Editor Interview: Featuring Hatunot

20 Apr Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider, Lauren

At Two Bright Lights, we’re proud to partner with top publications not only from across the US, but from around the world! Today we’re featuring our first editorial partner from Israel, Hatunot, and its editor Tracey Goldstein. Hatunot is a guide for English speakers who want to get married in Israel, with vendor resources, advice, and gorgeous inspiration. Tracey sat down to share with us what makes weddings in Israel unique, and how Two Bright Lights photographers and vendors can be featured on her blog!

Introducing Tracey Goldstein of Hatunot!

Tell us a little about your blog! What made you decide to start an English language wedding blog in Israel?

Hatunot Wedding Blog is a website specifically designed for English-speaking brides planning their weddings in Israel. The word “hatunot” (pronounced “Ha- Two-Note”) is Hebrew for “weddings,” and that is exactly everything the site covers, from the latest trends, products, vendors, and venues in the Israel wedding scene.

Before moving to Tel Aviv in 2010, I was a wedding planner in Manhattan for several years. As I got more familiar with the country I saw that there was a large wedding industry full of great venues and talented professionals, but if you didn’t read Hebrew it was almost impossible to find anything online. Therefore, I started Hatunot as a complete wedding resource for the English speaker. Within Israel, especially in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there are thousands of young English speakers who have come to live in Israel from all over the world, so the site has really become a huge help to those who are getting married.

The outside world knows very little about this country other than what they see on the news, so I also love running this blog because I get to share photographs and features that show a completely different side to what Israel has to offer.

How would you describe the style of Hatunot? What kinds of submissions are you looking for through Two Bright Lights?

While I don’t think Hatunot has one specific style, I do think that most of the weddings on the blog feature modern and fun-loving couples that have made their event personal. Since Israel is full of gorgeous landscapes and backdrops I love featuring engagement sessions and weddings that take place in these spots that show the beauty of the land. In regards to submissions I am open to many interpretations on this theme.

What makes a wedding in Israel unique?

What I think is so great about weddings in Israel is that you can get so much more for less. Israeli weddings tend to be quite large (around 500 guests) so venues have lower prices per guest compared to spots North American and European. There is also such an amazing selection of indoor/outdoor venues and you don’t need to worry about the weather for your beach or garden wedding because there is almost a 0% chance of a rainy ceremony for a spring or summer wedding.

Another thing that I happen to like is a wedding in Israel is a huge all night party. Instead of stiff suits and bridesmaids dresses, Israelis come to weddings fairly casual so they can dance all night to a mix of Middle Eastern and American music. The point of an Israeli wedding is to eat, dance, and celebrate, and less about official dances and speeches.

How about you! How did you get started in the wedding industry? What made you fall in love with Israeli weddings?

After working for a few wedding planners and a stationery studio in New York, I started my own wedding planning company during my Junior year of college and managed it for 3 years until I moved to Israel. I really enjoy connecting people with the service they need and giving service providers more business.

I guess I am a bit of an American wedding “snob,” so at first glance I wasn’t in love with the Israeli wedding industry. However, after living here for some time I came across many wedding professionals and bridal shops and venues and I kept thinking “wow, New York brides would LOVE this” and so I really got into promoting these great finds.

Who or what inspires you?

I am really inspired by other female entrepreneurs. Most people dream of running their own business or pursuing an idea, but the fear of the unknown, instability, or lack of knowledge gets in their way. Entrepreneurs share all these fears but still try anyway, and every time I see or read about new examples of these women they inspire me to push even harder so that someone can think of me that way one day.

Thanks to Tracey for taking the time to interview with us! If you’d like to be featured on Hatunot, log in to Two Bright Lights and submit today!

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Sage Wedding Pros Part 2: Top Tips for a Successful Wedding Business

22 Dec Filed Under: Brand, Education, Industry Insider, Lauren, Strategy, TBL GIve-Aways

Yesterday we introduced you to wedding business superstar Michelle Loretta of Sage Wedding Pros, who has put her finance expertise to work helping wedding professionals amp up their business with practical solutions. Today we’re excited to share some of her fabulous tips for marketing, branding, and finance!

The question: what advice do you have for professionals who want to improve their wedding marketing?

1) Invest in branding identity: your business website, business cards, promotional information. I see far too many wedding businesses investing in ads before their website is presentable. You lose the marketing dollars spent on an ad if your customer comes to your website and logs off.

2) It’s important to have a good mix of promotional activities. When you make a financial investment in the stock market, you have to diversify your investment… spread our money into lots of different things so you don’t lose the farm in one place. It’s the same with marketing. Spread your efforts into lots of different areas:

Advertising
Networking
Publishing
Social Media

…and so on. There will be years where one activity brings you a ton of business. And, later it’ll fizzle out. Try something else. But keep an eye on your results and you’ll be able to adapt our marketing efforts as needed.

3) These days, being published has become increasingly important. Engaged couples look to see if wedding professionals have been published to gain a sense of trust. Being published gives you a ‘stamp of approval’ by the wedding industry. And, as the adage goes, getting a feature in a magazine or on a blog is free publicity. And, with platforms such as Two Bright Lights, getting published has never been easier. (I’m so amazed by you ladies at TBL! You really do make it easy!)

Finally: What do you think is the single most important thing a wedding professional can do to improve the success of their business?

I’m completely biased because of my finance background. And, I’m going to speak only for the wedding industry. I don’t believe enough business owners have a firm grasp on their financial results and how to use the information to assess performance.

