The Wedding DJ’s Guide to Winning at Bridal Fairs

by Chris Brower
Last Updated: January 22, 2024

Bridal fairs give wedding DJs the chance to interact with hundreds of brides and grooms who are interested in finding vendors. These potential clients would love to walk out of there with several great possibilities to hire for their wedding – and by all means, their DJ choice should be you!

So how can you stand out from other wedding DJs? What can you do to get bookings, and a lot of them? And just what are bridal fairs like in general? Are they even worth it?

Let’s dig in to this topic.

What Are Bridal Fairs Like?

Bridal fairs often take place in large convention centers/banquet halls. Tables/booths are placed in row after row, showcasing various vendors. You’ll see all kinds – photographers, wedding planners, DJs, venues, caterers, travel agents, and even companies that don’t seem obviously wedding-related. (For example, I’ve seen massage businesses, weight-loss supplement manufacturers, etc.)

Often, hundreds, maybe thousands, of people attend, and it can be overwhelming. Your table may get mobbed with tons of people desperate for information. Some just want to pick up an information sheet, while others will want to immediately engage you in conversation to see if you’re a good fit for their wedding.

You’ll likely see other wedding DJs there, though hopefully the bridal fair staff has placed you apart from each other. (Not because a fight may break out, but you generally don’t want direct competition side-by-side!)

You’ll be on your feet most of the day, and it may be non-stop action for five hours or more. You’ll be exhausted. You’ll feel like you’ve really earned that nice dinner or drink afterward.

If all goes well, you’ll get several bookings. Your calendar that was not particularly full may get a lot busier – great!

Then you may decide bridal fairs will be a regular part of your promotional strategy every year. Or you may decide they just aren’t worth it. (We’ll get into reasons why they’re worth it or not in a little bit.)

Where to Find Bridal Fairs

Thankfully, finding bridal fairs is very easy. Google your city plus “bridal fairs” or “wedding fairs” or “wedding expo,” etc., and you’ll likely see a lot of results. For example, google “Denver Bridal Fairs” and you’ll likely find a lot of options.

Local Bridal Expos also provides a comprehensive list.

Many bridal fairs are put on by local organizations or publications.

Some are put on by national companies, such as American Consumer Shows.

Some bridal fair organizers reach out to vendors with information and to entice them to sign up. After all, that’s how these bridal fairs make money – vendors paying for tables and advertising.

Many bridal fair organizers offer deals to urge vendors to sign up. You may get a discount if you’re a first-time vendor at their event or if you book your spot by a certain date. It doesn’t hurt to ask what deals they may have.

What Do Bridal Fairs Cost for Wedding DJs?

There are all kinds of bridal fairs, from huge two-day events in big convention halls to something more like a relaxed afternoon in a banquet room.

In my experience, bridal fairs are not cheap. Expect to pay at least $500, but in many cases over $1,000.

That price can go up based on the size of your space.

For example, the basic booth space may be 10 x 10 feet. That’s probably enough. But some wedding DJs may want a bigger space, say 10 x 15 or 10 x 20. The bigger space gives you more room to set up DJ equipment or other visuals to make you stand out. You’ll also simply take up more space, so you will stand out in that regard too. But it will cost you more.

The cost of being a vendor at a bridal fair may also go up based on what additional things you get for your space.

Read the fine print, because things that may seem like they’d be included may not be. I was surprised when I paid $1,000 for a two-day wedding event and learned that I would not, for example, have a table included. Even access to electricity was an add-on!

(The convention center of course had lights on and all that, but if I wanted to plug in anything, that would’ve cost me extra.)

So you may need to pay extra if you want these additional things.

Ready for the complete guide to becoming a wedding DJ? Here you go.

Are Bridal Fairs Worth It for Wedding DJs?

Some wedding DJs love them. Some get tons of bookings and return year-after-year.

