Bridal Show: What went Wrong (aka an Expose on myself)

The boxes are unpacked and my heels kicked off. I have a lovely centerpiece on my mantel (thanks FloraCulture!) and I've rented some space on our ottoman for my poor feet. The wine is pouring freely and I've got a bottomless glass.

Yes ladies and gentleman, another bridal show has come and gone.

Something you need to know about me- if I've done something wrong, I'm quick to point it out and rather publicly. I'd love to blame it on life long quest to better myself, but I think it really has to do with nine years of Catholic School.

On Sunday, I spent the day at the Wedology 101 booth at the Richmond Bridal Showcase . The brides and caffeine were plentiful despite going head to head with the Carytown Watermelon Festival.

As with any event, I keep a mental list of my personal do's and don'ts throughout the show and quickly run home to take note before I went on my date with my couch.

Let's face it- no one is perfect. I may write up a storm on bridal show marketing, and offer bridal show coaching but even I don't quite cross ever t and dot every i.

So without further ado, here is my self professed list of things I didn't do well, in no particular order:

1) I wore heels, and flip flops. The cement floor is no friend to feet, and I just wasn't wearing my thinking cap the day I packed my shoes. Flats always kill my feet at the show, so I mixed it up. Too bad I forgot that in years past, I normally stood on a rug all day. Ouch.

2) My raffle prizes were Wedology 101 tickets. Although I was pleased with ticket sales for Wedology 101, I do wish we had selected another raffle item for our booth to boost sales further. After all, brides were excited about attending but were then holding their breath on the freebie tickets raffle, which was pulled at 2pm and 4pm. By then, if they didn't win, the momentum was gone.

3) Wedology 101 team signs for our vendors. My partner in crime Jenn and I had distributed Wedology 101 team signs for each of the vendors in the week previous, in hopes they'd be on display at their respective booths. This Sunday, I realized I had broken one of the cardinal rules- always make it super easy on the sponsors. In other words, I should have brought the signs with me to ensure they would be featured in each of the booths.

4) I relied on the kindness of wedding planners- namely, Jenn. The Wedology 101 was okay on its own but only really spruced once Jennifer McBride put the finishing touches on it. Height, fancy pins to hang the banner AND flowers from FloraCulture? Don't mind if I do! If I hadn't had them there, I would rated myself a C+ for style.

5) It was summer and I forgot. I love the Richmond Bridal Showcase because we can set up on Saturday for the Sunday show. I was so pleased with myself to have set up so far in advance- until I showed up the next day and saw that half of my paper signs hanging in the back of the booth with Wedology 101 questions, had curled because of the humidity in the space. I should have put two and two together on that one and set up that portion on Sunday.

6) I didn't have enough lists. I was technically responsible for two entire booths and portions of my clients. I relied too heavily on my memory without writing things down and missed a few items on our Richmond Bridal Association booth. Next time- it's back to the post its and lists for me!

So what did we do well you may ask? I arrived early and with doughnuts. We overstaffed the booth so we were never stretched. I took time to post photos on social media channels throughout the day. We also had plenty of everything- from registration forms to caffeine and granola bars. Everything was easy to break down and because I'm a lucky girl, I had a sympathetic husband and a home cooked meal waiting for me when I got home.

Up next- Wedology 101 next Sunday, August 15. Time to repack the boxes, pick out a new pair of shoes and cork that bottle of wine.

Well, maybe just one more glass.

Cheers,
Meghan


Meghan Ely is the owner of OFD Consulting, a niche marketing and public relations group servicing the wedding industry. She is also the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association, Contributing Writer to Virginia Bride Magazine and has a regular column in the Richmond Times Dispatch, Wedology 101: the Reality of Being a Bride.