OmniBride™ & TWC: New Beginnings & Fond Farewells
The Wedding Chat has been a labor of love and a launching pad to something new and exciting for the entire online wedding community. You see we discovered a black hole…
As bloggers in the wedding industry we adore the vast blogosphere but, for a while, have felt such a deep void when attempting to research and find great content. Oh, we know it’s out there. In fact we take pride in the topics we’ve covered. But think about it-when you try to find something it’s often a time-consuming, hit-or-miss experience. There is so much valuable information out there and searching is like drifting aimlessly out in space.
Well, our frustration turned into opportunity. We connected with some tech virtuosos to help us create OmniBride, the first search-find-share destination solely for the wedding industry.
Our mission was to bring the entire online wedding community together so none of us has to wander aimlessly through the Internet to find great ideas, inspirations and resources.
We are just beginning to officially launch OmniBride and say a fond farewell to The Wedding Chat. We are sad for TWC to end as it has been steadily growing in popularity but feel our mission to bring together the entire online wedding community is the best use of our energies. We felt it even more when blogger Kelly Gribben, Keg Design, landed on us while she was randomly checking her site meter…”I discovered OmniBride as a referring site and one that is solely devoted to wedding-related things. What a cool concept! It’s definitely something the online wedding community can use.” We hope you think so too!
For brides: You’ll find that OmniBride is the most comprehensive destination for researching and planning your wedding.
For bloggers: Your voices will be heard by an exponentially greater audience. If the community loves your content, your stats will grow—and so will your fan base.
For industry: You have the opportunity to find out what the online wedding community is saying (or not saying) about your goods and services. You can engage in the community dialogues.
For journalists: This is your tool for researching and uncovering the latest buzz and resources.
You have the power to rate the value of a search result by either “loving” or “trashing” it so, unlike a general search engine, the community determines what rises to the top. So participate often and let your voice be heard throughout the wedding universe!
But there’s more to OmniBride—check out our feeds for the daily news and the most current wedding-related contests and giveaways. And if it’s being talked about—we’ll find it!
You may have noticed that this is a BETA version of OmniBride. This means that Version 1 is ready for take-off. But our vision doesn’t end here—count on an explosion of features and functions in the near future. For now, enjoy your exploration…and let us know about your experiences of finding it in the wedding cosmos.
Merging His & Hers into a Happy Home
Katherine Phelps, owner of VKOOS DESIGN, is an interior designer with a zest for life that translates into the happy spaces she creates for her clients. She also married Josh only a few years ago, so I asked her for some insights into the sometimes tricky task of merging his and hers, especially when HIS includes some “interesting” things. Let me share her thoughts…
JM: When my husband and I bought our first home and he pulled out his head candle with an arrow through the head, I didn’t know what to do! How do I not hurt his feelings, yet keep that thing out of my house?
Katherine: Josh didn’t have much, but for some of his weirder accessories, I suggested that we both put our personal favorites into our private office space where we would be able to enjoy them most…and others wouldn’t see as often.
JM: That’s what I ended up doing! And then a few years later, when we made room for our first baby, the head candle was donated – a safety issue with a new baby, you know. 
Can you share a few more tips that might help with the process?
Katherine: If there is an item you can’t agree on, then you have to compromise. A good way to approach this is to have the piece refinished, or reupholstered, or have the picture turned into a black-and-white, or turn that weird accessory into a lamp or repurposed into a funky vase. Think outside the box.
Let him know it is okay to be eclectic. Some men get the idea that everything has to match in style and color. Also, I find that letting him make the big picture design decisions, like picking out all of the architectural features of the room – crown molding style, hardware on the doors, etc – he won’t be as interested in the rest of the details.
One of the special things that you can do for your spouse during this sometimes difficult design time is gather up all of HIS favorite family and youth photos, enlarge them, frame them, and give them as a gift to your spouse. Tell him that these will be given a place of honor in the house, like the entry hall or stairway wall.
As much as our homes are our sanctuaries away from the rest of the world, you both need to be happy with your mutual spaces. Compromise. And remember that all of these things can always be changed or replaced, but your friendship and love is what will fill your home with the most happiness and beauty.
Built in close up (below): Katherine and her husband, Josh, live in a Cape Cod cottage-style home, so she tried to stay true to that architecture. This close-up shows two built-in bookcases flanking their red brick fireplace. She has mixed their items together in an artful display. The two birds, bronze horse, and dog plate are Katherine’s; the antique Cow bell from Switzerland is Josh’s; and the books are theirs.
Chairs close-up (below): The second picture shows a small area in their living room. The two chairs were chosen by the couple. “I had picked out all of the furniture pieces and custom fabrics and then made a presentation to Josh. He liked all of the fabrics that I had chosen for our sofa and two chairs. I let him choose the leather for our oversized ottoman in the middle of the room. Also, the reading light was Josh’s, so I incorporated that in between the two sitting chairs.” The paint color in the background is Wedgewood gray, an historical color from Benjamin Moore. They both love it.
Well said. Katherine’s favorite sources for inspiration and resources are Domino Magazine and The Nest. If you live in the Bay Area, you might want to hire her to help you and your spouse find a merged sense of style. She breathes new life and personality into every space she encounters. – JM
Learn more about Katherine Phelps and her company VKOOS DESIGN at www.VkoosDesign.com
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Jodi Murphy
Jodi Murphy is a contributing writer for Gentry Magazine and Gentry Design writing the At Home Column, Kitchen and Bath Department and feature Interior Design stories.
A perfect resource for you oh-so-savvy brides…
Welcome to THE FLIRTY GUIDE!! It is a Northern California wedding resource that lets you have fun while you plan your big day!
You can research resources at your leisure from your computer, viewing profiles and portfolios of various Northern California Bridal Professionals. Some categories include Cakes & Treats, Coordinators, Event Design, Flowers, Photographers, Videographers, as well as many more!
The Flirty Guide Home Page Screenshot
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The face behind all of the creativity and inspiration of THE FLIRTY GUIDE is one extremely talented girl gone geek, by the name of Stacie Tamaki. You can tell by the illustration below that she is also one very happy girl! Once you begin to explore THE FLIRTY GUIDE, I am sure you will find other links to Stacie’s other interesting and fun websites and blogs, such as Cutest Dog Ever, Best Wedding Blogs, The Nitty Gritty Blog, and even The Flirty Guide Blog, just to name a few!
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There are many features that make this online wedding resource unique. However, one of my favorites is “THE MATCHMAKER” guide that is at the bottom of every company profile. An example is a video company specializimg in making custom wedding movies, Studio MSV. The owner, Andrew Hsu, is a talented videographer with a fantastic personality. See below to view his Flirty Guide MATCHMAKER profile.
To view the complete profile of Andrew and Studio MSV on The Flirty Guide, visit the following link. Studio MSV on The Flirty Guide
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There is just so much more I can tell you about THE FLIRTY GUIDE and TFG founder, Stacie Tamaki, but I think it is just time that you head on over to this fantastic resource site and begin planning your wedding. Also, be sure to take a peek at my coordinator and event design profile on THE FLIRTY GUIDE or visit the following link to go straight there! Lea McIntosh Fine Events & Weddings on The Flirty Guide
Happy Planning at THE FLIRTY GUIDE! - www.theflirtyguide.com
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