After years of balancing planning weddings, family and running a growing business, I finally came to the place where I admitted that it was not healthy for me to try to continue to “do it all.” What’s more, I wasn’t even the best person or trained for the many hats I was wearing! This began a long journey of passing on tasks I did on a weekly or even daily basis. I cringed as I tried to process the transition, but was pleasantly surprised to realize that it was far easier than expected – especially when it came to our Wedding PR and Marketing.

Photo: Horn Photography & Design

  Maybe it’s just that God sent me amazing people, like Kristen Ley Green of Something New For I Do. I’m sure this could be challenging, but Kristen has made handing over Wedding PR and Marketing work a breeze! I highly recommend her for your growing wedding business, especially if you’re looking for a stronger online presence, but don’t have the skills, time or knowledge to make it happen!

Kristen has taken over management of our social media outlets, wedding PR efforts and blog with amazing results. Our following has grown daily, our blog is incredibly organized and thoughtful and we are getting published in outlets I had on my bucket list to boot! I wanted to take a moment to more fully explain what services Kristen offers below in case any fellow entrepreneurs are looking to let their wedding PR go and watch it grow!

  Wedding PR: Styled Shoot + Real Wedding Submission Work

We like to call Kristen our “wedding finisher” as she takes our weddings one step further by getting them featured in top wedding magazines and blogs. Something New for I Do utilizes their strong relationships with bloggers, writers and editors to match your weddings with the perfect publication so that your work is seen by your target bride. And if you’re a creative looking to showcase your design talent through styled shoots, Something New for I Do puts together the perfect submission package to get your shoot featured. What’s the beauty of being published? You can create a blog post centered on the placement and promote on social media to enhance SEO. All of this further grows your client base and raises awareness of your brand!

Because Kristen has been doing styled shoot and real wedding submission work for so long, she hears back from editors quickly and makes the submission process a breeze when it can be a lengthy process when trying to do it all on your own. Since we started working with Kristen, we’ve had 110+ styled shoots and weddings featured and have been featured in wedding advice articles over 115 times. That’s over 200 media features for the Chancey Charm team!

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  Letting go, and giving things to the experts is both healthy for you, your family and your business. I know it can be hard to even think about, which is why I wanted to share what a difference Kristen has made in my business and how easy the transition can be.

  Cheers!

Sarah Chancey

Founder + Creative Director, Chancey Charm

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Today on the blog, I’ve got some really fun guest experience tips + tricks this month, and I can’t wait to dive in with y’all – so let’s get to it!

LOOKING FOR MORE BUSINESS TIPS FOR CREATIVES? CHECK OUT MY FREE WEDDING VENDOR WORKSHOP!

If you follow me, then you know I have a serious obsession with the Masters. It stems from my relationship with my dad, who took me since I was in fourth grade. And, it’s a way I remember him and his legacy. This past trip, I feared that I would be sad upon arrival. But, I was almost giddy. My mom agreed. It was as if we were somehow closer to him there. In fact, I was so excited, that even the bathrooms were thrilling as we first arrived.

For those who don’t know, the Masters bathrooms are a well-oiled machine – a luxurious guest experience in the middle of a male-dominated sport, amongst acres of azaleas and tall pines. You’re greeted at the door with a friendly smile and the freshest smelling bathroom you’ve ever encountered. They are feverishly cleaning and all the amenities a lady could need are provided. It’s a five-star bathroom experience if I’ve ever seen one! Ha! And it reminded me of my FAVORITE advice to couples when on the venue hunt. Bathrooms matter! Guest experience matters. Give your friends + family a pleasant guest experience from start to finish – and yes, this includes the bathrooms.

I never lead a venue tour without asking the couple to check out the amenities. This is not only an important guest experience lesson for all my planner friends + newly engaged couples, but it’s an important lesson for all of us, right? In your business, is the experience pleasant from beginning to end? Ensuring your clients feel well cared for, within your process is just as important as the final product. Thanks, Augusta National for serving with excellence and inspiring once again!

Photo courtesy of 2018 Augusta National Inc.

