29, Jul 2024
Top Budget-Friendly Cities for Wedding in 2024: Ranked
This study by JJ’s House analyzed various expenses listed on the Wedding Report website associated with weddings across multiple US cities. Key cost factors included renting a wedding venue, attire and accessories, catering services, hiring a wedding planner, photography and videography, invitations, music and entertainment, floral and decorations, and wedding cakes and desserts. The total costs were aggregated to rank the most affordable wedding destinations in the US.
| US Cities | Average cost for renting a wedding venue | Attire and Accessories | Average cost for catering services | Average cost for hiring a wedding planner | Photography and Videography Costs | Invitations | Music and Entertainment Costs | Floral and Decoration Costs | Wedding Cake and Dessert Costs | Total Costs |
| Kansas City, Missouri | $4,897 | $2,657 | $3,018 | $690 | $2,133 | $226 | $810 | $1,546 | $227 | $16,204 |
| Weatherford, Texas | $5,601 | $1,146 | $3,025 | $1,129 | $2,474 | $215 | $1,156 | $2,157 | $262 | $17,165 |
| Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | $5,450 | $320 | $5,596 | $1,421 | $1,741 | $305 | $1,876 | $2,079 | $426 | $19,214 |
| Boise, Idaho | $5,152 | $2,574 | $6,075 | $974 | $2,059 | $387 | $966 | $804 | $333 | $19,324 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | $6,654 | $1,939 | $5,181 | $785 | $1,829 | $622 | $766 | $2,065 | $461 | $20,302 |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | $6,626 | $1,660 | $5,911 | $1,225 | $2,308 | $405 | $1,304 | $2,464 | $548 | $22,451 |
| Yorktown, Virginia | $7,737 | $2,943 | $3,906 | $1,060 | $2,532 | $350 | $1,492 | $2,382 | $421 | $22,823 |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | $8,438 | $1,969 | $5,998 | $1,055 | $2,144 | $600 | $2,317 | $2,091 | $512 | $25,124 |
| Tampa, Florida | $9,090 | $1,516 | $8,063 | $884 | $1,734 | $1,353 | $1,161 | $2,868 | $633 | $27,302 |
| San Antonio, Texas | $12,692 | $1,448 | $1,144 | $1,241 | $2,976 | $2,235 | $4,637 | $2,360 | $293 | $29,026 |
Kansas City, Missouri tops the list with a total cost of $16,204. Key factors contributing to its affordability include low costs for venue rental at $4,897, attire and accessories at $2,657, and music and entertainment at $810. The relatively low expenses in these categories make it a top choice for budget-friendly weddings.
Weatherford, Texas ranks second with a total cost of $17,165. This city is particularly notable for its low costs of attire and accessories at $1,146 and invitations at $215. Although catering costs in Weatherford are slightly higher, its overall affordability is evident.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina stands third with a total cost of $19,214. The standout factor is its exceptionally low catering costs at $5,596, combined with affordable venue rental at $5,450 and photography and videography at $1,741. This city offers the most affordable cost for attire and accessories totaling $320.
Boise, Idaho ranks fourth with a total cost of $19,324. Key factors include moderate expenses in catering services at $6,075 and lowest floral and decoration costs at $804, balanced by lower costs in other categories like attire and accessories at $2,574.
Tulsa, Oklahoma stands fifth with a total cost of $20,302 for a wedding with 150-200 guests. This city offers affordable wedding options with moderate costs in venue rental at $6,654 and attire and accessories at $1,939. The city offers the most cost-effective music and entertainment service at $766.
Little Rock, Arkansas ranks sixth with a total cost of $22,451. Highlighted by reasonable costs in catering services at $5,911 and wedding planning at $1,225, this city provides a balanced budget for various wedding expenses.
Yorktown, Virginia ranks seventh with a total cost of $22,823. Noteworthy for its affordable venue rental at $7,737 and moderate costs in floral and decoration at $2,382, Yorktown remains a cost-effective choice for weddings.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania stands eighth with a total cost of $25,124 with 150-200 invitees. Significant factors include low costs in attire and accessories at $1,969 and music and entertainment at $2,317, making it an affordable option despite higher venue rental expenses.
