Check out Ariana and Keith’s engagement pictures below. These two pulled me into their joy and had me smiling from behind my camera throughout our entire session. I cannot wait for their Santa Margarita Ranch wedding next year!
So, the Central Coast Bridal Fair was this last weekend. I didn’t attend. The evening of the fair, I met up with Ariana and Keith who had just finished walking the aisles and seeing what Central Coast wedding vendors had to offer and how they went about presenting themselves. We talked a little about the experience they had negotiating the large crowd while trying to figure out what information they needed to get their hands on. And for them, the experience was overwhelming (I suspect that once they have a chance to go through the piles of brochures, they will find the experience helpful (?)). I tend to get overwhelmed myself in this type of situation. As a vendor, I have taken part in 2 fairs since I have been in business. Both times, I felt like I wasn’t putting my best foot forward. I wasn’t able to convey my personality, photography, or any aspect of who I am in a way that was as accurate as I wanted. So, I’ve stopped taking part. I’m not opposed to doing them in the future but, I’m not going to do so until I can figure out how to better show who I am. The pace of a bridal fair is such that I wasn’t able to talk and learn about the people I met. I felt empty and unable to make new friends – I was simply handing out brochures to strangers.
Most of the couples that contact me now are referred by their friends, other wedding vendors or have found me online. Before I even talk to them, they have a chance to check out my websites and discover for themselves a little bit about me. I’m a firm believer in complete transparency. The goal of my website and blog have always been to show my personality as well as my photography. And when I’m contacted, I know that I’ve done my best to pre-qualify myself by being honest and straightforward with who I am and what type of work I can do.
The purpose of this post is to ask you about your bridal fair experience. Have you gone to a bridal fair and if so, what did you get out of it? Was it helpful? Are some vendors more easily picked at bridal fairs than others? If so, which ones? Did you find quality people you wanted to be a part of your wedding day? Is my perception that bridal fairs are overwhelming inaccurate?
Shoot me an email, comment below or on Facebook (HERE).
