December 4, 2012
It’s December - everybody is gearing up for Christmas and I mean everyone. It’s like the world stands still and gets covered in fairy lights and glitter. I love Christmas so much that we are always the first people in our street to put up our tree and I totally wind down on work so that I can make the most of this magical family time of year.Read more...
November 30, 2012
This week I've been seriously considering doing a juice cleanse. Now I'm not one for fad diets and I generally hate talking about anything to do with weight loss but - EUGH - I don't half feel in desperate need of a detox at the moment. I blame Bri but I think I'm going to see how she gets on before I go into it wholeheartedly! Have you ever done a juice cleanse? What kind of results did you see/feel?Read more...
November 27, 2012
Sometimes I sit here and feel like a failure. I have a job I love, a husband that makes me so incredibly happy, and a life I never thought I would... but still... sometimes, just sometimes, I feel like I'm a fraud. Like it's all a front. Like it probably won't last. Like it's not real life or something. I don't know... do you ever just feel a little bit lost? That the constant pressure for perfection and to 'be the best' makes your head spin?Read more...
November 23, 2012
I wanted to introduce a links post in the same vein as Thursday Treats the Green Room, and so after umming & ahhing over the perfect name, I thought to hell with it, I'll just keep it simple, cheesy and memorable. So behold Business Bites!Read more...
November 20, 2012
It's no secret that running your own business is hard work. When those heady first few weeks of excitement and anticipation are a distant memory, getting to - and staying at the top of your game can be a constant battle. So if you're near the start of your self-employment journey, what are the key skills you might need to give yourself a head start?Read more...
November 15, 2012
"Huraaaah!" was the resounding response that rippled through my Twitter feed when, seemingly simultaneously, two of the biggest social media platforms both made some exciting new announcements last week. Firstly, Instagram profiles are now accessible online. Obviously Instagram is a phone ap, but it's great to be able to see everyone's photos, profiles and bios on your computer too. Plus it's a huge bonus when writing about your own instagram on your blog as you can now link directly to it without having to use a 3rd party website (statigr.am must be GUTTED!)Read more...
November 13, 2012
We've all been in situations when something work-related just hasn't gone our way. And if it's something you feel you have worked super hard for then it's even worse. Gutting even. Not everything we plan for or aim towards always comes off, so how can you cope with a professional disappointment without taking it out on your loved ones or hitting the gin?Read more...
November 6, 2012
In the late 80s, with the popularity of chat shows on the rise, television producers would always have 'go to' standby guests in case somebody pulled out at the last minute. After a while it seemed that any time this happened it would be Christopher Biggins who filled in... I guess because he was always available (aww)! Biggins swiftly became known on the circuit as a 'professional guest', and needless to say, was a bit of a running joke. When I heard this story this week, I immediately started thinking about guest blogging and whether it's a good thing to be so readily available all the time...Read more...
October 30, 2012
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure" - Oprah Winfrey What a whirlwind! First up thank you so much for allowing me to take a few weeks off the Green Room while I was away. I had good intentions to get some guest posts up, but when it came down to it I just didn't have any in the pipeline that I thought we're strong enough... and so I figured, quality over quantity, and let it go. A moment of honesty - the few weeks running up to me going away were tough. I was seriously lacking inspiration and my blogging mojo was waning. The endless treadmill that can be running a blog full time, with the constant pressure to update daily (or in my case multiple times daily) was starting to loose it's sparkle. Don't get me wrong, I am forever in love with my job, but I was just feeling like the posts I was publishing we're only okaaaay. Like I was just going through the motions and that the standard of what I was writing was slipping. I needed this break. Badly. We all know that those moments where you're sit staring at your computer screen just willing the inspiration to come are the least productive. Then add immense tiredness and a crap load of deadlines to that mix and it's a recipe for disaster.Read more...
October 9, 2012
As this is my last Green Room post before I jet off to New York, I'm feeling a little apathetic. I'm sure I'll be coming home with a truckload of post-Blogcademy inspiration in tow but right now I'm just... tired. Keeping up with life and work, getting things organised before I leave, it all piles up and sometimes it can feel like it's becoming too much. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm knackered and in need of a holiday. Badly. I can't be the only one who's feeling like this either. I guess it's a lot to do with the time of year, and if you work in the wedding industry you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The Summer season can be rather mental all-round, and it's swiftly followed by the usual October wedding fair circuit and new collection launches... AKA it's exhausting.Read more...
