Brides swap ideas, advice on new Facebook site

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Swapping wedding details with friends can give brides-to-be lots of good ideas—from selecting the perfect cake to finding an experienced photographer. The event staff at McNamara Alumni Center, a popular and award-winning Twin Cities event site, has taken that idea further by launching a Facebook site specifically devoted to McNamara brides.

“As event planners, we have the luxury of hearing brides’ stories and then passing on their advice to other brides,” says Kim Hamlin, senior event coordinator and a former McNamara bride herself. “In an effort to be thought leaders, we’re intentionally offering a McNamara-focused Facebook forum through which our 340 former brides and our brides-to-be can connect. We’re happy to play matchmaker, inviting brides to talk directly to one another.”

So far so good. A couple dozen brides have already logged on. “I found the first-dance-songs discussion topic to be of interest,” says Kristine DeRuyscher, a member of the McNamara Brides! Facebook site and August 2009 bride. “Discussion threads are especially helpful for brides who might be just starting to research a specific topic.”

Former brides, “now the experts,” says Hamlin, offer their best advice specific to McNamara, suggesting photo locations to play up the stunning architecture, colors to complement the site’s organic decor, and popular menu items with D'Amico (the award-winning onsite caterer), and much more.

While this isn’t McNamara’s first foray into matchmaking—staff members have brought together event planners at best-practice forums—an online site for a specific clientele is a new venture.

“Your wedding is such a momentous occasion,” says Hamlin. “We’re thrilled to add more value to our brides’ selection of McNamara, helping to ensure their special days are the best they can be.”

The McNamara Alumni Center, located on the University of Minnesota campus, hosts 800 events annually. Striking features—including an 85-foot tall Memorial Hall, built-in terrazzo dance floor and a water stream—seven event spaces and catering by D’Amico make it an ever-popular site for weddings, special events and meetings. For more information, visit their profile or call 612-624-9831.