The single most important thing a wedding pro can do is to KNOW their NUMBERS. You can have the most innovative product or service, incredible branding, outstanding marketing, and amazing operational structure. But, if you don’t know if you are making any money, and how marketing activities correlate, then those other factors can’t save you. By knowing your numbers you have the power to build your business. Numbers are the only benchmark of performance.

Be sure to check out Michelle’s blog for tons of practical business advice (like this post on Pricing Products & Services in the Wedding Industry). Thanks so much to Michelle for taking the time to share her fabulous insight!

Want more great advice from Michelle? Just in time for 2012, Sage Wedding Pros is offering $100 off The Simple Plan Exclusive which is their one-to-one partnership with small business owners to help build a business plan. Simply visit The Simple Plan website to learn more about The Exclusive and enter the discount code “TBL” when you enroll. This offer is only good through December 30th and space is limited to first-come-first-served!

(Image: Creative Commons)

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Filed Under: Brand, Education, Industry Insider, Lauren, Strategy, TBL GIve-Aways

Industry Insider: Sage Wedding Pros Part 1

21 Dec Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider, Lauren

At Two Bright Lights, we can’t help but get excited about smart, savvy business advice. Today, we’re thrilled to share our interview with Michelle Loretta of Sage Wedding Pros! You may have seen her feature on Two Bright Lights several weeks ago, but today we want to introduce you to her and to the amazing work she does to help wedding pros build strong, sustainable businesses!

Introducing Michelle Loretta of Sage Wedding Pros

How did you get started with Sage Wedding Pros?

In 2009, I started writing Sage Wedding Pros blog. Having worked in accounting and sales prior to starting my wedding invitation business, I wanted to share some of the business knowledge I had with other creative professionals. It seemed like the talk would always turn to “dorky business issues” when I’d meet with a wedding pro for coffee and I LOVED that. I wanted more of this conversation. At the time, there wasn’t a lot of concrete information on HOW to do things when running a small business. The goal for Sage Wedding Pros was (and is) to get beyond business theory and give people actual tools to help them build a better business.

The blog picked up traction much quicker than I had expected (thank you, social media!) Soon people were asking me to take the show on the road. I partnered with Kelly Simants, owner of Sweet Pea events, and we started developing the curriculum for The Simple Plan, our business planning workshop. These days I spend most of my time coaching, teaching, and speaking on the business of weddings. I love it!

What is your goal as a company?

Our mission is to help create financially sustainable businesses in the wedding industry. Theory is fantastic. It makes us think differently and it broadens our minds. But, at times, we need to get back to business basics. We need to think about things like branding and niche, hiring strategies and training manuals, cash flow plans and profit & loss statements. This isn’t sexy at ALL. But it’s what business owners need to do in order to have all the pegs in place to be financially sustainable.

What do you offer to wedding professionals?

These days, we’ve expanded the workshop and offer The Simple Plan Exclusive which is our 1-to-1 business planning for wedding pros. This is typically conducted virtually with people worldwide. We see the business plan as a perfect structure to examine all facets of a business: the company vision, the marketing plan, the operational structure, and the financial strategy. A business plan is one big set of goals for your business and it evolves and grows over time. We also consult small business owners on specific projects. My background is finance-related so I tend to do a lot of analyses on business profitability and cash flow. Kelly’s background is in operations so her strength is in helping business owners with hiring and training, systems and processes.

We love how your blog talks about not only the practical side of being a small business owner—marketing, finance, etc—but also about the personal side. What has been the most rewarding part of being an entrepreneur for you? What has been the most challenging?

The most rewarding has also been the most challenging. Being an entrepreneur has given me the flexibility to create my own lifestyle. When my husband and I were married in 2004 we discussed the kind of life we wanted to create for ourselves. In hindsight, this was one of the smartest things we ever did. We decided that we wanted the opportunity to raise our children TOGETHER. And, so we embarked on a life that would allow us to be home with our children – each of us active in their lives. I began my stationery business. And, my husband continued his consulting business. Being entrepreneurs has afforded us this lifestyle. I truly have an equal partner in marriage and family.

While this is rewarding, it is also a challenge. For the first 16 months of my daughter’s life (a few years back) we were her only caretakers and we ran 2-3 businesses. This was an incredible shuffle of schedules and baby passing. Slowly we took on additional help: babysitting and then preschool. But initially we were the only ones caring for our child. It’s what we want. And, it was crazy hard. But, we look back and say, “We were both there!”

Tell us something about yourself that your readers don’t know!

A couple years out of college, while working at Deloitte, I was doing a lot of soul-searching. I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of life, but I knew it was more than auditing for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP, if you will.) I took all sorts of classes and courses in photography, screen-writing, acting… basically all of those quarter-life crisis explorations. And, I was in a small production of Annie! I played the floozy Lily St. Regis and got to sing, dance, and chomp gum to the song Easy Street – oh, and kidnap Annie – all in a thick New Jersey accent. It was really fun. And, that was the end of my Broadway career.

For Michelle’s best advice for wedding pros, favorite marketing tips, and a special offer for Sage Wedding Pros, stick around for Part 2 later this week! Meanwhile, check out Michelle’s recent post on “How to Earn a 6 Figure Income (Really!)”

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Get to know Rock the Shot and win a FREE membership!

15 Dec Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider, TBL GIve-Aways

Featuring Karlen Kleinkopf from Rock the Shot

Could you tell us a bit about Rock the Shot and what it offers photographers?