Tampa, Florida ranks ninth with a total cost of $27,302. Tampa’s affordability is highlighted by moderate costs in attire and accessories at $1,516 and music and entertainment at $1,161, offsetting higher catering expenses.
San Antonio, Texas rounds out the top ten with a total cost of $29,026. The city features affordable venue rental at $12,692 and catering services at $1,144, balanced by higher expenses in music and entertainment at $4,637.
A spokesperson from JJ’s House commented on the study: “A wedding is one of the most memorable events in a person’s life, and it’s heartening to see that beautiful celebrations can be affordable. Kansas City, Missouri, stands out as the most budget-friendly city and is truly exceptional. Couples can enjoy a charming wedding without breaking the bank, thanks to its low costs for venues and entertainment. Weatherford, Texas, with its remarkably low attire and accessories costs, also provides a fantastic option for couples looking to save while still having their dream wedding.”
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- By Neel Achary
29, Jul 2024
Piwik PRO introduces real-time dashboards for instant analytics
Digital analytics and data activation vendor Piwik PRO has announced the release of its new real-time dashboards feature, which is now an integral part of the Piwik PRO Analytics Suite platform. Dashboards empower users to act on data by providing insights into their operations, performance, and progress on key metrics via visualizations delivered within seconds. It’s particularly beneficial for marketing departments in industries where timely decision-making is critical, such as publishing, ecommerce, event-related businesses, healthcare, and finance.
In a Harvard Business Review survey, 76% of organizations admit that real-time data analytics is crucial for business performance. Instant analytics provides critical information on how viewers are interacting with content here and now. This allows businesses to monitor trends and quickly adjust to improve content performance. The numbers confirm this approach. By 2030, the real-time analytics market is anticipated to grow to $141.46 billion from its 2023 level of $28 billion, according to Verified Market Reports.
The dynamic growth in demand for real-time analytics has inspired Piwik PRO to expand the functionality of its analytics platform to include real-time dashboards, offering customers a complete set of features for data analysis and activation. What distinguishes the solution developed by Piwik PRO is its 10-second data freshness, positioning it as one of the most powerful real-time reporting features available.
Key benefits of Piwik PRO’s real-time dashboards
Instant insights: Real-time dashboards offer instantaneous data visualization, ensuring businesses can quickly react to user behavior and trends as they emerge. The data is updated every 10 seconds, with a viewing window ranging from 5 to 60 minutes.
Full customization: Real-time dashboards set Piwik PRO apart with exceptional customization options, enabling users to personalize the dashboards to suit their specific needs. Users can have multiple dashboards and arrange them according to their preferences by using custom widgets.
Wide accessibility: The feature is already available to the company’s 600+ Enterprise customers and 12,000+ users of the free Core version, as well as to every new user regardless of plan.
Feel the freedom of dashboards
Real-time dashboards deliver immediate insight into customer behavior and enable rapid campaign adjustments. This means that marketers can quickly and effectively enhance engagement, optimize content strategies, and improve ROI. Additionally, real-time data helps reduce costs by allowing timely adjustments and improvements, whether by analyzing cost-per-click (CPC) in advertising campaigns, engagement rates on social media, or conversion rates on your website.
Our new feature allows for unrestricted comparison and visualization of diverse data sets. It enables a quick understanding of how consumers react both in daily business and during special events like Black Friday. Understanding how customers interact with your content and product on different platforms, channels, and devices is crucial for improving visitor engagement and maximizing revenue opportunities at every touchpoint, Piotr Korzeniowski, CEO of Piwik PRO.
The feature, currently in beta version, is available to all Piwik PRO Core and Enterprise users. To create your free Piwik PRO Core account or get a custom demo, visit piwik.pro.
