A little over a week ago I attended the Island Brides Bridal Expo, which was my very first Wedding Expo as a vendor. I was so excited, except when I was first asked a week prior to the event there were so many thoughts running through my head I didn't know where to start. I had one week to design a booth, plan how I was going to market my booth so people would be intrigued to stop and either just look at my booth, or stop and chat for a bit. I have never had the opportunity to run my own booth before, so I had to start at the very begining. 1) Finding your Focal Point : People are often drawn to the most noticable factor in the center of your space! I had recently been researching rustic qualities of a wedding, and one of the most eye catching items at a wedding is the way the "cake" area is presented. Cupcakes seem to be the up and coming fashion in this area of a wedding; they are already pre portioned, each one is beautifully presented, and the way you present them prior to being eatten can be done in a multiple of ways. Fortunatly for me my partner is very crafty in the art of carpentry so I put him to work helping me create my cupcake staircase out of logs 2) Drawing Attention: How to draw people into my booth? Not every person wants to hire a wedding planner, but for me I want everyone to notice my booth, because every person knows another person, who know other people who may just be looking for a little extra help. Word of mouth is the number one advertisement especially on PEI. One of the instructions any designer will tell you is to not have a flat surface, different heights, different texture always showcase better than a flat canvas! Another thing to think about is your colors, it is currently the beginning of March it's very cold and tends to become a bit gloomy, so bright and cheerful colors tend to liven the space as well as peoples moods. I also used simple everyday flowers that I knew have a long life span to maximize the cost, and can be transferred to my home and be used after the show which lasted of one day ! 3) Information: Simplicity is key ! Thinking back on attending event conferences, Science fairs, job fairs and any other booth related event I may have gone to, the most unattractive feature in a booth is too much information. Most people can only retain so much information, they also lose interest if they have to stand there and read everything you have to offer, A lot of the time they look ugly and people tend to walk by without venturing in to see what the booth is all about. In less than a week to pull together a simple information package, I turned to vista print for all my printing needs; I ended up having business cards and a introductory brochure explaining my 3 packages. I am my biggest information package, everything I know, everything I can do is better explained in person, and the best way to engage in your clientele is to talk to them and get to know who they are and how you can help. 4) Finishing touches: Follow the instructions of your elementary grade teachers to never leave blank spaces, and always color in the white spots! I found my focal point, I gathered my information, now to fill in the bare spots. I focused on keeping the rustic image by burlap mason jars filled with flowers, old logs to define my space covered in burlap lace and midnight lanterns, an old bicycle which I filled with a simple candy as a thank you for visiting my booth and taking the opportunity to appreciate the work I have done. 5) The Big Day: Always be punctual, and always be yourself ! Heading down to the Murphy's Community Center in Charlottetown was a struggle, on one of the coldest days of winter where there were snow squalls and white outs I still managed to make it to the event. This magnificent event was created by two amazingly talented people! Tracy Cash; a wedding decorator who owns the company Once Upon a Wedding, and Kelli Skinner who operates The Bride To be which is a wedding accessory shop . To gather all the different types of vendors that are available across the island is such a great way to decrease the stress that a bride may have when trying to find the different types of products and services that they are looking for. Vendors: I had the opportunity to meet some pretty great people, and learn about multiple new products and services that different individuals offer. listed below are a few of the vendors that I highly recommend. The First two go hand in hand as close as two products can be ! Black Magic Teeth Whitener "The new craze that is taking North America by storm" was represented by Kelsey Murphy. You can find Kelsey on Facebook or Email her at [email protected] This product is 100% Canadian, and made from all natural products made mostly from oxidized charcoal! Lip Sense is a product that focus' on longer lasting lipstick! This lipstick is perfect for every bride; you can create your own color, it's waterproof, kiss proof, and smudge/smear proof. knowing you don't have to re-apply your lipstick every five minutes and still look amazing is one product every bride is searching for. Lip Sense was represented by Alisha, who is also a fabulas hair stylist you can find her on Facebook or Email her at Alisha@islandlipstyle One of the most exciting ideas people are incorporating into their wedding is having a photo booth to capture all the guests who have attended your big day.
Laugh It Up photo booth services was represented by Logan who was energetic and ready to really make the best out of every crazy outfit, and to help every couple really enjoy the memories they were about to keep for the rest of their lives! You can visit their website at www.laugitup.ca The last vendor i'm going to mention is Tocara, Tocara is based out of Montreal and is a canadian made company that creates stunning jewlery ! You can visit their site at www.tocaraplus.com In conclusion, always start a new adventure with an open mind !
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Author: Savannah CampbellBorn and raised in Prince Edward Island. Archives
August 2018
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