Rock the Shot was founded by Karlen Kleinkopf and Laura Thomas, who met online in early 2010 and instantly became friends. Their shared passion and a desire to help photographers improve their skills and build better businesses inspired them to create an innovative platform where both new photographers and seasoned professionals could share their work, knowledge, and experience with one another.

The company consists of two components: The Blog and The Forum.

The Blog is an innovative site for photography enthusiasts! Whether you’re a new photographer just starting out, or a seasoned professional, Rock the Shot is dedicated to helping photographers learn and refine their photography skills, and build their businesses.

The Forum was as created to as a place for photographers to learn and share information. Learn the skills you need to take better photos and define your personal style. Discover post-processing techniques that will make your work stand out from the competition. Access invaluable business tools including sales, marketing, and branding strategies. We also provide photography training, exclusive workshops, and online mentoring opportunities.

Could you tell us a bit about how you were able to mobilize and create such a vibrant community?

What we love about this industry is the people! There are so many amazing photographers to work with and a community that really seeks to help and support one another. We wanted to make Rock the Shot a community where photographers could learn from each other and grow together. We offer a blog that reaches out to members and non-members alike. Our content includes insights on learning and refining your photography skills, and running a business. We also offer photo challenges, fun giveaways, photographer spotlights, and more. Inside the forum we offer more personalized discussions and learning opportunities for photographers. It’s a fun and encouraging community at Rock the Shot and that’s what makes it a great place to learn, share, and grow.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the photography space?

We would encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to make a business plan, set achievable business goals and objectives, and stay on track. Make a realistic plan in the beginning of where you want to be in 1 year, 2 years and 5 years down the road. Set short term and long term goals within your business and remember that success doesn’t happen without challenges and opportunities to grow. Be sure to stick to your plan, while being flexible enough to make changes that will take your business to the next level, and don’t be distracted by others who may have started their business at the same time. Each photographer has a different challenge whether it’s editing techniques, location, pricing or even how to market their business against hundreds of competitors. Don’t measure success by what others do, set your own goals and work hard. Stay true to you own goals as a business owner and photographer and enjoy the success that will bring. Go for your personal best!

In your experience what is the most common mistake photographers make when starting their business?

The most common mistake would have to be setting the bar too high and giving up too easily. It’s so easy to look at other photographers and think that their business grew overnight. At times we see photographers struggle or give up because their success doesn’t happen as quickly as they would like. We encourage photographers to remind themselves why they got into this business. For many it could be for extra income, for others it has been a dream since they were little, or it could be because they love people and just love taking pictures. Whatever the case may be, don’t be discouraged by the little things. Instead, use those bumps in the road as an opportunity to grow and build a strong foundation for your business.

What is your favorite part of running Rock the Shot? What is the most challenging aspect?

First, we love the people. We love the vendors we get to work with, the photographers we become friends with, and the opportunity to help others. We truly believe that we are given each day is a gift and need to use it as an opportunity to encourage others. What is most disappointing and challenging is working with those who don’t support others in this industry, or even worse – want them to fail; or when we see people give up.

Rock the Shot Details

If you want to learn more about Rock the shot, visit them online or find them on Twitter and Facebook!

The Discount!

Karlen is giving all Done Brilliantly readers and Two Bright Lights members access to a fabulous deal! You can get a 20% discount off any level Rock the Shot membership of 3 months and higher. Just enter TBL20off at signup. Rock the Shot provides an excellent service to photographers – so this could be the perfect gift idea for your photographer friends! It is also a terrific way to get a head start on those New Year’s business growth resolutions.

WIN WIN WIN The Giveaway!

You can also enter to win a free year membership on Rock the Shot Forum! To enter just visit the giveaway page or go the Two Bright Lights fan page and click Sweepstakes. You can enter through December 22th. Good luck!

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Industry Insider: Tips for Photographing Kids

16 Nov Filed Under: Community, Education, Features, Industry Insider, Lauren, Lifestyle

The holiday season is just around the corner, which means that it’ll soon be time for those family Christmas card photos! Photographing children can be a real challenge, so we have some tips from a pro to help you through even the most difficult children’s sessions. Caroline Tien-Spalding of Sphynge Photography recently photographed the handsome young men, and shared with her some of her best advice for making sessions with children a little easier. Here are her top five tips and some of our favorite photos from that session. Aren’t the boys adorable?!?

1. Ask the parents to feed the children before the session.

Hungry children are cranky – you can’t blame them; feeling hungry is miserable. Therefore, you should ask the parents to feed the kids before you show up. Well fed children are happy children!

2. Ask the children about their toys

Kids loooooove their toys. Ask them which is their favorite, why they love it so much. Engage in a conversation with children over 2-3 years old; talking toys doesn’t just break the ice, it brings a smile to their face.

how-to-photograph-kids

3. Learn to shoot without looking at the camera, or bring a shutter release cable

There is nothing that replaces eye contact for a child. You can tell them there’s a bug in the camera, you can ask them to wait for the magic rabbit, but you can only pull these tricks so many times. If you cannot look a child in the eye and shoot at the same time, invest in a shutter release cable – you’ll get the most natural results when your eyes aren’t hidden behind the camera.

4. Stay close to the parents… or be really really far away

It’s a natural instinct: children keep an eye on their parents at all time. It’s also a natural instinct that parents keep an eye on their children at all times. Therefore, you should either be right next to the parents (so that the kids seem to be looking into the camera), or you have to be clearly out of line of sight, so that children look at you while you’re having a conversation.

