people to help stay on a budget.

A common problem I hear from many couples in the process of wedding planning is that they end up interviewing so many vendors that they have trouble deciding, do you have any tips on how to narrow down your decision and finding the right vendor for you?

Deciding on the right vendor can be overwhelming. Everyone has their own social media page to explore and you can really get lost. By the very nature of what WedBrilliant does, it can help simplify this process. It is a great tool for narrowing down your options to a smaller group of vendors who meet the specific criteria that a couple is looking for.

Can you share some of your best wedding tips and tricks for couples aiming to stay within their budget?

Yes, I have a few tips and tricks that I’d love to share:

  • I think the power of using your network is huge, so I’d say don’t hesitate to tap into the network you already have and just ask. couples that tap into friends or family to source vendors can find great deals, and reduce hassles.
  • When looking at venues, be open to having your wedding on non-weekend days or at least non-Saturdays.
  • When it comes to florals, choose the flowers that are in season.
  • Lastly, when it comes to alcohol for a wedding, serve the nicer wines earlier on. Serve the cheaper wine later on because there’s a good possibility that the guests won’t even notice a difference as the rest of the night goes on!

Photo Booth Fun

We’re excited to share a little about WedBrilliant pros, Fun Fab Photo Booths & DJs. Looking for a fun, reliable provider of photo booth rentals in the Houston, College Station, Galveston, Huntsville or Bay City areas? Check them out.

They offer open air, enclosed and green screen options with the highest quality photos and guaranteed fun for your wedding guests. All of their rentals include flash drives, custom graphics, on-site attendants with great customer service, print outs for your guests, and of course fun props!

We love a good photo booth and the fun it creates! Check out Fun Fab Photo Booths & DJs, and head over to post your own wedding needs for WedBrilliant vendors to submit customized bids on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Polled Our DJs: How much do they charge?

We launched WedBrilliant with the express purpose of helping our happily engaged couples find great wedding vendors and get bids on all your wedding needs. But, if you’re starting the wedding planning process and not sure how much budget to allocate to various components of your wedding, we are here to help you out. We polled our talented DJs around the nation and are sharing the average amount they charge for weddings… Now that you know this info, head over to request bids for your own wedding!

How much do you charge couples for basic wedding DJ services for approximately 3-6 hours?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illustrate Your Love Story

You’re engaged, yay! You’re happy and can’t stop peeking at the ring on your finger, recognizing the significance behind it and planning the big day pretty much 24/7. Right? As you should be!

And we’re excited for you! I mean, we’re in the wedding business because we are obviously obsessed with weddings! Looking for a little inspiration? We’ve got just what you need with these amazing shots captured by WedBrilliant wedding photographer, Rachel of Peace Love Shoot Photography. As she, herself, says, her goal is to ensure that “each couple has the images to illustrate their love story.” And we’d agree that she accomplishes that!

 

 

 

 

A Camera (and photographer!) Ready for Adventure

When you’re searching for an engagement or wedding photographer, here’s one of the best pieces of advice to keep in mind – find a photographer who loves what they do. That love transfers directly into the experience you’ll have with them.

A WedBrilliant photographer who clearly loves what she does? Whitney Lyons of Whitney Lyons Photography fits that description! She’s a visual storyteller with a clear passion for what she does. It comes across in her photography and the way she approaches capturing special occasions for her clients. From the touching candid shots of happy couples and their guests at the reception to perfectly unplanned moments of tenderness, it’s clear Whitney’s a true professional. Her dozen years of experience and background in photojournalism are just two of the assets she offers. And while she’s based in the beautiful Northwest, as she says, “my passport and camera are always ready for the next adventure!”

Wedding Music to Set the Stage

When it comes to selecting what music you will have at your wedding, you have a number of options. Have you been thinking about musicians for the ceremony? What you’ll have during the cocktail hour? And what about what’s going to get your guests on the dance floor at the reception?

First step? Check out the variety of incredibly talented wedding musicians and DJs we have here at WedBrilliant. Take, for instance, Ocdamia Strings, ceremony musicians playing music ranging from classical to contemporary and anything in between. Most of their musicians have masters degrees in music performance – true professionals. And, they are known for serving multi-cultural clients by taking the time to learn different cultures and traditions to ensure every wedding goes smoothly and is unforgettable. Ocdamia Strings musicians discuss goals with each couple they work with and will always make sure that couples get beautifully performed songs on their big days!

Looking to hire great musicians for your wedding? Post a request on WedBrilliant and receive bids from talented wedding pros!