New location!

The B-List has moved to Typepad! Follow us over at http://blog.theb-list.com/

Coming soon...

The B-List will have a new home soon, so stay tuned! 

Topic for discussion

One topic we spoke about at the conference was the idea of advertising, and specifically, sponsored posts. I don't think we ever came to a consensus about it, but I found this article and thought it might be interesting to reopen the topic here. Feel free to comment below with your thoughts.

This is Not A Sponsored Post: Paid Conversations, Credibility, and the FDC by Brian Solis.

Paper Goodie Roundup from Nole

Hi everyone! This is Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper – the resident stationery expert over here on The B List blog. Vané asked me if I’d be willing to do a quick round-up of all the lovely stationery and paper goods that we were lucky enough to receive at the meet-up last month, and I was happy to oblige.

Blue Ribbon Design

Blue Ribbon Letterpress Design Studio provided a set of their luxe botanical thank you cards, which feature gorgeous yellow flowers letterpress printed on 100% cotton paper using soy-based inks. So pretty!

Dephine Press

Delphine Press provided a whole range of lovely stationery and paper goods – from letterpress journals to beautiful sea-star thank you cards. My favorite was the blank flat note card with the small butterfly detail in the corner!

Ink + Wit

Ink + Wit sent us home with a few of their everyday postcards as well as thank you cards and mini notes. I absolutely love Tara’s design style – it’s complete nature-meets-modern perfection!

Iomoi

These Iomoi notepads were a big hit with all the B List bloggers!

Linda + Harriett

From Linda + Harriett, the B List bloggers were given a glimpse into a few of the products that will make their debut at the upcoming National Stationery Show. These thank you cards feature calligraphy by Jenna Hein over three different patterns – stripes, mermaid, and tulips.

Nantaka Joy!

Nantaka Joy – and its sister company Oh Joy Studio – is one of my favorite design studios, and I was overjoyed to see these gray ombre lace flat cards in The B List gift bags. These flat cards can be run through a home printer, so I’m holding onto these to use as invitations to a dinner party sometime this summer!

Paper + Cup

Paper + Cup sent each B List blogger home with a set of thank you cards from their new bookworm collection. Minhee and Truman from Paper + Cup joined us for the vendor meet + greet following the B List meet-up, and I had such a wonderful time getting to know them a bit better!

Sarah Drake

Sarah Drake provided these adorable letterpress mini journals, each of which includes 16 pages and is wrapped with a coordinating ribbon. These mini journals are perfect for a group of bloggers like the B List, since we’re always trying to keep track of upcoming features, ideas, and new sources of inspiration. And at 3 x 4”, they easily fit into a pocket or handbag.

Smock Paper

Smock Paper is one of our favorite eco-friendly letterpress studios over at The B List – not only does Smock Paper have a wonderful line of wedding invitations and social stationery, but Smock’s sister company, Bella Figura has worked with Tara from Ink + Wit on a line of exclusive wedding invitations, and of course you all know about Vané’s collection of her favorite Bella Figura invitations. Smock sent us home with a set of beautiful letterpress cards from their social collection.

Stuck Labels

I was absolutely thrilled to see these red and white labels from Stuck Labels in our B List gift bags. Like many of you, I’ve been drooling over these adorable labels for the past few weeks, and I can’t wait use them!

Thoughtful Day

By now, you’ve already seen Erica’s wonderful new line of Thoughtful Day letterpress wedding invitations, called the Melodie Collection, but The B List was given a special sneak peek a few days before the big announcement. And let me tell you that these beauties are even lovelier in person. Several of us spent more than a few minutes oohing and aahing over this sneak peek that Saturday afternoon! Erica also designed the B List logo and gift bags.

Two Bees Press

Two Bees Press also sent us home with a couple of letterpress thank you cards. Two Bees Press is run by B List member, and Elizabeth Anne Designs co-founder Rebekah Anne, and you can see more from Two Bees Press in their etsy store right here.

Wedding Paper Divas

Last, but definitely not least, a final thank-you card from Wedding Paper Divas! I love the delicate cherry blossom design in the corners of the card.

