Khristen Powell Photography

Saturday, Valdosta’s Rainwater Conference Center housed the Bridal Expo & Fashion show for 2010. Hundred of brides came from near and far to meet the vendors and hopefully grab one of the grand prizes. As a vendor, shows like this are tough for many reasons. You prepare for months in advance, ordering supplies and stressing over the details. Then the day before, you have a short window of time to set up before the big event. The night before, you miss sleep because you are too worried about what you’ve forgotten and you spend the night lying there making mental checklists of things you’ll end up forgetting to take with you anyway. You wake up the next morning groggy and dragging your feet, but you put that smile on your face as the excitement builds.

Then the doors swing wide open and the “running of the brides” (as I like to call it) commences. For the next several hours you stand in those uncomfortable heels you just had to wear, greeting brides and hopefully sealing a deal or two. They come in waves. Mostly before noon, your booth is swamped and you don’t realize how fast the time is flying except for the nagging pain in your lower back…. from those amazing heels! Why did you wear those heels again?

That evening, as the crowds dwindle and you begin packing your booth you wonder why you had to bring so much junk with you and you vow to keep it simple next year. You can breath a deep relief knowing its over. You have 365 more days to prepare for the next one. That’s a good feeling.

Here are a few images from one of the vendors, Judy Jones with Southern Station.

I was blessed to meet a TON of new clients this year! I cannot wait to get started working with them. It even looks like I’ll be traveling quite a bit this year…. Watch out LA, and CT! Here I come!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this show a big success! A BIG thanks to my friend Jessie, who helped keep me organized during the show. She was such a trooper and I could NOT have done it without her! It was great to meet my neighboring vendors and greet all the new brides. Congratulations to each of you! Good luck in 2010!

Cheers!