5. Help the parents visualize the session

Most families don’t have photographers following them around all day. Because of that, they have no idea how they’re “supposed” to act when you’re around. Make sure to schedule a phone consult or to email them before the session and explain how you work, and what the best practices are. Build a set of talking points, such as tips about clothing, reminders to bring toys, etc.

Thanks to Caroline for sharing these great tips with us! Have any advice or stories about working with kids? Share them in the comments!

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Get to know Luminaire Foto

15 Nov Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider, Member Profiles

Nanette and Karl and Luminaire foto

1. Could you tell us a bit about Luminaire Foto and how it got started?

Karl had been building his photography portfolio with a few wedding companies and once we were married we moved cross-country from Michigan to South Florida. We loved the area andall it had to offer and Karl quickly developed his own clientele,thus Luminaire Foto was born. My official start was assisting atour first big LF wedding. I came along to assist (i.e. carry andwatch equipment.) but quickly began shooting. In our first yearunder Luminaire we shot twenty weddings, then forty the next,and this past year we photographed sixty weddings! Now thatwe have established ourselves we’re busy finding balance.

2. I know you both care deeply about the environment and social responsibility. How do you incorporate that into your business? What suggestions do you have for other professionals in this industry who want to develop more socially and environmentally responsible practices in their business?

The social and environmental aspects of our business arereally just an extension of our personal lives. We like to reduceour impact on the earth as well as support human rightswhenever we can. For our business that means our printed material is done with vegetable inks and low-VOC solvents, our paper and defunct computers and disks are recycled, we makeour fotobooth photos available for email, and we use recycledand recyclable packaging whenever possible. Karl and I workwith like-minded professionals when we can, whether that bewedding planners, album manufacturers, or florists. We’ve foundthat most pros are very open to finding earth-friendly and fairtrade solutions. We also donate our fotobooth and time to local non-profits several times a year. Additionally, making responsible choices can often be more costly, so we offer up to 15% off our services to couples making significant efforts to that end. It’s our way of saying thanks for being thoughtful!

3. Photo booths have been quite the rage lately in weddings and we hear you two have a booming photo booth part of LuminaireFoto. Could you share with us about your photo booths? What is your all time favorite Photo Booth shot?

We started offering our open-concept fotobooth a couple ofyears ago when there were none available in our part of thestate. Since then photo booths have exploded at parties and weddings. We bring ours to about 75% of our weddings and wenow have two separate setups. Our booth has always been about interaction, with other guests and with the camera. Guests take their own photos with a tiny wireless remote and they can take as many as they like. Fitting with our eco-minded philosophy is that we offer an onsite iPad for guests to email the photos rather than making prints. Guests can also order downloads and prints from our website if they wish.A recent fotobooth fave is a shot of our friends taken a month before having their first child. They’re kissing and spelling their baby’s name. So sweet!

Here are a couple of photos from the booth!

4. Could you each tell us how you got started in photography? What drew you towards it?

We’ve both been in the art and design realm from a young age. I grew up in a family of artists and creative souls, and Karl became interested in photography and design in high school.Karl and I met while attending Kendall College of Art & Design.In a roundabout way we met through a photography course: he was in my roommate’s class and he asked her out on a date! Karl shot his first wedding during college and enjoyed it enoughto continue shooting, at first for friends and family. It wasn’t until Karl decided to pursue wedding photography as a profession that I came on board. Couples love that we’re a husband and wife team.

5. What are your other passions aside from your work?

During our slower seasons we like to take off and explore new places. In the last year that included trips to Argentina,Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and more locally amini-tour of the Northeast, Chicago, Key West, and New York City. This is our reward after working seven-day weeks formonths on end! It gives the two of us time to get away from our computers and start new adventures. Much of these trips includelocal food tours. High on our list for the future is a volunteer worktrip to a third world country. Any suggestions?

6. You have a video portion of your company. Could you tell us about that?

We make what we call foto videos. They’re little still motion movies, two to three minutes long, that encapsulate an entire event in a way that’s fun to watch and easy to share online. At a wedding we might take 15,000 photos to string together for a foto video. To make this happen we have a dedicated assistant helping us shoot while we focus on capturing the wedding photos. Some of the shots are about time lapse, like the sunsetting over the water. Other shots are about animating an object such as shoes dancing around on their own.

(P.S. Two Bright Lights is expanding to video!!!! Yay, we are so excited. But we are looking forward to talented creatives like Luminare Foto uploading their videos and submitting them via Two Bright Lights come January!!)

7. We know you have stellar background in wedding photography. What is your favorite wedding you have shot? What other sorts of photography do you do?

If we think about our favorite wedding, twenty come to mind! Really we can’t pick. Our favorite weddings are always about the couple: those that are deeply in love and excited about their wedding photos. We’re so excited when both the bride andgroom are engaged (no pun intended) in the whole weddingcelebration. When they reciprocate that energy towards us weget some really amazing photos. Weddings keep us so busy thatwe do not have time for much else! We do enjoy a change ofpace every now and again and we also do boudoir photography, editorial work, and family shoots, among others. But here are a few of our favorite wedding and engagement images!

8. What role does Two Bright Lights play in your image sharingand publication process?

We recently submitted our first wedding to Two Bright Lights that was picked up by a blog within 24 hours! The buzz is that TBL is a game changer and everyone loves using it for submissions. Anything that makes the process simpler is a definite plus in our book. The whole process of uploading an album, tagging vendors, and submitting to publications is quite easy. We can’t wait to see where it takes us!

