Welcome to Your Perfect Dress Bridal Fashion Blog!

We are so excited to have the opportunity to provide Colorado brides with current news about fresh and innovative ideas on fashion in the bridal industry. From seasonal trends to information about local bridal shops, from alterations to tuxedos, you can find it all here on the Your Perfect Dress bridal blog!

Your Perfect Dress is the ideal solution for the fashion dilemmas of today’s savvy bride. A qualified bridal fashion stylist can help you find the silhouettes most flattering for your shape, the designers most suitable for your personal style and where to shop for the best bridal experience. YPD stylist Maureen Mika uses her knowledge of both the fashion and bridal industries to assist the bride in finding her gown, the bridesmaid’s dresses, and tuxedos to give the wedding party a fashionable and timeless look.

We here at Your Perfect Dress love what we do; having the opportunity to help brides make the happiest day of their lives an absolute dream. We all have a passion for what we do and it shows through the fabulous work we put forth. This is why we are creating blogs for brides to serve as a one stop shop about all she needs to know in order to make her wedding planning as easy and painless as possible.

Sheraton and M Hotel were the first two bridal shows that we went down last month – M Hotel has a jacuzzi in its bridal suite, which is something quite cool! However, my dear and I decided to check out other hotels instead as M Hotel couldn’t provide an available date among our preferred dates and Sheraton’s package did not have enough perks. The Grand Copthorne’s wedding consultant is also very friendly and sincere but it’s disappointing that the hotel’s ballroom that meets our minimum no. of tables has two pillars in the middle of the function room~

Before my dear and I decided on our preferred wedding venue, we shortlisted another two hotels – Grand Hyatt and The Regent. We almost signed up with Grand Hyatt due to its perks but we were not willing to accept the hotel’s T & C which requires customers to pay 50% of the remaining balance (after paying the deposits) before the actual day. Although Regent has a wide collection of almost 8-9 wedding themes, we decided to take up the package with another hotel as the wedding consultant is very friendly and offered an attractive package with several perks to us. We’d also have an outdoor church solemnisation at the hotel’s poolside before the start of the wedding banquet. Looking forward to our wedding day!! : )

Many newlyweds have bought bridal magazines– some purchases based on the cover and some based on the subject. But is it “old hat” to buy them?

Imagine a bride sitting in a salon. Magazines are there to peruse, often they are bridal magazines. But does she needs to purchase it now?

With the many web sites, online bridal registries and more, there is a multitude of ways for a bride to get the information she wants and needs. There is more that she needs!

We say goodbye to Modern Bride magazine and possibly a few more. Remember how well they served us through the years. Thank you, Modern Bride.

Related story  http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/if-modern-bride-has-been-what-does-make-me#

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/publishers-changing-at-conde-nast-too/

We will be at a bridal show on the 12th at Benvenuto in Boynton Beach, FL from 6pm-9pm. Come try out the booth for your event! We will have special show deals for booking your event on Monday! We look forward to seeing you there!!

Met with a lot of brides on Sunday at the Bridal Bazaar.  I also had an arrangement in the gallery.  Those are always fun because I can do really different things.  Here are some pictures from it.

For the past decade, Beau Monde Productions (BMP) has been producing the four largest wedding shows in the Hamilton-Halton and Niagara regions of Ontario, Canada. The four shows are produced in the spring and fall, popular seasons for wedding planning.

“We pride ourselves in providing excellent customer services”, says show producer Stacey Vernon, “We strive to create a pleasant and exciting experience for our exhibitors. And because our shows have a wide variety of quality exhibitors, the brides and other guests not only have a fun experience, but an educational and useful one as well.

Beau Monde Productions became a member of BSPi approximately four years ago with the goal of learning more about marketing and advertising for wedding shows, and being able to interact with a group of likeminded people in the same industry.

BSPi has helped us in many ways,” says Stacey,  “We’ve used what we have learned to bring our attendees a great bridal show experience and to maintain our high level of customer service to our exhibitors.   But the best part of BSPi is that it gives us access to a great network of people that are ready to talk and share their experiences, their problems, as well as their solutions!”

More information about Beau Monde Productions can be found at www.bridalshowstoday.com

Paper Pod Designs table at the Bridal Expo

I participated in the Bridal Expo at the Marriott yesterday! There was a good turnout, and I was able to speak with many brides. It was my first major bridal show, apart from the Dayton Bridal Connection show in July.

This bridal show taught me a few things. First of all, I need some beach themed designs! I was asked several times if I had any, and while I have the graphics and capability to do a beach themed invitation, I don’t have any samples. That will change.

I also need to get a great supplier for Save The Date magnets. I think I have found one, but need to do a little more research. Not only are Save The Dates getting more popular, the magnet versions are a big hit with brides, and who can blame them? It’s a perfect media for that type of stationery.

