The Fete Blog

The silver lining to come out of the Boston tragedy is the coming together of the community; disparate groups of runners, families, community leaders, bloggers, and more– in Boston and beyond– have joined forces to give back to one of America’s most beloved cities and offer love and support to everyone affected by what happened at the Boston Marathon last week. Maddy Hague, the blogger and designer behind Somewhere Splendid, came up with the loveliest idea– “Buy a Cup for a Cop“. So many of us have been in awe at the tireless efforts of the Boston first responders and police force in this situation– giving back to those who serve is the least we can do!

What to Do: Buy a cup of coffee for a local fire fighter, police officer, or other first responder when you come across one. Approach them and explain that you’d like to buy them one out of appreciation for their service, and ask what they’d like or have them escort you to a coffee shop. On the run, or shy? Get a gift card with the approximate value of a cup of coffee (or more!) to a local or chain coffee shop and keep it on hand.

Spread the Word: Let everyone know you’re participating so we can engage more people. If you have a blog, post a note about it. If you’ve bought a cup of coffee for someone, Instagram it with the hashtag #cupsforcops – share your gift card photos, too!

Maddy has a great download on her blog as well– a custom gift card sleeve that you can use if you’re going the gift card route! I’m so honored to spread the word about this movement– watching the capture of Suspect #2 and following closely along with the coverage gave me a deeper, newfound adoration for those who serve.

“You are a mash up of what you let into your life. Anyone can be creative if they surround themselves with the right influences.” –Austin Kleon

Words cannot accurately describe how ecstatic I was to attend the inaugural Blogcademy, a weekend blogging retreat in New York City hosted and taught by three of the most infamous and badass bloggers of all time. These ladies are jet-setters, fabulously eccentric, wise, and talented– but most of all, they are passionate about their art. And yes– the kind of blogging Kat, Gala, and Shauna do is art.

It was truly fate that I just happened to be browsing Twitter the exact moment my wedding blogger idol, Kat of Rock n Roll Bride, sent out a tiny message to the world that her latest scheme, a blogging workshop, was live and ready for students. I immediately stalked around the shiny new Blogcademy website, designed by Shauna: the date was right– John and I would be somewhat settled in marriage by mid-October; the price was manageable and the location– NYC– was obviously a plus. I called John (who was in Indiana at the time) and explained the situation. These three bloggers are INCREDIBLE (all-caps doesn’t do them justice)– Kat is my wedding girl crush, Gala is a MUST-READ, MUST-FOLLOW girl, just a total game changer, and Shauna is that girl who you wish was your real-life best friend or sister and also a badass designer. John said, “You’re really excited, this is important to you, you need to go.” So I did.

My reasons for attending Blogcademy: if you haven’t gauged the extent of my fangirl crushes on these bloggers by now, there’s no use explaining how it felt to not only be in person hearing them speak, but to become friends with them (best friends, in my version of it), to talk to them about their real lives and families and tattoos and have them remember you and think something about you is kind of okay. But the more relevant reason for attending was that as much as I love this blog, I needed to be refreshed. To see it through new eyes, to learn some invaluable tools for taking it to the next level, and to feel confident about it. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt truly confident that this blog is actually something.

Fast forward a few months– and hooray, we’re walking into our first Blogcademy session! This was the weekend in Instagrams:

From left: Gala, Shauna, and Kat bring the class to order! 30 lucky bloggers from across the world attended. Note: Gala is NYC-based, Shauna is in Portland, and Kat the UK.

Gala, a spectacular speaker, totally schooled us.

Mayhem! If Kat looks fun, she’s 100 times more larger-than-life in real life.

New bloggy friends! Veronica and Natanya.

Custom coffee warmers by Twinkie Chan– they obviously were informed of my addiction.

A graduate! 

There were two parts to this workshop: the content and the packaging (ie, the bloggers themselves)–>

A quick-and-dirty content summary: how to blog properly (if you want to be successful), photography for bloggers (by the amazing Lisa Devlin), design, non-blogging content, and social media.

