Bridal Show Info & Tips {Winter 2012} Springfield, MO Wedding Photographers

This is my first attempt at this so forgive any "ums" or "uhhs". haha! And I have one little correction to make. All About Weddings website is www.allaboutweddingsmissouri.com NOT www.allaboutweddingsspringfield.com. :-) We will be at both upcoming Bridal shows and would love to see you all there! I hope this information is helpful!

Upcoming Bridal Shows: 

All About Weddings

When: January 6, 2013

Where: Oasis Convention Center

What time: 11:00 am- 4:00 pm

Metropolitan Bride 

When: January 13, 2013

Where: Springfield Expo Center

What time: 11:00 am- 4:00 pm

Bridal Show Tips:

1) Research area vendors prior to the show & before setting your budget
One way to save time during the bridal show is to research and familiarize yourself with the wedding vendors in your area that will be exhibiting. Also, be sure to pick up a copy of Metropolitan Bride (our feature here) & 417 Bride magazines and scroll through them before you get to the show. To see which local merchants are exhibiting and to pre-register for the shows, follow the links below:

All About Weddings: www.allaboutweddingsmissouri.com
Metropolitan Bride: www.metbride.com

2) Have a game plan
You will have a limited amount of time during the bridal shows to visit a ton of vendors, so make the best use of your time by putting a  list together of who you'd like to visit with and learn more about. Having an idea of who you want to meet at the shows, will help you use your time more efficiently & narrow down your vendors quickly.


3) Find out who you connect with. Will they provide you with the products and services you need? Will they be fun to work with? Will they be there from start to finish, giving you the best possible experience? Those are the less obvious questions to ask yourself but very worth considering. :-)


4) Consider hiring a wedding planner
Area Wedding Planners:
Scarlett with Swept Away : www.sweptawayrentals.com
Mary with Bringing it Together: www.bringingittogetherevents.com

Becca & Megan of Events by Social Graces: http://eventsbysocialgraces.com/

5) Post Show: Don't let the information you gather collect dust.
Do yourself a favor and arrange to go through and organize all the literature you got from the bridal shows while everything is still fresh! This way you can follow up with your chose vendors and book them asap (and before they are already committed).


I hope that helps all of you! Feel free to email christinebonnivier@gmail.com or call 717.856.0016 and I'd be happy to answer your questions as best I can. I can't wait to see you all at the Bridal Shows! :-) You can find more Bridal Show tips here.

What an incredible year it has been. To see what we've been up to, check out our most recent posts on the blog: http://christinebonnivierphotography.blogspot.com/ I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Love & Hugs,
Christine

Published! Metropolitan Bride Feature {Winter 2012} Springfield, MO Wedding Photographers

Excited and proud to announce that Katelyn & Troy's beautiful Integrity Hills wedding was recently published in Metropolitan Bride magazine. It was our first wedding on 2012 and it also happened to fall on my birthday :-) I love looking back at their images...their day was so special and super fun! They are both darling and have been enjoying life in Hawaii where Troy is stationed. 

We'd love to see everyone at the upcoming show in January at the Springfield Expo Center (January 13th). To get more info about the Metropolitan Bridal Expo coming up soon, click here. (Brides- you can pre-register on their website). Come check us out, we'd love to see you! :-)

To see our listing on MetBride.com click here.
To follow Metropolitan Bride on facebook click here.
To pick up your copy of the Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Metropolitan Bride, click here.

Merry Christmas! xo Christine

SB Bon, Diamond Room & Simply Delicious {Local Business Spotlight} Springfield, MO Wedding Photographers

Oh how I love that our local Brides are totally spoiled! Fantastic venues, rental merchants, caterers & photographers of course ;-) There are some really talented and caring people out there and I'm happy to feature some of them today! I was apart of the Bridal Bash Venue Tour this past August at the Diamond Room and had a chance to photograph some beautiful table lines, accessories, ceremony decor and sweets.

S.B Bon has Southwest Missouri’s largest selection of fine event rental linens & table accessories. It's ridiculous how much these ladies have to offer. They have something for everyone! Layton and Brandon's Wedding definitely had the SB Bon luxurious touch. The reception looked like a fairy tale! 

The Diamond Room is elegant, spacious and they have the greatest staff! Patty with Simply Delicious runs a tight ship over there! I photographed Brooke and Chris's Wedding there a month or so ago. The room looked beautiful!

Did you know that Simply Delicious Catering can also provide savory AND sweet at your event? Her cupcakes are to die for! It amazes me how talented Patty and her staff are. Her food is just absolutely delicious! They TOTALLY live up to their name ;-) They have catered a TON of wedding that we have photographed this year. From buffet style to served entrees, Patty and her team knock it out of the park every time. Now you can taste the deliciousness for lunch at the Vintage Veranda Tea Room. I was just there a few days ago and you can now dine al fresco...so nice!  

Things I love Thursday {Our Couples & Industry Colleagues} Springfield, MO Wedding Photographers

Today I'm prepping for an Open House at the Diamond Room (8/16 from 6-8 pm) and tomorrow I will be preparing for the Metropolitan Bridal Expo on Sunday (8/19/12 from 11am- 4pm). On top of that we are also shooting and editing a ton :-) As I was backing up a wedding today I realized how much we have accomplished in the past 8 months. It's so exciting! I am SO incredibly thankful for the lovely people I've photographed (Brides, Grooms & of course their awesome families) and the amazing vendors I've worked with (who make my job even more FAB). Our clients this year have been a joy to work with and the professionals who help make it all a reality have been SUPER as well. I'm so grateful! This year I've seen everything from DIY weddings, where the family CREATES some amazing details, to super talented vendors who have put together FLAWLESS events. We have photographed at some amazing venues & locations, ate some incredible food and have seen some breathtaking florals.  BIG THANKS to all the brides, grooms, families & pros, who I've had the pleasure of working with so far this year. I can't wait for the fall season and 2013! -XO Christine

P.S. I was originally going to go through and grab a few shots from every wedding we've done so far and it immediately got too time consuming, so here's just a recap :-D

Ashley & Gene {Married 6.1.12} Branson, MO Photographers

Ashley & Gene got married at the beautiful Bear Creek Bed & Breakfast in Branson, MO on Friday June 1st and despite the rain it was a gorgeous wedding! You can find Ashley & Gene's full story here. They are such a wonderful couple, with crazy supportive families. I am so thankful I was apart of it all. Love and blessings to you both! :-) Here's who else helped out on their special day:

Florist: Artistry in Bloom

Bridal Gown: Gracie's Bridal
Bridal Shower Venue: Remington Place
Cake: Celebrations by Sonja
Caterer: Dining by Design
Entertainment: B & M Entertainment
Invitations: Maxim Creative
Men's Formalwear: Karl's Tuxedos
Photographer: Christine Bonnivier Photography
Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Affinity Ballroom
Rehearsal Dinner Catering: Infused Catering

Wedding Day Make-up & Honeymoon Kit: Nikki Smith, Make-up Artist