Other DJs can’t stand them. They find them stressful, expensive, and don’t feel they get enough value for their money – aka, they don’t book as many weddings as they’d like.

I’ll admit that I’m still undecided!

One year I did a bridal fair and paid about $1,600 in the end, and I booked 8 or so weddings. So each booking cost me about $200, you could argue. That’s pretty high. Still, eight new bookings for a single-op DJ (meaning I’m the only DJ) isn’t awful.

At the bridal fair was one of the large DJ companies in my city who employs several DJs. They charge much less than me and offer a lot of “special deals” (deals that they seem to give to just about anyone at all times, so I’m not sure what makes them special…), so I wouldn’t be surprised if they booked much more than me. Hard to always compete with that. (And looking at the huge number of one-star reviews this company has, I’m not jealous at all!)

Each bridal fair, you can learn what worked well, what didn’t, and adjust your strategy for future events.

I always recommend tracking how you booked each gig. Did it come from a bridal fair? Advertising on Facebook? Word of mouth? Another vendor’s recommendation? Keeping track will help you understand what’s working and what’s not.

And like any promotional strategy, it’s going to take some experimentation to see what works great for you and what doesn’t.

In my case, it gave me exposure to a ton of potential clients. This was, of course, exhausting! But also a great opportunity to build my sales skills and engage with a huge variety of people.

My verdict: It’s worth trying a bridal fair at least once, especially if you’re not already booked as much as you’d like. But be prepared that it may cost you a good amount and may not net you dozens of bookings.

But let’s look at some strategies to increase your chances of success at the bridal fair.

Basic Goals of the Bridal Fair

First, let’s consider what the basic goals of participating in the bridal fair are. Most of these are obvious, but this can help you further hone your approach.

To stand out from other wedding DJs. To have something different about you, something that is more appealing than the other wedding DJs.
To make sure anyone who comes near your table, at the minimum, gets your company information (e.g., an information sheet/some sort of handout).
To chat face-to-face with as many people as possible, to create at least some sort of personal connection.
To get the contact information of as many people as possible so you can follow up and further try to sell your wedding DJ services.
And, duh, to then book as many weddings as possible, thanks to the bridal fair!

Remember, almost no one will book you at the bridal fair. Most people will take your information or chat with you briefly, then move on and see all the other vendors.

What Should Wedding DJs Wear at Bridal Fairs?

As for clothes, dress like you’re DJing an actual wedding. In my case, that’s a suit. But wear whatever’s appropriate for you. Treat it seriously. Don’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt, unless that’s the type of vibe you want to project.

Make Your Booth Look Awesome

Almost every single person’s first impression of you will be visual – how does your booth look, what vibe do you initially give off.

Do a Google image search for “bridal fair DJ” and you get a lot of impressive results of how your booth at the bridal fair could look.

Seeing what other DJs have done can also be intimidating…

Do you need to bring tons of DJ lights and TV screens? Of course not, but some visual elements will make you stand out.

Some things to consider bringing:

A table* with a tablecloth on it. (This may be provided to you at the event, or you may be able to rent one, but it probably won’t be cheap.)
Uplights to project cool lights on the wall/curtain behind your booth. Like at a wedding, this will add a cool vibe to your look and make you stand out.
A large banner/sign with your company name, logo, and slogan. I got one made for cheap at Vista Print.
I also got a second banner made, with fun stats and other text to entice potential customers. More on that below.
A TV to show off a photo slideshow or promotional video. You can make a simple photo slideshow in a program on your computer and let that auto-run. If a TV is too cumbersome, you can just have it run on a laptop that you set out on the table.
An information sheet with your sales pitch and info.
A sign-up sheet so potential clients can leave their contact information so you can then follow up.
A list or a calendar of your booked dates. You need to be able to quickly answer if you’re available for the date the potential client is asking about.
Any awards/plaques you’ve received. For example, the Knot often sends out plaques to vendors who get a certain number of good reviews each year. If you have any of those, set them on your table.
DJ equipment. Some DJs set up some of their DJ equipment to let potential clients see it or even play with it, so guests can pretend being on the decks for a minute or turning the dials. However, keep in mind, most bridal fairs don’t want you playing actual music from your booth. And you better be comfortable with people touching your DJ equipment! I never bring my DJ equipment to bridal fairs, but some DJs do, and it probably adds a fun element for the patrons.
Some sort of fun giveaway. People love a big pile of candy that they can grab from! At the first bridal fair I did, I thought glow sticks would be a super fun giveaway. …And then I was reminded that bridal fairs are in super bright banquet halls, thus glow sticks don’t really show up. The next year I brought candy!

