Thoughts on Bridal Shows

Last weekend I participated in the All Dressed In White bridal show at the Hard Rock Casino in Vancouver. I teamed up with two amazing wedding vendors Vivio Flowers and Fort Langley Vintage Rentals to put together a that would not only showcase my work but create an experience for brides so they can see what their wedding could potentially look and feel like. We created three cohesive booths to create one greater space for all of our work to be showcased together. It was rustic, fresh and inviting.

Vivio Flowers has two locations in Port Moody and in downtown Vancouver, the owner Patricia, is one of the most talented women I’ve ever met. There is nothing she can’t do with flowers. I have on several occasions come to her with a pie in the sky idea for a arrangement or bouquet for a photo shoot and she comes up with the  most amazing florals I’ve ever seen.

Fort Langley Vintage Rentals was the backbone of the entire booth. Melanie, the owner, brought in all of the furniture and decor accessories that were used in our booths. The vintage collection available to brides is amazing, you can create great seating areas, candy bars, or adding some vintage flair to your decor. Melanie has lots of great ideas to help you plan out your vintage or rustic wedding.

Every time I tell my husband that I’m doing a trade show he always asks me WHY and WHAT do I hope to get from the trade show. We have very different takes on bridal shows. When we got married we didn’t live in Vancouver and didn’t get a chance to do all the typical wedding planning things like going to bridal shows; getting free stuff, entering draws and eating cupcakes or other yummy treats being handed out. So my love of bridal shows comes from even before then.

Why did I sign up to do this show? I love being able to get in front of brides and chatting to them in person about their wedding day. My office is in my home, so I don’t have any foot traffic; most of my correspondence is done via email, so I rarely get the opportunity to show brides ME, my personal, my flair.

What was I hoping to get from it? Exposure! I wanted to connect with couples that came to the show and were attracted to my style and wanted to hang out for a while and tell me about their wedding. Gush about their venue! Ask about the florals. Tell me all about their proposal. I like to be engaging at a bridal show, and because there is only ONE of me I don’t get to talk to everyone but I am able to connect really well with the couples that I do get to talk to.

Why would a couple want to drop by my booth? This collaborative booth was stylized on purpose like a bridal photo shoot would be. We wanted to stand out among the 60+ other vendors at the event and WOW the socks off couples. The florals is what brings them to the booth, the furniture gets them asking questions and the photographs is what kept them there. That’s how our collaboration was designed and why couples loved to stop by and talk to all of us about their upcoming wedding.

What would make them linger around a little longer if I wasn’t handing out cupcakes? Even though I always have a show special / incentive for couples that attend the show, comes hang out with me for a bit and chat about their day. I don’t believe is freebies, giveaways or discounting my services at bridal shows. My ideal couple for me is not the couple coming to the show only to see what they can score for free, they are their to educate themselves to be able to make a great decision on who to trust to make their wedding day picture perfect.