29, Jul 2024
Storyblok’s CMS helps Octopus Energy use content to power the future of green energy
Octopus Energy is now able to deploy website updates in five minutes, and has seen a two-thirds decrease in requests for support from developers
New York, NY – Storyblok, the modern content management system (CMS) for all teams, today announced that Octopus Energy is using its CMS to manage content more efficiently and decrease dependence on developers.
Octopus Energy is a global clean energy tech business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Their previous CMS required significant developer involvement for every content task and was very limited in its flexibility and customization options. This led to a fragmented content management setup that was slow and prevented collaboration.
Knowing that this wasn’t sustainable for their dynamic content needs, Octopus Energy made the switch to Storyblok. Now they use Storyblok to centralize content management and integrate all of their platforms through APIs, give content creators the components they need to create experiences without the help of developers, and closely manage user roles to improve collaboration.
Storyblok is used by 19 teams across 6 business functions in 8 countries. With that combined teamwork, Octopus Energy is able to create a website from scratch within 2 weeks and deploy updates in 5 minutes. The typical creation and publishing time has been cut by 1-2 days, with smaller projects getting delivered on the same day. This smooth process led to a two-thirds decrease in requests for support from developers.
Aaron Cawte, Senior Front-end Developer at Octopus Energy, said: “Storyblok’s Visual Editor empowers our content editors to click on the content they want to change and see the results in real-time. This enabled us to roll out Storyblok at speed with zero training, and our teams around the world have taken to it like ducks to water.”
Based on this success, Octopus Energy plans to continue using Storyblok for various projects, including the migration of over 1,000 pages from a legacy CMS, and the expansion of their mobile app content.
Dominik Angerer, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyblok, said: “Octopus Energy views energy in the same way we view content: it should be efficient and nothing should be wasted. By centralizing content with Storyblok, Octopus Energy is experiencing the benefits of reusable content across all of their platforms.”
29, Jul 2024
PW’s AcadFly with USA’s Marquette University Announces the Dual Enrollment Program for study abroad
India, July 29, 2024: Physics Wallah’s (PW) study abroad initiative, PW AcadFly, has launched a groundbreaking Dual Enrollment Program in India. This program, created in exclusive partnership with Marquette University (MU) in the USA, was introduced at The School Leaders Summit, organized by PW AcadFly, where 18 top schools from across India participated.
The unique Marquette Explorer Program allows high school students to earn up to 24 college credits during their 11th and 12th grades through PW AcadFly. This is equivalent to the first year of undergraduate studies. After completing this, students can spend the next three years on campus at MU or at other partner universities in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia. This program is also open to gap-year students and first-year international undergraduate students worldwide.
Upon finishing the program, students will receive transferable college credits and an academic transcript from MU. They can then choose to apply to MU or other top universities, such as The John Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and New York University, among others. Successful students are guaranteed admission to MU and a scholarship covering 50%-75% of the tuition fee for their second, third, and fourth years at Marquette University. Additionally, a select few meritorious students may receive a 100% scholarship.
Mayank Sharma, Senior Vice President, PW, said, “PW AcadFly began with a commitment to support students in their academic journey, transcending financial and geographical limitations. The Marquette Explorer Program is our first step in the direction of bringing a variety of study abroad immersions for students looking to study abroad. Not only does the Explorer Program reduce the cost of attendance by 50% and saves one full year for the student, it also simplifies the admission process by offering exemptions from standard tests. While being both time-efficient and cost-effective, it also offers a head start to university education while studying at school.”
Dr. John Baworowsky, Marquette University Vice President of Enrollment Emeritus, said, “The Explorer Program has allowed hundreds of students from around the world to begin taking college courses early, which has provided many benefits including tuition savings, academic advancement, and early graduation. We are very excited to be offering this program in India and to give Indian students these same advantages.”
29, Jul 2024
Grip Invest & ALT Investor Debut AltXtra Content Series on Alternative Investments
Delhi, India, 29th July 2024: Recognizing the growing demand for knowledge on high-yield, alternative investments among India’s burgeoning retail investor base, Grip Invest, the leading high-yield investment platform, has joined forces with ALT Investor, India’s largest and first community for alternative investments to present AltXtra – a multi format content series.