Know Your Guardrails

For those who don’t know, my husband Chris runs a staffing company, Amplio Recruiting, and I am CONSTANTLY learning new things from him + them. They are providing quotes on workers comp and payroll processing for hourly positions weekly, in an extremely competitive industry. The other night, he shared with me that a guy on his team had created a system that helps them determine where their “guardrails” are when submitting proposals. Meaning, they know exactly what they need to charge to be profitable. This gives them specific room for negotiating when they send out their proposals. As you send out proposals this year, I encourage you to “know your guardrails”. Give yourself room for negotiation, which is so common in this industry. One easy way to give yourself guardrails is to establish how much you want to make hourly and then track how much time each service generally takes. Honeybook recently launched a great time tracker here.

Photo: KVC Photography

Lead Response Tip

Some time ago at the TuesdaysTogether – Atlanta, GA meet up, Lauren Locher Carnes dropped some GOLD that I can’t help but share! She suggested sending a personal video to new leads, as a way to make that first – personal connection. Whether via Loom on your desktop or Instagram DM! A video message is a GREAT way to make a connection with a new lead and encourage them to make a consultation appointment WITHOUT that unnerving first call that many of us dread. Genius right?! It’ll also save you TIME. GOLD.

What Do I Say? A video Text, is a great time to say “hello!” and let the lead know that you received their inquiry + are excited! I’d also start a conversation about setting up an official consultation and offer to answer any questions.

Whelp, that’s it for this month friends. Cheers!

Sarah Chancey, Founder + Creative Director at Chancey Charm

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  LOOKING FOR MORE BUSINESS TIPS FOR CREATIVES? CHECK OUT MY FREE WEDDING VENDOR WORKSHOP!

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What is content creation? I asked myself the same thing years ago when I began this journey into the world of the creative entrepreneurship. I wish I had known then what I know now. Below is my journey learning content creation and best practices for creatives looking to boost their own brand awareness by planning an editorial shoot.

I started Chancey Charm in Denver, which was a great place for me to gain my bearings. However, after moving back to Atlanta, I began to feel completely overwhelmed. Who was I in this competitive market, swimming with other Atlanta Wedding Planners? I soon realized that my sketching skills and penchant for interiors would be my calling card. I felt so excited about my new identity but soon became frustrated as I lacked a way to communicate my new brand and identity to prospective clients. How was I supposed to attract luxury clientele when all the weddings on my site and in my portfolio were lower budget?

Then the light bulb went off. I partnered with a talented fine art film photographer, Odalys Mendez, and produced several editorial pieces that were curated for the high-end eye. Every detail, scene and moment was captured with Odalys’ eye for elegance and every element was strategically planned. As the images emerged in publication and on my site, so did a luxury clientele. It was amazing to see the complete 180 my company did with the right images, as well as the luxury branding from Jessica of Ecru Stationery. Content creation can do the same for you. Let’s dive into the first three steps of editorial shoot planning.

HOW TO EXECUTE YOUR FIRST EDITORIAL SHOOT

Find a venue or location that will let you hold your editorial shoot there and establish a date. Also schedule a tentative rain plan date the following day.

Create a Pinterest Board. On your Pinterest board for the editorial shoot, make sure that you include not only photos of ideas you’re inspired by, but also include color palettes, patterns and textures.

Create a design / inspiration board. You can easily use keynote or Power Point to collect and arrange images in a nice format (see example below) and export to PDF for distribution to vendors. Having a design PDF or design board will really help other vendors get excited about your vision and get on board with your plan. It also communicates, “Hey, I know what I’m doing, and I’m serious about this!”

To see how this editorial shoot came to life you can see it here in our portfolio – it was featured in The Celebration Society, where it landed the cover of their Fall / Winter 2013 issue!

  Are you new to the wedding industry and trying to establish your brand? Are you refreshing your vibe? 

We’ve got you covered!  If you’re looking to attract your target client with vibrant images that capture your vibe, then my new styled shoot guide,  CREATING STYLED SHOOTS TO BUILD YOUR BRAND is for you.

My guide gives step by step directions for creating images that will build your portfolio and attract your ideal client.

  WHAT IS INCLUDED:

– EXAMPLE DESIGN BOARD

– EXAMPLE DESIGN STATEMENT

– STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXECUTING A STYLED SHOOT

– EXAMPLE SHOT LIST FOR A STYLED SHOOT

– EXAMPLE VENDOR CHECKLIST

  Cheers!

Sarah Chancey of Chancey Charm

Photos: Odalys Mendez Photography

LOOKING FOR MORE BUSINESS TIPS FOR CREATIVES? CHECK OUT MY FREE WEDDING VENDOR WORKSHOPS AND MORE!

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