And lastly, something I already knew… I have an awesome husband! He was my helper yesterday, as he’s been at the DBC for all the mini-shows. He’s a natural sales person, and really knows how to talk to people without using any kind of pressure selling tactics. As a consumer, I can’t stand pressure selling and the annoying people who do it. So, I like that he knows how to talk to people and let them ask questions. I’ve learned a lot from him. Sure, hand out brochures, but don’t start cramming information down people’s throat. I think that especially in an environment such as a bridal show, that’s important since brides are pushed, pulled, and dragged into people’s booths. It’s information overload!

I hope the brides who attended the Bridal Expo yesterday had a great time and received a lot of valuable information!

Check out the free show in Norman, OK on Sunday!

Exciting news! We had a last minute show request so we will be heading to Miami this afternoon for a bridal show at the Pinebroke Pines Country Club from 6-9pm. Come check us out!! As always, we will be giving away free strips!

Yesterday three of our staff members were able to attend the Plano Bridal show and everything went really well. So instead of highlighting just one invitation today, we thought we’d share the pictures from our booth!

Here is the booth put together. We created boards that featured a selection of our different categories of invitations along with books of samples. We set up a laptop on the corner of our table so brides could take a look at our invitation website. We found many people excited about our quick tunraround time of two weeks or less.  

We loved the banner that featured our logo as well as our website information. It looked great on the front of the table!

We used on of our guestbooks for brides to sign up to win a free wedding accessory set from 1st Class. The winner will be selected on September 21!

We dedicated one board to our new ColorPress Collection of invitations, and they were a hit! Brides loved our exclusive designs, and we think some brides might have found “the ones” when it came to their wedding invitations.

It was a successful day that allowed us to meet many new people in the wedding world. We can’t wait for the next one!

Tomorrow (sunday the 13th) we will be in Palm Beach Gardens at the PGA National Resort and Spa for a bridal show from 1pm-4pm. We will be giving away free photo strips so come check us out!

The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo, Chicago’s most intimate bridal event, invites you to our September 27, 2009 Wedding Expo and Bridal Fair taking place in Rolling Meadows, IL at the Holiday Inn. 

While we will be featuring different exhibits and workshops, we would like to call your attention to our Interactive Exhibit at our Bridal Event.  Salon Elite will be doing hairstyles for our fashion show models at the show.  You may stop by the exhibit and speak directly with the professionals about hair, make-up applications and how you too can be beautiful on your big day.

This up-close and personal touch is what The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo has come to expect to be delivered to their attendees.  By limiting the crowd at our Chicago area bridal show, we allow you to actually plan your wedding.  No more sifting through phone books, visiting multiple locations, just show up and fill-up on tips, tricks, advice and money saving offers.

Are you worried if your updo will stay up?  Do you have a specific texture of hair that you think is not conducive to certain styles, don’t trust your wedding day to anyone, come and ask the questions and get the answers.  The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo will take place on September 27th and Salon Elite and her staff will be doing great styles – join us at www.bridalsampler.com or call 630-299-4899 to attend. 

The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo – give us a few hours of your day and we will show you a better way.

Over the past few weeks, many have asked us, “Which bridal show(s) should I choose?” or “Why should we choose yours?”

Knowing that each show has a unique flavour, the answer truly lies in the needs of the participant.  When many producers stress the desirability of their shows, does that really mean the show is right for every business? No.  If you are interested in participating in bridal shows, you should assess each show first.  Shows cost money and time.  If not managed wisely, the efforts can be futile.

When considering a bridal/trade show, here are a few questions to ask.

• Is the show taking place in my business area? Alternatively, am I willing to travel to my clients?
• Is the venue suitable for the client’s I want to attract (think about accessibility and focus, too)?
• Is the booth space within my budget?
• If this is an unexpected show and I did not budget for it, do the demographics suit my needs?
• Do I have the staff to operate it?
• Do I know how to work it?

These are just a few questions.  Times have been tough for businesses lately, but that can justify the need for participation and increased exposure.  Let us face it; if you are still in business, you are doing better than many small-to-medium companies that shut their doors in the past twelve months.  Good for you!  Now, continue to build on it!

Our company currently produces two distinctly different bridal shows—the Western NC Bridal Show and the Brides & Beaus show.  We focus on the Carolinas with our base being in the Charlotte area.  It has not always been that way, though.  We have promoted across the Gulf Coast states, including Texas, where it all began in 1985.  As part of our shows, we offer workshops for exhibitors to learn how-to exhibit at the show.  Held several months prior to the actual show, it allows business owners to better prepare their booths and staff for the marketing venture.  Yes, bridal shows are for marketing and interaction with potential customers in a neutral setting.  You should budget for them and take advantage of offers that will help you succeed. 

