A few weekends ago, I had a super busy weekend.. but so much fun! Friday night started the WPPA (Wisconsin Professional Photographer's Association) spring convention which continued each day until Monday. The speakers were great, and it was fun to reconnect with some past friends and meet some new peers! We were hosted at the lovely Paper Valley Radisson in downtown Appleton.
This was the view from the skywalk looking farther into downtown Friday evening. Please enjoy my lovely iPhone/instagram images. ;)
And this was the speaker on Monday.. he talked about weddings, sales, marketing, and we had great fun learning from his posing and photographing demonstration. He's incredibly talented.
He started out with a bang... I loved this thought: Do you live to work? Or work to live?
It really got me thinking. I do try to keep a balance between my photography work and regular life, and I plan to keep it that way. So many photographers I know seem to pour their whole living into photography. It's wonderful when those passionate individuals do that, but I feel it's so important to develop other areas of your life too.. like your relationships with your spouse, family, and even necessary down time and hobbies. I solemnly believe that stress is a huge detriment! Now, anyone up for a nap? ;)
Anyway, the speaker is a super talented wedding photographer in Florida and runs a business with his 3 brothers, so he had a fun time romping in the snow when we went outside for a lighting and posing demonstration.
The whole convention was wonderful, and all the speakers were awesome for inspiration and education.
Going back a day, Sunday offered another lovely wedding show at the Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton.
These generally are a blast... and this one was no different! I was told by two different future brides that I was their favorite photographer they had talked to that day. Another couple came back and asked if they could look through my albums some more because they liked my work so much. Talk about heart-warming!! I could hardly fit through the door to leave from my big head and inflated ego. ;)
And I haven't changed the teal and green at all.. because I get so many positive comments and feedback. "Oh, you're the teal and green lady!" Yes! My branding is working! ;)
Monday evening, I also had a wedding professionals networking meeting where I got to see a lot of my friends/other vendors from the wedding show and catch up with them. It was great.
Anyway, so that was my super busy weekend. If any of you stopped and said hi to me at the booth, I really appreciate it! The wedding show went really well.. and those of you I met, I truly enjoyed every minute! :)
Let's get on to the more helpful part.. the show is now over, now what?
3 things to do after a wedding show
1. Sort all your "paperwork."
I know. At the show, it is so tempting just to grab the price list, throw it in your bag, and run. As wedding vendors, we usually get in your face, talk a mile a minute, and are like an over-enthusiastic puppy. Sorry. Hope we didn't slobber too much. ;)
But, the key is to discard (or better yet, recycle) any price lists for services and vendors that you know you won't need. Already have your florist? Cool, pitch that one.
2. Look up your vendors online.
Gather your other price lists and information and head to the computer. Get to know their work. Check out their
Facebook page, their blog, their
websites, and any reviews they might have. Do any of their personalities show through? Is there a "look" or style of their work that grabs you? How informative is their website? Are things up to date? Do their recommendations sound truthful?
I'm not saying we all update our websites once a week (I wish!), but it's nice to see that a vendor is showing current work.
3. Make the initial contact.
If you're looking for a cake artist (they are truly artists.. wow!), narrow your search down to 2-3 prospective bakeries and contact them. Many websites offer direct contact forms, while others offer email addresses and phone numbers. Always give the date of your wedding and ask to meet them in person. (Pssst. We LOVE sitting down with you... makes us feel like you just gave us a treat. Remember the dog analogy. No? Okay. Moving on.)
If you don't hear back from them in a day or two, move on. Communication is a big thing in planning your wedding. If they don't make answering emails or messages a priority, it might be the cause of a headache or five in the future.
And that's it! Wedding shows can be overwhelming with all the people, vendors, fashion shows, etc., but they can be extremely helpful for getting a jump on wedding planning.
Please check me out on
Facebook, or check out
my website for more of my work. And drop me a line or two.. I would love to hear from you! :)
Or check out more wedding planning tips like
3 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Photographer.
