Wedding Photographer Reports Back from the BurOak Bridal Wedding Show
A kiss of the lips. A snuggle. A teary hello. We spent an entire weekend surrounded by love at the BurOak Bridal Show in Oakville. Spending our time networking with other wedding service providers like reception hall venues, cake designers and wedding planners got me thinking… Perhaps we were at the bridal event to support engaged couples in the area, but it was truly a great opportunity for a meeting of the minds.
Running your own business requires perseverance and taking initiative – there are no bosses available to tell you what to do next. As a photographer I work mostly on my own. Yes, I have assistants and I meet with clients regularly but, there are times when I wish I could stand around the water cooler and talk shop with other photographers. The bridal show was just the place for this type of interaction, minus the water cooler. I was able to bounce ideas off other photographers and even to find a photographer that offers a similar service to mine. At times, I get requests to photograph a wedding on a date that I already have booked. It can be a daunting task comparing photographers styles and finding someone you can get along with. When I provide a trust worthy contact for potential clients with scheduling conflicts I save them time looking for a photographer with the same style and price-point as mine.
About 90% of the families and children I photograph reside in the Oakville/Burlington area but, I can’t say that I have photographed the same ratio of weddings in this area. So, when the opportunity to participate in the BurOak Bridal Show came knocking, I ran to the door. Participating in a wedding show is a fantastic way to meet engaged couples who are looking for a wedding photographer. Not only do I get to meet the couple, but they also get to meet and compare the work of many different photographers all in one place. Making and attending appointments with each photographer in your own time can be a time-consuming task and if you don’t have a recommendation from your family or friends, you might get overwhelmed.
The weather on the weekend of the bridal show was utterly awful! This was the same weekend that the first major multi-car accident of the year happened in the Cobourg section of the 401. We had planned for my in-laws to watch our son for the weekend and have my sister-in-law come up to help with the show. However, as is life, even the best laid out plans change. My in-laws live East of Cobourg so, no one was about to hit the road in those awful conditions. We were left to set-up and host our booth at the bridal show, just my lovely wife and myself! We pulled it off and I was really pleased with the outcome. Also, given that the weather was bad all across Southern Ontario, the attendance at the bridal show wasn’t great. There is a silver-lining to the small numbers of attendees though… I was able to spend quality time with each and every couple I met with and because of that opportunity, was able to book a few clients during the event!
“Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary.”~ Blaise Pascal
Photos taken by Dragi Andovski, published © 2014 DA Photography .
Location: Burlington Convention Centre, Burlington, ON.
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My passion and biggest asset is taking the time to make every client comfortable and relaxed before I even pick up the camera. The result? Photos of you that actually look like you at your best! I can prove to you how much you can enjoy having your picture taken. Lifestyle photography is about the experience that happens to be served up along side of some great photos.
Specialties:
Family Photography for families that like to move around and enjoy their photo time, Wedding Photography for couples looking for a mixture of photojournalistic, contemporary and traditional images and Professional Corporate headshots that are far from cheesy and stiff.