It’s a new year and that means a new wedding season! There’s no better time to sign up for all the local bridal shows if you’re newly engaged. The first two months of the year are very popular times for vendors to host these fun events. While you might be the bride that is already signed up for every show imaginable, we realize a lot of brides might not feel the same way about these crowded events. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in a sea of vendors, tables and businesses wanting your attention…not to mention the hundreds of other couples in the building. But if you attend these shows well prepared, there’s really nothing to fear! Let’s help you make the most of the bridal show!
- Recruit Your Team
Once you find a show that you think you’ll want to register for, the first thing you want to do is make sure your team is available to assist you on this day. Whether it’s your maid of honor, mother, sister, or fiancé, don’t underestimate the importance of having others at the bridal show to help you. They will be there to help you talk to vendors that are your number one priority. They will help you stay on task and track. And they will help you make decisions or give you their invaluable opinion when considering vendors. Not to mention, being with your team is a lot more fun than taking on a bridal show alone!
- Dress Confidently
You might not think to dress confidently right away when considering a bridal show event. However, it’s super important to make sure you’re dressing to fit your style and comfort. Express your personality! If you walk into any event dressed to impress, it’ll only boost your own confidence. You’ll feel a lot more prepared to take on the day and conquer this crowded bridal show. You might even find it easier to communicate your wedding style to vendors and connect with them on a more personal level.
- Create an Email
Logistically, creating your own separate email address for all wedding planning business is super important. It’ll keep everything organized and separate from your other emails that flood your regular address. It’ll also make sure nothing slips through the cracks or gets lost in the sea of your unread messages. This new wedding email can be given out to all vendors from here on out!
- Take Pictures
What better way to keep track of vendors and their work? Taking pictures of that beautiful cake or floral arrangement is probably the easiest way to ensure you don’t forget about it when you leave the bridal show. Even if you don’t end up hiring that vendor, you at least have a picture to show what styles and colors you like. Think of it as creating a bridal show Pinterest board!
- Don’t Forget the Labels
We think this last tip is pretty ingenious! If you’ve ever been to a bridal show, you know that just about every vendor table you visit will want you to fill out a card with your information. Next thing you know, you’re spending way too much time filling out your name and contact information over and over. Trust me, it gets old really fast. Save yourself some time, and create your own contact information label stickers at home. There are plenty of templates out there that’ll allow you to type up these labels fairly quickly. Just don’t forget to use that wedding email address we talked about before!
Once you try out these tips on that next bridal show, you’ll feel like a pro in no time! Bridal shows could even transform from a dreaded chore to find vendors into a fun date with your fiancé or bridesmaids! Don’t forget to be creative with it, enjoy the process and take a moment to really appreciate the engaged season that you are in.
