2025 Puyallup Wedding Show Recap: Trends, Insights + Love

Wedding show season is always a whirlwind and it’s hard to believe the 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show is already over! We definitely weren’t disappointed as we packed up all our gear after show close, and pulled out of the Agriplex at the Washington State Fairgrounds (the very last vendor to leave that Sunday). If you missed the show on February 22 & 23, 2025, this post is for you!

We’re going to cover the incredible vendors, trends we saw and some of the more common (and uncommon) questions we had to answer!

Long Engagements Are “In” again

Across the three big shows, we saw one common factor: The vast majority of couples are planning for 2026 and beyond. We counted about 20 couples looking for vendors between August and October, a handful for Spring 2025, two for 2027 and the rest for 2026. (Disclaimer: This is ONLY the couples we talked to. Numbers would likely be different for another vendor).

Couples with this year’s dates, showed up for the 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show and felt the crunch. With a lot of key vendors already booked up for 2025 (and plenty of open houses booking their favorite vendors now too), couples were left feeling like their options are limited. If you’re getting married this year, you need to book your key vendors NOW. Waiting much longer means options will be more limited.

Those couples planning for 2026 and 2027 felt like they had more time and could really shop their options. It’s a great plan to sit down and chat with several vendors from each genre to make sure you find the right fit for your wedding day. The forecast for 2026 looks like it’s going to start booking up this fall, so if you’re serious about a specific vendor, snag them asap!

The major shift we noticed between the shows? The sticker shock of vendor pricing has worn off. Compared to the 2025 Tacoma Wedding Show earlier this season, couples at the 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show came in with a clearer understanding of budgets and what they truly want for their big day. That means more confident decisions and fewer “wait, how much does that cost?!” moments. Couples were also more confident in asking their questions to make sure they were getting everything they wanted.

The Biggest Venue Trend: Barns & Outdoor Spaces

If we had a dollar for every couple looking for a barn venue or an outdoor wedding with an indoor backup plan, we’d be rolling in coffee money right now. The Pacific Northwest is famous for its unpredictable weather, so 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show going couples are wisely choosing venues that offer both stunning outdoor settings and a cozy indoor space in case Mother Nature decides to crash the party.

We love this trend because it allows for those breathtaking PNW landscapes in your wedding photos while also keeping guests comfortable no matter the weather. If you’re venue hunting, definitely look for places that offer flexibility between indoor and outdoor spaces – you’ll thank yourself later. And if you’re not sure what you want in a venue, check out our Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide to nail down your vibe and send us a message for venue recommendations!

Couples Are Prioritizing Personal Connections Over Pushy Sales

Without fail, the most refreshing things we saw was couples being super intentional about who they stopped to chat with. Instead of just grabbing flyers from every booth, they took their time, asked meaningful questions, and skipped vendors who came across as too salesy. And honestly, we love this shift! It improves your experience at the wedding show and gives you a great idea of how quick we are on our feet, especially when you throw me (Markie) off by beelining for our booth.

Weddings are deeply personal, and your vendors should be people you genuinely connect with. That’s why we always aim to make our booth a space where you feel comfortable, heard, and excited about your photography experience (with a little humor thrown in, because that’s just how we roll). We’re not just here to make your photography experience incredible, but we want your entire wedding day to feel like it was meant for you… because it IS!

That said, the overwhelm was real, but this time it was mostly for the 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show vendors! Between chatting with back-to-back couples and running on minimal breaks (seriously, we should have packed more snacks), it was nonstop energy all weekend. If you stopped by our booth, you probably saw us in full chaos mode, bouncing between conversations and sharing our love for storytelling through photography. And if you stopped by but our booth was super full, drop us a line and we’ll still honor the show bonuses we offered at all three shows!

2025 Puyallup Wedding Show FAQs: Your Top Questions Answered

After talking to so many engaged couples, a few questions popped up over and over again. So, in case you missed the chance to ask, here are some quick answers:

Do you see trends in booking and engagement seasons that repeat every year?
- Yes! The booking cycle is interesting but pretty steady from year to year (excluding every 4th year where things are different).
- January – March is our big wedding show circuit and booking season. We typically attend the Tacoma Wedding Show, Seattle Wedding Show and Puyallup Wedding Show, in that order. Most of our couples will be officially booked by March 15th for the following 12-18 months.
- Engagement sessions tend to happen all year, but our busy time is March – May, with “wedding season” following that.
- Following wedding season we see a huge peak in engagements (especially for those couples who attended a friend’s wedding) and they continue to climb, peaking between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day.
- Usually the end of the year engagements become our following year’s weddings, except during that fourth year when they tend to plan over a year out. This means end of 2024 engagements are going to be our 2026 weddings. And in 2028, we expect those couples will likely aim for 2030 instead of 2029.
Do we pick an engagement session location, or do you pick it for us?
- The TLDR: We don’t make you plan your engagement or pick from a list of “typical” locations. Every engagement is customized to the couple in it.
- One of our favorite things to do is customize your engagement to the two of you. So, when you get your engagement session booked, you’ll receive a pre-engagement questionnaire full of “odd” questions for a photographer to ask. However, questions like “What is your favorite thing to do together on the weekend” will help us to make suggestions for locations and activities before and during your engagement.
- Before your engagement, we will sit down on a virtual meeting and discuss everything from locations to outfits to time of day. This gives you a chance to voice your wishes, and we make all our plans together. And if the day arrives but you decided you want to do something totally different? We can throw all our plans out and fly by the seat of our pants.
How do we book?
- Booking is super easy. Reach out to us via our contact form and we’ll send you a proposal where you can choose your package, payment plan, sign your contract and pay your retainer all in one swoop. Want to see a copy of our contract before you book? You can easily request that when you submit your contact form, just note it in the comments.
- A few details: Our non-refundable retainer is typically $1000 but can be split into monthly payments when you choose a monthly payment plan WITH autopay. If you choose to split the retainer, the first $1000 worth of payments is considered non-refundable.
Do your prices include taxes?
- Yes! No hidden surprises here. The price you see is the price you get. The only place we are not able to include tax is through the Gallery Shop due to stipulations put on our gallery service provider.

Our 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show Special: Don’t Miss Out!

If you stopped by our booth, you probably heard about our 2025 Puyallup Wedding Show special—and if you didn’t, here’s your official notification! Contact us and book your 2025, 2026, or 2027 wedding package with us by March 9, 2025, and you can choose ONE of these awesome bonuses:

Double your product credit (because printed wedding photos are forever!)
Add a highlight video to capture all those behind-the-scenes, emotional, and joy-filled moments.

This is our way of saying thank you for stopping by and making the show such an incredible experience. If you’re ready to secure your date, let’s chat!

Final Thoughts: The Energy Was Unreal

After two whirlwind days at the Puyallup Wedding Show, we’re still buzzing from all the amazing couples we met. If you came by our booth, thank you for sharing your love story with us! Whether you’re tying the knot in 2025, 2026, or 2027, we’d love to be part of your wedding journey.

Missed us at the 2025 Puyallup wedding show? No worries—reach out anytime to chat about how we can bring your wedding memories to life. Until then, happy wedding planning!

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