Our workshops are available to each participant’s entire staff at no cost*.  Where your product or service may initialize a new customer, service will make the difference.  Take the time to ensure your staff is doing what is expected—before, during and after a show.  They are paid to perform a job and with the proper tools, they can do it better.  We provide this seminar on how-to work a trade show as another tool for you to use.  This means a more thorough interaction with the participation in a bridal show.  It is up to you to make it work for your specific business.

Assess the shows in your area or region.  Remembering that the show can help you build your business, ask questions. Then, take advantage of the offers available to help you toward a successful show and more business.

* Limited seating.  R.S.V.P. is required. Available to paid participants only.

So You Want To Be A Wedding Magician?

“He that would have fruit must climb the tree.”

Well, before you just jump right into it, there are a lot of considerations to think about before investing the time, energy, and money necessary in becoming a wedding magician.

SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Do you have the ability to handle difficult situations tactfully and gracefully without panicking or stressing out?

Do people generally like you and your attitude?  Are you pleasant to be around?

Are you ALWAYS on time and punctual?

Do you follow through with what you say you will deliver?

Do you have a strong sense of customer service?

Are you selfless and can you put other people’s needs above your own?

Are you organized?

Do you have business savvy and the ability to ‘think outside the box’?

Do you have the eloquence and charisma to motivate and influence people in the right way?

Are you able to groom and dress yourself appropriately for such a formal affair?

Can you be clean-shaven and not have bad breath? Can you look good in a tuxedo?

What would you do if you have 300 guests and the electricity goes out?

As a wedding magician, you must also be able to handle all walks of life, including kids. As we offer a rare and unique service, we get hired by many people from all different backgrounds, religions, skin color, values, etc.  Will you be able to entertain EVERYONE?  Do you bring some magic for the kids that will be there?   Some parents will have their kids present and want to get rid of them so they tell them to go and hang out with the magician. Yikes! Can you be a baby sitter and perform at the same time?

What will you do if the banquet manager wants you to park your car across the parking lot where the reception will take place?

How will you handle drunk, obnoxious and belligerent people heckling you?  How about bratty kids?

What do you do when the bride asks you on the day of the wedding to not do card tricks anymore?  How will you handle that?  Did you bring some back-up effects?

Are you able to handle all these situations? How about all these situations all at once?

There are many difficult situations that may arise. You have to be witty, think fast, improvise, be quick on your feet, and be able to handle crisis situations.  If you can’t handle the pressure, you better not pursue becoming a wedding magician.

CAN YOU BE A WEDDING PROFESSIONAL?

Aside from dealing with the guests at a wedding reception, maybe even more paramount is the ability to deal with other wedding professionals such as photographers, videographers, caterers, wait staff, wedding consultants, banquet managers, singers, musicians, and ministers. Other than the bride and groom, these people are the people magicians work with the most – some are spectacular, some are imbeciles. But, you absolutely CANNOT let personality conflicts affect the wedding!!! Compromise, NOT confrontation, is the rule among professionals.

PERSONALITY

To be a wedding magician you have to have a certain personality, have to be able to adapt and improvise, be able to handle adversity well, and have to be able to control the atmosphere and mood of the event. You have to be able to read the audience and play to the crowd. You cannot be the type of entertainer who will freak out and crack under pressure!

As a wedding entertainer you have to be very organized; if you are not organized, it will definitely be evident to the client extremely quickly. If you are not organized, you will never convince anyone of choosing you for their most important gig: their wedding! Be completely prepared before initial contact is made.

You need to find out from the bride and groom what kind of magician they are looking for and be that person. Do they want someone who is really interactive with the audience and who uses the microphone often, or someone who just stays in the shadows and strictly dos magic? I ask my clients using a rating system of 1 to 10, 1 being quiet, having no interaction with the guests, and being in the shadows, and 10 being the center of attention, leading the party, getting people involved, and heavy interaction with the crowd.

The bride and groom want to be comfortable on their wedding day. The last thing they need is to worry about paying you, or problems that you are having.   You have to show them that everything is under control and make them as relaxed as possible. Make them confident in you, and don’t let them worry – they have enough things to worry about.

EQUIPMENT

Do you already own enough routines / tricks to perform at a wedding? Are you willing to spend more? Are your effects reliable and can be easily reset?

Are you able to transport your own equipment? If performing on stage, do you have the ability to lift and carry the equipment? If not, do you have the personnel to help you?

Do you need voice amplification?

Many situations can arise and problems can and will happen. What will you do in a bind? Can you improvise? I don’t normally bring my own table. What will you do when you aren’t provided a meal to eat, although your client said there would be one available for you?  Did you pack food for yourself just in case?

Your equipment and props must be of good to excellent quality, and most importantly, be reliable. Remember, a wedding is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event (at least, most people start out hoping that will be the case!). There are no second chances if you choose to enter the wedding arena with equipment or props that is less than reliable.  And by all means, do not forget any props either!

