1. Make a designated wedding planning email address
It is a great idea for you and your fiancé to share a designated wedding planning email. This email is what you can leave with vendors and venues as you make your way around the open house. Having this shared email will allow you and your fiancé to both have access to all things wedding related without worrying about forwarding or losing any information! To take this a step further, some couples print out their contact information including their names, wedding date, and email to hand out as needed. Doing this helps keep things smooth and lets you get your foot in the door with your favorite vendors!
2. Set a budget for each vendor
It’s always a good idea to come to any vendor showcase with a general idea of what you would like to spend in each category of your big day. A great start is to sit down with your fiancé and decide what your shared priorities are. After settling on what parts of your wedding are most important, the two of you can discuss how much of your wedding fund will be allocated to which items. For example, if food is your main priority, you can decide to set a higher budget for catering rather than something like florals or live music. Don’t be afraid of budgeting with your fiancé ahead of time even if you don’t have exact numbers. Having a rough idea of your comfort zone is a great way to come to the open house prepared!
3. Invite your Fiancé and Family
The RJC Bridal Open House is not just for brides! It’s always super helpful, not to mention fun, to involve other people who are important to the planning process like your fiancé or family members. By bringing guests along with you, you can get second opinions and share the experience of meeting vendors personally with them.
4. Take pictures!
When in doubt, take a picture! If you fall in love with a certain floral arrangement, linen color, or tablescape, chances are we can help you get together with vendors and make that design a reality at your own wedding. Keep plenty of photos for inspiration of what you may want to incorporate. Not to mention, you never know if you’re going to need a reference to look back on when comparing vendors later.
5. Experience exceptional catering!
One of the best parts of our open house is the food! Our in-house caterer, Creative Cuisine, showcases some of their amazing appetizers, late night snacks, and, of course, desserts! No one wants to miss out on trying the wide variety of flavors that will be at this event.
