Author: photomeparty

The new year is here and the bridal shows are lining up. Whether you just had a ring placed on your finger over the holidays, or you are in crunch-time with your wedding in a few months, there is something to be gained from bridal shows.

Before you sign up for any bridal fair, do some homework of your own. Fairs can be overwhelming and if you go without a game plan, you could miss out on some of the positive aspects.

Do you have a date set? This will be question #1 from anyone you talk to. Your wedding date is the keystone to your planning calendar.
Do you have general guest count? Venues and caterers will care about your expected wedding size. There is no point in looking at quaint venues that hold 75 people if you know your confirmed guest list is going to top 200.
It’s okay if your answers are ‘no’
If you don’t have the answers to the above 2 questions – you will be in the browsing stage at a bridal fair. There is nothing wrong with that, but go with the mindset that you are looking for ideas and inspirations. You are probably not ready to sign contracts and take advantage of the show specials. Do not get your feelings hurt because the vendors are not spending much time with you. If there is a crowd, the vendors will be focused first on couples that have an established wedding date.

Every vendor in attendance is there for one reason – and one reason only. They are there to find prospective clients. Depending on the fair, vendors pay a few hundred dollars, up to a couple thousand dollars just to walk through the doors. Add on top of that any costs associated with the booth, staff, samples and paperwork. As a bride (or the one paying for the wedding), you are potential business to every owner with a booth. As long as you understand that before you walk in the doors you will be okay.

Put on some comfy shoes, bring a bag or backpack to gather the brochures & samples you will collect, and walk through the doors with a plan. Bring your calendar, your wish list, your budget and someone to keep you on track.

If you are financially able to secure agreements – this is a great time to save money! This is the area where you can benefit the most from a bridal fair. Most, if not all, businesses that are represented are going to be offering “show specials.” Many times, this is the best pricing structure that will be offered all year long. Those discounts will typically be best for couples that are ready to sign contracts or place deposits during the show itself. It is possible that the discounts may be extended for a short time period after the show — depending on the nature of the business and how full the vendors’ calendars are at the conclusion of the event.

Do your research in advance and have a plan of which vendors you know you MUST talk to – That is where you should start your day. That is especially important if the vendor is limited to how many dates they can book on a particular event. No bride wants to hear “I’m sorry, I booked that date an hour ago.” from her preferred reception hall. Once all the “have to” stops have been made, enjoy browsing, tasting samples and getting ideas for your day.

Large Shows or Small Shows?
Bridal Shows come in all shapes and sizes. You will find large national shows that cover multiple days and are packed with brides. The quantity of vendors will be larger and their displays might be fancier, but you are going to compete with many more brides for their attention.

Mid-size regional shows should still have a large variety of vendors, most of which are local companies, covering all aspects of wedding planning. Many of these shows are done by local broadcasting companies or local convention or community centers. The benefit of a mid-size show is that you should have more time to discuss your wedding with the local vendors and you will have less competition for their time from other brides.

Small business-based shows are typically found at local wedding shops or done as pop-up shows at local wedding venues. You can expect a smaller number of vendors with lots of personal attention. These shows are often planned by local event planners as an opportunity to showcase the vendors that are on their preferred list.

Regardless of where you are in your planning process, bridal fairs are a great resource for ideas early-on and can benefit your budget when you are ready to start securing companies for your wedding day.

PhotoMe Photo Booth has chosen a couple of Mid-Size Regional Shows to take part in this year. We will be at the Hannibal Bridal Expo at the Star Theater on February 23rd. There is no cost to attend, but you can register here.

We will also be at the Cedar Lake Cellars Wedding Show on March 24th. Registration is not open yet – but you can watch their events listings on their website.

When it comes to offering my booth for charitable events, my heart will forever be connected with the Alzheimer’s Association. My family, like so many others, was deeply affected by the destruction of the disease. My dad starting exhibiting symptoms in his 60’s, but was never truly diagnosed. In fact, his symptoms eventually became understood as Alzheimer’s although the word was never put on paper as a diagnosis. It began as forgetfulness and progressed from there.

The disease took away some of the things that he was most known for in life, including his sense of direction and his loving character. I lived a few hours away from my home town. When my parents would come visit, Dad’s confusion would show more prevalently during his visits than it would at home – on the streets that he grew up on. In the early days, while Dad was able to drive, he would randomly get lost or would argue that he was going the right way, when others knew he that he wasn’t. Before the disease, my Dad could go somewhere once and would always know how to get back there again. That is a trait I wish I had inherited – thank God for GPS!