Everyone at The B List meet-up appreciated the generous support of our sponsors – and, as a blogger with a fondness for all things paper, it was such a treat to be able to bring home so many stationery goodies. Thanks again to Vané and Anne (who recently became a new mom!) for pulling together such a wonderful meet-up, and to all of our sponsors for making it possible!

{all photos by Nole of Oh So Beautiful Paper for The B List}

The Blog as a Business by d*s

While one of the main reasons for starting the B-List was to finally meet our favorite bloggers in person, another main component was helping each other out with our blogs. Sometimes you can feel like you're out there all by yourself when it comes to figuring out advertising, legalities, and all that other fun stuff, which is why coming together to share our experiences was so important. Some of the ladies talked about parts of the blogging puzzle they had tackled (we'll share synopses of those soon), but having a seasoned pro like Grace from design*sponge was the icing on the cake! While we couldn't have her in person (she was getting married that day!), she was kind enough to write up her experiences and advice about running a blog as a business. You can download Grace's notes here, but also check in at d*s for her Biz Ladies series on Tuesdays, they're incredibly helpful!

Thanks, and congrats Grace!

Now thats what we call Swag!

We have to give a big thank you to our giftbag sponsors! They've all donated generously.

Abigail Kirsch
Bella Bridesmaid
Blue Ribbon Design
Blurb
Chronicle Books
City Pass
Delphine Press
Fresh
Fritts Rosenow
Gumdrop Cookie Co.
Hallak Cleaners
Hello Super8
INK + WIT
Iomoi
Jennifer Behr
JimmyJane
Jones Soda
Karen Wise Photography
Linda + Harriett
Minted
Mohawk Fine Papers
Nantaka Joy!
NELLE Handbags
Nunu Chocolates
OneWed
One Love Photo
Papabubble
Paper+Cup
Paperwink
Poseprints
Ritzy Bee Events
Rust Designs
Saipua
Sarah Drake Design
Smock
Sonya Renée
Stuck Labels
Style Made Simple
The Smart Planner
Thoughtful Day
Two Bees Press
Union Photography
Viv&Ingrid
Wedding Paper Divas

[photo by Jenny Ebert Photography and Maria from Ritzy Bee]

big enormous thank-yous!

thanks to:

...galapagos art space for lending us their amazing space
...erica miller of thoughtful day for all the graphics associated with The B-List
...jenna hein for her calligraphy
...jenny ebert for her fabulous photography
...seaport flowers for making the space look pretty
...sterling affair catering for feeding us lunch
...mark joseph cakes for the amazing cake we had for dessert!
...swirl events for the wine tasting and chocolates, yum!

and all of our sponsors in the left column...click on their ad and show your support! this event could not have been possible without them!

stay tuned, plenty more coming up!

Event sponsor: Seaport Flowers

I'm never disappointed when I ask Amy at Seaport Flowers to put something together for me...she always comes up with the freshest things! The little succulents and green flora were perfect for the little cocktail tables, and the larger blooms were fabulous accents to larger tables.

[photos by Jenny Ebert Photography]

Beautiful branding from Thoughtful Day

Our fellow blogger, Erica of Thoughtful Day, did an amazing job designing the graphics for the B List meetup. She managed to work in every aspect of bridal blogging, all in a stylish way! Having the logo incorporated into cookies by Gumdrop Cookie Co. and Jones Soda is a great example of how you can brand your own event, and will make everything look cohesive. Erica also just launched her new site, Thoughtful Day, filled with invitation suites, custom totes, and much more!

And a special thank you to Jenna of love*jenna for doing the calligraphy for our bloggers nametags...she's currently in the throes of planning her own wedding so it was nice of her to take a little time out to share her talents with us!

[photos by Jenny Ebert Photography]

A Catered Affair by Sterling Affair

Just like any wedding reception you need to feed your guests, right? Whether you are having a brunch, luncheon or dinner reception, or cocktails and cake you will need to hire a caterer to provide the food and wait staff for your event.

For the B-List event this past weekend Sterling Affair provided a delicious luncheon for the bloggers and vendors. In addition to wraps, salads and sandwiches we also enjoyed some delicious fruit and chocolate tarts for dessert.