9. What are the unique challenges you have faced andovercome as a photographer? What lessons have these taughtyou that you could pass along to our readers?

Guess how much we knew about running our ownbusiness when we dreamt up Luminaire Foto? Not much! Unfortunately our art school focused mainly on our craft and not on self-promotion, the fun legal aspects, and the like. Most of our business training has been on the job. If we could do it again, we would take a few more courses and read a few more books on being self-employed. Also we shouldn’t have put off joining the local networking groups! Making local wedding-pro friends has been invaluable and inexpensive with a high return.

10. Who and what inspires you?

Karl and I have tremendous fun getting to know other photographers and artists both near and far. We get so muchfrom listening to others and even by sharing our ownexperiences. There’s a quote by Paul Arden that we love: “Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.” Pushing ourselves to find new ways to shoot and new locations keeps our work exciting.

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The Queen of Cake Pops Shares Her Secrets

14 Oct Filed Under: Community, Featured, Industry Insider, Member Profiles

Featuring Lauren Martin of Sweet Lauren Cakes

Both your cakes and cake pops look so fun and delectable. Can you tell us a bit about your cakes and cake pops?

We love creating cake pops! We have spent a lot of time focusing on creating the most delicious recipes for our cakes while also challenging our artistic abilities in chocolate. We love when clients come to us with a custom request for a new design! The

We have noticed that cake pops are a growing trend in the events and wedding space. Why do you think that is? Have you seen your cake pops growing in popularity recently?

Absolutely! Cake pops are definitely a growing trend in the wedding space for several reasons: they are very guest friendly- guests can easily balance a cake pop and a glass of chamgpagne without fiddling with a plate and fork and napkin. Cake pops are portion controlled! Guests don’t have to commit to a large slice of cake, they are able to try several flavors or just try one (but more most try many – like 5!). The cake pops also add another element of fun to the party- we have seen people take them out on the dance floor and use them as microphones to lip synch to and as dance props whirling around their heads. People also love the ability to customize this small treats with everything from monograms, invitation details, groom’s hobby’s, the couple’s pets, to caricatures of the bride and groom.

Every business has a great story. Could you tell us the story behind Sweet Lauren Cakes?

We moved from Atlanta to San Francisco in the fall of 2008. A friend of mine started Cupcake Camp (a space for sharing all things cupcake) which had a cupcake competition so I wanted to show my support but had never baked before in my life! But I decided to try my hand at making cupcake pops. People went crazy over them! They were so excited about them, that they started contacting me and then a friend’s company asked to order some for a party, and off we went!

Have you always had a passion for baking? How did you learn the tricks of the trade?

Actually, until about 3 years ago, I had never baked a cake from scratch before. But people were so excited about the cake pops, that I just had to learn more! And then I got my first order for a wedding cake from a friend who was determined that I would make her wedding cake. After several months of classes and LOTS of practice, I made a beautiful wedding cake! I would say the most important thing I have learned is practice, practice, practice.

Could you tell us about your all time favorite cake pop and cake you have every made? Why are they your favorite?

Actually, I have two! We had a client that sent us a swatch of Indian fabric and asked us to create cake pops to match. The result was so beautiful! I love featuring these pops everywhere now. My other favorite were ordered for a couple who loved to travel and so we came up with a travel gnome and vintage suitcases! People just love them!

What is the biggest challenge about being in the dessert space? What is the best part?

I would say our biggest challenge is resisting the urge to snack on cake all day! But seriously, the most challenging aspect at the moment is exposure-introducing people to cake pops and all the fun ways they can be used at any celebration. And the best part of the dessert space is the opportunity to create new and exciting designs for each client. The design possibilities are endless, so we love when clients come to us with new design ideas!

As a baker, what sorts of images do you like receiving from the photographer at an event? What is one thing you wish photographers realized about your treats (and any treats for that matter) when they took pictures?

We love to seeing shots of both the details and the full set-up. We spend so much time perfecting every little detail on each cake pop, it’s so nice to see them perfectly framed, looking even more beautiful in a professional shot. But we also appreciate seeing them in perspective when they are displayed as part of a dessert display or as a whole cake pop cake. We are looking forward to working with Two Bright Lights more and more as our favorite photographers utilize the site to send us photos.

Do you change your designs and flavors based on the preferences of your clients? Could you tell us a bit about your client relationship mantra and your creative process?

We strive to make the client as happy as possible. If the client’s favorite cake is a flavor we don’t currently offer, then we are happy to create it (we are always working on new flavors, so we might already have their flavor in the works).

We have to know, how do you not eat every treat you make! They all look so delicious

In the beginning, I did eat a lot of cake! I went through one Christmas holiday where I literally ate cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because we had so many orders I couldn’t leave the kitchen! Now though, we taste test every batch but just in little pinches. We also give away mess ups to other staff in the kitchen, so it’s easier to avoid! But every once in a while we treat ourselves.

What advice would you give aspiring bakers?

Practice, practice, practice and experiment. That’s how you learn what doesn’t work! And the more you work with your products, the more you know about them and how they behave in any situation. And it really is true about practicing, you get a little bit better each time!

Learn more about Lauren and Sweet Lauren Cakes on her website, follower her to Twitter (@Laurensays), visit her Facebook page.

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Industry Insider: Featuring San Francisco Catering Company A Tasteful Affair

6 Sep Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider

Featuring Peggy Welch of A Tasteful Affair

Your team has such extensive experience in the food service industry. It’s really impressive! So could you start by telling us a bit about you and your team? About A Tasteful Affair?

