Hello beautiful! These last few episodes in the Amplify Your Weddings series have been so fun as I’ve been introducing industry leaders, professional photographers, and business owners in order to help you increase your revenue, your brand awareness, and your sanity as you juggle all the things. In this quick episode, I’m excited to chat with you all about rocking your next wedding fair. I’ll be sharing a few of my best secrets and tips that I’ve learned from my own experiences at wedding fairs; from how to find them, what you’ll need to prepare, and how to use them to truly amplify your own weddings.
Today’s episode is brought to you by my Book More Weddings Guide! After sharing sneak peeks from your weddings, do you hear crickets? You’re likely blowing away the client experience, leaving a wedding hyped up on how well you did, but then no new inquiries come in—you can use your existing clients to capture behind the scenes content that gets you organic referrals, followers, and more! Download my free guide today!
Review the Show Notes
How To Find Wedding Fairs And Expos (3:10)
What You Need For Your Wedding Fair Booth (10:41)
Amplifying Your Weddings At Your Booth (16:38)
Mentioned in Today’s Episode
Review the Transcript:
Good morning, beautiful. And welcome back to another episode of amplify your weddings. These last couple of months have been so fun, as I’ve been introducing industry leaders, professional photographers and business owners to help you increase your revenue, increase your brand awareness, and increase your sanity as you are trying to juggle all of the things. I’m really excited to do a quick little solo episode for you. If you are just joining, please take a peek at recent episodes because there are tons of education that you perfectly honest, people should be charging for the stuff that we are all sharing here on the podcast. And so it’s truly an honor to introduce you to these super awesome creatives. But I wanted to hop on quickly as you are starting to maybe you’re getting emails from bridal shows and fairs and events, or maybe you have an interest in actually setting up your own booth. Well, this quick episode is going to be for you. Let’s get this party started.
Welcome to Quianna Marie weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins, big or small by dancing in the kitchen photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at Quiannamarie.com/podcast. Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party. Ready? Let’s go.
All right. All right. I’m excited to chat with you about rocking your next wedding fair. So I have to be perfectly blunt and perfectly honest, I don’t always do these. And this was not the number one way that my business had grown. I’m all about making genuine connection, connecting with friends hosting parties going to yoga studios to just chat and meet new people that then ask what I do, okay, so I don’t want to come off as if this is the end all be all, or you should go run and you should go create your own booth at your local wedding fair. However, I do know that just a couple that I have done, I learned a bunch. And I want to share those secrets with you and share those experiences and truly help you feel prepared for your next bridal show if you decide to do that. Okay, so we’re going to break down this quick episode into three different parts and the chat about how you find them exactly how to use intention, in strategy with deciding which, whether it’s a wedding fair Bridal Expo or any type of a booth event like that, we’re going to chat about how to find them. We’re going to chat about what you need, what exactly you need from the core to planning. I mean, I’m all about don’t forget packing snacks.
Okay, so we’re gonna go over all the things to help you feel prepared. And then of course, we’re going to round out with amplifying your weddings. So how can you actually make this time this investment worth it? Okay, because if you’re just getting into these, I have to warn you, they’re kind of expensive. Okay, so let’s dive right into the conversation. First and foremost, we need to find them. Okay. So you may be getting dinged for them. People may be in your DMS trying to invite you to these things. Oftentimes, we have to be really proactive about it. So I want to share, literally all you have to do is just google your hometown, or more specifically, and strategically, Google and search where you want to be known for. So for example, I live in Mesa, Arizona, and I do a lot of weddings in Scottsdale and in Phoenix, okay, so I would actually prefer to look up Scottsdale wedding expo, or Scottsdale wedding fair, bridal fair, you know, they’re still saying a lot of bridal things. So definitely check that. And then from there, you should have a ton of resources, website, websites and things.
Other websites like the knot, Wedding Wire, they often host these types of events as well. So you can check their websites if they have any upcoming events. Now that is just like a huge spectrum. I would call them like the mack daddy Expo shows. Okay, I want to break down and share with you a couple other options for finding more local and specific, not only venues and locations that you actually want to work at, but are going to bring in truly hot leads for couples that are in your area and that are biting at the bits to just get their vendors solidified and to create their vendor roster. So one thing that I feel like a lot of photographers aren’t even aware of are the fact that a lot of wedding venues, especially some of the bigger ones will host their own wedding fairs. This is huge. This is a great way for you to kind of crack into the door and to become a preferred vendor. Or to once again just be building those genuine friendships and connections with other vendors as well.
