This is the Transcript of the #WeddingMarket Chat on December 12th, 2012. #WeddingMarket Chat With George Watts – The Wedding Fairy.

The answers were made on Twitter so responses will appear different.

With over a million hits and counting on YouTube alone, George has been described as an internet sensation by the UK’s leading wedding expert website, Confetti.co.uk, and is now recognised as a major voice on everything linked to the world of saying “I do”! George regularly contributes to a range of national magazines such as Perfect Weddings and is a resident wedding expert on TV shows including The Wright Stuff on FIVE, E4’s 50 Greatest Wedding Shockers, The Good Food Channel, TLC America for The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton reaching over 22 million viewers, The Alan Titchmarsh Show for ITV1 and a mix of programmes for Sky’s Wedding TV.

Join Our Wedding Market Chats For Wedding Professionals Every Wednesday at 10:00PST, 1:00EST, and 6:00GMT (UK time) with the #WeddingMarket Hashmark On Twitter. Learn something new to help your business grow every week. The chats are hosted by Wedding Market editor Julie Albaugh (@juliealbaugh).

Q1: @WeddingFairyUK How did you get involved in the wedding industry?

A1 Hi everyone! So happy to be connecting with you all today! Well, I have always had a
real love for all the individual elements of a wedding… cakes, flowers, dresses etc so it was really a natural gravitation for me.
Q2: @WeddingFairyUK Can you explain to our US wedding pros what you do?

A2 I am bit of a wedding whirlwind really here in the UK! I work with brides & grooms-
to-be planning their big day and talk about all the latest trends and big day news from around the world via my books and tv shows that I work on. I am known as the voice of the Wedding World and I love this business!

Q3: @WeddingFairyUK Why getting into niche markets can be a good idea?

A3 Ultimately it’s about increasing sales & consumer reach beyond just the bride &
groom or traditional roots of a business. Think about how your individual business can reach out to new customers – What about the wedding guests for example?

Q4: @WeddingFairyUK What are popular niche markets to get into for the
wedding industry?

A4 For me the DIY Wedding market is a very exciting arena for wedding pros to tap into.
How can you monetise from couples Who want to plan everything themselves? If you are a florist what about setting up a floristry school or baking classes presented by a pro baker. Establish yourself as an expert in your field by teaching others… and monetising from it!

Dressmakers, wedding planners and venue stylists all have the possibility to tap into
DIY markets – the list goes on! I also believe it’s important to look at how you can offer a more bespoke/individual service to the client. Every bride or groom-to-be wants to make the event their own so think about how you can individualise and offer  Bespoke packages within your business model. Finally, think about how your can tap into other niche markets in the wedding business such as; the engagement party, the planning process, bachelor/bachelorette parties the stag & hen parties, wedding guests, the gift list & Honeymoon… the list goes on!

Q5: @WeddingFairyUK How do you determine if a niche market is right for you
business to get into?

A5 Test it out and make sure you promote the new service within your local community
and offer some free sessions to get the business moving. Think about a pr stunt or competition the local papers might like to get involved with And never forget to embrace social media as a way or reaching the masses with your original and out of the box idea.

Q6: @WeddingFairyUK What steps should you take before you launch a new
niche market?

A6 The best feedback always comes from your current customer base – research your
thoughts and build a concept from them. Feedback from colleague brainstorming sessions is also vital because as a team – you know your business best.

Q7: @weddingFairyUk What is the most difficult part of starting a niche
market?

A7 In many cases the often tricky part of identifying your niche can be really obvious
when you sit down and think about it. Which consumers are you not connecting with that are linked to the world of weddings? In the UK alone next year, 17.5 milion of us will be directly involved with or attending a wedding…That’s alot of potential new customers!

Q8: @WeddingFairyUK I understand that you are a Star on Youtube? How did
you get involved with Youtube?

A8 I was working for Wedding TV here in the UK and we simply decided to upload a
selection of our work. We covered everything from venues to the first dance alongside trends for cakes, flowers and dresses. Nobody could have predicted the amazing response we received! I was shocked!

Q9: @WeddingFairyUK What types of videos have been most successful ?

A9 Burlesque dancing for the hen/bachelorette parties and even the wedding day itself
was so popular all over the World. To be honest we were blown away by the response! We have over half a million views on that video alone right now!

Q10: @WeddingFairyUK What has made the biggest impact in making your videos go viral?