We love what we do and we are dedicated to providing the finest gourmet catering at reasonable prices. I teamed up with Executive Chef Kevin Kerciu after my retirement from the corporate world in 2004 and opened A Tasteful Affair Catering. We currently operate out of the Pleasanton Masonic Center and provide catering for the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Great food is a sure sign of a fabulous event. But taste can be such a specific thing. How do address people’s variety of taste pallets in the food you provide?

Through years of experience, fresh ideas, and careful observation, we have developed packages and dishes that can be enjoyed by a wide range of pallets. Taste-proven selections alongside a variety of choices ensure that our clients and their guests will be leaving with full, happy stomachs.

You do food service catering for so many different types of events: weddings, birthdays, barbecues, picnics, cocktail parties, etc. Is your process similar for different types of events? Which are your favorite to cater?

While each event is unique, weddings are easily the most rewarding experience. It’s a great feeling to help create the perfect day for a newlywed couple. The processes for weddings and other larger events are more thorough and require a lot of time and thought in the planning stages to ensure that everything rolls out smoothly.

What has been the event you loved working on the most?

The most exciting event we have worked on was definitely the 75^th Anniversary for Gallo Winery. The weekend-long celebration began with a luncheon for 2,000 VIP guests, the menu including New York Steak and Champagne Chicken grilled on site, served with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Haricot Verts, Oven Roasted Mushrooms, and Warm Artisanal Breads. 10,000 employees and family friends arrived the next day to enjoy a full-course picnic with carnival games and wine tasting.

As a caterer, what sorts of images do you like receiving from the photographer at an event? What is one thing you wish photographers realized about catering when they took pictures? How does Two Bright Lights fit into your process of receiving images (if at all)?

Caterers are always in the market for photographs of cuisine presentation, servers in action, and guests having a great time! We would absolutely love to showcase each of our events, but we are often so busy that it’s difficult to find time for photos. The idea behind Two Bright Lights looks to be a fantastic way of connecting wedding vendors with photographers.

Catering is more than just amazing food, it’s also about stellar service and presentation. Could you tell us a bit about your service and presentation philosophy?

Our buffet and plate presentations set us apart. I got into the catering industry because of my love for designing tablescapes and buffet tables. In past events, we’ve incorporated LED lighting, glass blocks, fountains, and even gongs in some of our themed presentations. Guests eat with their eyes first, so we always want to ensure that both senses are excited.

Which dish do you all prepare that makes your mouth water every time? ‘

Chef Kevin and I both thought of our Stuffed Butternut Squash with Jack cheese, lentils, leeks, northern white beans, and tofu, drizzled with a harissa yogurt sauce. The combination of flavors and textures are absolutely delicious even if you’re not a vegetarian.

Are you an hors d’ourves, main course, or dessert sort of person?

Before I got into this business, hors d’oeuvres had always fascinated me. I would find myself constantly searching and collecting small bites recipes, which would later be incorporated into our menus. The presentation possibilities are endless when you have a variety of small, creative items to display. One of our favorite themed menus is the Tour of San Francisco, a collection of stations featuring hors d’oeuvres from the different ethnic neighborhoods throughout the city.

Could you tell us a bit about your dish design process? Who or what inspires you?

We’re consistently surrounded by inspiration for new menu items. Whether it’s the introduction of new ingredients from our wonderful purveyors, or the reminiscence of a special dish on vacation, we are always brainstorming for fresh ideas.

Tell us about why you started A Tasteful Affair. What have the biggest challenges been? What has been the most rewarding parts?

A Tasteful Affair was an idea sparked between two foodies during a quiet, afternoon dinner. Within two weeks, we had found a kitchen and formed a solid business plan. We’re still in the infant stage as a company, but we’ve experienced steady growth each year we’ve been in business.

What advice would you give aspiring caterers?

Anybody who may be interested in starting his or her own catering company should first hire on with an established catererto get an idea of the detailed planning and physical labor involved. It takes a lot of dedication to create a beautiful event. However, if the pace fits your lifestyle, running a business in this industry can be incredibly rewarding.

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Editorial Interview with Baby Lifestyles

1 Sep Filed Under: Community, Design Elements, Editorial Interviews, Industry Insider, Inspiration, TBL Updates

Two Bright Lights is ready for babies!! We are so excited about the expansion into new categories – now photographers can upload, share and submit all sorts of events including everything related to babies. And we have some fabulous new editorial partners who are thrilled to check out, accept, and feature your work. And today we are thrilled to feature….

Lauren Halperin of Baby Lifestyles

Baby Lifestyles seems to cover everything babies, from nursery design to celebrity babies to real baby showers. Could you tell us a bit more about your editorial style and the types of images you hope Two Bright Lights users submit to you?

While Baby Lifestyles does cover current events and celebrity headlines, our main focus is on the moments in baby’s life that parents want to remember. Images illustrate these moments in their truest form, which is why we feel photography plays such an important part in baby’s life. Baby showers and birthday parties play a huge role in the editorial content of Baby Lifestyles.

We love images that showcase ideas of décor, style, themed parties, and original interpretations of celebrations. It’s on these occasions that parents often hire professional photographers to capture the details of their day and provide gorgeous pictures for our readers. Nurseries are very special to parents as they work diligently on their creation. While parents are pregnant and nesting, the nursery room gives them something tangible to focus on while they patiently wait for a new life to come into their world. Nurseries are often changed after a few years as babies transition to toddlers, so taking pictures of nurseries both while creating them and finished becomes important to parents for remembering the space their baby first occupied.