So ask reach out to your favorite I would say reach out to your favorite top five wedding venues that you’re dreaming of working at. And just find out if they are hosting any this fall, or usually, they’ll host them in January, you know, and it all depends, every wedding season, depending on where you’re listening from, and where you’re located is different. So that’s why it’s great to get on it now. And just, I’m just sharing my experiences, sometimes with the wedding fairs, they will only like whoever’s hosting, it will only allow a certain amount of professionals per vendor. So they’ll only for example, they’ll only allow maybe five photographers, five caterers, five, DJs, ready to get my point. So like, once those are fulfilled, they cut it off, and you’re not welcome to come. So we want to be ahead of that curve, ask and go. And then this is me being really sneaky. I mean, this is me being really sneaky.
Let’s say that they’re totally full. And this is a space that you absolutely want to go to show up, buy a ticket, oftentimes, they’ll sell tickets like, especially these venue ones, because they’ll do kind of like a catering taste test, or there’s some type of giveaways offers or something. So I suggest just going and showing up. Don’t pretend to be a bride, don’t bring, you know, don’t bring your boyfriend or your partner or a friend and pretend like you’re just going in there pretending that you’re recently engaged. Don’t do that, okay? Because people are going to know you’ll or you want to know them, right? And you don’t want to start off as a lie. So I suggest going in there and just literally shaking hands with people getting your name out there, you’re not going out there to truly promote yourself, right? You’re not saying like, Oh, hey, like, this is exactly who I am. You are just genuinely engaging with the florist with makeup artists saying hello, and just kind of buzzing around that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that that’s totally being a hustler, if you are not able to have your own booth.
Okay, so I digress, we’re getting a little bit off topic. So another place that you can look for these types of events are local dress shops, so bridal boutiques, like actual wedding dress shops, sometimes will host these as well. That’s a great opportunity to ask them, hey, maybe they’re not hosting it, but at your local boutique shop, but maybe they are participating in some this this year. And they might have some insight tips for where they’re going and do not sleep on the fact that your local community, whether it’s local schools, your local neighborhood, sometimes they host craft fairs, and like holiday boutiques that come up in November and December, those are absolutely amazing places to show up for up a booth and to truly tap into a new market. Once again, you’re staying local, and you’re just being top of mind, would you walk away from that situation and have a ton of referrals and people ready to give you money and book their wedding probably not. I want to be completely realistic and transparent with you that that’s not the case. However, you have to show up, you have to be present. And you absolutely have to give someone something to remember because as we all know, I say this over and over again, we may not be getting married, but we always know someone that is recently engaged in planning a wedding, it’s just inevitable. So by showing up, putting your name out there and being seen is truly going to help your business grow.
Okay, so I hope that is a little bit encouraging for where to start about how to actually find these wedding fairs and these wedding expos, but I also have a note here to mention before we move on, is be prepared. Okay. Sometimes these local, like pop up fairs may not charge if they do, they’re very minimal. And it’s typically just to kind of like turn the lights on. Or maybe it’s for a charity event or auction. Sometimes that happens. But sometimes these wedding fairs can go upwards of $500 to $2,500, if not more per booth. Okay, so I want you to kind of keep that into perspective that this could be an hefty investment, they often offer payment plans, and I can guarantee I hate saying that. And it’s like the guy from the Men’s Wearhouse when I say this, but if you put your best efforts into your booth, and truly make an impact, and we’ll go into how and what to prepare for it can absolutely get that return on investment if it’s done correctly.
Hey, wedding photographers, after sharing sneak peeks Do you hear crickets? Now I’m talking about after a wedding day where you completely blew away the wedding experience. As soon as you were packing up, you knew that the bridesmaids and wedding guests were raving about you and excited to work with you again. But where are those emails? Where are those inquiries? And where are those booking contracts to make sure that you are secured for the next wedding? Well, what if I told you it was as simple as whipping out your phone, capturing a handful of behind the scenes videos and sharing them online? I have a free guide for you. It’s all about quick and easy ways to capture those behind the scenes videos for organic referrals, local followers, and building genuine brand awareness. Okay, this is a fun guide that you absolutely have to download today so you can look over and study before your next wedding. Because let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be incredible if you can book your next wedding while working your next wedding? run, don’t walk to grab this free guide called Book More wedding, capturing behind the scenes to help boost easy referrals. You can find this link in the show notes are also on my Instagram in my lead page. Hurry very hurry, you’re going to want this to start booking more dream weddings.
Let’s roll right into what you need. What do you need to create a almost like a living room status kind of just face of your business? Okay, I feel like we are so so concerned with curating our Instagram and our website. So if you can imagine your website truly being like an entrance to your home, or just like a booth, what does it look like? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? I want you to consider all of these senses when you are kind of crafting up your dreamy booth. Now first and foremost, oftentimes expos will provide a table. And sometimes that’s it. So and sometimes that’s not even what they provide, they’ll literally just provide like a square footage space for you. So you need to find out the measurements of exactly how much space you have to work with.