‘AltXtra: Decoding Alternative Investments’ simplifies the complex intricacies of the alternative investment universe into digestible formats for broader public consumption. As part of Grip Invest’s efforts to educate and empower investors seeking to venture beyond traditional investments, this 13-week knowledge series focuses on diverse investment themes. These themes include Indian wealth distribution, comparisons between various investment assets, and insights into SEBI regulations. AltXtra launched on July 22, 2024, with one theme going live each week across ALT Investor and Grip Invest’s social channels.
Commenting on the launch of AltXtra, Mr. Nikhil Aggarwal, Founder & Group CEO, Grip said, “A major pain point experienced by retail investors in the context of alternative investments is the lack of understanding and access to high quality information. This becomes a barrier to them adopting these newer investments assets & sometimes taking ill-informed decisions. Earlier high-yield investment options were accessible to only the select few – but that has changed. Platforms like Grip Invest and other OBPP participants are democratising this for the common retail investor. A critical lever for this category to grow will be meaningful education and our partnership with ALT Investor to present AltXtra is an effort in that direction.”
Mr. Yash Roongta, Founder, ALT Investor said, “Alternative investments are a fantastic avenue to earn higher risk adjusted returns when compared to traditional options like FDs. Platforms like Grip Invest have already democratised access to these options but the lack of awareness and appropriate guidance demotivates an average retail investor to capitalise on these superior opportunities. AltXtra, powered by Grip Invest aims to reduce the knowledge gap and enable more people to enter the alternatives space based on their risk profile”
India’s retail investor base is on a tear, which has further propelled SEBI to create an investor-protection oriented regulatory environment. Amidst this sentiment, ALT Investor and Grip Invest come together to tackle the challenge of lack of investor education. The AltXtra shall serve as a trusted guide to investors, helping demystify alternative investments through a channel of blogs, podcasts, videos, and webinars.
AltXtra is a 13-week series and will feature diverse investment relevant themes including fundamental shifts in Indian wealth distribution to the nuanced comparisons between investment assets like SDIs, Corporate Bonds, and FDs. Mindful of the evolving regulatory landscape shaped by SEBI and OBPP, AltXtra will present the retail investor the power to make decisions based on high quality information and content. By covering all bases in the alternative investment space, AltXtra will provide a comprehensive guide for investors at all levels of expertise.
29, Jul 2024
Citi Named Best International Investment Bank in India at Euromoney Awards
Mumbai: Citi is the proud recipient of the award for Best International Investment Bank in India at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024.
According to Euromoney, Citi was the top IPO and block trade house in India, executing 16 transactions worth $4.4 billion in the 2023 calendar year.
Speaking on the recognition, India Investment Banking Head, Rahul Saraf said, “Our team of seasoned professionals has always been focused on achieving the best outcome for clients. The fact that we are a truly global bank helps us deliver the One Citi experience across a wide breadth of markets and geographies, which is our unique differentiator. This award validates our exceptional client focus and serves as a huge shot in the arm for us to exceed expectations. We are truly excited about the huge opportunity that we have today to catapult India to the next level in the global economy.”
This year, Citi has won a record of 41 global, regional and local market awards from Euromoney, a leading global financial markets magazine, at its annual Awards for Excellence that recognizes the best in banking across key areas that are most important to a bank’s key stakeholders, clients, board and executive management teams.