Image and Design Courtesy of Dawn of Designing Dawn

We’re so happy to announce the addition of maternity photography and newborn sessions to Baby Lifestyles. These are special times in the lives of parents which are truly captured through the lens of a camera. We are actively seeking beautiful and touching photography that illustrates the emotions of parents expecting a baby, and those incredible shots of newborns in wonder of everything around them.

Why did you start Baby Lifestyles?

After I sold my last print publication, I wanted to do something solely online. After I was married, I had entered that phase in my life where all my friends seemed to get pregnant at the same time. Baby Lifestyles originally started as a way for me to communicate trends to my friends about what celebrities and other moms were doing for their baby showers, how they were decorating their nurseries, and what products were trendy.

How would you describe Baby Lifestyles in a few words?

Baby Lifestyles is an online magazine and website for parents looking celebrate their baby’s world.

Could you tell us about your upcoming issue of Baby Lifestyle Magazine? What are you most excited about? When is your next issue coming out?

OUR CURRENT ISSUE: The August/ September issue of Baby Lifestyles was about celebrating baby in the summer time. We featured several parties that were outdoor events in the sunshine, with bright colors, and beautiful details.

OUR NEXT ISSUE: As we approach the October/ November issue and the December/ January issue, we are finding ourselves turn towards the change of seasons and holidays. While each issue does not have a ‘theme’, we do try to incorporate editorial that encompasses the time of year.

Baby Lifestyles Magazine is geared towards parties and nurseries taken by professional photographers as opposed to amateurs. The magazine itself was started as professional photographers started sending in their work of birthday parties, nurseries, baby showers, tutorials, etc. When we saw the caliber of photography far surpassed that of parent submissions, we wanted to give these pictures a place to be showcased.

Baby websites, blogs, etc. seem to be exploding online. It seems to be not only a growing category for photographers to shoot, but also for editors to cover. Why do you think that is? How do you see Baby Lifestyles fitting into this market?

Interesting fact, in 2009, there were more babies born than in any year of the post World War II baby boom. In the past five years, there has been more than 10 million babies born. With lots of websites and blogs devoted to babies, they are only following the trend accordingly. When I launched Baby Lifestyles the one thing I wanted to set it apart was that we would not include anything medically related. Many others out there (and I won’t name names) focus on the medical issues surrounding baby and pregnancy. Baby Lifestyles is about celebrating the fun of having a baby. If you ask any parent what they hope for their expected baby, they’ll tell you “I don’t care as long as it’s healthy.” Probe a little past that, and parents have big dreams!

What is your favorite part of being an editor of Baby Lifestyles?

The baby industry is an amazing world to be a part of. From designers and manufacturers, to party planners and photographers, everyone has a smile on their face when thinking about their adorable, tiny clients. Being an editor allows you to spot trends across the board and share them with parents who are so excited to see the next hot thing. It’s so great to reveal ideas with parents who will implement them for their own lives and that of their children, knowing that you are helping them create memories they will have forever in the process.

What makes baby related submissions do you absolutely love? What makes a stellar submission for you? What is one mistake that photographers make when they submit to you?

We love submissions that illustrate details clearly and uniquely. A great submission is all about the photography. Take a nursery submission, for example, where most include a submission of where the crib is placed. It’s amazing the difference details can make, whether it’s displaying the crib bedding pattern, or giving us a baby’s eye view of the mobile.

Photography submissions that stick out are ones that are creative in their individuality. Whether that means an incredible birthday party with vivid party details, the way tiny fingers are curled up on a newborn’s hand, a picturesque background where a maternity shoot is taking place, a floral centerpiece at a baby shower table, or a family heirloom on a nursery shelf, bright, clear colorful details shown in interesting ways get our attention.

We’re also getting submissions from planners and stylists where they stage parties for us and hire photographers to do stunning shoots. This Red Riding Hood party was one such one. The photography gives the entire setting a fairy tale, dreamy feel to it.

Event Styling, Graphic Design & Printables: One Sweet Party

Photography: Karen Lisa Artistic Photograpy

What types of shoots will you be looking for from Two Bright Lights users?

We are actively seeking photography shoots of moments in baby’s life. This includes maternity, newborn, parties, indoor settings such as nurseries, playrooms, big kid rooms, etc., as well as special moment collages including birth photography. We recently got a beautiful shoot of a 10-month-old playing in a pumpkin patch against colorful Autumn foliage. Beautiful! With the launch of our maternity and newborn section, we’re very interested in seeing creative and different shoots!

Could you share with us some of your favorite features?

One of my favorite shoots was a newborn photography shoot which perfectly illustrated all the emotions of a mom giving birth. If photography is about capturing the emotions of a moment, this shoot definitely did that!

Images courtesy of Ciao Bella Photography

Kingston’s nursery was actually designed by his professional photographer mom. When we speak of showing off a room’s details and color, this shoot nailed it in every way.

Images Courtesy of Pink Coffee Photography

This blue, geometric nursery was another one that really stuck out at me.

Images courtesy of Four Walls and a Roof

When it comes to parties, it’s very much about the details. The best are by far the ones used in our e-glossy magazines, but online I love the Land of Sweets party for it’s incredible color palette. It was such a unique twist on the Candy Land theme and the pictures display that perfectly. Dessert buffets are the hottest things in every kind of party so getting shots of the dessert buffet are crowd pleasers in every submission.