REWARDS

I have listed a lot of the problems and pitfalls that can happen, but I have not yet listed the rewards of being a wedding magician.  After all, this is why I have chosen to be one!

The rewards are ten times better than the problems. You get a lot of immediate gratification, when everyone praises you about how well you have performed. Maybe the father of the bride will thank you for making this the happiest day of his daughter’s life. Perhaps other people attending will ask you to perform their wedding receptions or other events. You might be introduced to famous, powerful, prestigious people and even gain their business; and you may even get even better introductions and phone numbers – use your imagination here ; )

Some even more immediate rewards are when people are having such a wonderful time and the people paying you don’t want to stop the party and you get overtime bonus pay and tips.

If you are good, you will get compliments, get business referrals, meet important people, and just have an overall good time. There have been innumerable occasions where I was having such a good time I would think to myself, “Wow, I’m getting paid to do this!”

ARE YOU CUT OUT TO BE A WEDDING MAGICIAN?

I have offered a lot of the pros and cons to being a wedding magician. It’s up to you to decide if you have what it takes to succeed in the wedding market. All too often, magicians take on weddings who are not qualified or prepared for the job, because the money is great. This has a negative impact to the clients who hire the magician expecting a good quality performance, and a professional level of service. Let’s face it, performing at weddings isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. In contrast, if you feel that you have what it takes to be a wedding magician, I think you will find them to be both fun and profitable.

Kobi

www.KobiMagic.com

Kobi & his feathered-American friend, Vern!

What Do Bride’s Want?

Answer: CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE HER THE ENTERTAINMENT SHE HAS ALWAYS DREAMED OF.

That’s what most brides are looking for. Do you have the ability to perform to a level that provides the bride with the reception that she has always dreamed about? Think about it. This is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event (at least most brides approach the wedding with that idea in mind!). This bride may be spending $6,000 to $30,000 on her wedding. Over the years, we have adjusted our marketing approach to give the bride CONFIDENCE in our service that we will provide her with four basic things:

1. PLANNING - Our sales pitch to every bride includes the fact that we will plan every detail of her reception (that pertains to our service). You would be amazed at the number of brides that seem genuinely relieved when we explain to them that we provide this service to them. For this reason, every marketing packet that we send a bride includes our Wedding Reception Planner. This demonstrates that we will plan her reception so that she can relax and enjoy the wedding day.  We cover everything from entertaining children that may be present at the reception, to even coordinating with other vendors to ensure a smooth reception)

2. Tricks - While some brides just assume we have a good variety of magic, other brides (and parents!) are concerned that we have the type of effects they want. Nothing like showing up dressed like Silly Billy to an all-adult wedding reception!  This is why we print up our sample “Magic Effects” listing, that is categorized by type of magic as they believe it would appeal to their guests. Since weddings are the bulk of what I do, the tricks listed are geared to weddings and a romantic theme.

3. Emcee Service – We all take this for granted – but keep in mind that the bride has probably been to several weddings in recent years. More importantly, she has probably seen several bands.Who will keep the guests entertained while the band is on break?  Most brides want an Emcee that is a professional, who is dressed professionally, and who can Emcee the reception in a professional manner. Most importantly, she doesn’t want an Emcee who will embarrass her in front of her friends and relatives. This means she doesn’t want someone who makes a fool of him or her self on the microphone.  Give her confidence that you can fulfill her entertainment needs.  She shouldn’t be thinking about little details- instead she should be trusting you to handle them all!

4. Performance/Interactivity – Since I do about 175 weddings annually, I speak with a wide variety of brides. Some brides tell me that the last wedding they attended, if there was a magician present, that the magician did ONLY card tricks, and did little (if anything) to motivate the guests and provide a high energy level.   This bride clearly wants a FUN magician. Other brides we speak with have seen the other extreme – they attended a wedding where the magician was standing on chairs as a stage, being what we call “the show-off” magician- loud and obnoxious. It’s up to you to find out what each and every bride wants in the way of personality/interactivity for each wedding. If you explain to the bride that you can offer either the “low key” approach, or the “Fun magician” approach (in a tasteful manner), you will give her the confidence in your service that you will provide her with the type of personality she is looking for.

All of these things combined are an important factor to most brides. Sure, you will find those brides who are looking for the cheapest magician, and quality isn’t important to them, but I think they are in the minority. I believe that brides come in three categories:

1. The Cheap Brides – looking for the cheapest magician, quality not important.
2. The Average Bride – Looking for a magician who has a reasonable price AND provides a good quality service. IMPORTANT!!! This bride may present herself as the “Cheap Bride” over the phone, because the first question she’ll ask is “how much”? However, if you take the time to talk with her about the wedding, you will find that she is genuinely concerned about the performance of the magician and the quality.
3. The Quality Bride – Looking for a magician who provides outstanding performance and services. Price doesn’t matter.