What Should Banners/Signs Say?

I recommend having at least two banners. A good size for both is 2.5′ by 6′.

1) A long horizontal banner that you hang up high with your DJ company name, logo, and maybe some other very basic, quick information, such as “Chicago’s #1 DJ!” or “Over 1,000 weddings of experience!” If you go with the basic size mentioned above, this banner would be 2.5 feet high and 6 feet across.
2) A long vertical banner that you place on the side on a banner stand that lists stats and other details about your business. This is a chance to really show your personality and offer a quick, attention-getting sales pitch. Mine said things such as:

- No Silly Fees/Limiting Packages/Time Limits
- Non-Annoying!
- Over 150 Events of Experience
- Stress Free

Use big font and very short lines of text. No paragraphs. Be quick! This is your chance to catch the eye of anyone walking by.

Speak to what customers are looking for. “Great DJ services”? Boring! Be specific!

What’s the #1 complaint I hear from potential clients? That a lot of wedding DJs are annoying. They act goofy or engage in lame sales tricks or hound people with dozens of text messages trying to get their business. So part of my sales pitch is that I’m not that.

When I put up this sign at a bridal fair, I noticed a lot of people would walk by, see the “Non-Annoying” and laugh. Many of these people then came to talk to me. It was attention-getting. And it spoke to exactly what potential clients want – a non-annoying DJ.

Now, I should say, I worried having a sign that claims I’m “non-annoying” might seem mean or pompous. Maybe some people thought it was crass or talked to me and then felt I actually was annoying. I don’t know. But I know it did appeal to some people who when they think of “wedding DJ,” they think “annoying.”

What Should Be on Your Information Sheet

Type up an information sheet that you hand out to potential clients. Every person that stops by should get them. Place a stack on your table, plus hand them directly to anyone who walks up to the table.

This is essentially your wedding DJ sales pitch distilled to one front-and-back sheet. Of course, you can make your information sheet multiple pages, or you could make it in brochure form. Just be sure to give some handout, beyond just a business card.

Your information sheet should contain:

Your company name and logo, phone number, email address, website URL, and the URLs for your social media profiles.
What services you provide. In addition to DJing the reception, can you also provide music for the ceremony? Can you also provide a photo booth, uplighting, or other services? Be sure to describe what all you can provide - and be more specific than "I provide DJ services."
Some key stats about your business, such as how many years you've been in business or how many weddings you've done. If you're new and these stats aren't particularly impressive, just leave them off.
Reviews from previous clients. Just take the reviews people have left you already and find the best sentence(s) and put those. Be sure to have reviews from several different people.
Pricing information. Give people a sense of your prices. Don't leave them totally guessing.

Plan on bringing several copies of this information sheet.

One time I got such a rush of people that I sent my assistant out to print more copies - and fast! So that's why I recommend showing up with at least 200 copies, if not more. You'd rather have too many than not enough. Don't let anyone get away without a sheet.

The Sign-Up Sheet

Hugely important: You need to leave with contact information for the potential clients.

It's not enough to give your information to the potential clients and hope you made such a good impression that they reach out to you.

No, you need to follow up with them after the bridal fair (even before they've possibly reached out to you) and keep the conversation going. Other wedding DJs will be doing it - you need to do it too.

