15 Tips for Wedding Photographers to Stand out in Bridal Shows

Attending bridal shows to promote your wedding photography business is one of the very best ways to book clients and generate new work for yourself, but there is certainly a lot that goes into it. With so many wedding photographers at these types of events, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd, and so in this article, we will go over 15 tips that can help you set yourself apart from the pack and generate way more business at bridal shows.

1. Make sure you have a helper

Designing your booth is important, and it’s something you should take your time with. But actually, building your booth on the day is another challenge entirely. You should never underestimate how much time it will take to set up your exhibit at the event.
So, to make the process much easier, you should invite a helper to assist you with setting up. Your assistant can also help you throughout the day by handing out marketing materials and can help with dismantling your booth when the show is over.

2. Keep track of your leads

The most important aspect of attending bridal shows is generating new business, and the best way to do that is to make a list of leads and then subsequently follow up with them. Throughout the day, you'll have many conversations with couples who are planning an upcoming wedding, and so you should always try to get their contact information so that you can contact them after the event. 
This is paramount to success because most couples will not commit to hiring a photographer at the bridal show, but rather they will make a hiring decision in the days and weeks ahead. By being the first person to reach out to them after the show, you can keep their interest, and this, in turn, will lead to you booking way more weddings.

3. Arrive early and leave late

Attending bridal shows is expensive, especially as a vendor. Paying your fees, building your booth, creating promotional materials, and everything else that goes into a bridal show can be very expensive, but the investment can certainly pay off if you’re prepared and on top of your game.
Because these types of events are an investment, you should make the most of every moment. Always arrive as early as possible so that you can get everything set up just the way you want it before the event begins, and make sure you stay all day so that you can speak with every single person who may be interested in hiring you.

4. Network, network, network

Networking is a huge part of attending bridal shows. Of course, your primary goal is to book weddings for yourself, but the only way to do that is by speaking with people. Most of the people you will talk to throughout the day will be couples who are planning an upcoming wedding, but it's also a good idea to talk with other photographers and vendors. You just never know when you might be able to help each other, and by speaking with everyone that you can, you'll be able to make industry connections that could prove invaluable down the road.

5. Have a memorable setup

You will not be the only photographer at the event; in fact, there could be as many as a hundred other photographers at the bridal show, and so if you want to be successful and actually generate new business for yourself, then you need to stand out from the crowd of your competitors, and the best way to do that is by having an attractive, well-designed booth.
People walking around the show are drawn to booths that are unique, eye-catching, and look like they have been professionally designed. Most people only get married once, and they want to ensure that they have photos and videos of their big day that will last forever. As such, nobody ever wants to hire an amateur wedding photographer. Remember, when your booth looks professional, then you look professional.

6. Showcase your work

Talking to people about who you are and what you do is important, but without being able to show people your work and what you can offer them, you will never book a single new client. Show, don't tell people what you can do for them, and they will be much more interested in your services. So, make sure you have your best work on hand so that people can look through your portfolio and then be prepared to answer any questions that they might have.
Canvas Wrap PRO is a traditional way to display your work for clients to browse through your exhibit. Acrylic PRO is an alternative to Canvas Wrap PRO that will stand out to new clients and capture their attention. You’ll wan to have several examples of different styles of weddings, so you’re able to draw in the attention of as many clients as possible.

7. Don’t worry about your competition

As mentioned, there are often dozens of photographers at any given bridal show, but there’s only one you. As long as you’ve prepared properly for the event, then you shouldn’t worry about your competition. Sure, some couples will speak with you and then walk away without hiring you or giving you their contact information. Some of those people will even hire another photographer right in front of you, don’t give it a second thought.
Attending bridal shows isn't about getting all of the business that walks through the door; these are big events, and that's an unrealistic expectation. It's all about getting your market share of the available business, and you'll only be able to do that if you're in a great mood, smiling and being friendly with people, so never be upset when people walk away – it just means that your new customers are yet to arrive.

8. Act natural and be yourself

Nobody likes salespeople. Sorry, it's just the way it is. Now that's not to say people don't like those individuals personally; it's just that people don't like to feel like someone is trying to sell them something. So, whatever you do, don't come across as salesy. You want people to see who you are as a person because, ultimately, people make hiring decisions based on who they like. So, showcase your personality, and you'll have way more success.

9. Run a contest or giveaway

People love free stuff. Even the possibility of winning something can be more than enough to generate interest in your booth, and so for this reason, you should always have either a giveaway or some sort of contest going on. When people sign up for a contest at your booth, they will remember you throughout the day; after all, they want to know whether or not they won the prize.
The trick is to announce the winner after the event; this is an easy way to get peoples contact information, which can lead to way more business in the long run. Remember also that you don't need to be giving away a free wedding package; small items can work well as prizes. Just make sure it's something that the couple will see as being valuable, and you'll find success with this method.

10. Hand out promotional materials

Bridal events are a numbers game. The more people you can speak with, the more business you'll be able to generate, and the same goes with handing out promotional materials. You should definitely have flyers, brochures, business cards, and anything else you can think of with your name and number on it.
X number of people who take your brochure will call you, and X number of those people will hire you, so the more promotional materials you hand out, the more money you'll make from the event. Running out of promotional materials is a rookie mistake, so prepare in advance and ensure that you have way more brochures than you'll actually need at the bridal show.

11. Advertise your booth ahead of time

Most people you encounter at the bridal show will be couples attending who have never heard of you before. But, by advertising your booth in advance on your own social media, personal website, or even in a local classified ad, you can generate interest in your booth specifically, which means that some of the people attending will be coming just to speak with you, which is, of course, a massive competitive advantage.  Check out our The Instagram Guide for Professional Photographers for some tips on how to optimize your profile prior to the start of the show.

12. Have a great website

Showcasing your work at the event is one thing, but chances are your booth will be relatively small, and your brochures will have a limited amount of real estate. So, in order to really show off your portfolio, you need to have a great website.
It’s your website that people will turn to when considering whether or not to hire you, so make sure you have all of your best work displayed on your website, along with your contact information and some good reviews from past clients; social proof is the name of the game.

13. Ask qualifying questions

Because you only have a finite amount of time at the event, it's important to make sure you are spending that time wisely. You never want to give too much time to any one couple or person because there's a great chance that they will never hire you. For this reason, it's important to ask qualifying questions to determine if this is somebody who's really interested in hiring you, or it's just somebody looking to pass some time while their fiancé looks at flower arrangements.
Some great questions to ask include the date of the wedding, how many people will be attending, whether or not they have already booked a photographer, what their budget is for a photographer, and whether or not they are planning to hire a photographer from the bridal show. By asking these questions, you can make sure that you're giving your time to the right people, which will make all the difference.

14. Offer something unique

All photographers take photos, but what makes you different. Is there a product or service you can provide that those other photographers aren't offering? There should be. Whether you make books, design websites, do videos or whatever else, just make sure you do more than just take photographs, remember people love packages and bundles, so try to think of things you can throw into a package deal, and you'll generate more business.

15. Don’t be the most or least expensive

Last but not least, you want to make sure that you are priced competitively. You don’t want to be the cheapest photographer at the event because people associate low prices with poor quality work. You also don't want to be the most expensive, or you can price yourself out of the market. The trick is to find a happy medium and have prices that will work for both you and the couple.

Summary

Bridal shows are a great way to find new clients for your wedding photography business, but there's a lot of work that goes into being successful at these kinds of events. By following the tips and tricks in this article, you'll be able to stand out from the crowd and make the most of your investment. Good luck!