Obviously, we prefer bride #3, but most often deal with bride #2. It is my belief that there are many more “Average Brides” than “Cheap Brides”. It is your job to focus on the Average Bride, and educate this bride, so that she is willing to pay more than she expected to for the entertainment (assuming that your prices are higher than the bottom feeders in your area). This is why it is important to have good marketing materials and a refined sales pitch over the phone.

We adjusted our entire sales pitch many years ago, to focus on giving the client the perception that we provide a high quality service, both before the wedding with our detailed planning services and the day of the wedding with our quality performances and attention to details. For us, this has been the most effective method of closing the sale at a price that is higher than the average rate for magicians in our market area. If you leave a bride with the perception that you provide a high quality service that is different from your competitors, do you believe that this bride will book a magician that is $100 cheaper than you? More often than not, I believe that the bride will pay the additional cost for quality. If you haven’t seen this success, closely examine every aspect of your services (in the categories listed above) for deficiencies. Are you up to snuff? If not, improve your services, marketing materials and phone sales techniques. I am certain you will reap the benefits through increased bookings at higher prices if you do.

Thanks again for reading!  See you all soon!!

Kobi

www.KobiMagic.com

Kobi performing for guests at a bridal show.

I always laugh when I remember the first time I ever rented a booth at a bridal fair. It cost me $200 for a booth and I was charging $200 to perform for a reception back then, so basically I figured if I could book one reception I’d break even. In fact, I didn’t have any bookings at the time and had never even performed for a wedding, so I thought this would be pretty cool.

What an amazing joke that was.  People were asking me, “So, how long you been doing this?” and I was saying, “Ha, you guys think I’ve done a wedding before?” Isn’t this great!’ They’d think I was just so funny and they’d book me!” That is actually how I got my start in the wedding business.

Actually, my story is not so unusual. This can best be compared to the role of a wedding disc jockey.  If you have ever been to a bridal show before, you know the ahows are JAM PACKED with many different disc jockeys.  You may be able to recount bridal shows where disc-jockeys appeared practically side-by-side with guys blasting their favorite home stereo system and dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Magicians are the same.  Would a bride really want someone dressed like a kid show magician showing up at their no-child-allowed wedding?  No!  But if you are a serious wedding entertainer, you must ALWAYS dress and act the part.

In fact, bridal fairs are arguably the number-one source that you as a magician will utilize to gain wedding reception bookings.  But what can you do to maximize the money you spend on this method of attracting gigs? Let’s find out by taking a look at some ways in which we could spend lots of money on bridal fairs but still be guaranteed not to have brides sign contracts with our companies.

1. To save money, work your booth alone or with your spouse/significant other.

Sell yourself before selling your service. Besides, you’re the best salesperson your company has!  People buy from those they like!

Back in the day, I would try to work these bridal fairs by myself. After all, I’m by far the best salesman for my company, but that also became a big problem. Brides and their mothers would come to my booth in batches, and suddenly I’d have six brides who would start listening to different parts of my presentation at different times, and I couldn’t really devote my attention to any one of them anyway. And then I’d have these great friends of mine who weren’t necessarily good salespeople, but when I’d bring them into the booth it would also create problems.”

Opinions on properly staffing a bridal fair booth range from taking the time to train your staff to sell properly to actually hiring professional salespeople to run your booth.

Although I have an elaborate wedding set-up (see pictures in previous blogs), it is not completely necessary.  When starting out, I would recommend spending a lot of money on the staffing of the booth. Get enough people to make sure your booth has coverage—five or six people in a particularly busy area like NYC where I work. My philosophy is to go out there and have fun, and go out and be who we are.

Actually, I remember this one magician who used to run a fantastic booth.  He’d hire professional salespeople to come run his booth for him. He’d go out of there with a dozen bookings, and I’d walk out with 2—and both of them people I’d already talked to in my office before the show!”

2.  Worry about where your booth is set up for the bridal show.

Why should it matter where your table is located in the exhibit hall, since the brides will be visiting all over anyway? Just grab the quickest table to the door so you can head out as soon as it’s over!

When I do bridal shows, I would make sure the show was limited to only one other magician or entertainment company that utilizes magician if possible.  By having a great relationship with the bridal show producer, he can assure you are the ONLY magician present at the show.  Of course, you have to schmooze your way into that.  Where a magician’s booth is located is essential to the success of the event. Be very, very conscious of where your table is located.  You don’t want to be in a corner. As you walk in you want to be to the left of the door.

 

3.  Give anything to the brides to help them remember your company!

When brides-to-be come to a bridal show they’re quickly issued a large plastic bag they will soon fill with brochures, postcards, coupons, fliers, business cards and business samples, certainly anything you could give them would simply be ‘lost in the shuffle.

