When we were first told about Christina and her new venture, Seek knew in a second that we were going to love this girl!!! Christina has started her 12 month wedding plans and has decided that not only is she going to blog her adventures, but it’s ALL LOCAL!!! Can you believe it Triad? She will being guest writing about her finds, her plans, her ideas and her suggestions for other brides in the Triad!!! SO make sure to tell your friends who are in their own wedding plans so they can follow along as well… ALSO, make sure to leave Christina some “comment love” as well and let her know your favorite local places for a “bride to be” to shop, register and find the wedding of her dreams!!!

A Girl Named Christina

HONESTLY, I AM YOUR TYPICAL AMERICAN GIRL. I grew up in a small town where I couldn’t go to the grocery store without running into at least 5 people I knew. I graduated with a semi-high rank from high school. Went to college where I changed my major, count them, three times and where I also met the man of dreams. I am 25, on the verge of 26 and I am planning a wedding for next spring. It is through this experience I plan on changing the face of the wedding industry… one city at a time.

After a few unfulfilling jobs I landed a career that many girls would kill for. I am the manager of a new, local paper boutique in Greensboro, North Carolina (Ashleigh’s Fine Paper). I work with two fabulous ladies, that are more like sisters than coworkers. I have, within the last 8 months designed invitations for an event sponsored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, worked on invitations for a Maya Angelou event in New York and helped nearly 30 brides find the absolute perfect wedding invitations.

The Wedding Industry

The wedding industry is a $40 Billion per year industry. Okay, I just want to make sure you heard me correctly… $40,000,000,000.00 PER YEAR! That is twelve 0′s folks. Do me a favor and hang on to this figure in your head… and let me give you some reference. The 3/50 Project, When you spend locally, the money stays local. $68 of every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores stays in the community in the form of payroll, taxes, etc. When you shop at a nation chain, the retained value goes down to $43 and when you shop online $0 return to the community. You do the math. It pays to shop local.

Connect the Dots

*Say the average wedding costs $20,000. Say within the great city of Greensboro there are at least 2,000 couples that plan to be married this year.

*If these brides bought their goods at national chains, they would spend $40 Million, of which $17.2 Million would stay in the city of Greensboro.

*If these same brides used locally owned independent stores for their dress, cake, flowers, favors, invitations,etc. $25.2 Million that would stay in the city of Greensboro!

*That is a difference of $8 Million that would stay in your community, fixing your roads, employing your neighbors, bettering your schools and making your community a better place to live and shop.

THE AHA MOMENT

After three months of burning up the keys on my laptop searching for every fabulous wedding vendor in a 5 state radius a light bulb went off. Not one of those new LED or what-cha-ma call it bulbs that are perfectly energy-efficient and glow a tinted blue hue. A huge, pull with a big long chain, hear it crackle when starts lighting up, honker of a light bulb came on in my head.. A COMPLETELY LOCAL WEDDING!! Let the adventure begin…

SO were we right Triad? Trust us on this… there will plenty of tips, advice, photos of eye candy and maybe we can even scrounge up a few Give*A*Ways along the way for ALL you local brides and brides to be!!! Make sure to follow Christina on her own personal blog at www.marymelocal.blogspot.com. She will have more weekly information you’re NOT going to want to miss!!!

Also, make sure to check out our own local business community (modeled after the 3/50 Project) called Buy Triad First.