Comments on: What is Really Behind WeddingWire’s Bride’s Choice Award?

By: Greg HInchley

Greg HInchley — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:14:00 +0000

They offer a free profile for those who don’t know. It isn’t soon after you are repeatedly solicited to be a paid vendor or advertiser. They do help you set up a professional looking profile. I see this being helpful if you are a vendor who decided not to pay to have a website built for you. Not too many years ago the price of being a featured vendor was $800 or $875 for a full year. Then it jumped (without announcement) to $1200.00 a year. I advertised with them on monthly terms for several months. I only had 3 inquires for DJ services with no signed contracts. I went to terminate services with my sales representative (believing that I was on a monthly lease for ad space) only to be handled unprofessionally. My initial contact said I could cancel at any time w/o liability. I only wanted to use the service for off season advertising leading up to the next season. My current sales person said that what the prior person had said was not true or that I was insinuating a situation out of thin air. When I stared mentioning first & last names it was resolved quickly. I was threatened with a lawsuit at first & told to read the online contract. But then we revert back to the verbal agreement, & the threats never came to fruition. It’s just another online service. I told them several times to spend some of their profit on local advertising through radio & television to support their vendors locally & to announce who they are & what they do. They finally did some marketing with Google Ad Words. Don’t break the bank there guys:) As far as the Bride’s choice award goes. The digital award is free. It generally has code attached to it so when you post it to social media it 3rd parties you back to the wedding wire site. If your I.T. person doesn’t catch it, the same will happen on your website. They have trophies & plaques also. You have to pay for them. Who pays for a presentation award? A award is just that! Yet another revenue generator for W.W….Keep your advertising dollars local. Get out locally & let locals know who you are & what services you provide. I took W.W.’s advertising dollars to a few more local bridal shows & the return on investment was ten fold:) If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. Kudos Trevor on the article. Now I have to call my I.T. guy & tell him to pull down our 2012 award. LOL.
http://www.idjent.com

By: Chris Warkocki

Chris Warkocki — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:47:00 +0000

Bitterness. So much bitterness. I’m sorry man but every comment you make just buries you in this whole of sadness. You didn’t win one. I get it. Move on. Some people don’t want to be part of weddingwire. Don’t. Market in another way.

By: Chris Warkocki

Chris Warkocki — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:38:00 +0000

They do in fact! Had another photographer locally explode with people saying nice things about his wedding work. Couple weeks later they were gone. Checked his site and blog and none of the names of the couples were there. We also had a random good review from someone I had never heard of. Gone a couple days later. Maybe you should do some non decepetive research ;) LMAO I Kid!

By: Trevor Dayley

Trevor Dayley — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:36:00 +0000

How do they make sure the bride is real? I would love to hear about the process?

By: Trevor Dayley

Trevor Dayley — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Thank you for sharing this experience Kristi. You are absolutely right that they are on the phones in full force right now trying to book photographers up in their marketing packages. Great point!

By: Trevor Dayley

Trevor Dayley — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:40:00 +0000

Chris this has nothing to do with me being happy or not. I happen to be an extremely happy person and absolutely love life. I think my friends could “AMEN” to that. Trust me if I wanted this award I could quite easily get it. But I have no desire to be a marketing machine for WeddingWire. You said it clearly in your own words, “Is this a legitimate award? Meh, Not really.” So my question then to you is why would it be okay to waive it around as some great achievement if it’s not a “legitimate award?”

By: Kristi Nelson Church

Kristi Nelson Church — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Let me tell you Trevor, I feel the same way. This was our first full year photographing weddings. We’ve had 7 or 8 reviews.. all good ones and some how I, too, received an award and felt how could this be right? Seriously? Then I started seeing all the other vendors (photographers included) giving shout outs to themselves for their award and I felt like it really minimized the value of what that award is SUPPOSED to represent. Then yesterday, I received a phone call and an email from my rep telling me how I could benefit further by signing an annual contract with them. It’s no mistake this happens right in January. They’re after annual bookings…it’s definitely part of their marketing and promotions calendar. I wonder what the stats look like and how many new business clients they bring on as a result? If only the public really knew the actual value of that award I can’t imagine it would hold much value in their eyes either.

By: Chris Warkocki

Chris Warkocki — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:14:00 +0000

They actually do check to make sure the bride is real. Better than the unsubstantiated reviews any photographer can put on their website or friends on facebook write.

By: Chris Warkocki

Chris Warkocki — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 01:50:00 +0000

Some people don’t get it Raheel. It’s sad that we just can’t be happy. I like being happy. Totally makes the day go by way better!!!!

By: Raheel Gauba

Raheel Gauba — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:52:00 +0000

Exactly! Its not an award for photographic excellence… its a “bride’s choice” award… its black and white… it means brides loved the work and took the time to review the vendor!