In its 29th edition, the Euromoney Awards for Excellence also recognized Citi as:
· The World’s Best Digital Bank
· The World’s Best Investment Bank in the Emerging Markets
· Asia’s Best Investment Bank
Other accolades for Citi India in 2024
Citi India has been recognized for several prestigious awards in 2024. These include:
· Award for Best M&A Advisor at the Asset Triple A Country Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024. Also won the awards for Best Corporate and Institutional Bank, Best Commercial Bank and Best Bank for Sustainable Finance
· Award for Best Investment Bank (International) at the Finance Asia Awards 2024. Also won the awards for Best Corporate Bank -Large Cap & MNCs (International) and Most DEI Progressive – Bank (International)
· Award for Best Foreign Bank from Fortune India
29, Jul 2024
Muthoot Fincorp Introduces Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan for Traders with Easy Daily Repayment – Pay Interest on Diminishing Balance Only
Trivandrum/ New Delhi, July 29, 2024: In its continuous effort to uplift the trader community, Muthoot FinCorp Limited, the flagship Company of 137-year-old business conglomerate Muthoot Pappachan Group (Muthoot Blue), has introduced a new scheme – Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan. This innovative offering is designed to meet the evolving financial needs of traders, providing them with unparalleled flexibility and value.
Traders can leverage their gold jewellery to obtain maximum loan value, providing them with the necessary funds to support and expand their businesses. The scheme offers ample flexibility of tenor – from 7 days to 12 months, giving traders to decide based one’s customised requirements.
The Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan stands out with its easy daily repayment option, in line with the cash flow of traders enabling daily reducing interest rate where in traders have to pay the interest only for the number of days and amount used. The loan scheme combined with an attractive interest rate makes an appealing choice for traders seeking financial flexibility, as there are no prepayment charges and offers flexibility in credit history (CIBIL criteria). The loan interest is calculated on a diminishing balance basis, ensuring that borrowers only pay interest on the outstanding amount, further reducing the financial burden.
Mr. Shaji Varghese, CEO of Muthoot FinCorp said, “We are excited to introduce the Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan, a product designed to cater to the specific needs of traders, especially those running micro and small businesses. At Muthoot FinCorp, we recognize the dynamic nature of trade and the crucial role of cash flow management. This scheme provides traders with the flexibility, convenience, and financial support they need to grow their businesses. With features like easy daily repayment options, no prepayment charges, interest is levied only for the outstanding and for the days availed, attractive interest rates, and digital repayment facilities, we are committed to empowering traders across India to achieve their business goals.”
Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan facilitates digital repayments through the Muthoot FinCorp One mobile app, eliminating the need for traders to visit branches for repayment. Moreover, the 24X7 express top-up facility through SMS or the app ensures that traders can access additional funds whenever required, without the hassle of branch visits. This round-the-clock feature underscores Muthoot FinCorp’s commitment to offering seamless and efficient financial services.
Muthoot FinCorp’s Vyapar Vikas Gold Loan is a testament to the company’s dedication to financial inclusion and support for the trading community.
29, Jul 2024
MARS Cosmetics Wins Big at Shiprocket SHIVIR 2024 as Excellence in Smart Affordable
New Delhi, 29th July 2024: MARS Cosmetics proudly announces its victory for Excellence in Smart Affordables at Shiprocket SHIVIR 2024. This distinguished platform is dedicated to exchanging knowledge, networking, and pioneering advancements in digital eCommerce. Winning this award showcases the brand’s dedication to innovation and excellence in the beauty and personal care industry.
MARS Cosmetics, a popular Indian cosmetic brand aiming for “Makeup For Everyone”, was nominated for its groundbreaking 4-in-1 Travel Brush, a multifunctional beauty tool designed to revolutionize on-the-go makeup applications. This innovative product combines four essential makeup brushes into one compact and convenient tool: a foundation brush, a powder brush, an eyeshadow blending brush, and a flat brush. The 4-in-1 Travel Brush exemplifies the brand’s dedication to addressing the evolving needs of beauty enthusiasts with practical, high-quality solutions.
Expressing enthusiasm about the victory Rishabh Sethia, Director and Business Administrator at MARS Cosmetics says, “We are honored to receive this prestigious award at Shiprocket SHIVIR 2024. This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work and ingenuity in creating products that enhance the beauty experience for our customers. Our 4-in-1 Travel Brush is just one example of how we strive to bring convenience and excellence to the beauty industry.”
