Oh dear. Weddings. I’ve been married nearly 17 years, so I kind of cringed when realizing I’d have to review a wedding blog. I swear if I ever have to get married again, I’m just getting my pastor to come to my backyard to do the ceremony, and I’ll have a pot-luck and I’ll spring for the wine.
While I loved my own wedding, I’ve just watched three people (my sister included) go through hell in planning their weddings. So I was a little reluctant to revisit some of the topics I knew would be presented herein.
My attitude changed rather quickly, and this was a very nice blog to visit. I realized quickly that this was not a personal blog, but a business blog supporting the Truly Wedding Favors company. As far as blogs done by businesses go, this one is a great read.
The writers provide a great deal of information to brides-to-be on all aspects of planning their wedding, not just what favors to pick. And it’s not all “buffet or sit down, which do you choose?” kinds of topics. Our blog contributors also celebrate anniversaries of couples who are in it “for the long haul.” There are entries about celebrities and weddings too, like how Shakira has too much to do to plan her wedding, and how jeesh, she’s like every other bride out there in the end, isn’t she? And if you are a famous R&B starlet, don’t forget your panties and bra under your dress when you go to your conservative family’s weddings! Yikes!
This is a beautifully laid out blog, with gorgeous complimentary colors. Very bridal in look and feel. The site navigation is easy to read and resides the left column and a wide, white readable area on the right. A link back to the corporate site store is at the top of the page, so if you’re visiting and interested in shopping, you’re right there in a matter of seconds.
It was also exciting to read about how the fires in Southern California were having a direct impact on this particular business… and I was horrified to read about the truck being looted. Having that kind of a glimpse into a business blog is really an interesting and fascinating aspect for a reader.
I have only two criticisms. First, there are several contributors to the blog, but they offer no “about us” page. A nice “about us” page would be a great addition to the site. It would let readers know who Melissa, Mercedes, Courtney, Kori Ellis, Wendy, Eric and Amber et al are and upon what authority they speak to proffering advice on weddings. The first entry by Melissa talks about why they started the blog… but it really doesn’t give us an idea who everyone is. I really like that in a blog, to get to know the thinker behind the thoughts.
Secondly, and this is a huge issue for me online, there are several instances where the blog authors do not include proper citation of resources. Entries are accentuated with lovely photographs, but no copyright is cited on them. On some entries which are obviously culled from web stories or researched from news or magazine articles, no citation is given at all. A link to the original news story online, or proper citation of source should appear at the end of the entry. There are some entries that do point to an online story, and I’d like to see that done across the board if possible. The information is all interesting, and it was fun to read. I’m just a real proponent of proper citation and would love to see that started here before the blog grows further.
I will change the category to “Business” from “Personal” because “Personal” indicates a blog written from a personal perspective on one’s life and observances. There is some of that in here, but with several links-back to the webstore of Truly Wedding Favors, it isn’t the right category.
Be sure that when I do know someone who is getting married I’ll point them in the direction of this blog for a helpful and informative (and sometimes very funny) online guide as they plug away at their plans. I give the Truly Wedding Blog a 4.0 rating.NULL