I don't normally write personal blog posts. I like to leave this space open for my fellow vendors to have the spotlight. Today I was told it was my turn to shine. And so I shall. But I do not shine alone. There are two others who shine with me and without them, this virtual party known as
Black Tie Follow Friday would not be fun.
Fun, a very important factor in making this virtual black tie affair a success. Those of you who really know me, know that I am passionate about everything I do. My business, my life and now Black Tie Follow Friday. In 2009, when Twitter was really just making a name for itself, and people were making connections and lifelong friendships, I stumbled upon a man in a tuxedo. We got to chatting, and later, become great friends, as we still are today. It's not to say we didn't have a couple of bumps in the road, all friendships do, but we've put them behind us and here we are again. Most of you know who I'm talking about but for those who don't, let me introduce you.
Paul Pannone has been, and is, the integral part of
Black Tie Follow Friday. He began it as a way for the wedding industry to make the connections it needed. We had a blast. Every Friday, without fail, tuxedos, gowns, jokes, and most importantly FUN! At the same time we were bringing an awareness to the importance of formal wear for events other than weddings. As the year progressed, I suggested we add music to this virtual party and BTFF took off like crazy. We didn't even let the fact that Twitter shut us a down a couple of times, interfere with what we had to do. Have fun.
Move ahead to 2013. The wedding industry, as well as many other industries, is taking a hit from all sides. Morale, shall we say, isn't the best it could be. And this saddens me. After 15 years in the wedding industry, I can't believe what I'm witnessing these days. So...I reached out to Paul, and then Alyssa suggested we bring
Black Tie Follow Friday back and that started the ball rolling.
As Paul stated in the
press release, “It’s been a long time since 2009 with a lot of changes. But whatever changes take place everyone loves to have fun, look good and enjoy life. Bringing back Black Tie Follow Friday is both appropriate and needed; I look forward to being a part of this very exciting project. Hopefully #BTFF can help create a few laughs along the way. And the best part? it’s free.”
It has, it is and it will continue to be. In the two weeks since we launched, we have people coming in every day to check out what this virtual black tie affair is really all about. It's a chance to forget life for a few hours, to "pretend" you're in another place, another time. We all need that escape from reality.
Black Tie Follow Friday gives you that.
Of course, we couldn't get it all done without
Alyssa Duclos of
Thanks For Noticing Me, who makes sure things run smoothly behind the scenes, as well as in front. Alyssa's social media expertise helps us make this virtual party a reality. She created our Facebook page, our Twitter account, Google Plus & Wordpress pages and recently added Pinterest into the mix.
Me, I'm just here for the champagne & the food. What? It's virtual, you can have whatever you want. Seriously, I think we need to have a place to just be ourselves, with no one watching over our shoulders, making sure we get it done. I get silly, yes even virtually drunk at times, but it's a way to release the frustrations of the day, even if it is the morning. In closing, I invite you to join us every Friday morning from 8AM to 12PM and experience the fun we're all having, because we can. Remember, gowns for the ladies & tuxedos for the men. We'd love to "see" and "hear about" what you're wearing and look forward to you sharing this with us.
Interested in sponsoring
Black Tie Follow Friday? It's a way to get your business noticed all over the internet, and beyond. For more info, contact:
Dorinda Duclos 973-633-0874
Alyssa Duclos 862-226-9186
Paul Pannone 516-312-0090
You can find Black Tie Follow Friday at the links below:
FacebookTwitter -
@BlackTieFridaysGoogle Plus Pinterest© 2013 Favors by Dorinda