ATLANTA, August 4, 2009 – Get Married Media, an integrated tri-media wedding planning resource with national platforms online, on television and in print, announces today that Get Married magazine is the first bridal publication to ever use the new Microsoft Tag technology, giving readers instant entertainment and connection to videos, website, photos and information on a mobile phone.  Throughout Get Married magazine, select editorial and advertisements will have a Microsoft Tag printed directly onto the pages.  After a quick download of the free application to an internet-enabled camera phone, busy and on-the-go brides just aim and snap any Tag within Get Married magazine, immediately turning the still Tag into rich, interactive content on their phone. 

As part of its fresh approach to planning weddings, Get Married is using multi-media in an innovative way as never seen before – integrating its expertise in TV and production, along with its internet proficiency, with a print medium - Get Married magazine.

Microsoft Tags, the sophisticated technology powered by High Capacity Color Barcodes (HCCBs), will enhance the Get Married magazine readers’ interactive experience.  The technology allows the users to interact with the content in the magazine in new ways using their mobile device, making it more informative, immersive and fun.  “Tagged” editorial and advertisements will turn traditional magazine reading into ground-breaking, rich, multi-media experiences within the wedding and bridal industry. 

“Get Married magazine’s promise to reinterpret the rules starts with the publication itself, and integrating Microsoft Tag changes the way brides read a magazine, gather inspirations and connect with advertisers,” said Stacie Francombe, founder and president of Get Married Media.  “We are bringing our expertise in video and online to the magazine pages, moving beyond the traditional ways of delivering a bridal publication -- from the newest interactive technology and latest trends in bridal shopping and style to a colorful, fresh voice in the wedding genre.”

With the small, colorful Microsoft Tags, Get Married magazine offers brides - who are busy working, planning and playing - quick, easy and convenient connectivity to information when and where they want it – with no typing, fumbling with URLs, texting short-codes or launching browsers.  Brides can learn more about a product, save Tags for later viewing, and make a purchase – directly from their phones.  With Tag, Get Married makes the process of planning a wedding more convenient and even more fun. 

“Get Married is taking user interaction to the next level with Tag.  They have brides who are really engaged, incredibly focused on planning and shopping for their weddings, and Tag allows them to stay in the moment,” said Aaron Getz, business leader for Microsoft Tag.  “Advertisers in Get Married magazine can deepen the relation with the brides making their ads immediately actionable and more entertaining. Besides they can track the actions brides are taking and inform their marketing strategy.”

Get Married is working closely with advertisers to incorporate Microsoft Tag in their print ads and to track and monitor the success of the campaigns.  The Tags enable advertisers to further connect brides and consumers with their brand, while influencing purchase decisions and enhancing brand loyalty.  For its first issue launching October 2009, Get Married magazine is offering free Tags to advertisers on full- and half-page ads.  In addition, advertisers can provide the video or Get Married will produce with existing advertiser footage and content. 

For more about Get Married magazine’s Microsoft Tag, please visit www.getmarried.com/magazinetag for a step-by-step, including free application download, list of Tag-friendly phones, as well as actual Tag to test on your mobile phone.  

About Get Married magazine
Get Married magazine, the “new shopping & trend guide for the savvy bride,” will launch its first issue October 2009.  Get Married magazine is a national, glossy, 100-page, 8” x 10.5” publication with a 60/40 editorial to advertising ratio.  Get Married magazine will have newsstand pricing but in building its audience, will be giving away the first issue for free (including shipping) within continental US as well as Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Initially a semi-annual publication with circulation of 300,000 per issue, Get Married magazine’s distribution is multi-channeled, and will be audited by ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations). 

- Free magazine: single copy or in bulk, contact Magazine@GetMarried.com
- Editorial: send submissions to Stephanie.Davis@GetMarried.com
- Advertising: deadline August 17, 2009, with camera-ready by September 1, 2009; submit requests to MagSales@GetMarried.com or call 877.848.0331

About Get Married Media
Get Married Media, a national, integrated multi-media wedding planning destination, is the only resource that reaches couples through a highly synergized, tri-media platform: a TV show on Lifetime Television, a highly-trafficked website (www.GetMarried.com) and a glossy print publication.  Whether you watch, read or surf, Get Married makes wedding planning a piece of cake.  Get Married connects brides with local and national wedding professionals and industry experts through entertainment and news. 

Hosted by celebrity event designer Colin Cowie, Get Married’s TV show is a daily half-hour television series airing at 7:30 am ET/PT on Lifetime Television, the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks.  Video segments from the show are available online 24/7 at GetMarried.com, along with articles, image galleries, bridal blogs and shop.  For more information, please visit www.GetMarried.com, and to participate in online dialogues, visit www.BloggerBrides.com.

Contact:
Becca Brett Leish    
director of marketing & communications 
404.888.9091     
Becca@GetMarried.com