The focus of my Dad’s life and everything that he did was for the love of his family. He never shied away from showing affection. Maybe he didn’t say the words because he wasn’t much of a talker, but you knew it in his actions. He worked hard, gave everything he had and disciplined with a kind heart. As the disease progressed, but he still had awareness, you could see the frustration come to the surface. Eventually, the disease created a personality in my dad that was completely unrecognizable. What was left behind was an empty shell with periods of aggression and anger that simply didn’t exist in the dad that I knew growing up. It was truly agonizing watching my mom become the caretaker of a stranger, and an angry one at that.

Anyone that has walked the road with someone progressing through Alzheimer’s knows that each day is unpredictable at best. Every person has a unique experience with the disease. You spend your time trying not to be angry and then are left with guilt, loneliness and recent memories that are created by a disease that overshadow a lifetime of happy memories. My heart goes out to the caregivers, family and otherwise, that live day to day with the pain of loss. I still wish I could wipe away the Alzheimer’s memories so only the happy ones are left.

“His memories are not gone. I am simply keeping them safe until he joins me someday.”

At one point during a particularly difficult time for my dad, I was praying for him, my mom, myself and anyone else that stepped in during the most uncomfortable situations. God left me with this sense of hope… “His memories are not gone. I am simply keeping them safe until he joins me someday. I can assure you that someday you will see your Dad again and he will know you and have back his lifetime of memories.” That hope has stayed with me as a healing balm. I miss my dad every single day, but I take joy in knowing that he has been restored fully with his memories intact.

If you choose to walk during the Alzheimer’s Walk – thank you! If you are a caretaker (family or otherwise) – thank you! If you have lost someone like I have, or are experiencing the disease on a more personal level – have hope. I pray someday there is a cure, but until then, I know that God has a stash of memories that he is hanging onto until the day comes when they will be returned to their rightful owners. I pray that helps lift some of the despair that this disease brings to those it touches.

The local “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” walks are:

St. Charles County, MO – at the St. Charles Community College in St. Peters on Sept. 29^th
Lincoln County, MO – at Troy Middle School in Troy on Oct. 13^th.

Stop by my photo booth near the end of either walk route and take a keepsake photo that you can text to yourself or a loved one. Together, We Can End Alzheimer’s.

You are next in line for the booth — and the pressure is building. This photo will be in your friends’ photo booth scrapbook… FOREVER! Here are a few ideas (and things to avoid)

1. Action! Act out a movie sequence (and see if your friends can guess it)
2. Tell a Story. Use all 3 images like a cartoon strip.
3. Get Creative. Use the props provided – or come up with a prop of your own. If you are known as being on your phone all the time, use your cell phone as a prop. Even table decor can be used (just be respectful of items that you don’t own)
4. Practice in advance. Yep, I said practice. Have you noticed the people with the best selfie photos are always taking selfie photos? It is no accident!
5. Duck Face. Don’t. Just Don’t.
6. Keep it classy. Don’t take photos that you will regret tomorrow, or will have to be censored in someone’s scrapbook. You are not the only one getting a copy of your photos.
7. Pay attention to your surroundings. If the photo booth is an open air booth – be respectful to those in line and watching from a distance.

Most important tip — HAVE FUN! Maybe you can even encourage someone sitting quietly and just watching to participate as well.

I am thrilled that you are considering a photo booth for an upcoming event! Photo Booths are the perfect way to get your guests out of their seats and to interact with each other. You can’t help being a little silly striking a pose with a mustache and a feather boa!

Not all Photo Booths are created equal, however. You should know upfront exactly what you are booking for your event. Here are some questions you should ask before you even ask about price.

1. What is the booth made of? That means the actual booth – is it made up of a homemade concoction of pvc pipe and bed-sheets, metal poles and draping, or is it an open air design?
   Photo Me Photo Booth is an open air design — meaning it can fit more people in the booth and your guests get to interact with those that are posing.
2. What kind of equipment will be used? The quality of the camera and the printer will dictate the quality of your finished prints. You do not want web cameras or ink jet printers to be used at your event.
   We use Canon cameras and a dye sublimation printer. That means your photos will be professional quality and the print time is less than 10 seconds.
3. Who is doing the design work for customizations? Will the company outsource the work or will it be done by someone that isn’t qualified to be creating custom designs?
   All of our designs are done by a professional graphic designer with the appropriate high-end software. All images will be high resolution for the best quality printed product.
4. How much “live time” am I getting for my rental? It may seem like the answer to this is obvious. However, make sure the set-up and take-down times are not included as part of your rental time.
   Photo Expressions completes set-up and take down outside of your scheduled rental time. When booking, schedule the time you want the photo sessions to start. We also have the option to add “idle time” so you don’t have to pay for live rental time during events like dinner when the booth will not be in use.
5. How many photos can be printed during each session? Clarify the limitations for each session. Some companies limit the number of printed photos to 2, regardless of how many people are in the image.
   If you have 4 people in a photo, you can print 4 photos of the session. If you have purchased a Scrap Book, that image is in addition to the guest prints.