MARS Cosmetics continues to lead the way in beauty and personal care innovation, setting new standards and inspiring confidence in its global clientele. The company remains committed to its mission of delivering exceptional products that meet the diverse needs of beauty consumers worldwide.
29, Jul 2024
Mauritius Hosts the 6th Edition of ‘Vishwarang 2024’
India, 29th July 2024: The 6th edition of the ‘Vishwarang’ festival, renowned worldwide for its celebration of language, culture, literature and art will take place in Mauritius from August 7 to 9, 2024. This event is organized under the auspices of the Vishwa Hindi Secretariat (Mauritius) and Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal, MP (India).
Addressing the International Organizing Committee, Shri Santosh Choubey stated, “The Hindi language has achieved remarkable global recognition. Vishwarang 2024 stands at the forefront of advocating Hindi as a global language while spotlighting the richness of Indian literature, arts and culture on the global stage. Vishwarang Mahotsav has created a distinguished global identity in the preservation and promotion of Hindi and its related Indian languages and dialects. The ‘Tagore International Hindi Center’ has been established on the Rabindranath Tagore University campus, fostering Hindi education courses and international connections. Representatives from over thirty countries and eleven universities have agreed to affiliate with the Tagore International Hindi Center.”
Shri Santosh Choubey further said that “This time the 6th edition of Vishwarang will open new doors of global discussion on various aspects of hindi language teaching. Along with language teaching, topics related to literature, art, culture and social concerns will be the center of special attraction in Vishwarang. In the sessions of language, social concerns, literature, art and cultural sessions, linguists, creators and artists from various countries including India-Mauritius will participate creatively. Experts from various countries who have done exemplary work for the promotion and global expansion of language teaching will be honored with “Vishwarang- 2024 Samman”.
He further informed that in the “Pre-phase” of ‘ Vishwa Rang- 2024’, creative activities and competitions in various categories will be organized in various schools of Mauritius. In these, prizes and certificates will be given to the winning students by ‘ Vishwarang ‘.
Eleven books of NRI writers from different countries will be released during the 6th edition of Vishwarang. On this occasion, a book titled ‘Vishwa mein hindi ‘ will be released. Here, the status of Hindi in more than 65 countries of the world has been assessed in this book.
Announcing ‘Vishwarang- 2024’ of Vishwarang International Organizing Committee, Shri Santosh Choubey, Director, Vishwarang and Chancellor, Rabindranath Tagore University, informed that Vishwarang-2024 will be organized with the cooperation of Tagore International Hindi Centre (India), Tagore World Centre for Arts and Culture (India), Mahatma Gandhi Institute (Mauritius), Rabindranath Tagore Institute (Mauritius), Hindi Speaking Union (Mauritius), Hindi Pracharini Sabha (Mauritius), Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Institute (Mauritius), Vishwarang Secretariat (India) and Vanmali Srijan Peeth (India) .
The poster of Vishwarang 2024 was released by the visionary of Vishwarang, Shri Santosh Choubey, Dr. Jawahar Karnavat, Director, Tagore International Hindi Center and Advisor, Overseas Indian Literature and Culture Research Center, Shri Vinay Upadhyay, Director, Tagore World Art and Culture Center and Shri Sanjay Singh Rathore, Secretary, Vishwaang Secretariat. Country coordinators of various countries participated creatively on this occasion.
29, Jul 2024
Paytm’s exciting UI innovation for booking tickets for the much awaited Deadpool & Wolverine
Celebrating the release of the much awaited action entertainer DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, Paytm has created a dynamic movie booking experience with a UI innovation, bringing their favourite superheroes to reserve seats of the film.
On booking tickets of the film on the Paytm app, users can witness their preferred seats being displayed by logos of Deadpool & Wolverine while the seats already booked would be showcased with the iron claws of Wolverine. This enthralling innovation has certainly added to the buzz and hype of the film leaving no stone unturned to resonate with audiences across the country.
Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine in theatres from today in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
