How To Find The Best Bridal Shows Near Me
4 Reasons Bridal Shows Are A Waste Of Your Time!
Bridal shows are a waste of your time!
Every year, thousands of brides-to-be go on Google and search "bridal shows near me." They flock to these shows for inspiration and to meet local wedding vendors.
But, what are you really getting out of these bridal shows?
In this article, we are going to take a closer look at bridal shows and show you 4 reasons why they are a waste of your time.
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1. ideas & inspiration
Many brides attend bridal shows with the thought of finding inspiration. Bridal shows can be crowded, chaotic, and overwhelming. In other words, it can be impossible to find your inspiration.
When it comes to ideas and inspiration, the best place to turn is the internet. You essentially have unlimited resources at your fingertips and it's available whenever you need it.
Bridal shows will do very little to provide you with real inspiration. Wedding professionals will have limited time to speak to you about your wedding, they can only showcase a portion of their products/services, and it's very easy to miss details as a result of the crowds.
Pro Tip: The internet is great for inspiration, but it can also cause many couples to get off track when it comes to their wedding planning. The internet is loaded with elegant and extravagant ideas, and many couples feel pressured to include them in their own wedding. For many details of your wedding, you find very similar if not identical options that are a fraction of the cost. Select 3-5 details that are really important to you and focus on making them extravagant. This is a great way to control your wedding expenses.
2. less than 1% of your options
Whether you are attending a bridal show for inspiration or to meet local wedding professionals, you are literally seeing less than 1% of the options available to you.
This is another reason the internet is a far better option for finding inspiration. The amount of information you can find and the speed in which you can find it, is very useful when planning a wedding.
But.
There's always a "but," isn't there? I give you one word of caution. Having options is great, but having too many options can cause paralysis by analysis. When you have too much information available, everything starts to look the same and it becomes nearly impossible to make a decision.
Pro Tip: We have been programmed to believe the only and best options on the internet reside on page 1 of Google. Like bridal shows, page 1 of Google only reveals less than a fraction of 1% of the options available to you!! Look beyond page 1 and will find other great options!
Myth Buster: Page 1 of Google does not feature the "best" options available to you. It features those businesses with the biggest marketing budgets. Explore and you will be amazed at what you find!
3. One-on-one
Can I imagine being friends with this person?
Do I like their personality?
Do they make me feel comfortable?
Do I feel like I will be able to trust them?
Whether you're looking to hire a wedding photographer, DJ, videographer or even a wedding venue, these are the questions you should be asking yourself.
This is especially true when it comes to your wedding photographer because your photographer will spend 95% of your wedding day by your side. They will see everything behind the scenes and they will see you in some of your most vulnerable moments. And the entire relationship with your photographer will span anywhere between 15-24 months.
When choosing your wedding professionals, it's all about relationships. It's essential they have a great personality that meshes perfectly with yours. This is key to having an effective, successful, and positive experience with your professionals.
4. why don't all professionals attend shows?
Is there any reason the professionals attending the bridal show are there? What about the wedding professionals that aren't there? Is there a reason for that too?
Yes.
That's the short and quick answer, but let me explain.
Many wedding professionals don't attend bridal shows because they can be outrageously expensive. Their money is better spent using a more affordable form of advertising.
Other professionals don't attend because they weren't invited. Not because they are bad, but because it's like any other business - it's not always about what you know, it's who you know.
For many businesses, bridal shows are a great way to meet new clients, but for many others they have absolutely no benefit.
Speaking for myself and my photography business, I haven't participated in one bridal show to date.
Here's why.
When you meet me, I want to give you my full attention so you can learn about my personality and the creative ideas I have to help you make your wedding as perfect as possible. I believe in a personalized approach and that just isn't possible at a bridal show.
I know many professionals would suggest I attend to get emails of potential brides. After the show, I can have a more personalized conversation, but I don't like that approach either. After you attend a bridal show, for the next several weeks you're going to get bombarded with emails from everyone you came in contact with.
For me, that doesn't fit the personalized approach I want to give my clients and I don't want to be just another email in your inbox.