Ever wondered how bridal gowns land in your favorite wedding magazines or how they end up being showcased in bridal shops? Let's unravel the mystery with our guest, Kate Walters from Coded Agency, a full-service marketing agency with a significant influence in the bridal industry. She discusses how influential marketing strategies help designers make a mark and sell their gowns -shedding light on the power of media relations, influencer marketing, and event services in getting those awe-inspiring dresses discovered on social media and placed in bridal shops.
We also take a detour into the realm of bridal media outlets, focusing on the process of getting wedding gowns and weddings featured on esteemed platforms like The Knot, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Over the Moon.
Kate also shares her invaluable advice for brides looking to get their weddings highlighted on these platforms.
Special series season in partnership with Coded Agency
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Coded Agency has over 10 years of experience with New York Bridal Fashion Week ranging from runway shows, press presentations, to designer-hosted dinners and one-on-one media market appointments. Our agency expertise far exceeds the traditional agency understanding of the bridal industry and our representation has consisted of global bridal brands to boutique designers and everything in-between.
Places to go - People to see:
Kelly's Site: http://www.kellymcwilliams.com
Kelly's Blog: https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/blog
Instagram: @kellyamcwilliams
About Kelly:
Kelly knows how incredible a well planned wedding can be. Every moment counts and every decision plays a part. Wedding planning should be fun and as easy to do as possible. Besides planning weddings, Kelly travels the globe as an industry speaker. Kelly is a Martha Stewart Top Wedding Planner & this podcast won Brides magazine and WeddingWire's best podcast.
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Episode Transcript
Hello and welcome to this versus that.
Making wedding decisions withKelly McWilliams.
This podcast is for you ifyou're making a wedding decision
and want to know what toconsider before saying I do to
all the things that will makeyour wedding experience a great
one.
I'm your host, kelly McWilliams, and I'm so glad to be a part
(00:30):
of your wedding planning journey.
In each episode, you can counton me and my expert wedding
co-hosts to give you everythingit takes to make the best
decisions for the wedding thatyou're dreaming of.
And we're back.
I don't know why I keep sayingthat I haven't gotten anywhere.
This is a very special episodebecause this is so behind the
(00:57):
scenes, like three steps backfrom what you guys always see
when you go shopping or when youwatch the runway shows.
This is my interview with KateWalters from Coded Agency, so I
brought her on really likehoping to kind of explain to you
(01:17):
like how, what you, how we getfrom the designers who work so
hard to make these gorgeousgowns for you to the gowns
showing up in the salons for you, in the bridal shops, and one
of the ways that that happens inone of the ways that people get
(01:40):
familiar with them, is througha press agency.
So Coded PR I'm sorry, codedAgency is the one to brought me
here and everyone that themajority of the people that
we're talking to are theirclients, and so they're going to
(02:00):
talk a little bit about youknow how to get your wedding
featured in things, but I justwant you to know that it's it's
people like Kate and theseagencies that make sure that the
designers become known, andbecause if they're not known,
then they don't end up in theshops and that's where you find
(02:22):
all of your dresses and you knowall the inspiration that you
see.
You know, you know withinsocial media and in the press
and like on.
You know Bridescom and MarthaStewart and Over the Moon and
all of these places.
This is how they get found andI just, I really am now just
(02:44):
obsessed with this company andthe people, the ladies that run
it.
It is absolutely astounding so,but I love what they chose to
talk about during this interview.
I thought it was so kind ofthem to be thinking of you and
what you might want to hearabout.
So enjoy, as a reminderhundreds of people walking by,
(03:05):
there's models and designers andracks flying through, and the
coffee shop 15 feet away, buthere Melange de Wauquist is
awesome.
I'm so excited to be in thisenvironment and so just pardon
any background noise that youhear, because it's all real deal
.
Kate, thank you so much forcoming.
(03:27):
Thank you first for having mehere in the Code of PR lounge.
We're so delighted you're here.
Oh, I love it.
It's been so much fun meetingall the designers and asking
them the questions and havingthese conversations.
I want to talk about Code ofthe Agency, but can we talk
about how Code of the Agencyreal quickly fits in with the
(03:48):
whole, like how it leads intowhat our brides, who are
listening to this, get, like howit starts from you guys and
works its way down through, likeMelange de Wonca, the designers
?
Yeah, very quickly.
And then I want to talk aboutlike how they can end up in
winning magazines becauseeveryone like so many brides
(04:08):
want that yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, we're a full service marketing agency and
offering media relationsinfluence for marketing event
services.
We have a presence in LA and NewYork, as well as in France, and
we're privileged to work withsome of the most talented bridal
designers and entities in theindustry, melange de Wonca being
one of them, and they're reallya platform for designers to
(04:32):
grow and sell, be discovered,land on brides and an
opportunity for brides to reallyfind their perfect dress for
their perfect day.
So our role in that isoftentimes through media
relations for influencermarketing, working with content
creators to get beautifuldresses and looks out there for
people to discover on socialmedia.
(04:52):
Or if you're engaged and yousuddenly realize I'm obsessed
with the knot and brides andgreen wedding shoes and over the
moon and all of these mediaoutlets that are dedicated to
all things bridal, if you'reseeing designers there, it's
likely that an agency like ourshas helped facilitate that
(05:13):
placement.
