When you first become engaged and the excitement of the proposal starts to settle, you may wonder, “OK now what?” An amazing place to begin this journey is at a bridal show! I recently wrote about Tips for Successfully Navigating a Bridal Show, which you can read HERE. This past Sunday, I participated in a wonderful event in the heart of Illini country in Champaign, IL. Along with 60 plus other vendors we packed the I Hotel with our fancy booths showing off our creativity and specialties! Bridal shows can be totally nuts with hundreds of brides and grooms along with their entourage scouring for their perfect vendors for wedding day. However, it is a great way to connect and book your dream vendors.  

My love for rustic, repurposed, burlap, and of course turquoise drove my design for my booth! If you didn’t already know this about me….Turquoise is my JAM! Which is why I incorporated it in my logo a few years back. I made sure to show off plenty of amazing canvas wraps on stained wooden hinged boards. Because who doesn’t love a beautiful canvas? To me, these are the absolute best way to display your favorite wedding photos. Or in my cause some of my personal favorite shots. Custom designed albums and guestbooks helped me to line the table tops for couples to browse through my work. Also around my own house I have a collection of old cameras and suitcases that I use to add a little punch of character. So I brought those along for some added decor. I think my little booth came together and I really enjoyed the space. 

I always love of the enthusiasm of a bridal expo. To help me on show day, I usually bring my other half, Josh, to make sure we can chat with as many couples as possible during the crazy four hours. Josh and I are chatters (him famously more than me). He’s my wingman! Don’t let him fool you though, he is NOT my second photographer. Until he learns to take a photo without screaming “Money Shot” after each click, I can’t take him to any weddings! Which is why meeting a bunch of couples with their family members and friends in tow is a wonderful experience personally and for my business (And gets Josh out without yelling!) I completely loved learning about a new town in Champaign as well as the surrounding areas where many brides were planning their weddings. One more show under my belt and many more I foresee in the future! Super Pumped!

Warm Regards, 
Lauren

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