October 2, 2012
Over and over again I hear the excuse from people that they just don't have enough time... "Oh I'd love to blog more but I just can't find the time...", "I can't possibly reply to all my emails, I just get too many...", "Yeah I'd love to take a holiday/work on a personal project/spend more time with my loved ones, but there just aren't enough hours in the day..." Now forgive me as this might irritate you but, honestly, if you're not getting things done that you know you should be it really is no ones fault but your own. So instead let's stop making excuses and prioritise. If in your heart you know you should be doing something but you really don't want to then that's fine... let it go and be OK with it. But let's stop blaming the imaginary time stealing fairy and take some responsibility for that fact.Read more...
September 25, 2012
Who do you think are life's greatest teachers? In a way it's pretty obvious to think of all the things we can learn from the more experienced people in our industry, but today I'd like to encourage you to think about what you can learn from your peers... or even people will much less experience than you.Read more...
September 21, 2012
Blogging. If you're in the wedding industry you'll be hard pushed to avoid it. Still a relatively new medium, the first blogs (called web-logs back then) were launched in the late 90s. The wedding industry quickly adopted this format as their own with many wedding suppliers now using a personal blog to promote their work and to connect with others in the industry as well as potential clients. There are even people (like me!) who make a full time career out of blogging. There are currently a reported 164 million blogs in existence, so how do you make yours stand out? Is blogging even right for you and your business? Two UK wedding photographers battle it out...Read more...
September 18, 2012
I was twelve when it started. We were in Dublin visiting family when my Mum spotted that Boyzone were playing at The Point Theatre. I'd never been particularly interested in music, and although I'd heard of the band and seen them perform on SMTV Live (with Ant & Dec - remember that!?), I wouldn't say I was a fan. But for some reason my Mum asked if we wanted to go and so she went to see if she could get tickets for the show that night.Read more...
September 12, 2012
In 2001, and with no real experience, Alastair Humphreys decided he would cycle around the world. He set off from his Yorkshire home on an epic journey that took him four years to complete. He cycled 46,000 miles, through 60 countries and 5 continents. Now, whilst reading that you might think "jeez that's no small adventure!", and you'd be right, the idea behind this article and the video below is an explanation of the importance of adventure, any adventure, no matter how big or how small. In this TEDx talk he speaks about his experiences, and why he feels starting small is much more important when trying to make changes.Read more...
September 11, 2012
Today I want to tackle the tricky issue of managing client expectation in the wedding industry. Sooner or later no matter who you are or what level you are at, the chances are that you will encounter some sort of complaint or confrontation in your business. We work with people who are often planning the biggest experience of their lives and there can be a lot of pressure all round. A wedding can be a bit like all your Christmases at once - if your family all get on then brilliant, but a wedding can often highlight any issues too. Then there are all the money concerns connected with weddings. Good for you if you have a bottomless pit of cash to splash, but for many couples a wedding can be a huge financial strain on them or their immediate families. Add to that some of the other pressure that couples can put on themselves... Like making their day the stand out amongst their circle of friends, getting super carried away with how their wedding is going to look, or being obsessed with making their wedding 'blogworthy'.Read more...
September 5, 2012
I was asked recently by a new blogger how I went about making my industry connections and friends. Like, how did I approach people and ask if they'd like to work together or collaborate on various projects and shoots without coming across as a bit of a weirdo? So I'm telling you what I told her... If it would be weird in real life...Read more...
September 4, 2012
Oh Dita you are so wise. There will always be someone, somewhere who doesn't agree with you or like what you do. But you know what? Screw 'em! The best lesson I've learnt through running my business is that I can't please everybody so I'm not going to waste my time trying.Read more...
August 29, 2012
I'm not sure why, but I'm feeling very reflective this week. Maybe it's because in prepping for The Blogcademy (which sold out within a week by the way - wooo!) I've been thinking about what I knew and, more importantly, didn't know when I started blogging. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. On one hand I'm sure every decision, journey and mistake I made got me to exactly where I am today, but on the other hand muddling along and hoping I was doing things right was a tough way to learn!Read more...
August 28, 2012
When I first moved to London, my flatmate at the time had a book called Feel the Fear but do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. Not really being one for self help books, I never got round to reading it but as it hung around the lounge, the title really spoke to me and it's kinda hung around in my mind ever since. At the time I had pulled out of doing a degree in fashion and textiles after it had dawned on me that I wasn't anywhere near as obsessed with fashion as my fellow foundation students who had got onto the same degree. They were going to college in Victorian Underwear and thick black tights while I was still channelling Neneh Cherry in a purple satin bomber jacket with a spiral perm (hey, it was twenty years ago!)Read more...