Glimpse: A chat with Emily of "Once Wed"
Whether or not you're interested in wedding blogs, Once Wed is an amazing source for beautiful inspiration. Emily is the creator of this online bridal gown listing website and finds time to bring her viewers a blog which focuses on the latest and most unique wedding ideas out there. She was kind enough to share a few of her thoughts...
Once Wed is a great resource not only for the bride looking for the perfect dress but a wonderful place for wedding and design inspiration, how did you get started with your website/blog?
When it came time to sell my wedding dress online, I wasn't too excited about the options out there. Every service required a listing fee or a commission on the sale of the dress and I really thought the internet was lacking another option. I told my husband one morning while getting ready for work I wanted to start my own listing service where you could list your gown for free and 2,000 gowns later here we are. The blogging part was a huge surprise for me though. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the blog would get the response it has and people would actually want to read what I was posting. I am so excited about expanding it into other area's over the next year. To say Once Wed has been a huge blessing in my life would be an understatement.
You feature some of the most unique and lovely weddings out there, how do you come across such gems and what draws you to blog about these weddings and details?
Thanks, Whitney. I spend way to much time on the internet. Honestly, ask my husband. I have 500+ blogs I subscribe to and read daily. I search and scour everything I can find on weddings, so I am consistently bringing content to the site that is refreshing and new. I really don't know if there is an exact formula for the weddings I feature. I try to post weddings and couples that speak to me. Weddings where the details and aesthetic are a true reflection of the bride and groom. Weddings were creativity thrives...
Are there any types of challenges you face as a blogger?
Definitely keeping the content I provide to my readers relevant and original and making myself step away from my computer. When you look at so many incredible images everyday you hope to walk away with all this inspiration, but I went through a period of time where I found myself completely discouraged because I kept focusing on what I was lacking rather than what I was bringing to the table. I've realized the more that I take little breaks throughout the day - the more refreshed and content I am when I come back.
The wedding industry has really blossomed across the internet, how do you think that is affecting the way couples are planning their weddings?
I love how there is a little of something for everyone. I think for the longest time inspiration and resources were very limited for couples planning a wedding and if you wanted to do something different or unique you were kinda on your own. Now, I think the hardest part is narrowing down your ideas. There is so much to choose from.
Do you have any other hobbies -- things you enjoy in your spare time completely unrelated to what you blog about?
I live a pretty vanilla life especially now that I am working on Once Wed full time. My husband and I both love to read and most weekends you will find us at our local coffee shop reading books on business and marketing. We're both very close to our families and try to see them at least once a week. We both love to travel, but have had to put that on the back burner for a while to focus on Once Wed. I'm also trying to branch out of my comfort zone a bit more and try new things especially when it comes to styling and photography. Currently, I am trying to train our crazy mutt, C-Bass. We've had him since he was 6 weeks old and even though we love him - he is destructive little thing. He has officially passed the shoe chewing stage and decided to move onto eating our house and furniture.
Now that you've had a web presence for just over a year, where do you see Once Wed headed in the future? What are your goals and dreams for the blog and website?
I wouldn't even know where to begin. There are so many directions I would love to take Once Wed, but right now my biggest focus is getting the new site up and learning to manage my time better. The redesign has taken a lot longer than I originally planned, but were very close and I can't wait to unveil it as a whole new resource for brides planning their weddings. I plan on adding more features and contributors, so definitely stay tuned for some fun announcements over the next few months.
Lastly, what do you hope your readers take from Once Wed?
The wedding blogger in me says I need to say something about weddings and inspiration, but honestly my first thought when this question came to mind was my journey with Once Wed. It took me almost six months to gather up the courage to actually launch Once Wed. I was stuck in the ever familiar "dream state" and spending the rest of my time over-analyzing and fretting over all the ways Once Wed would never work instead of actually taking action and tackling those baby steps to make it a successful online venture. I think some of us have a tendency to over analyze every single detail until our dreams seem so unattainable in our minds that we never get really anywhere with them. I definitely did and still find myself falling into that trap. You might not get everything right the first time around, but most people don't. In fact, I find myself getting things wrong a lot more than I get them right, but I've learned to approach failure as a necessary part of success. I know this isn't a typical response to the question above, but I hope Once Wed encourages those who might be struggling with this same issue to take action too and start working towards their dreams.
[images: elizabeth messina, chelsea fuss, tim walker, unknown, aaron dyer, thayer allyson gowdy, samuelle]
glimpse 
Reader Comments (12)
Yay! Emily is inspiring! I love that last image so much- fantastic dress!
Emily is the best ;)
great read. its always lovely to hear how these power bloggers start out. thank you
x from
http://summerpicnicwedding.blogspot.com/
What a refreshing interview. Her site is always a favorite daily read of mine!
Love her site, so creative. Loved this interview!
I adore Emily's blog and this was a fantastic insite into her personality and passion! Its so nice to get a glimps behind the scenes- great job!!
What a refreshing interview! Once Wed is one of my favorite blogs, and Emily's posts are so inspriational and among the most-starred in my Google reader. And I feel better knowing that she struggles with time management and doubts just like everyone else!
I'm in total LUST with the last wedding dress in this entry. Love that piece!! I hadn't ever heard of this site or blog, thanks for this great interview! I'm considering selling my wedding dress on her site now...
what a lovely interview! so good to hear from emily! she's definitely a blog hero of mine :)
Awesome to read more about the woman behind the magic :) Great job!
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Elaina
http://www.craigslistmaster.info
Especially love that last answer. Thanks for sharing. Very Inspiring!