Consider if there are any plugs, sometimes you don’t have access to plugs, okay? Sometimes they’ll charge more for some of these, like really crazy expos, they’ll have kind of like tiers for the different types of booths and, and even down to the location, it’s all about real estate, right. So even your location can have a higher charge for premium spots. But consider if it has any plugs. If there’s any window light, if you have any walls to hang things on. Sometimes you don’t have actual like walls you’re not up against, you know, like the building, sometimes you are, but sometimes you literally just feel like you’re just floating in space in the middle of a huge conference room or like a huge gym. So you definitely have to prepare for tables, whether that’s a front table for you, side tables, back tables, to add things, definitely consider bringing a chair or some type of comfy stool because you are going to be on your feet all day.
So definitely something for you to set on. So possible backdrop is something that you will need to come up with whether that is some type of Banner, some type of wood wall, like think of almost like a photo drop backdrops, and then you would see at weddings that could be something that pops up and is like paper or fabric or maybe you know, you put some elbow grease into something and you create your own backdrop that can be really beautiful. It’s a great way to hang things and to truly make an impact. The core is something else think of as well, like, what’s your vibe? Do you include plants? Do you include tchotchke stuff, right? I mean, you know, do you have a candle burning? Sometimes that’s not always allowed, but it does add a little vibe. So check the rulebook for candles and you know essential oils sometimes like that with Publix, you don’t really want to do that. But definitely consider the decor and what that looks like for you. Okay, include your brand colors, just make it feel cozy. And like you, Michaels and Hobby Lobby are great for that. But once again, consider your website, consider your ideal clients, and consider your style. Don’t just go out and buy a whole bunch of crap to just put on your table.
Okay, like truly try to embody the vibe canvases are important to print out, you’re gonna want to showcase your work. So I have like a bundle of canvases. And I actually have a hack for this. So I am actually staring at them right now in my office. So I have about, I’d say like eight to 10 canvases that I have printed through CG pro prints, I can link that for you in the show notes. They’re super affordable, super high quality. And I love it because they don’t have they don’t need a frame, they just pop right onto the wall. So what I do is I actually I’ve invested a buttload in those command strips like those Bell curly command strip things. And so I post those on my wall in my office. And then when it’s time for me to do a photo booth or a sorry, like a vendor booth or something like that, I just pop them off the wall. And then I take them with me and then sometimes I can stick back on maybe once or twice before they start falling off. And then I just command strip them again and it’s a great way to store them. So I just have in my office. So that was a quick little key tip for you. So you don’t feel like you have to store these in your garage and they get warped or have a special storage place for this like I literally just throw them on my wall and then pull them off when I need them. Albums are a great way to do this as well. So I absolutely encourage you having at least three if not five albums available for people to flip through to look at once again you’re gonna want to showcase your work. Okay. Another idea is to have printed photos to hold. This is something I started doing recently that has been so fun.
So I actually will just print, like through my pixie set gallery, I would say it probably about a dozen photos that I just kind of sprinkle on the table, whether it’s in like a little wooden box, or it’s just on the table. And this is a great way to once again showcase your work because you’re actually showing the quality of the photo and something that that people can actually hold in their hands, like putting their memories in their hands is going to be beautiful, and they can see themselves in it. This is another little key tip, I want to make sure that you include, please, please be very, very aware of adding diversity to your canvases into your portfolio into your work. So you may be a rockstar and already have all different cultures and traditions and different types of people on your Instagram, which I feel like all of us are being very proactive about which is a beautiful thing. But don’t forget to include everyone that you are absolutely happy to work with on your canvases and your albums as well. So if it’s time to update those, if you’re thinking, oh gosh, like, you know, I’ve only done a couple styled shoots. And, you know, I’d love to include a little bit more diverse couples, now’s your time. Okay, so start planning for these things now.
So doesn’t become a huge expense at once, you can start ordering a couple canvases here and there, updating your sample albums, you know monthly as we get closer to your event. So it’s not so much of a hit. But that was just a key tip I wanted to include before I move on. So I think that pretty much covers like what you need. As far as the basics for actually promoting and kind of having like a beautiful space, I want to kind of close up a conversation with amplifying your weddings and creating strategic call to actions, okay, because if you’re just showing up and asking people to grab a card, you know, a business card, or you know, follow you on Instagram or something you are totally leaving a disservice. So I want if you don’t remember anything from this conversation, I want you to consider the giveaways that you’re planning to give. Now I’ve done it all. Okay, I’ve done multiple multiple, you know, wedding shows, and vendor events and things. I’ve tried so many different things. And I just want to share with you basically what works and what doesn’t work. Okay. So for me in the past, I’ve given away engagement sessions, I’ve given away albums, I’ve given away print credits and stuff like that. And I want to let you in on a secret. Those don’t work.
