Why so many bridal fairs? There are a few good reasons. First of all, many girls receive rings at Christmas and during the holiday season. Naturally those newly engaged couples are anxious to begin the process of planning that most important day. There are also fewer weddings this time of year due to the lenten season and the weather, affording the vendors the opportunity to participate in the fairs. And finally, winter is simply a time when most peoples' weekend schedules have some flexibility. Once spring and summertime arrive there are many more activities vying for everyones' time.
Bridal fairs are obviously a great resource for anyone planning a wedding. They're also an excellent opportunity for those involved in the industry to learn of new trends, products and expectations. Having the opportunity to speak with hundreds, possibly even thousands, of new brides is incredibly educational. Filling virtually every Sunday with bridal fairs can admittedly be exhausting but it's important and fun to listen to them talk about their plans and choices of vendors. The wedding industry is constantly evolving and for good reason. Each year brings an entirely new collection of potential customers. While not totally unique, but certainly rare in the business world, wedding vendors rarely serve the same customer twice. With each year's batch of brides come new ideas as well as vendors hoping to meet fill those needs or market their own new creations.
There isn't an official wedding season but, due to Lent, the weekend after Easter is commonly accepted as the beginning of the season. Having some "down" time before the beginning of the season can be very inspirational. It's a great time to not only recharge but also to explore new ideas and opportunities. I'm certainly not too proud to look at the work of other photographers and "steal" good ideas from them when I see something especially unique or creative. Continued usage of the same locations, lighting styles or compositional elements is a formula for photographic stagnation. In an ever changing industry, the inability to evolve can't be part of the equation.
I've always felt that the experience I provide a bride is equally important to the imagery I create. Helping guide them to other vendors with similar attitudes is important to me and I'm constantly building relationships with others in the industry. Sunday was one of the last fairs of the season and we found ourselves next to Jive and Wail. Jive and Wail is a dueling piano lounge with locations in Maplewood and St. Charles. Unfortunately the actual pianos were upstairs in the Bridal lounge, but it was still nice being next to the Jive and Wail crew. I've had the pleasure of working with the proprietor Spanky in the past doing rehearsal dinners and highly recommend this great form of entertainment. If we hadn't been located next to them, I would have never given much thought to locations for bachelor and bachelorette parties. We're rarely asked to photograph them. Hmmm... I wonder why? www.jivenadwail.com
On the opposite side of us was another vendor new to the bridal fair scene, Build a Basket. Until speaking with Ellen I hadn't given much thought to the variety of wedding applications of the personalized gift baskets she creates. One of my favorites is definitely the St. Louis basket, filled with home town goodies such as Fitz's soda, Switzer licorice and Dad's cookies but her unique toilet paper cake was definitely an eye catcher and will be hard to forget! Her creations are artistic, beautiful and unique. Definitely worth checking out! www.buildabasketstl.com
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