Images courtesy of Michelle Lee Photography

Paper decor and party styling: Sugarsticks Parties

Ones like this Pink Explosion party do a great job of getting the details of the dessert buffet from every angle.

Images courtesy of CJ Scott Photography

If you want to learn more about Lauren, Baby Lifestyles, and their editorial style before you submit, check out their Website or Twitter stream.

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Filed Under: Community, Design Elements, Editorial Interviews, Industry Insider, Inspiration, TBL Updates

Industry Insider: Harmony Walton of Bridal Bar

23 Aug Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider

Harmony Walton of Bridal Bar

Could you describe Bridal Bar in a few words?

The Bridal Bar is a one-stop wedding shop, a complimentary concierge service for brides and grooms to help them find the best wedding professionals for their style, budget, and individual needs. Those vendors that we feature and represent are event professionals that have gone through an extensive vetting process so that couples get the best of the best.

Bridal Bar helps both brides and wedding professionals. So could you describe what Bridal Bar offers to brides and what it offer to vendors?

For brides, I like to say we assist, we don’t plan. We’ll help educate couples as to what they need and when they need to be booking those services to avoid mishaps and rush fees all while introducing them to screened event professionals that fit their individual wants and desires.
For wedding professionals, we act as their showroom, a bit like their agent, every so often a publicist, and their advocate, introducing them to a larger audience to help grow their businesses through a diverse range of services.

There are just so many talented vendors out there, how do you select vendors for the Bridal Bar list?

We look for a variety of things – excellent service records, team players that will likely work well with and support the rest of the group, unique service offerings, great value for the price (regardless of what that price might be), exceptional talent, and diversity within the group. And we of course look for companies, artists, products and services that we ourselves would want for our own wedding so we can stand behind our clients wholeheartedly.

You have such extensive experience in the wedding industry. Could you tell us what brought you to start Bridal Bar?

Originally the idea came to me after I recommended a friend hire a photographer who was an advertiser of a magazine I was writing for. Let’s just say the bride had a truly negative experience and I felt terrible for having recommended him. I realized just because you can take out an ad in a magazine and take a pretty picture, doesn’t mean couples can trust you with one of the most important days of their lives. So I came up with a solution, one that gave couples that trust, while bringing the pages of a magazine to life with hands on and high-touch service. And as a result, the solution also better supported the event professional advertiser who received a different, more boutique service experience within a limited and elite group of like-minded companies.

We hear you have started a home goods line. Could you tell us a bit about that?

Bridal Bar Home by Jennifer Adams is a fantastic collaboration of The Bridal Bar and an exceptional interior designer, Jennifer Adams, who spent years in development coming up with literally the softest sheets on the market. We teamed up knowing that newlyweds need home goods and what better way to push her incredible idea and expand our assistance to brides and grooms. I’m very excited about the line! It comes ready-to-be-gifted, makes a wonderful registry item, and the material seriously changes your sleep experience. The products is that great.

Your new blog, Jet Fete just launched! Congrats. (And we are thrilled to have Jet Fete as an editorial partner) What new and exciting things do you have in store for your readers?

I’m super excited about Jet Fete – the luxury destination wedding and honeymoon blog by Bridal Bar. It is our way of helping all those couples plan who aren’t in the local markets where we have boutiques. It’s a happy marriage of luxury getaways, inspired wedding events, and expert advice for jet setting brides and grooms. I have an incredible love of travel and extensive experience as a travel writer for the wedding industry, so it all made sense. You’ll see fashion week recaps for the destination bride, real weddings from around the world (and not just barefoot in the sand), and creative ideas for infusing personality and the local culture into your destination wedding. Check it out; I’m so excited to set sail with this project (pun intended).

What advice do you have for those looking to start their own venture in the wedding industry?

Find a void and fill it. This industry is so incredibly over saturated and I think one of the ways Bridal Bar worked when I started was because I had some, albeit not a lot, but some experience in the wedding industry and I experienced a void or a problem that needed a solution. So I found a way to give the public a solution to their need. If you can create something different, even a new spin on an old idea that gives the market what they ask for but do not already have, then you’ll be set up for success from the very start.

Now a bit more about you. What does your typical day look like?

We keep retail hours luckily (I am not a morning person). So I get into the office midmorning and email, email, email. I’m addicted to my computer. Then I come up for air, taking meetings, calls, or whatever needs to be done that isn’t. If I’m lucky I get to hike after work but more often than not I’ve got a work dinner or event and then home to my two little dogs and often back to my email. Pretty exciting stuff.

What three things can you not live without and what three things can you not stand.

I can’t live without my family, my dogs, and my blackberry.
I can’t stand people who copy. Be original! I am not a fan of small thinkers – those who don’t see the bigger picture. And I don’t like anyone that hurt my clients, my friends, or my family (or me).

If you want to learn more about Bridal Bar, Jet Fete, or Bridal Bar Home check out their websites, Twitter, and Facebook. And of course check them out on the editorial bio pages of Two Bright Lights.

@bridalbar

@jetfete

PS If you are interested in submitting to Jet Fete on Two Bright Lights, Harmony is looking for destination weddings and events – ranging from fun and exotic to romantic and intimate. They love events with great stories behind them (perhaps a location with personal significance, for example) and details that inspire their fashion-savvy, jet-setting readers who are looking for a unique wedding experience and value what different locales and cultures have to offer.

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Filed Under: Community, Industry Insider