The wedding show season has arrived. To the brides who are attending the shows, good for you! There are many great deals to be had at a Bridal Show. For myself, the veil I wanted was $250, which I could not justify spending and thought I would have to do without. But low and behold, a wedding show in Toronto provided a sale on veils and dresses, and I found a veil that was almost identical for $35!!! Some shows can be hits, and some shows can have a lot of misses, however more often than not, if you book or buy a product or service for your event at a show, you are probably saving money. And as we all know in wedding planning, any dollar saved is great! Two upcoming shows are:
Kitchener/Waterloo- Bingeman's Wedding Dreams Show- Sat & Sun October 23 & 24
Huron County Bridal Expo- Sun October 24
These 2 shows are in different areas, featuring many different vendors, fashion shows and more!
As a bride, or part of the bridal party or mother of the bride or groom, tagging along to a wedding show will probably be a crazy experience! It can be very overwhelming for a bride as this can be when reality sets in... "I am getting married". This can also be where a bride realizes how much things will cost and how much work is to be done. So, whether you are a bride or part of her "entourage" at a show, following these simple tips will make your show much more enjoyable.
#1- Take mailing labels with the bride & grooms names, address, phone number, email, wedding date and wedding location. There are MANY contests, draws and ballots to fill out and by placing a label on the ballot, it is much easier and faster for you, and also better for the vendor to ensure no messy handwriting cannot be read, possibly losing out on a contest or freebie!
#2- Don't take TOO many people with you. Having too many opinions and too many people to keep track of will take the focus off of you, the bride. You may forget what you need to look for!
#3- Get a map at the door or ahead of time. Most times you can get a vendor list online prior to the event and if so, circle the vendors you want to take time to go and get more information from. This will save time when getting stuck speaking to vendors you have no interest in working with.
#4- Take advantage of the savings and draws! It doesn't cost you anything to put your name on a ballot so take the chance... you never know when you may need it.
#5- Take a bag and keep track of the vendors you spoke to. Whether you need to take a notebook to write a few notes in along to way to ensure you remember the info, or even a tape recorder! I have seen brides get pretty creative at a wedding show!
#6- Take a list of what you need to look for. Already booked a DJ? Done... you won't need to worry about speaking to any DJ companies since this is already completed for your event. Need a Photographer? Free up time to speak to the many photography options to be confident you are happy with the choice you make.
So happy hunting and enjoy the wedding show season!!!