So you need a simple way to capture their information. If you have a tablet or other electronic way to do it, you can. But you can also whip up a simple piece of paper with a few questions.

Make sure you capture:

Their name.
Email address.
Phone number.
Date of their wedding.
Location of their wedding (venue, plus city and state).

Don't bother asking for their address. What, are you going to mail them a letter? No! Just capture the initial information so you can get a sense of their event and how to reach them.

In fact, I'll just give you the sign-up sheet I use.

Print several copies (10?) so you can capture anyone who stops by.

Don't let any sign-up sheets be loose pages. You don't want them to get lost. I three-hole punched my sign-up sheets and put them in a 1" binder.

Other Things You'll Need

You'll need some other items to be prepared for participating in a bridal fair.

Twine for hanging any signs off the back wall/curtain/pipes. You can also use fishing line. And don't forget scissors to cut those.
A power strip for any electrical needs. Bring a long extension cord too, just in case.
Pens for the sign-up sheet.
Boxes for carrying in all your stuff. Plus, in my experience, your booth may be far from the entrance, so carrying in all your stuff on a hand truck/dolly will be much easier and quicker than carrying each item one at a time.
Snacks, water, etc. You're going to be there for hours. Bring some food and drinks and anything else you need to be comfortable for a few hours (Tylenol, hand sanitizer, tissues, etc.).

How to Chat With People

When people start walking near your table, even if they're not coming directly to your table, you can call out to them with things like, "Looking for a wedding DJ?"

Simple and not pushy.

Remember, people don't like pushy, annoying wedding DJs, so don't get up in their face or engage in over-the-top antics to get their attention. But you may still need to put in some effort or they may just walk right past you.

Once the conversation starts, try to find out as soon as possible when the date of their wedding is. If their wedding is a date you're already booked, then it's pointless to spend a lot of time talking to them. You don't need to tell those people to get lost, but your time is better spent talking to other potential clients.

Once you've ensured you're available on that date, share a basic sales pitch. Highlight some of the benefits of your business and why you may be a good fit for you event.

May 12? Yes, I am available that day. Great! Let me tell you a little about myself: I've been DJing since 2014. I've DJed over 250 events, and I have tons of five-year start reviews. The DJ company is just me, so I'm the actual person who would you DJ your wedding. Some companies, you may talk to someone, but then they send someone else, leading to mistakes. Some of the other companies here have several DJs, so that may happen with them. Let me give you one of my information sheets, and be sure to write your information on the sign-up sheet there so I can follow up with you later.

Of course, you don't want to be the only one talking. You want them to talk too. But the nature of bridal fairs - sometimes you can have half a dozen people waiting at your table, curious about your business - means you can't spend tons of time to talking to each person.

Still, try to build rapport and let them ask any questions and get what they need from you.

Some good questions you can ask to get them talking:

"Where's your reception at?" If you've DJed there before, that's a great thing to share.
"What kind of music do you like?" If you have experience playing their tastes in music, that's a great way to build rapport.
"What are you looking for in a DJ?" Always great to then respond with how you're exactly what they want.

Additional tips:

If someone else has talked to you about the couple's date recently, don't be afraid to mention it, as a basic sales tactic. "Ah, yeah, May 12 - someone else was asking about that just an hour ago, but as of now, yes, I'm available." This can motivate them to make their decision sooner than later.
Chances are the potential client didn't come alone. Be sure to talk to the other people with them. Can you impress the mom or dad? Great! Don't be the DJ who acts like only the bride matters and all others can just get lost. No! Engage with everyone who's with the potential clients. They may also put in a good word for you that could help you book the gig.
Share your name and learn everyone's names. As Dale Carnegie noted in How to Win Friends & Influence People, people love hearing their name said back to them, so be sure to do that. End the conversation with, "Great talking with you, Mike and Lexie!"
After someone leaves their contact information on the sign-up sheet, try to read it over real quick and make sure you can understand it. Some people's handwriting is hard to read. I've had several instances of people I could later never get a hold of because I couldn't read their email address clearly or they didn't leave a phone number.

