Finding a Wedding Show In
Your Area
Wedding
shows mainly occur at two times of the year. The "Spring
Wedding Shows" 
usually
run during the months of January, February and March, and the
"Fall Wedding Shows" typically take
place during the months of September and October. Of course there
are always a few shows outside of these months also. To find out
if there are any bridal shows or wedding
shows happening in your area, do a search on the internet
for local bridal show or wedding shows,
view our list above and watch in your local papers for ads. Quite
often you can find more than one bridal show
happen in one area. Bridal shows are a wonderful
way of getting to meet many of the local wedding
vendors all under one roof and a great source of inspiration.
These tips will help you get the most from the wedding
show experience.
Make Notes
Before going to the wedding show,
grab a notebook and take some time to write down as many questions
as you can for the different types of wedding
professionals. You can view each of our wedding
planner pages for questions to ask each type of wedding
vendor. Take your notebook with you and make notes as you go around
about the different wedding vendors. About their
services, products and even about how friendly and informed they
were. You can also write down the many tips and ideas you pick
up from them and their displays. Take a few paperclips with you
or a stapler to clip their business card to the appropriate page
of your notebook for a quick reference. Most wedding shows
don't allow photography, even throughout the fashion show. Another
way of helping you remember what you have seen at the show is
to draw a sketch in your notebook to remind you of what it looked
like. You can make jot notes about what it's made of, its colours,
size, shape, trim, fabrics, etc.
Do A Little Research About The Wedding Show
Check to see if registration is required
for the wedding show. Many wedding shows
do this so they have a better idea of how many Brides and guests
to expect to the wedding show to make sure they
have the appropriate number of goody bags available for the Brides.
Another reason for show registry is for marketing
and promotional reasons. Be sure to check and see if the wedding
show you are planning to attend
has a website. Wedding show websites can really
help you out and save you time and sometimes money. You can visit
it in advance to see what vendors are registered at the wedding
show, print out a map of the show layout and you may
even be able to get coupons and savings on the entry fee.
Arrive Early to The Wedding Show
Try to arrive early to bridal shows.
This way you will be able to park close to the entrance of the
wedding show. This is handy for a few reasons.
You will be able to leave heavy coats in the car. Also, if you
find your arms getting tired from carrying too much, you will
be able to make a quick trip to the car and trade your full bags
for empty ones. Just be sure to get your hand stamped on the way
out if there is an entry fee to the show. Another important reason
for arriving early is to help deal with the crowds. Most crowd
traffic at shows will move in the same direction
starting at the front door. It will be easier to get around and
visit with wedding vendors if you are in the
front of the crowd. Most shows have one or two fashion shows
scheduled throughout the day. If you arrive early you will be
able to get around visiting many of the wedding
vendors before the fashion show begins. By this time your feet
will be ready for a rest. Be sure to find your seating for the
fashion show early to ensure you get good seats
up front.
Material Handling
If you are going to a large wedding
show, and some are very large, you may want to bring
with you a large backpack or other easy to carry bag. If you have
a small rolling briefcase or suitcase you can transfer the material
you collect into it and not be bogged down. As you make your way
around to the many wedding vendors, you will
be collecting an amazing amount of business literature, flyers,
business cards, free samples and even gifts. If you have a bag
to put them in, it will help keep your hands free for writing
notes and filling out forms. Most wedding shows
provide a plastic bag when you enter the bridal show
but these can be cumbersome and fill up very quickly at large
shows. Another great way to help keep your hands free is to bring
someone along with you to the wedding show to
help you carry things. It's best if you can bring someone who
is involved in the wedding plans with you. The
Groom is always best, but anyone who you enjoy their company can
make the wedding show more fun to attend. They
may even think of questions for the wedding vendors
that you haven't thought of.
Be As Comfortable As
Possible for the Wedding Show
Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and most
importantly comfortable shoes to the wedding show.
It will be a very long day if your feet hurt or you may miss out
on valuable information if you leave early. Most bridal
shows can get very warm inside with the amount of people
inside the show room. So don't wear heavy clothing or coats. The
best thing to do is wear layers so you can adjust to the climate
inside the wedding show.
Bring a Snack and Drink to The Wedding Show
Bring a snack
and drink along with you to the wedding show.
You'll need your strength and you don't want to have to leave
midway through the wedding vendors to stop for
a drink. Also, try to visit the washroom before you begin your
rounds at the wedding show.
Personal Information
Labels and Email
Contests and draws will be everywhere at
the wedding show. You will find that almost every
wedding vendor will have some kind of entry form
for you to fill out for a chance to win a great prize. If you
don't want to spend a lot of time filling out your personal information
again and again. Consider printing out small sticky address labels
before the wedding show and take them with you.
If you have been on the wedding show's website
you may have an idea of the number of wedding
vendors at the wedding show. On the labels include
the names of the Bride and Groom, your wedding
date, phone number and your email address. We also suggest creating
an email address specifically for your wedding
plans. You can give this email address to all your wedding
vendors and anyone involved in the wedding plans
that you don't feel it is important that they have your permanent
email address. This way, after the wedding, when
you are confident that you will not need to hear from these people
anymore, you can delete the email address. People really don't
need your home mailing address these days, if they need to reach
you they will have your phone number and email address. Otherwise
you may find that you get unwanted advertising mail and email
for a very long time after your wedding.
Have Fun At The
Wedding Show
Most of all, have fun, enjoy yourself and
soak in as much wedding planning knowledge as
possible. Nothing will get you more excited about planning
your wedding than a great wedding show.