“Ah yeah, leave something for brides to remember us by,” I reminisce.   One year I passed out balloons with ‘Show On the Road’ on it tied to a DVD brochure I had made up beforehand. I had the DVD and artwork professionally done and duplicated.  I’d interview previous bride and groom clients asking them questions about our company (they can agree to do this for a reduced rate when quoting prices,  etc).  I’d ask them things like: ‘How did having Kobi at your wedding impact the success of it?’ ‘What would you say to other couples thinking about hiring Kobi for their wedding?’  These brides would take home these DVDs, which also included performance footage, wedding planning worksheets, and other useful tools, and it always left an impression on those brides’ minds.

4. Get a ‘Live Spot’.

Getting up and performing in the middle of a bridal show rocks! You get to monopolize the attention of the brides who are there to get information on all aspects of their reception.  The extra time and effort of providing a sample show to bridal show attendees let’s them sample what they will get.

I have been appearing and performing at bridal shows for over six years.   People will hire me because I am not just one of the other vendors sitting at their booth only talking.  I’m DOing!

Once you put a performance on, that puts you above and beyond the rest.  Of course, that’s a double-edge sword too, because if you take a live spot and you suck—if you haven’t put a lot of thought and organization into it—it will be your damnation.

A live show involves lots of high energy, a sample of the variety of magic you perform, and a question and answer session in which people get to throw out different ideas.  We encourage responses, and we like to get people up and on the stage with us to see how we do things. It’s usually only 20-25 minutes. If you’re concerned about whether someone will ask a question, I’ve often “bribed” the brides to ask questions during the how that helps me sell a particular point I want to get out.  I’d bribe them with a small magic trick give-a-way or a discount coupon if they’re considering hiring me.

Try to get the live spot.  Put the time in. It’s usually free, but if you put the extra dedication and time into doing a live show, you’ll do very well.

5. Don’t stand behind your booth.

Actually, just standing there behind your booth would make you just like most of the other vendors.  Stand in front of your booth and engage the passer-bys.  They don’t know why they want to hire a magician for their wedding.  You Do!!  Show them the benefit of hiring you.  Say you’re a solo performer and you hire your spouse (hopefully for free) to come to the bridal show because you are doing a live spot. You’ve got your spouse there and maybe another assistant who just hand out materials to people as they come up.  It will show you’re professional and enables you to not miss any potential leads while you’re performing.

 

6. Don’t tick off the other vendors at the show by being loud and obnoxious with your interactions.

Treat others as you’d like to be treated.

Although this should go without saying, we have to be cognizant of our fellow vendors as well.  We must not take up too much of the bride’s and groom’s time and allow them to see the other vendors as well.  Also, if a bride is talking with another vendor, don’t try to “steal” them away or distracting them from the other vendor’s sales pitch.  Be professional.  Being magicians, we offer a unique service and are generally not in competition as the DJs are.  I remember one company a few years ago that was kicked out of doing bridal shows because they kept on holding up traffic and irritating the other vendors.  You don’t want to tick off the other vendors who could potentially refer you, because bad news travels faster than good news.

 

7. Talk up your competition at the show.

You subscribe to bridal magazines. You attend all the major bridal shows. You’re the member of  the S.A.M. or I.B.M. You even network with other quality magicians and companies around the country.  You’re confident you’re the best entertainer in your area- how do you handle that?

Do not talk bad about other magicians or vendors in your area.  That’s one thing I’ve always convinced myself not to do. We want to educate brides, and to give them something they can remember. We’ll give them an idea we do at our weddings—a lot of twists in the regular traditions.  They’ll usually end up laughing, and then they’ll put a star on the envelope we give them to remind themselves to check into our company more. Basically a lot of the other guys just badmouth their competition so they can talk about themselves. I’ve seen it happen, and those people don’t last long in the shows.

I always thought I sucked at bridal fairs.  It was an attitude more than anything else. The reason I thought I sucked was because of my arrogance. I would look at these other magicians who were there and I would think to myself, ‘I know about these guys. I know I’m better than them. And it was really tough for me to be out there and to be a commodity. The reason I worked so hard to improve my referral base was because I hated it when people would simply come up to me and say, ‘Hi, how much are you? Okay, thanks, hi, how much are you?’ And in their minds, a magician is amagicianJ; we’re all commodities.”

8. Booking receptions at the show.

There are pros and cons of this- just be careful.

Personally, I don’t think you can book gigs at shows very well.  From my perspective, I even hate discounts at a bridal fair. When you say, ‘Hey, if you book us today you’ll get $100 off!’ that’s creating a commodity. You’ve now made yourself like everyone else there. I also hate the pressuring manner of asking someone to book at the fair. I don’t think the decision to book a magician is something someone should make as a spur-of-the-moment decision.