In no particular order, the Blogcademy Secret Recipe to Blogging Success (as curated by me):

1) Obsess over your content.
2) Don’t obsess over your stats. Checking analytics once a month is enough.
3) Become an expert.
4) Launch and learn– there is no “right moment” ever.
5) Don’t overcommit yourself (this pertains to content management and to diversifying your money-making strategies).
6) Project what you want to get more of. Don’t post content that will attract the kind of audience you DON’T want.
7) Use your blog to fill a need, a gap in your niche– and put your spin on it.
8) Become absorbed by things in and out of your niche. Don’t let your specific blogging niche become an all-consuming obsession.
9) Remember, when it comes to your blog content and your social media strategies– how can you help others?
10) Go for a design that’s relatable– simple design can project confidence!
11) Branding means: the way a person feels about what you’re offering. A brand is not a logo; a logo represents a brand.
12) Make people believe there is no substitute for your product.
13) Your brand isn’t what you say it is– it’s what your audience says it is.
14) It takes a team to grow a blog.
15) Make your content as personality-laden as possible… and throw some twists in there now and then.

Bonus– new favorite word: “Hench” (thanks Kat) and this quote rocks my world: “All bloggers should marry photographers.” (Kat again)

The lectures and projects and conversations were so priceless– but that personal touch from Kat, Gala, and Shauna themselves were what made the weekend unforgettable. They shared with us their personal schedules, how they structure their days and balance their jobs and fabulous lives. They shared stories about how they made it to the level they were at– the connections they made, the early blog designs they had, the content they produced, sneak peeks of their upcoming work. They shared their branding and design stories, showing us the evolution of their projects. They shared media kits, advertising structures, how to get a book deal, how to design a magazine, their journeys– professionally and personally– that made them the women they are today.

The main “takeaway” from the weekend– your personality is everything. It’s going to define your voice, it’s going to define your style, your branding, your direction. So trust. Sit back and really listen to yourself, focus on your passions and desires, your dreams and schemes. Kat, Gala, and Shauna– “thank you” just doesn’t cover it. It was an honor to be a part of the first class of graduates. If you ever want to go for a long run, give me a call! I cannot wait to see where Blogcademy goes next.

Thank you to Blogcademy SPONSORS! A Fine Press | Alphabet Bags | Crown & Glory | Devlin Photos | Finest Imaginary | Garden Apothecary | Miss Anastasia Perfume | Molly Crabapple | Peach Blossom | Solestruck | Sugarpill | Twinkie Chan

More Blogcademy recaps from my wonderful classmates–> Me and My Ego | The Alchemy of Hustle | Condiments on a City Life | Little Bear in a Big World | Eldy’s Pocket | Burnett’s Boards | Danger Dame

And: quick recaps from Gala Darling | Nubby Twiglet | Rock n Roll Bride

If you don’t know already (how could you not? I’ve tweeted, instagrammed, and Facebooked nothing else all weekend)– the past two days, I was a lucky attendee of the Blogcademy. Don’t worry, we’ll get in to all the fabulous details of the weekend later, but for now, we have some raw, real thoughts.

I love this blog. But it needs a refined direction. So here it is:

At Fête, I want to bring you inspiration for your wedding AND your life. There is life after your wedding. So let’s learn how to live it! I want Fête to represent a wedding AND a lifestyle that’s spurred by simplicity, enthusiasm, and romance. That’s it. So I want everything I do and everything I curate and collect for you to reflect those key concepts. That’s what the Fête Lifestyle is going to look like.

So what that really means, for you dear readers, is that I’m going to be working over the next few months to really refine and streamline my posting schedule. I have a grand ole monthly schedule of columns that I try to stick to– but over the past year, I’ve found a lot of things that work and a lot of things that just don’t. I’m sure most of you have no idea that I have a regular schedule, because my postings are so chaotic and a lot of my column ideas haven’t translated very well from concept to reality.