If you are getting married in the tri-state area, or looking for a caterer for a private or corporate event, visit sterlingaffair.com to learn more about their services and menu options.


[photos by Jenny Ebert Photography]

Wine Tasting with Swirl Events

One of the events the B-List bloggers attended was a wine tasting sponsored by Brides.com and produced by Swirl Events.

After enjoying a glass of Prosecco and a chocolate truffle from Roni-Sue's Chocolates, Swirl Events owner Anu Karwa walked us through the five steps of wine tasting. We enjoyed several different types of wine along with a delicious cheese and chocolate pairing.

As you can see from the photos below we all enjoyed the cocktail party atmosphere which allowed us to mix and mingle and learn about wine.

Swirl Events is available for both corporate and private events, including showers and bachelorette parties. To learn more about hosting a wine tasting, visit swirlevents.com. Or visit Anu's blog, Swirl Savvy, for wine tips and advice.






*Photos taken by Vane Broussard of Brooklyn Bride and Christy Weber of Junebug Weddings

Welcome to the B-List

This past weekend, Anne of From I Will to I Do and I (Vané from Brooklyn Bride) co-hosted a bridal blogger event here in Brooklyn...to explain a little bit, it was a small get together meant to introduce ourselves in person to our favorite bloggers, talk about blogging and weddings, share tips and ideas that have helped our blogs, and provide overall support. Afterwards, we held a vendor meet and greet, since many of us had written about these fabulously talented people but had never met them in person. The event was a smashing success, and its our hope that the B-List can grow into something we host all over the US, and maybe spark some offshoot events in cities so we can get to know more people in the industry. We're so incredibly grateful for all the bloggers who traveled as far out as the west coast to attend, and of course, to our sponsors who made this all possible.

We'll be posting some photos as soon as they come in, and will be posting about our event sponsors, synopses from our speakers, and once we figure it out, more info on future events, so stay tuned! We're excited for whats to come, and hope you are too!

[group photo done by the incomparable Jenny Ebert, who shot all the photos from the event]

Destination: Ritz-Carlton Caribbean & Mexico Resorts

Brides planning a destination wedding or their honeymoon in the Caribbean or Mexico are sure to check out the Ritz-Carlton properties in the region. And why wouldn't they? The excellent level of service and amenities available are truly unforgettable.

Brides and grooms planning a destination wedding should know about the current promotion being offered to couples who book their wedding at one of the Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, Cancun and Puerto Rico) Couples who book their wedding through the region's value package get a free wedding ceremony as well as a three-night first anniversary (complimentary) stay. Weddings booked at these resorts must book a minimum three-night stay and reserve 25 rooms or more. The free ceremony includes: location decor, officiant and wedding concierge. The wedding must be booked by December 20, 2009 and held between May 1 and December 20, 2009. For more information visit ritzcarlton.com.

Sponsored post: One Love Photo

My name is Heather Gilson and I am photographer who loves manual focus, shallow depth of field and composing in a square. I live for beautiful mistakes, frozen fractions of seconds, and a subject who stares me down. My husband Jon Almeda is an amazing artist and photographer and we make a wonderful team shooting weddings together. This is what we LOVE to do! We live in the Seattle area but enjoy capturing sweet love birds all over the map! With over 12 years of experience we have refined an unobtrusive, creative style of shooting. Staying true to our artistic spirits, we capture weddings using a combination of cameras and techniques (digital, medium format film, through the viewfinder, homemade lenses and even a couple toy plastic cameras). Our images are unique because they combine the style and sensibility of today's generation with yesterday's vintage look and feel.

We have an uncompromising artistic style and move in the opposite direction of cliché wedding photography. Which means we won't make the groom dip the bride, or put you through a mock fashion shoot. We won't put the bride's veil over the grooms head and we definitely won't make the wedding party all jump at the same time. Our main goal is to create untraditional photographs of your family and friends being their fabulous selves. To capture your natural true love on your wedding day with a funky artistic twist. If this sounds like the kind of photography you have been searching for, please contact us.

We love to travel and offer an inclusive travel package for weddings outside of the Seattle area. Find out more about our packages on our website. Feel free to email me for more detailed information.

