Many things have changed in the last six years since a global pandemic totally impacted the world in every way possible.
Business has changed. Less people work in an office building with colleagues, as there was a dramatic shift to working from home. Less office space is required, which means less rent payments are made to the property management.
And that means less business for formal wear and more for casual. Less restaurant lunch and more eating at home! Less business travel and more colleague-to-colleague video conferencing using Zoom and other similar platforms. The point is simple: We have changed our lives dramatically as a result of what happened in 2020.
For me, owner of a professional DJ entertainment company, we closed our office, which was once a big part of how we met and worked with our clients. Couples would want to come in for an appointment, sit down, watch videos and have direct face-to-face contact when discussing their wedding plans. Meeting the DJ personally was important and productive.
Now, we see a dynamic shift to online investigation, therefore the need for a physical office has changed. We simply don’t need one anymore. And this shift can be directly tied into bridal shows… how they are being attended and the amount of them.
Let’s go back to the time before 2020. My DJ company was very active participating at bridal shows, often scheduling about 10 to 12 shows during the year. Many of the shows would be produced during the winter, as the engagement season ran from December to February with the holidays being a prime time for engagements.
I recall that when I would attend a bridal show there would be so many wedding couples that we would be shaking hands with attendees from the opening of the doors right to the end. Shows would be packed with tables from wedding vendors all looking to meet and connect with couples.
And weddings have always been a multi-billion dollar industry in this country. Just say the word “wedding” and everything seems to be more expensive. But… now in 2026 things have changed. From my perspective, I see that weddings are smaller (on average). Couples are usually on a tight budget, unwilling to mortgage their future away and face a decade of credit card bills to pay for the “big day.” And with that, bridal shows have become smaller and less plentiful in response. Why has this happened?
We can’t blame everything on the pandemic, even though it changed how people act and think these days. No, the main reason for the changes are the reason things evolve. And that is a generation shift. Pre-pandemic, the couples in the prime marrying age of 21 to 35 were occupied by Gen X and Millennials. Now, Gen Z is the age group getting married and they act and think quite differently from their seniors.
Gen Z has grown up completely on smart phones and Google with technology assisting them in all their everyday tasks. In 1998, a Gen X bride would buy a bridal magazine to read and learn. She would ask family and friends for advice and absolutely attend a bridal show.
Gen Z is not like that. They would rather sit in the comfort of their home in their pajamas with phone in hand and read reviews online. They will watch hours and hours of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube without ever getting into a car and having to go anywhere to get what they need. And, one can speculate that the impact of smart-phone technology has created a generation of young people that’s much less social or willing to engage in actual real conversations. I have personally noticed a huge shift from actual conversations to texting with my clients.
And in no way will a Gen Z call you to initiate a conversation. Gen Z is not built like that. They don’t need to make that effort because everything they want is at the tip of a finger as they swipe up and down. When you get used to Amazon bringing your package to your front door in under 24 hours, chances are you won’t be motivated to head out to the mall. (And don’t get me started on what has happened to malls!)
So, now you can see where I was going with this. Bridal shows require a bride and groom to get out of the house, dress nice – who does that anymore? – and participate in a hand-shaking event that will force them to interact and hold conversations. One after the other, after the other.
And that is not their comfort zone. For many Gen Z couples, it is a tortuous waste of time and they will only head back to their phone for wedding-vendor research anyway…. which really defeats the point of a bridal show for them.
Nonetheless, the question for you, the DJ, becomes: How vital is that demographic to your overall pie of wedding events? Is there enough left for you, beyond Gen Z, that allows you to thrive in your local wedding market?
In my opinion, a bridal show is still a great way to meet wedding couples, ask questions, gather data and inform potential customers about your business. In the end, I still think it is worth investing in a bridal show booth for selective marketing and promotion. Just be selective and target the show that might most benefit you!
Since 1984, Mike Fernino has run Music In Motion Entertainment in Seymour, Conn., and since 2008, he has run the Facebook Group, DJ Idea Sharing.