Charlotte Wedding Professionals Pivot To Meet New Industry Needs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “One of my friends is like, ‘you have to pivot!’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know how to pivot,'” says Critsey Rowe. But the highly sought-after Charlotte-based photographer is figuring it out. Rowe will do something she’s never done before this Sunday: she’ll be a featured vendor in a virtual wedding show.

She says, “There’s never been anything like it that I know of.” With months of wedding photography income wiped off the calendar: “March, April, May, June, all has been postponed to later this year,” she says, the once recession-proof wedding industry has met its match in the coronavirus.

Photographer and The Charlotte Virtual Wedding Show co-creator Cass Bradley tells WCCB News @ Ten anchor Morgan Fogarty, “We’re just trying to bring something positive and useful and allow people to maybe go about their lives just a little bit right now.”

Bradley helped bring the virtual show to life by combining two things: the battered wedding industry and couples that still want to happily plan. “It’s just forcing us to look at the industry a little bit different,” she says. And perhaps trail-blazing along the way. After researching how to host a virtual wedding show and finding nothing online, Bradley says this may be an industry first. “We certainly know it’s the first virtual wedding show in Charlotte and as best we can tell, we can’t find anything else in the world that exists,” says Bradley.

Almost two dozen other vendors will join Rowe Sunday, as she works to stay positive, not just for herself, not just for engaged couples, but for everyone. She says, “This’ll pass. And I think they should find the little things to celebrate and be grateful for.”

Sunday’s virtual wedding show runs from 2PM to 4PM and will be done via Zoom. It’ll include a panel discussion, a gown showcase, giveaways and more. Sign up requires a donation of $8, which will be given to Loaves and Fishes.