As a wedding and quince planner of over 25 years in South and SW Florida, I cannot emphasize the importance to both the brides and quinceañeras of attending their local bridal and quince shows to meet local vendors; and let's not forget the importance of these shows to the Florida wedding and quince professional vendors who participate in these bridal shows, and receive a unique opportunity to meet their local brides and quince girls.

There is a wealth of information for both parties and a mutual benefit to the consumer and the supplier or service provider of the bridal and quince industry.
For the consumer, bridal shows are a great way to meet the wedding professionals in their communities who really take pride in the industry. You can sample products, taste cakes, see beautiful fashions, and collect a wealth of information to plan that unforgettable special event.  
For the wedding vendors it is a priceless way to showcase their product ... and sell their personality and win the bride's heart. 

We have a great bridal show coming up this weekend here in SW Florida; the Wedding and Party Professionals of Naples are putting on a fantastic bridal show at The Naples Botanical Gardens this Sunday October 12, 2008 from 1-4 PM.
For Further info visit their web site at: wppn.org.  

Happy Show this Sunday to All,
The Event Lady of
www.FloridaWeddingsandSpecialEvents.com

 

Have you heard the expression we live in Paradise?  Well... to us Neapolitans this is true of course!
We have the architectural beauty of our famous Naples homes, the    perfect climate, fabulous sunsets, and the warmth of a small elegant city, which can still brag of a vast array of entertainment options. We have ample arts and dining experiences to satisfy the most difficult taste. Can you tell I live here?
This is a fact, not only my opinion, but that of the multitude of couples who travel from near and far to celebrate their wedding day in our city. These brides and grooms seem to think so as well, since every year, Naples hosts beautiful wedding events from intimate and cozy beach ceremonies to grand and elegant receptions. Thanks to movie stars who made those escapade weddings famous, we are now considered a   popular weekend destination get-away wedding spot. If you are a local bride, you are lucky you have it all at your feet.

Naples' beautiful beaches, historic landmarks, gorgeous hotels, and countless number of country clubs, provide the perfect romantic settings to make any bride's dream come true.
Our picturesque city, not only offers traditional settings but unconventional locations as well. For creative couples who want an above average wedding, we have a few suggestions.
For example, how about a wedding at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts, the Collier County Museum, the Naples Botanical Gardens, the Historic Naples Pier, Palm Cottage, or... for a distinctly different kind of ceremony, how about  aboard our very own Naples Trolley or Naples Princess Yacht?
These are just some unique ideas to consider when planning a Naples Florida destination wedding event.

Happy Event Planning,

Isabel Albuerne "The Event Lady"

Editor and Publisher

Florida Weddings and Special Events Magazine; aka FWSEMagazine.com

Tips on Ordering Your
The social event invitation is the first glimpse into your event; your guest will see a reflection of your style and personality. It tells your guests how casual or formal the event will be. When planning any social event, wedding, quince, sweet-sixteen, bridal shower, or any other, please take the time to look at many different styles.
Your invitation can have a relation  to your color scheme; sometimes it will even follow a theme like in many well planned quince parties.
Always feel papers in person, all papers are not the same; one thing is how it look on a picture, another is how it feels in your hand. Ask for samples if necessasy. There are many varieties to fit all different budgets today. Besides the regular invitation books, there are companies that do unique, custom work and can create something just for you.

Ten Quick Tips here for you:

1.Have a guest list for an estimate of quantity. Remember... it is one
 per household, not one per person on your list.

2. Order extra at least a 10% over what you need, re-prints are expensive.
Invitations prices do not increment much for an additional 25.

3. Order all your printed matter form the same place; it will save your
money on shipping. Remember your printed cocktail napkins, personalized matches, ribbons, etc.
 

4. No abbreviations should be used, all numbers  written, out make sure you spell correctly
 

5. Use correct social etiquette on social stationery wording, if you do not know, have a
social stationery consultant write it for you. This is one of those times in life; you want to use the correct wording.

6. Learn the correct socially assembly of your wedding or quince invitatios. Yes there is a specific way.

7. Proof read several times if possible by two different persons.

8. If you are addressing your envelopes, and they are printed with the return address, order extra envelops for a safety net.They can usually be ordered in multiples of 25.
 
9. If invitation is very expensive, better pay for a proof.

10. Ask Vendors policy on mistakes and time turn around, given in writing on your contract.

Happy Event Planning,

Isabel Albuerne "The Event Lady"

Editor and Publisher

Florida Weddings and Special Events Magazine; aka FWSEMagazine.com

Businesses have realized the massive income that can be acquired from marketing to the Hispanic communities. They are trying to reach the Hispanic market in general. The social event industry is just one of the many areas in which Hispanics are spending their money in the United States. Large and small companies use national advertising, which if the budget can afford is great. Some industries have realized the value of regional and local level advertising. These local advertising means can identify the marketing needs of specific ethnic groups in an area.

In the past, the Hispanic market had always been targeted as a mass, based on the sharing of a language. This undeniable language thread of Hispanics cannot be denied; so many countries in the world are Spanish speaking. But as wonderful as the language bond may be, today's Hispanic market needs to be addressed with a different approach.

Hispanics in the United States have grown in great numbers. They vary in income status, customs and cultural backgrounds. Their marketing differences arise due to their country of origin, and even their time of exile.  Many Hispanics hold on tight to old traditions, while others, those that made a life in this country many, many, years ago, have Americanized their thought process. There are many young Latin Americans born in the United States, the new breed of Hispanics. Sometimes they joke and call themselves "American made with Hispanic parts". This new generation needs to be addressed with a mix of respect for tradition and a dash of modern day tactics.

As editor and publisher of a local, Florida bridal and quince publication that reaches a very diverse mixed market in South Florida, I can attest to this matter first hand.

The Latina bride and the quinceañera's marketing needs vary from city to city, and even from state to state. This very unique consumer group needs marketing strategies focusing on specific niche groups in different parts of the country and localized sectors of all the Hispanic communities. One overlooked factor is identifying the market by level of acculturation, and socio-economic levels. These two factors greatly affect spending habits of any consumer group.

Trending is a big factor as well, and does happen within Hispanic communities and communities of any culture. One perfect example is the whopping numbers of elaborate and expensive sweet fifteen celebrations happening on the East coast of Florida. These parties are averaging from $30, 000 to $60,000. The money being spent in these Hispanic communities is astronomical. We have noticed that fashions and styles of parties can duplicate from one community to another, and therefore affect an industry and a specific cultural group.

Today we are learning to identify all these differences within a minority that had in the past always been grouped as one.  Our biggest challenge in marketing to different ethnic groups is observing and paying attention to their consumer differences but also realizing the similarities within them.

One thing is for sure; the Latino market is spending a huge amount of money in this economy, and one of their big spending habits is definitely on their social event celebrations.
 

Happy Event Planning,

Isabel Albuerne "The Event Lady"

Editor and Publisher

Florida Weddings and Special Events Magazine; aka FWSEMagazine.com