Bridal Bazaar 2011!

When I finally got the call from Patty saying I could participate in this Julys Bridal Bazaar at the San Diego Convention Center I was elated. I have been on the waiting list for 2 years and I make sure to check in every couple months. I got my spot because another photographer had to drop out at the last minute….these spots are hard to come by. I immediately called my dad and brainstormed ways to construct walls without them being too heavy to transport. We went to Home Depot and bought wood a few days later. We only had a month until the show so we went right to work.

I spent countless hours with Shannon, my amazing second shooter, via Ichat, sharing my screen, while I was on google sketch-up trying to figure out the exact placement of each print and the design of the walls. I love how it all came together.

If it wasn’t for my amazing father and his background in engineering I couldn’t have done this. Maybe he didn’t need a background in engineering, but it didn’t hurt. My dad is like…a super genius. He was an aeronautical and astronautical engineer, so technically you can actually call him a “rocket scientist!” THANK YOU DAD FOR EVRYTHING!!!!! I painted the walls as my dad cut and built the frames for them. I wish I could have done more, but I think he was afraid I would saw a finger off or worse.

When I saw the walls painted and standing side by side, I got giddy. It looked SO good! All they needed were prints! A HUGE thank you to Dimensional Effects!!! They do tradeshows! That’s what they are known for….popup tents, customized booths, etc. You name it for a tradeshow and they’ll do it! I know them on a personal level and I asked for some custom prints and voila! Becky, the owner, is sweetest thing you will ever meet! I will be indebted to her for the rest of my life. Seriously, the quality of her prints is the best I have seen! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

But it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops! I had a huge problem at UPS, which in return left me printing all night on Saturday until 4am the morning of the show.

A Reaction to the Show….

Without my Mom and Shannon, there is NO possible way I could have done this show! Thank you so much ladies for you support! We never had a second to breathe or walk away from our booth. We had a photobooth and I think that was a big draw! Click here to check out the ridiculous fun! The photo with the most likes by the end of the week will win a free engagement session.

As an exhibitor, I found the bridal bazaar a little overwhelming…I can’t imagine how the brides feel. For anyone who has traveled abroad, you may know what I’m about to refer to, which, I think, perfectly encapsulates the bridal bazaar environment: you know those restaurant alleys or busy areas with lots of restaurants in one area and they have hostesses standing out there all trying to get you into their restaurant…“Hey pretty lady, free drink for you, free appetizer.” Well, that’s what I imagine it feels like, just without the menu. But all in all, it was a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again in January!

I have to thank my dad again for constructing the walls because my booth looked FAB! Thank you SO much mom and dad for helping me move in on Saturday morning, which took about 5 hours! Thank you Christian for helping us move in and out as well and bringing us lunch. A HUGE thanks to Shannon for flying down for this!!!!

“Say hello to my little friend”…. I guess this is why dad didn’t want me to handle the power tools.

Making the vinyl letters letters for the photobooth!

My Google Sketchup…..

A screenshot as i was on hold with UPS, my heart was sunk in my stomach, i had no idea what to do. They had ALL my promotional materials i was going to hand out. My cell phone was preoccupied with UPS and my Ichat wasn’t working with Shannon. Every time i would try to videochat with her i could get an error and a screen shot. I wanted to cry and this was the most pitiful one. I had to take a save it.