“She’s either pioneering a brilliant new concept, or there’s a reason there’s no other wedding reporters out there…”
It’s not a question of who needs a wedding report, so much as who wants one. As my business begins to grow, it seems beneficial to clarify the point of The Wedding Reporter with a little manifesto.
♡ ♡ ♡
A wedding report won’t appeal to everyone. For those who enjoy writing and would rather create something from their own perspective, I salute you. There is no better way to chronicle the minutiae of your day and if you can do it yourself, then so much the better. However, the majority of the bridal population might not feel the inclination to write their own wedding report, given the constraints of time and energy versus careers, kids and life. I’m there for those people, hawk-eyeing their day to collect as many memories as possible for them.
You could just do it yourself. Similarly you can make your own stationery, bake your own cake, do your own hair and make-up, arrange your own flowers, create your own favours and take your own photos. I’m not a Pulitzer-winning writer by any means, but I have sufficient years of experience to be able to assure you that The Wedding Reporter will always strive to give you the most beautiful version of your day possible. At no point do I expect a wedding report to be superior to your own experience of the day, but what it does do is serve as an added layer of texture to your memories.
You could save your money instead. Is a wedding report an extravagant luxury? Is it indulgent? Of course it is, but surely the very nature of a wedding is indulgent. The bare minimum that you need to get married are a bride, a groom, two witnesses, an officiant and a licensed venue. Essentially everything else is an added extra, and look how much people pay for all of those services. The price of a wedding report is based only on the costs involved in creating your report. I am so in love with writing about weddings that I want to do it for free, but my husband told me he’d divorce me if I didn’t at least cover my costs.
It’s too personal/impersonal. A wedding report is commissioned by the people who take the starring roles in it – i.e. you. If you don’t want anyone else to see it, you don’t have to show it to them. If your concern is that a stranger will come and judge your wedding, then you need to go back to page one and realise that I’m not judging anything, merely making a chronicle of your day. I also do my utmost for us to get to know each other before the day so that you don’t walk back down the aisle with a big shiny ring and a new spouse thinking to yourself, “Who is that (slightly emotional) girl at the back with a notepad?”
No one else has got one. 30 years ago, no one hired wedding photographers. How recently have videographers become a necessity for newlyweds? Did your Mum have a make-up artist at her wedding? The wedding industry is constantly evolving and couples are becoming more savvy about the way in which they want to remember their day and the mediums through which they achieve that. Now you have one more option open to you.
♡ ♡ ♡
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask me. The only question I have left to ask you, is what are you waiting for?
2 comments
May 6, 2011 at 9:49 am
Great post Emma. Love the way you’ve highlighted why not to have one because it seems to make so much sense why a bride then should have one! Does that make sense?!
Either way you have a wonderful idea here, in a time pressured society it’s important to provide services that help brides and grooms get the most from their day. It’s only, hopefully, one day in a lifetime and I for one would love another person’s beautifully written perspective on my day
xx
May 6, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Thanks Ali! I tend to think you can find a reason not to do most things in life, but with things like your wedding it really should come down to what you want and not what you think you can live without.
I look forward to the day when I can come and report on your wedding…!