By Caitlin
When we were planning our wedding, I heard of bridal shows and absolutely 100% cringed at the thought of going to them. I pictured being caught in a sea of uber-excited people and squished between tables of tulle and expensive linens. Unsurprisingly, I steered clear of them throughout the planning process and never attended one.
Then we found ourselves in the peculiar situation of starting a wedding business and needing clients. And where does every wedding business site advise start-up businesses to go? To bridal shows, of course. So Rick and I signed up for the least expensive one that we could find in our area and hoped for the best.
Then we found ourselves in the peculiar situation of starting a wedding business and needing clients. And where does every wedding business site advise start-up businesses to go? To bridal shows, of course. So Rick and I signed up for the least expensive one that we could find in our area and hoped for the best.
 Our candy filled favors that I made in the car on the way to the show (not so secretly hoping that people may talk to us if we had food) while Rick drove through a snow squall to get us to the show. |  Rick and I manning and wo-manning our half table at our very first bridal show in January 2014. |
Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected, and in fact, it was pretty fun. We talked with a lot of great couples, got free food, met some cool vendors, gave away a few wedding coaching sessions to an awesome couple who I later loved working with, and overall found it to be a much less scary experience that we envisioned when we were planning our wedding.
Recently though the folks at Nearby Registry introduced me to a particularly cool bridal show called Lovesick Expo, and I now feel like I am finally attending the bridal show that was 100% meant for us when we were planning our wedding.
Lovesick's premise is about defying the wedding mainstream and bringing together outside-the-box vendors and outside-the-box couples. They set the stage for this awesome meeting of like-minded people with burlesque and booze at each show and by making it an event that appeals to couples who aren't into all the mainstream wedding hype. And they have a long list of wedding vendors attending their expos that you wouldn't expect to see at a wedding show: burger food trucks, circus performers, doodle booths (think caricature drawings instead of a photobooth), and even a table for the wedding equivalent of Cards Against Humanity, called Cads Against Matrimony.
Better yet, it's also a wedding show with a cause. Last year Lovesick raised $2,500 for the Human RIghts Campaign's marriage equality efforts. Awesome!
So needless to say, I'm very excited to see what this new type of show has in store and to chat with a bunch of couples who are travelling a similar, outside-the-box wedding path that we did. We'll be at this year's Boston Lovesick Expo on January 18, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and would love to see you there.
Want to join us in Boston? Email us and we'll put you and a guest on our VIP list to get you in free (tickets are normally $15 at the door). We only have 10 spots available, so if you're interested, email us ASAP. Keep in mind it is a 21+ show.
Not in the Boston area on January 18 but sounds like indie wedding shows are for you, too? Check out some of these of some of the others around the country that are (hopefully!) coming your way.
Lovesick's premise is about defying the wedding mainstream and bringing together outside-the-box vendors and outside-the-box couples. They set the stage for this awesome meeting of like-minded people with burlesque and booze at each show and by making it an event that appeals to couples who aren't into all the mainstream wedding hype. And they have a long list of wedding vendors attending their expos that you wouldn't expect to see at a wedding show: burger food trucks, circus performers, doodle booths (think caricature drawings instead of a photobooth), and even a table for the wedding equivalent of Cards Against Humanity, called Cads Against Matrimony.
Better yet, it's also a wedding show with a cause. Last year Lovesick raised $2,500 for the Human RIghts Campaign's marriage equality efforts. Awesome!
So needless to say, I'm very excited to see what this new type of show has in store and to chat with a bunch of couples who are travelling a similar, outside-the-box wedding path that we did. We'll be at this year's Boston Lovesick Expo on January 18, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and would love to see you there.
Want to join us in Boston? Email us and we'll put you and a guest on our VIP list to get you in free (tickets are normally $15 at the door). We only have 10 spots available, so if you're interested, email us ASAP. Keep in mind it is a 21+ show.
Not in the Boston area on January 18 but sounds like indie wedding shows are for you, too? Check out some of these of some of the others around the country that are (hopefully!) coming your way.
| Pittsburg Hitchburg Portalnd, OR Committed San Francisco Lovesick Toasted Seattle Lovesick St. Louis Off White Tulsa Marry Me Indie Washington D.C. Toasted Indie Bridal Party |
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