A10 A mixture of the subject matter, tapping into hot subjects of the moment and
getting your key search words right Youtube is the second biggest search engine in the World after Google so there is a big audience to capture. Every business should have a video on youtube to promote what they do! It’s a great way to capture new customers. This is something I can always help with on an individual basis if people want to connect on that later.

Q11: @WeddingFairyUK What is #1 on your 50 Greatest Wedding Shockers ?

A11 Oh this was such a fun show we did here in the UK! The most shocking was a prank
that went seriously wrong. Weddings and Pranks do not go together in my book! There is too much at stake! People marrying themselves was pretty weird too ?!

Q12:@WeddingFairyUK What is National Wedding Day ?

A12 National Wedding Day is a chance to say ‘I do’ all over again and celebrate in aid of
your favourite charity. The idea is that you host an event such as a big day cake bake sale, a mini wedding reception or… A chance to do the first dance all over again in aid of your favourite charity. Every year it gets bigger and bigger here in the UK and I hope to launch in the USA someday soon too!

Q13: @WeddingFairyUK Do you have special events or projects coming up?

A13 Yes I am really excited about a new show I have filmed coming out Spring 2013
called ‘World’s Craziest Weddings’.  It will be on Channel FIVE here in the UK and on DISCOVERY in the USA! I am also just launching a really big online project and only yesterday my latest ebook launched on Amazon. For over 125 budget planning ideas and inspiration you can relate to your own business check out… Search – The Budget-Busting DIY Wedding Guide! Thanks for the plug guys J Lovely reviews. welcome! I would also seriously highly recommend Wedding Pro’s read my ebook ’50 Greatest Wedding Planning Websites Ever’ I know it’s another plug but this guide is fantastic for Pro’s to see the very best in the business at work and keep up with and keep up with all the trend setters from across the world – all for the price of a coffee folks! All ebooks available in the States via Barnes & Noble and Itunes plus Amazon… for titles visit http://theweddingfairy.tv/wedding-planning-ebook/

Q14: @WeddingFairyUK What do you want the #WeddingMarket to take away from this
chat?

A14: Don’t be afraid to test out that new idea lurking in the back of your head. It may well be the next big thing… EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT!!

#WeddingMarket Question:  We are photographing a wedding in the UK in October. What should we wear? Black? A hat? And what should my wife wear to photograph the wedding with me?

Answer:  Morning suits (top hat and tails) are classic here in the UK but a formal suit would be fine twf. And for the Ladies, depending the wedding it could be formal with hat or more relaxed attire. Prob best to check in with the bride-to-be in terms of whether the event is relaxed or a formal Brit wedding.

#WeddingMarket Question: How do you go about tapping into all these different niches without spreading yourself to thin?

Answer: Identify the no 1 market you think will work for you and start from that point. Don’t try them all at once.

#WeddingMarket Question:  How new does an idea have to be in order to be able to well? What is considered too old of an idea?

Answer:  It doesn’t necessarily need to be new, just a good idea that taps into new customers for you.

#WeddingMarket Question: Do you do events outside of London, or are you busy with just the London environs?

Answer: I am UK wide, Infact The Wedding Fairy is always happy to go global too.

#WeddingMarket Question:  Has Downton Abbey influenced the wedding trends in UK? Art Deco is going to be BIG in USA in 2013.

Answer: Downton Abbey has been such a huge influence here and we will defo see Victorian detail… coming through in 2013 esp with lace detail on the wedding dresses and English Country floral themes. It’s all about going Regal for 2013! Lots of stylish glamour!

#WeddingMarket Question: How do you build credibility for a new niche w/out testimonials or experience in that niche?

Answer: Use it as a pr opportunity and offer some free session’s or classes to get people talking.

#WeddingMarket Question:   R U seeing any(US)Country Chic weddings there?That’ll B big here too in 2013.Lots of blackboard signage, stc.

Answer: Oh yes, the vintage look is huge here too, but we are also seeing a move into the more gothic styling as well.

#WeddingMarket Question: Did you make your YouTube videos in house or did you outsource them?

Answer: Actually made in house by wedding tv who are also a production co here in the UK. Heres a selection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq-ICbJ7CFo&list=PLD6D3B4E5C9D7C18A …

#WeddingMarket Question: What has been your biggest challenge?

Answer: Definitely the burlesque dancing! It was a challenge!! It was all about the moves!