Tips for Attending a Bridal or Wedding Show
Bridal (wedding) shows can be one of the best tools for a busy bride planning her wedding. The shows serve to fuel your wedding excitement and they are full of great ideas. Unlike planning your wedding on Pinterest (which is also awesome) local wedding shows give you a real-world feel of the costs involved. Bridal shows bring you face-to-face with the professionals who will show you samples of their work and you can get a feel for their vibe. The abundance of vendor booths offer just about everything you will need to plan, and offer competitive options. There’s usually a bridal runway and you also tend to get some pretty great swag.
Photo Courtesy of Ancaster Wedding Show
Bridal shows can also be busy and overwhelming, so we’ve got some tips to help you navigate and get the most out of the show experience.
- Bring a posse of positive vibes. Invite friends and/or family that will have fun with you, even though planning your wedding can be a gruelling business. One or two of these folks should be decision-makers and you should all be wearing comfortable shoes.
- Prepare. Have a vision for your wedding going in. Decide the basics like theme, colours, number of guests, etc. to save yourself from being pulled in multiple directions. (They should all be in your Bridal Planner which you can find in the back of the latest issue of The Bridal Guide Magazine.) Bring a datebook or calendar in order to book confidently, and consider bringing some pre-stamped cards with your contact info + wedding date in order to enter as many contests as possible. Most exhibitors have some sort of promotion and you can save time by having these done in advance.
- Ask questions. Don’t be shy, speak up. You’re the CEO of your wedding. The vendors and professionals at these shows are potential “employees” of your I Do extravaganza. Don’t worry about probing into the tough questions. How much, what’s involved, insurance contingencies, etc. These are need to know answers that will keep you making the most informed decisions.
- Make Decisions. Cross as many items off your list as you can. Take some time after the show to review options you may be on the fence about with your decision-makers. Then follow-up with the vendors you’re interested in. Most of them can only do one wedding at a time, and the sooner you decide, the more availability they will have.
Finally, stop by and say hello. We make an effort to attend as many shows as we can, and we’re here for you. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed and need to refocus, find our booth and we’ll help you get back on track.
Photo Courtesy of snapd Queen
Check here to find the shows coming up in your neighbourhood.
– Catherine Thorpe
