The Smart Lab: 6 Tips for Exhibiting at a Bridal Show
From freebies to follow-up, Emmanuel Rehab shares a list of must-dos for any jeweler looking to connect with soon-to-wed couples.

Anyone who attends a bridal show is interested and open to hear from you. They’re actively seeking goods and services to complete their picture-perfect wedding. Everyone is a potential customer.
As a jeweler, this is the ideal time to showcase your wide selection of engagement rings, wedding bands, bridesmaid gifts, and wedding day jewelry. You can make their big day complete by bringing your best styles to the show.
This opportunity for connection, however, does not come without cost.
Bridal shows can be expensive as an exhibitor and not everyone has the resources to devote to it. If you do, you want to make sure you are maximizing your investment.
Here are 6 tips every bridal show exhibitor should know.
1. Start with your booth
Think of your booth as an extension of your store. For many brides, this will be their first interaction with you. How you present yourself and the experience your visitors have will determine if you’ll be on their list when it’s time to buy.
Bring a wide selection of your engagement rings and wedding bands, enough to give the bride-to-be a sense of what your jewelry store has to offer. Although they may already be wearing their engagement ring, you have the chance to sell the couple wedding bands and wedding-day jewelry as well as bridesmaid gifts.
Your booth should be a mini version of what your customers can expect when they visit your store.
2. Use social media
After you have the dates booked for the bridal show, you should start promoting the event on social media as soon as possible.
Start with teaser content and give your audience a glimpse of what they’ll see at the show. Post photos of past shows, if you have them, as well as what you’ll be bringing to this year’s show. The goal is to build demand and participation.
Invite attendees to stop by your booth and take a selfie for their own social media pages. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest are all prime marketing channels to build buzz for the show.
3. Bring freebies
Everyone loves getting something for free.
Use promotional giveaways, such as winning an engagement ring or matching wedding bands, as these are a great incentive for people to visit your booth.
Swag such as tote bags (to hold all the materials and goodies they get at the show), as well as water bottles, T-shirts, etc., are always welcome. Anything printed with your jewelry store’s name, telephone number and address can be given away.
You want the bride and groom to remember you long after the bridal show is over.
4. Give special discounts
Use the exhibition as a way to track the effectiveness of your marketing. Give visitors to your booth a special offer or promo code to use when shopping on your website or at your jewelry store.
Don’t share this code with anyone else; it is for the bridal show only. This gives you an easy way to quantify your efforts and see just how much business the exhibition brings you.
Once you start tracking the numbers, you might be pleasantly surprised. It also will give you a solid foundation for future shows if you decide to return as an exhibitor the following year.
5. Collect everyone’s contact details
Every person who visits your booth is a potential customer. You should engage with anyone who approaches and be available to answer their questions. People won’t just give you their name and contact details unless there’s a certain amount of trust there.
Within the first few minutes you’re together, you have to cultivate a relationship and build rapport. Give them just enough information to satisfy their questions but leave them wanting more.
Remember, the goal may not necessarily be to push hard for a direct sale right then and there, but rather to build a loyal base of prospects that you can continue to market to year-round.
You can’t do this unless you get their contact details. Don’t be too aggressive and scare them off!
6. Always follow up with every lead
Every lead should be treated as gold. Bridal show leads are some of the most prized opportunities to make a sale and extremely effective. Nowhere else will you find this level of engagement with potential buyers who are receptive to your sales pitch and marketing messages.
At every touchpoint with the prospect you want to emphasize what makes your jewelry store different from everyone else and why they should buy from you.
Don’t let a good lead go to waste. Time is of the essence. Your bride-to-be has a lot on her mind and if she doesn’t hear back from you quickly, her attention will go elsewhere.
Your leads should be followed up within a day or so of the event, a week at the latest. Anything past this point and you risk your leads going stale.
Think about how much you spent to exhibit and attend the show, then divide that number by how many leads you got. That’s how much they’re worth. And it’s not cheap!
To conclude, bridal shows are not for everyone. If you’re a jeweler who’s small and doesn’t have the money or resources to invest in your business then don’t stretch yourself. Focus on attracting brides-to-be into your store.
However, if you’re one of the few forward-thinking jewelers who is committed and wants to have direct contact with a large pool of buyers all at once, then a bridal show is a smart decision.
Follow these six simple tips and you’ll make the most of your time as well as your investment.
The Latest

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.

The new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.

Take a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.


The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.

The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

The Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.

Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.

The parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.

The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.

The trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.

Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.

“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.

The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.

The line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.

The rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.