As our day of pretty comes to a close here on SMP, we wanted to take some time to share an incredibly exciting development in the SMP family. Perhaps the most exciting thing we have ever been a part of and something that we have been dying to fill you in on for months. Because really, it’s you guys, our readers – who have been with us on this amazing journey from the very beginning & who have helped to build this brand into what it is today – that we wanted to be among the first to know.
the amazing photo was snapped by Vicky Starz
Way back in June, we set out for New York to meet with the new Lifestyle Brands team at AOL. It’s a small, intimate, crazy stylish team within the AOL umbrella that is working on such awesome sites as Makers.com, StyleList.com and Kitchendaily.com. They collaborate in this amazing loft type studio with exposed brick and vaulted ceilings. Where ideas are announced out in the open and creativity thrives. Anyway, the group heading this new branch had been following SMP for a while and wanted to discuss ways that we could work together. As the conversation developed, we collectively realized that a partnership with AOL was a beautiful, thoughtful next step for Style Me Pretty, particularly with the incredible work they have done recently in the lifestyle space. In pure resources alone – development, design & reach – we knew that AOL would be the partner that could take SMP to the next level, a dream that Tait and I have had for a long time.
Fast forward a few months later, and SMP + AOL have officially tied the knot which means that AOL has become a significant strategic investor in Style Me Pretty. Tait and I still hold ownership and are 100% at the helm of the creative growth and stylistic direction of SMP. And will be for the long haul. Style Me Pretty, after all, is the place we call home. And the dreams and ideas for SMP that we have grown are finally in a place where we can turn them into a reality.
Needless to say, Tait and I are beyond excited for what this partnership looks like for Style Me Pretty and for you guys and for the amazing team that we have here at SMP. All of whom are back to business working on such awesome developments as SMP Home, our site redesign and so much more.
Okay, so what does this mean for SMP and most importantly for you, our readers? It means that we now have the financial and business resources to really build out and grow the ideas that we’ve had in place for years. That we can now bring even more original, beautifully curated content to our site. That we can infuse uniquely crafted original videos and education into our editorial line up. That we can work harder and faster at developing SMP into THE place to find thoughtfully crafted wedding inspirations and ideas. We want to create meaningful (but still fabulously chic) tools that you can use to plan your wedding, we want to make SMP run faster and work harder for you guys on across all platforms. We want to give vendors better portfolios and posts that really, really sparkle. We want to reinforce the idea of community and intimacy that allowed us to thrive from the beginning. Most of all, we want SMP to be a place that readers of all makes and models come to find the absolute best in all things wedding.
Bottom line? We plan on being the same blog that you fell in love with.The same blog that you pore over with your morning coffee and your evening chocolate. But, executed to utter perfection. Because we now have access to the wonderful resources, knowledge, sheer reach and advanced technology that AOL can provide, we are able to make the experience that you find each day on SMP, even more thoughtfully designed.
We’re certain that the only changes you will feel are those that make SMP even better, even faster, even more beautiful and curated than it is today. And that six months down the road you might feel like SMP is the only place that you want to be in the world. From the very bottom of our hearts, we thank you. This would never have been possible without each and every one of you…the vendors, the readers, the wedding junkies that we call friends. We raise our glass to you.
