Saturday, July 20, 2013

{Weddings 101} Tips When Attending a Wedding Show

{Photo Credit:  D. Jones Photography, Nhan Photography}
 
As a newly-engaged, it is exciting to partake in all the wedding planning events, from Bridal Shows to Open Houses!  You get to sample food, inspire on ideas, meet wedding professionals and take home some fun goodies!  On the flip side, though, at the end of the day, brides and grooms are overwhelmed with information overload!  Quite frankly, sorting through all the marketing materials can be a daunting and undesirable experience!  Well, our goal is to help make your wedding planning experience more enjoyable and stress free!


Tips when attending a 
Wedding Show and Open House:

We can't stress enough on the following tips we will provide you when visiting the any show! Be sure to follow these tips to ensure a pleasant and relaxing experience!
  • Allot for a minimum of at least five {5} hours to spare when visiting a show.
  • It makes your experience much simpler having goals in mind. For example, if all you need is a cake vendor, a florist, a DJ or a photographer, then focus on those booths and don't accept promotional items for other vendors you don't need. {This will decrease your "baggage"!}
  • Be sure to prepare pre-printed labels, maybe 3 sheets worth, with the following information:

  1. Name of Bride & Groom
  2. An email address {I recommend you create a wedding email address for this purpose only, as you WILL be receiving lots of emails!}
  3. Telephone number {your choice of home or cell} if you are welcome to phone calls
  4. Wedding Date
  5. Number of expected guests to attend
  6. Mailing Address {optional if you'd like to receive snail mail}; personally, I wouldn't provide it on the labels, stick to email! :) Remember, your address will already be provided when you register at the show. Decrease duplicate mailings! :)
  • Only distribute your labels to those vendors you ARE interested in. Don't be afraid to say "No" to a vendor who insists you give them a label. It is YOUR choice, not theirs, so if you don't want to provide a label, then don't! :)
  • Please wear comfortable shoes for plenty of walking and standing
  • Bring some snacks or prepare to pay for food in cash. Some food vendors don't offer credit card purchases.
  • Don't bring in too many people with you; sadly not everyone is into your wedding! :) We usually recommend you have either your parents {mom}, your fiance {if he's a willing participant for the show} and your maid of honor or willing bridesmaids.
  • If the fiance isn't into the wedding planning, don't force him to go, as it will only make for a long and miserable time. {As vendors, we've witnessed plenty of bored and upset grooms to be, who'd rather just not be there}. In the end, it makes for a not so pleasant experience. Worst, your groom will be rushing you!
  • For multiple wedding shows, if you are unsure of what services you need, use Saturday as your "window shopping day", review the important vendors that night and go back on Sunday to "close the deal" or "set up consultations".
  • Take a backpack or a tote bag to use for your preferred vendor promotional items. Don't just grab a flyer/pamphlet because it was handed to you. If you're not interested in the company, don't take the flyer/pamphlet! Remember, it only adds unnecessary weight. ;)
I hope you have found this information useful!  For experienced brides and grooms who have already attended a show or two, if you have other tips not listed here you'd like to share, please add to our comment section!

Happy Planning!!!


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