10 Tips for Attending a Bridal Show
- Bring Bridesmaids, relatives, gal pals. And it’s always a good idea to bring your future Groom, if he is available. FYI…many guys are hard to nail down for these events. Bridal Shows are 99.9% on Sundays, so be smart and schedule his time around football games, etc. Bridal Shows can be overwhelming when you are exposed to so many vendors at one time, so the more eyes and ears that you have there the better. Everyone’s feedback at the end of the day will be greatly appreciated.
- Plan to spend 2-4 hours at any Bridal Show. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy each wedding professional/vendor. And don’t miss the entertainment at these shows. In addition to being an opportunity to sit and rest a bit, you may find yourself inspired.
- Bring bags for the loot! Perks of any Bridal Show are the giveaways. Yup, it’s a party. Trinkets, candy, cake samples, food samples, wine, champagne, marketing memorabilia are all part of enjoying the experience at these shows. Almost all Bridal Shows have photo booths, so get samples of each. This is one way to help you in your decision making in the future and who doesn’t like photos of themselves?
- Ask questions. You have an actual face to face with vendors and they are always eager to answer any questions. You are not under any pressure to buy from them, so find out everything you need to know. This is also a great time to schedule future one-on-one consultations with vendors.
- Do your homework. Prior to the show, you usually can go to the bridal show website, where you can preview most vendors attending the show. So, if your plan is to shop, say, photo booths only, go to each website before the show and see what they are offering. That way, you can make a beeline to their locations and do your comparison shopping as a well informed consumer.
- Bring printed address labels. Vendors sometimes have special offers and drawings and who wants to write their name and email a zillion times. And, because these labels are legible, you don’t have to worry about remembering your name, etc when those samples of champagne/wine cloud your memory.
– - Take photos to help jog your memory. You’ve got a smart phone, use it.
- Dress for comfort. These are not marathons but we all do our best thinking when our feet don’t hurt.
- Lock in your date with a deposit right on the spot. What most brides don’t realize is that there are only so many Saturdays in a month/year. Think your wedding is a long way off? What you will find out is that most venues and vendors are already booked way in advance. So, see it? Love It? Book it!
- Say thank you. Even if you are not interested in a vendor’s product, at least be polite. Everyone appreciates good manners. Happy planning!