[images by the talented One Love Photo]

Guest post from Emily @ OnceWed

I am so excited about finally meeting everyone in person at the end of the month and learning more about blogging in general. Vane has been kind enough to let me talk a little about online advertising and monetizing your blog. I am by no means an expert, but my husband has worked in the online advertising world for close to a decade and I've been fortunate enough to learn a lot about the industry through him. I was planning on covering just the basics and send everyone home with a little guide. Below are some of the topics I was planning to cover and discuss. I would love input or suggestions on the items below and if I missed out on any topics you might be interested in learning more about. Thanks, ladies!

-Intro(CPM vs. CPC vs. CPA)
- Monetizing Your Blog
-direct sales/independent ads
-google ad sense
-ad networks - requirements, recommendations,etc
-paids posts, text links,etc
-pros/cons of all of the above
-Building a media kit
-Future and current climate of online advertising

Bakery tips for submitting to blogs

I thought these tips from Bakery would come in handy...and are good for a little chuckle. I'm sure we've all received these kinds of emails in one way or another.

DO:

• Send me a link to some sort of website, whether it be your portfolio site, etsy shop, or a site that sells your items. If you don’t have a website, send me an email address through which interested readers can contact you. Blogs are online media, so you should include some sort of related contact information for my readers.
• Send me 1-5 low resolution images for use on my site.
• Address the email to ME, and maybe even show me you read/like my site by telling me about a recent post you enjoyed or that I’m on your feed reader.
• Introduce yourself, tell me a little about you and your stuff, and what it is you’re showing me.
• If you’re a PR professional, make me like you, and not just the product/artist/site you’re pushing. Relationships are key in this business.
• Flattery will get you everywhere [well, almost].

DON’T:

• Attach a Word document press release. I won’t read it.
• Attach a Word document press release and also copy and paste the same information from the Word document into the body of the email. This is dumb [sorry, it really is].
• Send me an email with a subject line in ALL CAPS; it has the opposite effect.
• Attach a zip file of images expecting me to download and extract them. Unless I ask for lots of high-res images, this is highly unnecessary. These are typically large files which clog my memory, too, so probably not the best way to my heart.
• Send me an email in a language that I don’t post in on my blog. I speak and read English, so please don’t expect me to understand your Turkish press release. This instantly makes me think you’ve stuck me on a massive mailing list. At least send a translation or a link to your site so I can see more.
• Address the email Dear Blogger, or Dear Jane [my name is Jaime].
• Send the email to 20 different blogs in the TO email field. We can see it and if you BCC us, we know that you did -
• Send me the same email 2 times in a week or 4 times a month. I got your email. If you want to follow up, please do so but do not spam.

Check out Brooklyn!

If this is your first time coming to Brooklyn, you would be remiss not to visit a little bit in your free time! Design*sponge has a great Brooklyn Design guide for you to check out, but here are some other places we recommend stopping by.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden - April means Cherry Blossoms, so definitely check this place out! Its an amazing feeling being rained on by pink petals.

Brooklyn Museum - right next door to the Botanic Garden.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade - wonderful views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, and oh yeah, Manhattan.

Smith St. - great restaurants and shops. Grab dinner at Char No. 4.

Williamsburg - what the Lower East Side USED to be.

DUMBO - we'll be spending most of Saturday here, but if you get a chance, grab a slice at Grimaldi's, eat some awesome tacos and guac at Hecho en Dumbo, or drink amazing hot chocolate at Jacques Torres. Even hop the Water Taxi across the river.

Shopping - NY Magazine's Brooklyn guide is a great place to start.

Event sponsor: Galapagos Art Space

Galapagos Art Space was an amazing place to hold the meet-up. Located in the coolest area of Brooklyn [DUMBO], we were right by the water, in between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. Galapagos is host to a lot of great art, dance, and performance events, as well as weddings and parties, but perhaps its coolest feature is that its all on water! Its really something you have to see to believe, but everyone that came for the first time was amazed! Thanks to Robert and his team at Galapagos for hosting us!

16 Main St. in DUMBO

[images from Galapagos and Jenny Ebert Photography]