And remember: Make sure everyone has taken an information sheet and left their contact information on the sign-up sheet. And if you've brought some candy or some other fun giveaway, make sure they get that too!

Bring Another Person to Help You Out

Bridal fairs can be intense. You can get a lot of people approaching your table at once. You don't want them to get away.

If you're a solo DJ, I highly, highly recommend bringing along a friend/significant other/assistant/other wedding DJ to chat with people when you're busy.

They can chat with the person until you're available again, or tell them some basic information and encourage them to leave their information on the sign-up sheet.

One important thing: They need to quickly mention that they are not the actual DJ, but that you are.

Additionally, they can do some of the same things you'll do when you talk to people:

Verify the wedding date is one you're actually available.
Share some of your basic sales pitch, such as the things that make you stand out from other wedding DJ companies.
Hand out an information sheet.
Encourage the potential client to leave their contact information on the sign-up sheet.

Ideally, you are the one talking to anyone who approaches your table. After all, you are the wedding DJ they'd be hiring. But since that's not always possible, it's very beneficial to have an additional person or persons there to help you.

You can always get a few words in after the assistant has talked to them if that's all you have time for. "Hey, thanks so much for stopping by. Sorry, I've been so busy. My name is Todd. What's your name?"

You can pay your assistant or buy them a nice dinner or offer some sort of other way of saying thanks for them giving up their afternoon to help you.

Make sure they also dress appropriately.

After the Bridal Fair

Buy yourself a nice dinner or drink that night - you're probably exhausted! Bridal fairs can be very tiring.

The next day, it's time to get back to work.

Look at your sign-up sheets and email every single person to keep the conversation going.

Create a template email. Adjust it based on the potential client's information. If you remember anything particular from your interaction with them, be sure to add that. Impress them that you remember them.

Hi [Their Name],
This is [Your Name] from [DJ company name]. Thanks so much for stopping by my booth at the bridal expo! I hope you had a good time at the expo. I know those can be super hectic and crazy and all.
So, I just wanted to follow up and give you more info and hopefully try to learn more about what you're looking for in a DJ. Are you free sometime soon for a phone call? Or if you prefer, we can just talk through email.
To give you some more info in the meantime: First of all, yes, I am available on April 24, 2026.
As for fees, I typically charge $1,500 for a reception, dinner, and cocktail hour, plus $200 if you'd also like me for the ceremony. And that's it. That fee covers almost everything (music, microphones, lights for the dance floor, travel costs, as much time as you want, emceeing, unlimited consultations, and more). If you'd like to add uplighting to spice up the ambiance/look of your reception room (8 lights in almost any color you can imagine), that's just an additional $200. My goal, as always, is to keep it easy and stress-free so we can focus on throwing an amazing party for you and your guests.
So how does that all sound? I'm happy to tell you more, or if you have some concerns/questions about my fees or services, feel free to let me know.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Website address here]

Some people will never respond at all, but many likely will. And hopefully this leads to tons of bookings!

You may book jobs quickly through email, or you may have better luck first setting up an in-person meeting and then getting the booking.

Just be persistent. If they don't respond to your initial email, try again two or three days later. Don't bug them (remember, you're non-annoying), but it may take some follow-up to get the booking.

Learn From It

Each bridal fair is a learning experience. After the bridal fair, reflect on what worked and what didn't.

Does it lead to a lot of bookings? If so, great! If not, maybe you need to adjust your approach, sell your DJ services better, or maybe bridal fairs just aren't a great way to get bookings for you.

Some wedding DJs get tons of bookings from bridal fairs, while others prefer other means of getting bookings.

It'll take some experimentation, but you can soon learn what works for you and what doesn't.

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