I never try to book at the show, never.  I don’t try to get deposits at the show and I don’t give major discounts. I used to, but I don’t believe in that anymore. The only discount I give, in fact, is if a bride and groom come into my office for an appointment—and that’s only a small discount. I don’t pull out the credit card machines and book masses of people. If I were to give $100 off my packages when they book at the show, I could probably book a lot of people—but then I’m washing away our profit.”

 

9. Be Yourself.

If you’re ‘fake’, people will see right through it.  Be honest, and be yourself!

Let’s say a magician is wild and crazy at a gig.  He uses intricate and new props and everyone is laughing and having a good time- and that’s his style. But when they’re at a bridal show he’s dressed in a fancy tuxedo and is just standing there, barely smiling, and handing out brochures. He’s just ruined any chance of showing who he is as a performer.

You might get the argument that you don’t want to be too flashy or have the best set-up at a bridal show, because you don’t want to get the other vendors upset. Well, my philosophy is do exactly as you would do if you were performing.  Be yourself- cause that’s really what you’re selling!!  If I have 1000 brides at a show, and if I can get 50 of those 1000 brides who believe sort of the same way I believe, then I’m a happy camper. If it’s a bride who walks by and sees us doing an interactive trick of some sort and thinks it’s stupid, I don’t want her business anyway.

 

10. Too busy for bridal shows?

If your Saturdays are already booked for the summer of 2011 and you’re in fact already starting to fill up for 2010, why face the flea-market mentality of a bridal show—even if invited to do so by a hotel that regularly refers your business?

I built my business with bridal fairs, no question.  The first three years I was in business I think I did every bridal fair that came into town. I did them in shopping centers, I did the free ones, I did the expensive ones. Once I got into our fourth year, though, I started cutting back gradually. It was the same thing with Yellow Pages ads—when I first started in business I had a large ad, and then the ad shrunk and became an in-line ad, and then a single-line ad. Now it’s all single-line ads and the only bridal fairs I do would be at facilities who do their own in-house events.

Yes, I do not do every bridal fair.  I only do a few per year.  I do bridal shows just because reception halls who generate a lot of business want me there for variety.  It’s more like these places will want me to set up a booth for an event they’re putting on with their preferred vendors.  I don’t do it for the business I’m going to generate, but I’d never refuse to come out and do a show for a preferred vendor who uses my company a lot.

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I hope these tips will give you a little help on working the bridal market.  It’s done me quite well, and I hope you can gain some extra work by following these little tips.  Once again, thanks for reading!!!

Kobi

www.KobiMagic.com

 

Kobi performing at a bridal show

 

Maynardville’s Milan Baptist Church was filled with love during Lauren and Jacob’s heartfelt ceremony.  They decided to see each other before the wedding to get the pictures done quickly so they could go directly outside for their go-away shower of bubbles and birdseed.  It was brisk, but beautiful day full of laughter.  I had a wonderful time photographing these two!  Lauren’s shoes were too cute with her new name scrolled on the bottom!  Red Gate Farm decked out their tent to match Lauren and Jacob’s fall theme.  We went over to their bright red barn for some fun and gorgeous pictures of the two of them!  I love the contrast of the bright red and the crisp white of Lauren’s dress!  Make sure you check back later to see their full wedding video recap!

Check back later for the video!

Photography By Sabrina

Stop by our booth this Sunday at the Wadsworth Mansion Fashion Show!!  Space can be reserved by calling the Mansion at 860-347-1064, or by e-mailing events@wadsworthmansion.com. Space is limited, reserve your spot today!

A December to remember…

 Okay, all year long you have been going to bridal shows.  Some large, some small and some in between.  You have visited countless number of bridal shops looking for that perfect gown, spoken to photographers and videographers, got advice from friends, family and loved ones and you still have not settled on anything just yet.

 Here is your last opportunity in 2009 to attend Chicago’s most intimate bridal show.  The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo, Chicago’s most intimate bridal event, invites you out to our last show of 2009 – Winter Wonderland.

 We wanted to make this Chicago wedding expo exciting for you so we have added more vendors -  Over 50 vendors – who are in a giving mood – will be on hand to assist you with those last minute details and needs.  Travel, florist, photographers & more stand ready at our bridal show, to help!

 Fun – It’s a simply festive time of year and we have added more fun and entertainment including live band performances, Those Funny Little People and our Game Show that will take place every hour on the hour where you can win exciting raffles and prizes.

 Gifts – It’s that time of year when giving seems like the right thing to do. We have 2 gifts  for our future brides to choose from.  Our way of saying – Thanks for hanging out with us this holiday season.

 The entire room will have holiday décor and we will serve champagne punch and hot chocolate for our guest.

 The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo invites you to attend a simply fantastic Trunk Show featuring some 2010 styles from De JeCo Couture Bridal.  We invite you to join us on facebook and take a look at all the styles this exhibitor has to offer.  Not only are they unique and stunning, but they are prices right!