Okay, let me say it again, give you’re giving away engagement sessions for free to kind of, you know, boost your email list or you know, given off a raffle or something like that. Don’t do it. And here’s why. Once again, this is my humble opinion, you can absolutely do whatever you feel comfortable in your own business. I don’t like telling people what to do and what not to do. But here’s why this didn’t work for me. Okay, as soon as the conversation open. So let’s say there was a young bride, and her mom and her sister and they come up to my booth. And they are engaged. They’re flipping through their photos, they’re thinking, oh my god, this is so dreamy, I happen to have an actual canvas of the ceremony space of where they’re planning to get married. And they have this vision, right. And as soon as I say, Oh, please, you know, here, click this QR code, which I have some fun educational resources for to help you create your own QR codes. When I say hey, grab this QR code, and you’ll be entered into a raffle to win an engagement session, and I hear crickets, and they look at me and go, ah, we already took our engagement photos. Thank you though. And they like keep walking. Okay, like you are literally creating a wall and a barrier. If someone already has their wedding photography selected, if they already have their engagement shoot, photos taken.
Or maybe they already have a friend and someone that they’re in line with. So they don’t need your services. Okay, so you’re already creating that quick. No. Another thing that I found was like a quick know, for me was offering a wedding album. So I would say if you book with me, you will be given a 10 by 10 custom album, blah, blah, blah. I tried to make it so magical. And once again, I was shut down. And they would say Oh, well thank you so much. But you know, the girl who did my best friend’s wedding issued in my wedding and blah blah blah, thank you, but we just don’t need that. Like there’s no incentive for them to get on your email list. Because they they already have their girl or they already have their photographer I should say. So what do you offer them if you’re not giving away an engagement session you’re not giving away an album something that is just so juicy and so desirable for them to say heck yes, please send this to me and for them to get on your email list.
Because once again I can not I cannot shout this at the rooftops enough and just like hit you over the head with it and often remind you or remind you that it doesn’t matter if they already have a photographer or they already have someone in mind. Our goal as business owners and creatives and you know putting ourselves out there with these booths and investing in these Expo booths is creating that brand awareness. Okay. So what I would do instead is I actually offered them a resource guide, okay, so it would be a resource guide. And I would have something titled really cute like planning your wedding for a stress free wedding day. And it’s like a little tagline because happy people take more beautiful photos or something like that. Okay. So what I would do is I would have, I would print out and I literally would just go get, like a frame at Michaels, or Hobby Lobby, something really horrible. It was a bigger frame, it was like 11 by 14, it wasn’t just a little 10, or an eight by 10 was a little bit larger. And I would share like grab this free guide, and it looked like you know how we can add those little templates looks like a little Pinterest photo, or a mock up is the word I was trying to find. So it’s a mock up looks like an iPad and a cell phone. And it has the guide on it. And it was just a little resource guide.
Okay. And in the resource guide, I would have recently it would say this is what’s included, or recently engaged guide, morning prep, customized shortlist for your wedding day packing list for the morning of your wedding or which is the morning prep, honeymoon, packing list, timeline checkpoints, okay, these are just like a bundle of basically blog posts Not gonna lie, if you’ve been following along with my blog or with my education, you know that I’m always repurposing my content. So I literally just went through recent blog posts all about wedding details, and I created a little guide for them. Okay, this was so popular at the last couple booths that I went to, and I just cannot keep this a secret anymore, I have to share it with you. Because what this does is it gets you in their inbox, it gets you top of mind, it gets them following on Instagram and just being so intrigued with this, because even if they already have a photographer that they love, and that they’re so happy to work with, they’re going to appreciate these resources that you created for them. And once again, you slip into their email list. And once again, you’re providing tons of resources for them. So they may not need you now, but guess what, that Brian May want you to for a boudoir session. And that’s when you can drip to them. Eventually, you can share you know, family sessions with them years to come. You don’t know the circumstances. Right now we’re just trying to boost that brand awareness, get our names into their email inboxes and truly just be a resource for them. So I hope this conversation, get your mind going and considering actually doing a wedding expo. But just please remember that this is not the one and only way to get your name and business out there. This is just a tiny fraction of it. Once you get rolling and once you get on these wedding vendor lists and stuff, these these inquiries are just going to be pouring in for you okay, but if you’re considering it, absolutely take these tips. I hope this helps. And once again, please, please, please take a peek at some other recent episodes. They’re so fun and so educational. I’m so happy you’re here. Keep dancing baby. Love you.
That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at quiannamarie.com/podcast. I’d be honored if you show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app. Until next time, keep on dancing.
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