A New Take on Wedding Expos -- Go Small or Go Virtual?

Couples and wedding vendors have their pick between virtual and in-person wedding expos and wedding shows this year!

 

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Wedding expos are back in a big way this season! But like most things this year, they’ll look different than couples and vendors are used to. Some cities are hosting innovative virtual gatherings, while others aim for smaller, more intimate versions of traditional events. 

 

These new takes on wedding shows leave vendors and couples wondering what to expect, and which option to choose. We did a little research to help you decide! 

 

The seven day online Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza is a good example of something new. Held at the end of January, this large event gave Atlanta brides, grooms, and vendors a chance to mix and mingle online at a discounted price -- moving in and out of themed vendor ‘rooms’ with a mouse click, entering raffles for door prizes, and zooming-in to wedding expert talks, DJ’d dance parties, and fashion shows. 

 

(AMM attended the Atlanta Wedding Extravaganza over Zoom, and we have all the highlights here!) 

 

Virtual gatherings are popping up in smaller cities and regions over the coming months, too! They’re everywhere -- with creative and surprisingly interactive approaches that help couples feel like they’re actually in the room, mingling with local vendors. You’ll find colorful photos of vendor offerings, new fashions, contact forms, and streamed video content.  With the added benefits of safety and convenience, couples, vendors, and organizers are quickly warming up to virtual gatherings.

 

A quick Google search for ‘virtual wedding expo 2021’ returns thousands of results in under a second!

 

In-person events are changing, too, and couples won’t be disappointed. The annual I Do Savannah Wedding Expo, for example, maintains all the glamour, fun, and entertainment of years past, while downsizing to follow local COVID restrictions. By taking additional safety precautions like requiring masks, staggering entrance times, encouraging social distancing, and restricting the number of guests attending at one time, modified in-person shows across the country will allow brides and grooms to-be to get a feel for wedding vendors face to face.

 

And although these events may be much smaller in scale -- for example, a Davenport, Iowa show capped guest attendance at 800, down from 2,000 and vendor attendance at 75, down from 150 -- it’s possible that the intimacy and slower pace will benefit everyone involved. 

 

(Want to perform weddings in your state? Get ordained online today with AMM, and visit out State Registration pages to learn how.) 

 

 

Which is better -- virtual or in-person? 

 

For wedding officiants and vendors weighing the pros and cons of virtual and in-person wedding shows this season, luckily there’s plenty to put down on the ‘pro’ side for each. This goes for brides and grooms, too! 

 

That’s good news, because an increase in options means that everyone will be able to find something that suits their personal safety practices, schedule, budget, and style.  

 

Whichever event type works best for you, one thing is certain -- expos are back, and in many ways, better than ever.