Websites, Magazines, Blogs...

What websites, magazines, and/or blogs do you find reliable sources of information. I know there are places like TheKnot, and Style Me Pretty, but I want to know your opinions.

What sources do you feel drive customer's buying behavior and influence trends in the industry.

I've found TheKnot to be the most useful to me by miles. Not so much the core site, but it's been very valuable to read through the forums, both the general photography forums as well as the geographically local ones. It's been great to get an unfiltered view of what brides think, what they liked about this provider but hated about that, how they're dealing with budgeting, the decision making process they go through, etc.; it's all there.

Although there are MANY wedding photographers across northern NJ, there are really only a few out in my more remote and rural western county so those guys are my most direct competition. It's especially fascinating to hear what brides have to say about these guys after meeting them. Even more fascinating, of course, is what they have to say about YOU after a meeting. These insights have really helped me shape and refine my approach during those initial consultations.

Red Tie Photography wrote in post #11683188
What websites, magazines, and/or blogs do you find reliable sources of information. I know there are places like TheKnot, and Style Me Pretty, but I want to know your opinions.

What sources do you feel drive customer's buying behavior and influence trends in the industry.

I agree with Robert, reading through the forums on TheKnot gives you some nice inside information, I have really only checked out the regional photography forums, but may stray outside of that now at Roberts suggestion.

I do also follow stylemepretty and project wedding also. I feel like those two have an especially strong hand in developing a lot of the modern trends that we see.

It seems like lately (within the past couple of years) blogs have risen to prominence in wedding circles. Style Me Pretty is pretty much the most popular blog right now although there are other popular blogs like Wedding Chicks, Junebug, Rock and Roll Bride, etc.

We had a wedding published in TheKnot Southern California and we're getting another one published in spring, but we don't submit our best weddings to magazines anymore because they really don't drive much business these days.

I subscribe to TheKnot, just to familiarize myself with all of the site locations in the state.

Well I used TheKnot for planning my first wedding and that's where I get most of my referrals. I'd love to be able to explore the forums at Off Beat Bride but it's for bride's only (hrm.... good thing I am one again... )