That is rediculous. Must be a bunch of gullilble wedding vendors with money to blow out there. Are wedding vendors that desperate for business they will shell out crazy amounts of money and throw it at these bridal shows out there? ...For half of that $8,000 bridal show booth price, I could have a retail store front for a month, and work leads from a retail stand . What city market are you in?
I consider bridal shows above $995 to pretty much be a rip off for the vendors, and the ones that are $495 to $995 are a big if on if they are worth the time and expense.
I have done 3 wedding fairs. One was for budget brides, the booth was $750 + $100 prize for 6 hours, only 19 brides showed. never booked a wedding.
The next 2 were around $1800 for a booth + a $250 prize about a 100 brides each. I think I booked 3 weddings total.
The 3 large wedding fairs get about 2500 brides.
I have been to DJ expo and sat at a 3 hour talk talking how to sell at wedding fairs. I have read books on wedding fair marketing. I do what they say, ask the questions, shake the hands, dress the part. But here ( Vancouver Canada ) what they say for booth price to what it is in the USA is way different. Here some people's full time job is planning 1 wedding fair a year, and they make $40,000 to $50,000 a year selling booths at that one show. I know one wedding planner, she told me she makes more money from her 2 wedding fairs than she does planning weddings.