i am thinking about exhibiting at a huge wedding fair here first part of next year - this would be my first so i am unsure whether or not it works.

would like to know your experiences, good or bad - did you book enough to cover your cost of the stand? did you book on the day, or did brides come back to you later? did you offer incentives to book that day?

any info you can offer would be really appreciated.

thanks

I wasn't sure about wedding fairs either but was really happy with the fair I did. i think it all depends on your prices and your area. I did a show in Tallahassee FL and ended up booking 7 weddings with in a month after the show. I booked two on site.

A month later I did a show and they placed me outside in a tent that leaked with horrible lighting. The show was going strong inside the building but promised me that the tent would be ideal. I only booked one but i covered my cost with that booking.

I think the key to a show is to do it right. Be different and stand out. the first show i did was great for me because i was the only photographer there that wasn't really traditional. I didn't even have an album at my show but booked a lot more than any of the other photographers.

If you haven't done one i would give it a try.

I recently did a show where I was the only non-traditional photographer there and it didn't work in my favor. I've given it a lot of objective thought about why it went the way it did, and the only conclusion I can come to is that the brides there weren't my demographic. My prices were the same or lower than the competition, but they seemed to want REALLY traditional (80's era) albums and poses.

So, my advice is just to know your area and get a feel for the overall theme of the bridal show before you decide to book a booth with them!

thanks guys! i think i am going to give it a try, but first i am going to go to one in september and check out the competition. i have a feeling it will be more of a traditional type gang.

[quote name='Hope' post='157935' date='June 22 2007, 07:21 PM']I recently did a show where I was the only non-traditional photographer there and it didn't work in my favor. I've given it a lot of objective thought about why it went the way it did, and the only conclusion I can come to is that the brides there weren't my demographic. My prices were the same or lower than the competition, but they seemed to want REALLY traditional (80's era) albums and poses.

So, my advice is just to know your area and get a feel for the overall theme of the bridal show before you decide to book a booth with them!


that's a really good point.


the area i'm in is also very traditional and the brides showed up at the show looking for that. I kinda had to play salesman at the same time. The entire day the same thing happened over and over again.

bride: I love your images but my mom wants family pictures and the ones with... (then goes on to explain every traditional shot you've ever seen)

me: we do family pictures as well as a few traditional poses (a few as in literally three or less) but our mail goal is to 'capture your day' (yuck!)

bride: HEY MOM!! she does that too!!

my day basically went like that. I just found that I had to open their eyes to something new and different. most brides, especially in the south, go with what's been done for generations and what's expected of them. you have to sell the idea to them as well as to their moms/parents.

in the end I turned out to be a breath of fresh air. To some I turned out to be a genius in their eyes because they thought I invented this style of photography!

then go home and sleep.....

that's exactly what i am finding over here - everyone here in my area is only used to the bog standard photographer who walks in, takes a bunch of pictures and leaves. they get what they get and they never complain, nor look for something better. i am hoping to change that mindset. but i think it may take a while.

i definitely think its an investment that will not only ensure several bookings for next year, but will get my name out there as well.

I always believed that in London people spend lots more on wedding photography than the rest of the UK, GOD and I believed that only in wales(UK) people wanted £250.00 wedding photos inclusive of album and prints.
Apart of that I have been in few fairs but never seen much of business going for the fees paid to the organiser.

Ciao

i did my first fair last year. i decided to spend quite a bit and make it look very professional. by far my booth looked the most expensive down to bringing in a plant that matched. i had a drawing with a free engagement session and i think that went well. Also i made party favors that had my studio name with info on the top of them. It was so much work. I got a couple weddings and a lot of advertising, but in the end i dont know was it worth it. by the time i fed everyone that helped out, paid babysitters, got all the prints and frames, made the party favors, etc. i dont know. I will probably do it again just because now everything is made, but the yucky booth did better because they gave a huge % off if you booked that day. i didnt want to go down that road, so i didnt. my main goal was to get my name out and that did work. I did try to pay attention to details, so i think like i brought in lights to shine down on my prints. My husband also built me a box thing to hang all my prints on. We covered it in fabric and it looked beautiful. I wanted to come away not looking like walmart. All the other photographers just used the table provided no lights no bling very basic. Next year i wont be bringing in a plant =) i ran out of room on my table and with a mass amount of people i need the brides to stay in my booth longer. i found its just so quick. I did however book my package that i wanted which was a good price so that was good. Pay attention to detail and think what would you like to see. i found it to be a huge marketing expense, much bigger than i thought, but mostly because it was my choice. oh and also a lot of brides had already booked a photographer so i kept thinking dont come to my booth and take up my time. ha ha just kidding.

good luck!

julie b