So we help the editors that areout there in the market looking
at all the collections.
We give them reasons to coverour designers and to have them
featured there so that bridescan then go and learn more or
walk into a boutique and say, doyou carry Willowby my waters,
or I'm looking for them, becausethey found you that way, right
exactly Through their discoveryprocess of them looking for
(05:35):
their wedding looks are going tobe OK.
Honestly, I didn't know that.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
It's like actually how it all happened Like magic,
and I've been here for 22 years,not here obviously, but in this
industry, so that's so cool tolearn that.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Ok, so you bring it to them.
So often I hear as a weddingplanner Kelly, how do I get my
wedding in a magazine?
How do I?
Well, there's not too manymagazines left, unfortunately.
I do miss essays, but how do Iget my wedding on something like
Over the Moon or on bridescomor anything like that?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I mean there's a couple of different ways to do
it.
It really depends on the outletthat you're targeting
Everything from an engagementstory in that section of the New
York Times to real weddingsbeing covered at places like the
Knot or bridescom, marthaStewart weddings, all those
online platforms.
To the smaller blogs like Overthe Moon I say smaller, but they
(06:34):
have a really depth in thebridal industry, so their reach
is just as valuable as somethingwith millions of followers.
So it comes either through anagency like ours and oftentimes
we're lucky enough to work witha designer who also then happens
to get engaged and so we workwith them to have their wedding
placed.
Other times, brides can submittheir own weddings.
(06:56):
There's a really fun platformcalled Love Stories TV that
loves video content oh, I'veseen that.
And you can submit to have yourwedding there.
It's a great place forinspiration too.
You can just check out a ton ofdifferent videos of different
actual, real weddings.
The one advice I would give is,when you are exploring this
process, make sure you're takingcare of your vendors and that
(07:19):
you are crediting all the peoplethat made your day possible and
those websites.
They want to know who was yourevent planner, who was your
caterer, who did your flowers,so just be prepared to provide
them with that context.
If you're trying to get yourengagement story placed, you
need beautiful content of thatengagement.
That could happen in a localmagazine in your town, or it
(07:40):
could be something on a biggerscale.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So it's all possible, Because we were talking earlier
, and weren't you saying thateven New York Times covers
things like that, Like there'sso many different opportunities,
especially starting in thebeginning with engagements and
things like that.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, typically within New York Times they want
a New York connection.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So they want it to feel local.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
But if you've got a great story, people love a love
story.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
So get yours out there.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Something that.
So you guys, the coded agency,built this podcast studio in the
large of one.
Like how walking, I feel sofamous.
Just sitting here, there's acurcowalls and you guys have
heard the coffee I'm goingthrough the last couple of days,
but also leave up this littletable in here.
I wish you guys could see this.
With the shoes, it's fromFamous Footwear, right, and so
(08:33):
they have this whole weddingline of shoes that I did not
even know, when I think theyhave Famous Footwear.
I think we're going into thesneakers you know running or
something like that but they'vegot heels.
I've got the destination shoes,the cowboy boots.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
That's fun, right?
Yeah, it's so fun, so fun.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
So even that is something that you guys they're
applying to yours, yeah.
Yeah, so, and just like evenbringing that in here.
So it's something else that thevinyl swan owners can think
about, like, ok, it's going tobe paired with, even if you keep
in their shop to send up andsay, hey, oh, you can get this
with Famous Footwear or whatnot.
(09:13):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, and our, our bridal editors that are coming
through and meeting designersthis week.
You know it's really a chancefor them to consider Famous as a
resource for the stories thatthey're telling.
And, oh, famous is a greatdestination.
They have all of the brandsthat our brides are going to
recognize.
They have tons of options forthe entire family, from the
little flower girl to the motherof the bride and to all the
(09:37):
events.
You know, whether it's yourshower or your land is for your
honeymoon.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
So it's a great, great resource.
Well, I'm so glad you're comingtoday.
Thank you again for having mehere, and this is a delight, oh,
thank you, you make it so easy.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Everybody has left this boot thinking like, wow,
that was so easy it is so easybecause we're just talking about
I mean these weddings.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I mean he doesn't love weddings and I know that
you guys do more than justweddings, but we appreciate you
and now that I understand andeveryone else now understands
how this all comes down the hill, you know.
So, thank you, we reallyappreciate your mark in the
market.
Thank you so much.
It's been a pleasure.
Bye-bye, I'm so glad to be ableto share my wedding experiences
(10:20):
and expertise with you, andthat my co-hosts are so giving
it theirs.
We truly do want you to havethe best time at your wedding,
and our hope is that thispodcast is helping you to make
your engagement time whileplanning your wedding that much
easier.
May I ask a favor of you?
If this is the case, would youjust take a moment to leave a
(10:40):
review of this podcast on yourlistening platform?
It helps people just like youto find the podcast and to also
find out their answer so theycan make decisions.
I would also absolutely lovefor you to give this Versus that
podcast a shout out on yoursocial media.
You can find us at this Versusthat wedding podcast on
(11:03):
Instagram and, if you would likeme to help you with a specific
question a wedding decision?
Please by all means ask.
Send me a DM.
I would love to hear from youand maybe, just maybe, even have
you as a wedding cast on afuture episode.
How fun.
Here's to another great wedding.
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