 Grab your 4 free tickets to The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo when you log on to www.bridalsampler.com and please, don’t be a scrooge – pass this on to friends, family, co-workers, and the church family that can benefit from this awesome show.

 The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo – Small enough to care; Large enough to deliver.

Now that the busy wedding season is over, the bridal show season is beginning!  After doing my first bridal show with my husband this weekend I thought I would blog about ways to make the most of the shows.

If you’ve ever attended a bridal show you know they can be absolute chaos!  There are multiple vendors from each sector and there are brides and their friends running all over the place.  Some shows even have multiple rooms with vendors in them!  If you haven’t done your homework you may not know which way to go!  So…check out these tips!

Before the show

1.  Make a list of what services you are looking for.  Do you have a photographer yet?  If not, put that on the list.  If you don’t have flowers yet then put that on the list also.

2.  Print out labels with  your name, phone #, email address, and wedding date!  (If you have room add your address also.)  Many of the booths have drawings for prizes.  They have forms to fill out to register for the drawing.  By printing out labels you can just stick that to the vendors form and then get to the important stuff…checking out the vendors products and/or services!  I’ve noticed some people just print out paper with their info on but labels are better as you can stick them onto the vendors form.  If you don’t want to print out your own check out online companies like Vista Print where you can often get some printed for free!

3.  Check out the wedding shows website to see what vendors will be there.  If you need a photographer then check out all the photographers that will be there.  If you need a cake…do the same.

4.  Decide what you’re looking for in the vendors you still need.  For example, for a DJ do you want one that plays games with the guests to get them involved or one that plays songs to keep the dance floor packed?  Do you want a photographer that provides you with albums or do you just want a full resolution disk of your photos to do what you want with?  Make a list of what you are looking for and questions you want to ask them.

5.  Once you see what vendors will be there in the categories you need  then check out their websites.  By doing this you can get a preview of their work and get an idea if it’s a vendor you’d like to work with. Add the vendors you’re interested in to your list of services needed.

At the show

1.  Bring with you the list of services needed and vendors you’re interested in as well as your labels. Also bring a notepad and pen to take notes.

2.  Bring a camera to take pictures of any ideas you want to incorporate into your wedding.

3.  Bring your checkbook.  Many vendors offer specials if you book while at the show.  However, don’t book a vendor just because of a show special.  If you have any doubts about them…wait until you get to have a one on one meeting with them to book.

4.  Bring your mom or a friend whose opinion you trust.  Plus, as a bonus, they can help you carry things!

5.  Register when you get to the show and be sure to grab the map or program they provide so you can locate the vendors you’re interested in.

6.  Many people attending bridal shows head straight for the cake vendors because they are giving out free cake.  I know it’s tempting to do this…but if you already have a cake vendor booked…don’t get caught up in the long lines just for a free piece of cake!  If you do need a cake vendor then definetely check them out, but keep them for the end of the show as that’s when the lines will be the shortest.

7.  Take notes!  You will probably meet with multiple vendors offering the same services so be sure to take notes so you remember who you like and why.  And be sure to ask the questions you listed before the show.

After the show

1.  Pull out the brochures and/or business cards from the vendors you liked.

2.  Call or email those vendors to set up consultations so you can see more of their work and so you can get to know them to make sure your personalities “click”!

I hope these tips help you!  Now find some bridal shows to attend and have fun!

About a month ago, we attended our very first bridal show @ Sheraton Hotel on 4 Oct. To our surprise, their emcee was no other than the Flying Dutchman! In the following weeks, we also attended other bridal shows at M Hotel and Marina Mandarin.

Thanks to our wedding coordinator, we received complimentary tickets to our hotel’s bridal show and won the 4th prize (worth $2,800) in the lucky draw! As we already paid deposit for our wedding banquet, we are also given a set of pearl earrings and necklace. The bridal show also included a 5-course lunch. Yummy

However, I wished that we win other prizes as the 4th prize turned out to be a promotional package for overseas photography package with WL. To our dismay, we ended up wasting time with the sales consultant who tried to convince us that it is worth signing up the package. After clarifications, we decided that it is not worth signing the deal as the package only includes a pair of air tickets to Krabi and photography services (i.e. accomodation costs, airport tax, fuel charge and transport are excluded).  In fact, I was feeling doubtful that the promotional package is worth $2,800 as the air tickets shouldn’t cost too much. Besides, we are told that the promotional package is only applicable for signups with the basic wedding packages that are priced at least $3.9k (A total of $6.7k!).

After flipping WL’s wedding albums for their Krabi photos, i wasn’t very impressed as it seemed that only 1 outfit is included and many of their photos are taken in the forested area (with the elephants).. and beach pictures with skimpy/casual beachwear…

Nevertheless, this is quite an amusing experience as i hardly win in lucky draws :p