After the Bridal Expo
AFTER THE BRIDAL EXPO, WHAT DO I DO?
Sweet Beginning, Engagement, & Wedding Tips
A blog series to help every couple on their adventure to marriage.
By | Crystal Horton Photography
Your feet wanted to sit. You wanted a hot shower. Your head needed a break. You had a spectacular bridal expo. You got a ton of names. You entered into a few raffles. You hopefully signed up to have a few coffees. This is your wedding and you want to make sure that you have the best of the best. Question is, what do you do now? How do you organize? How do you filter the vendors?
Collecting your thoughts.
All those papers you have sitting in a bag (that are a few days old) you need to organize them. In my last blog you might remember seeing my note about a binder, sheet protectors, and tabs. How you want to keep the categories organized. But you also need to keep your notes clean and clear. That is the biggest trick to keeping your wedding organized. The supplies is not expensive and so worth the afternoon to build. Your sanity will approve. UNLESS, you hire a planner. Then you should have a super simple wedding.
My Wedding Binder.
If you didn't read my last blog about prepping for your first bridal expo, here is one of the quick tips. The biggest and best trick I have told every single couple I work with, and now you. Go to your local office store, grab sheet protectors and tabs and do as I say.
Open the binder and stick only the sheet protectors into the binder.
Get the bag of brochures and info and dump it on the floor.
Start organizing by vendor type.
Next take each of the vendor's documents and put each company in a sleeve protector.
Then take the pack of tabs and separate the vendor categories.
Now when ever you get more information or you find notes about that vendor, you can slide it where it belongs.
Again, don't get rid of it because your first vendor may get booked while you are reading this.
Don't scare your fiance!
As much as you want to get your fiance involved asap, don't scare them. If you pour all those names in front of them, they are going to either help for a a brief moment, or shut down immediately. Their response will be, "pick who you want". Which is great, but that defeats the purpose of "our wedding". You big job, is to first filter the names first. Then let your fiance work as a second filter. Finally the names that remain, are the ones that you should book coffees or phone calls with.
Don't wear yourself out.
Just as important to not scare your fiance, don't wear yourself out. You have a ton to go through. As long as you get things organized to the bare bone, you will feel good. Take it step by step. If you went to the expo and got a ton of DJ's, file those, and put the rest to the side. Do the others tomorrow, but don't skip them. Make sure you keep up on your binder.
Now what?
As I said, start setting up meetings and coffees asap!
Too often I get couples wanting to learn about me, or share a coffee, but sadly, I'm already booked. The worse part is when clients want to meet during busy seasons. Then it's hard to even find an opening in the schedule. Most of the openings are for the current clients and appointments with their vendors.
I can't express enough YOU NEED to get on their calendar. Even if you are unsure. What can a free coffee or phone call hurt?
A Coffee or meeting, what?!
Yes. Get the courage to cold call them, or text, or better, meet them in person. And yes I have a whole opinion on why you should meet in person, or at least chat over the phone. You need to know the real them, not the sales person from the expo. After you sit down with them, keep your notes organized. Ask them a few of my questions I have listed in my "Smooth Wedding Day Series". Then, immediately put those notes with their designated sleeve or tab or folder.
Don't throw away their information. Even if you want to book another vendor, keep these notes. You could try to book your favorite vendor, yet they booked another bride just moments before you.
You don't want to start from scratch do you?
Baby Steps.
With everything that comes with weddings you have to keep taking every step you can. The next important thing to shuffle through is your in person coffee and meetings. If I haven't said it enough, you need to get these meetings booked asap.
Most couples start booking vendors 12 months out. They get to enjoy paying small monthly payments versus going through suffocation. Or struggling to find pennies in the couch.
If you don't know the vendors that book first are, venues, photographers, and planners. The next wave is Dj's/Music, Cakes, Caterers, & Flowers.
Note: at my recent expo, several vendors (and brides) told me they were already booking for winter 2021.
And one final note, don't be afraid of anything. This is your wedding and your investment. Be sure you love the vendor and what they believe in. And make sure you have your back up vendors ready. You aren't booked until there is a transfer of money and documentations.
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If you are serious about the quality of your wedding photographs, send me your questions, or date. I only accept 30 weddings each year.
What makes me a different kind of wedding photographer? Let me share the intimate details of how losing my job in the middle of planning my wedding, defined me as a photographer. Focused on not just stunning images, but the experience of a lifetime for you.
You know 30 weddings a year is not many. But, that is because I give more than digital downloads. I deliver an unforgettable experience. Pick the perfect wedding photography package and experience from one of my specially designed packages.
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Crystal Horton Photography
1729 Red Clover Dr., Lebanon, Ohio 45036
937-550-3133
Captivating Wedding Photography in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Ohio Tristate