Here’s the breakdown, as of October 22, 2012:

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays are going to be your lifestyle mélange. We’re moving “Photo I Heart” to Monday mornings and keeping Tuesdays (Thought o’the Week, Make Merry, You Should Get to Know) the same. We’ll add in more real parties and party inspiration to Tuesdays. Thursdays are pretty brand new: fitness posts, fashion posts, and travel. Mondays will include more {Finds}, books and goodness for your mind and soul, and Interiors– round-ups, inspiration boards, and color boards.

Wednesday and Fridays are WEDDING DAYS. Real weddings, advice columns, inspiration boards, and maybe a special DIY once a month (let’s face it: I’m not good at DIY posts. Real life projects, sure, but not the whole set up and shoot gig. Working on it). The “Things I Heart” tag is going to be exclusively for wedding inspiration boards now.

Saturdays are Weekend Links and Sundays are going to be personal posts.

It’s absolutely not going to be perfect at first. Give me a few weeks to really get in a rhythm, find the proper column names, etc. But I’m excited about this adjustment– I think it will make me feel more comfortable and confident with my offerings and it will give you a stable idea of what to expect on what day. Feedback? Please let me know– if something is just not jiving with you, I’d really love to hear about it!

Thanks for the love and patience. So many more fabulous things to come! xox

{top image by Tom Daly / bottom image by Jen Fariello}

One year ago, a little blog was launched. 52 real weddings and engagement sessions, dozens of inspiration boards, 22 featured cool kids, 16 Make Merry menus, and one wedding later and here we are. One year of blogging! Many, many more to come.

What’s on the docket for the year ahead? More real weddings– double the weddings, in fact. We’re adding in one new wedding, engagement session, bridal portrait session, or rehearsal dinner on Fridays– happy Friday indeed! Fête has joined up with Two Bright Lights, so look for weddings outside of the Central VA area in these posts. Local photographers– send us your non-Cville weddings too! This year, we’re featuring more real party inspiration– throwing a party? Send us your projects, menu, or inspiration board! And, of course, this year, you’ll see more behind-the-scenes of my wedding: the real nitty gritty that went into the weekend. Stay tuned!

We hope to bring you more tips, more experts, more eye candy, and more inspiration– not just for your wedding day. Hopefully, many of you dear readers have breezed through your wedding with grace and style! There is life after a wedding (right? right??) and we want to help you live it with enthusiasm, romance, and whimsy.

So many people deserve HUGE thank yous– Kim Speer, my collaborator and the genius behind Make Merry and so many travel posts, Tom Daly, my buddy and the guy who will jump into any crazy project, and, of course, Jen Fariello, my best friend, role model, and biggest inspiration. John Jefferson, the insane guy who married me, gets a forever thank you for letting me love this blog as much as I love him. My darling friends who read and give me encouragement. Meghan of Shindig, Pat and Sherry of Southern Blooms, Jen Maton of If So Inklined, Jan of Belle Haven, Chris Conklin, Jeanne Cusick, Jeannine of Small & Chic, Frances of the Lila Blog, my dear, dear sponsors, ALL the local photographers who send me weddings and engagement sessions and let me hassle them to feature gorgeous things they create– THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for reading. This blog was born from my personal desire to collect, curate, and cultivate real life inspiration, for my wedding and beyond. I love reading your comments, seeing your Facebook likes, and getting messages from you! So don’t be a stranger. If there’s anything– anything!– you’d like to see here, just let me know. Happy Birthday Fête! I can’t wait to see where you go this year.

Image by Katie Stoops

I’m starting to do some behind-the-scenes work with my dear friend Katie Stoops– keep an eye out for her newly redesigned and gorgeous blog, which will be humming with delicious weddings and beautiful couples all fall!

Check out Sophia and Adam’s May Ashlawn Highland wedding– with florals by Southern Blooms, a dreamy Amsale dress, and a butterfly-adorned cake!