What Should I Expect At A Bridal Show?

Part 2 of 2

Let’s re-cap what you learned in part 1:

• Bring pre-printed address labels, stickers, a pen and a backpack or other large shoulder bag. 
•  Bring your maid of honour. Leave kids and young teens at home.
•  Plan to be at the show for 3 hours. Bring some change to buy water.
•  Any vendor who can put a wedding-related spin on their business with be in attendance. This includes travel agencies, mortgage brokers, fitness consultants, and maybe even psychics if you’re lucky.

What will happen at the bridal show?

• You will arrive and receive a plastic bag filled with thick magazines, a wedding planner guide book, select vendor business cards and brochures and a sticker saying “I’m the bride” to put on your shirt – all before you even enter the show. This bag will be lots of fun when you get home, but will be very heavy at the show! Ask your entourage take turns holding the bag with you.
• You’ll walk in and find aisles packed to the edge with vendors. The booths are directly beside each other and are on both sides of the aisle. Your “I’m the bride” sticker will let every vendor know YOU are the decision maker, and will cause them to vie for your attention every second you are in their vicinity. People will be handing you brochures left, right and centre and you won’t be able to stuff them in your bag fast enough. Give your entourage a raised eyebrow if you need them to distract a pushy salesperson so you can escape.
• Remember to keep your eye on the game plan. Find the vendors you definitely want to talk to and go straight for them. Don’t get distracted and don’t waste time being overly polite with the harder to shake sales people. This is where your list will come in handy and keep you on track. When you have time later you can visit vendors you missed.
• Have a pen on you, so you can write details directly on the brochures. For example, if the bridal attire shop sounds wonderful but their business card doesn’t have the name of the lady you spoke with, ask for her name and write it down directly on the card. Then put a happy face sticker on it. Remember your stickers!
• In part 1 I told you to bring a small dollar-store stapler. This is because many times a vendor will have a business card and a brochure - but now you’ve got 2 pieces of paper and they will not stay together when you stuff it into your bag. Allocate someone who goes with you to staple all pieces of paper from the same vendor together, and then when you go home you can separate them if necessary.
• Have your entourage look at other vendors if you are busy speaking to one. There will be so many vendors you won’t be able to look at every one unless you do another round (by the end you’ll just want a margarita!). While they are scanning for other vendors you need (from the list you gave them) they can act as extra eyes helping you see what you may not be able to see.
• I’d suggest bringing a bottle of water, but that just adds extra weight. Perhaps bring a few dollars to buy water there for when you sit down to watch the fashion show. The reason I say this is because there will be LOTS of goodies (cupcakes, chocolate, and candies) for you to sample at the bridal show…but no one offers anything to drink. Keep yourself hydrated and stay away from too much sugar – you will crash afterwards (I know from experience).
• If you find a vendor you need, ask them questions. Many times there will not be prices on their hand-outs so ask. For example: How much is this wedding cake you have on display; how much does this bridal bouquet go for; is this an example of a head table backdrop; do you provide discounts for bundling services; what is the price per sugar cookie favour you have on display? Write the answers down on their brochure and put a sticker on it. 
• Lastly, keep in mind that vendors will often have special offers at the bridal show which they normally don't have. So this is a great opportunity to inquire about discounts. Never be afraid to ask for a discount. For example, "If I book within 30 days of this bridal show, can I get a 10% discount?" Be prepared for them to say no, but vendors rent space at the bridal show to get customers, so they should be will willing to at least discuss discount options.

What will happen after the bridal show?

• You and your entourage will be exhausted but excited and you will find a communal place to discuss the loot. We did this at my house and everyone dumped out their bags (just like Halloween - I kid you not), and threw out the garbage and duplicates. Remember to keep in mind you have lots of other reasons these vendors may be of use to you. Think of your bachelorette, buck and doe, bridalshower, etc. If the vendor isn’t right for your wedding, think of other places they may be useful.The point here isn't to horde, but save yourself time later when you remember you forgot something such as bridal shower guest favours.
• We put the brochures that were on my “interested” list in to a pile, and recycled the rest. This pile was then separated into vendors I needed such as “DJ”, “Video”, “Officiate”, “Limo”, etc. I tell you, those stickers definitely do come in handy. My piles consist of 5 limo companies, 7 DJs, 4 officiates, 8 venues, and 5 bakeries and 10 miscellaneous (imagine how many I recycled!)
• Make sure to thank your entourage for going with you. It is an exhausting event, may have cost them money for admission, and they are going only for you. They get nothing out of it other than some sample goodies, so thank them. 

Reading this may have been a bit overwhelming (and you haven’t attended the show yet!) but I promise it is fun when you are prepared. Make sure you eat before you go and stay hydrated. You will get distracted by pretty shiny things along your way to see that florist you’ve read so much about, but try to stay on task. I suggest arriving so the fashion show is half-way between when you arrive and when you leave so you get a break from all the excitement, and can put down all your bags and grab some water.

Do you have any other tips for bridal shows?

To have and to hold,

Elizabeth Honey

What Should I Expect At A Bridal Show?

Part 1 of 2

You know those community events that are usually held in a conference center where many wedding vendors set up booths to generate business? That is a bridal show! Well, our first bridal show is here! All the ladies in my wedding party are able to come (the groom has made himself scarce), and I am packed and ready to go. Wait a second…packed? What do I mean by that, you may ask? There is some planning you should do before you just jump right into a bridal show, otherwise you’ll come out of it exhausted and overwhelmed.

What am I supposed to do at a bridal show?

A bridal show is supposed to be your little black book of wedding vendors. Often there will be many different companies of the same business (e.g. wedding planners). This is a great opportunity to check out businesses and see what videographer A has over videographer B. Also, it gives you a chance to possibly meet face-to-face some people you may hire to work on your wedding with you. Since most conversations are done via email or phone, getting to meet the business owner or operator in person can help you decide if they are someone you want to work with.

What vendors are at a bridal show?

You will see wedding related business with booths to advertise their services. Included are: bakers, florists, jewellers, disk jockeys, wedding planners, decor companies and fitness consultants as well as many many others you would not even think of such as psychics, dancers, mortgage consultants and financial advisors. 

Also, there are fashion shows to display wedding attire. Most of the outfits are available by a salon which also has a booth at the show so you can directly speak to a representative if you see something you like. A nice perk to the bridal shows I’ve attended is they sometimes have male models in the fashion show to display men’s wedding attire. This is great because if you have a male partner he may not know where to get his wedding attire, and also eye candy better for the hips than sugar candy.

Who should I bring with me to a bridal show?

I suggest you bring no more than 4 other people. There will be a ton of people at the show and it will be hard to keep track of everyone. Definitely bring your maid of honour and some bridesmaids if you can. Leave children and young teens at home – they can look at your brochures when you get back and they will definitely get bored fast.

How long will I be at a bridal show?

Plan on attending the show for at least 3 hours. Sounds like a long time – but trust me, there will be over 100 vendors and you’ll walk by each one of them grabbing pamphlets, talking to vendors who interest you, and watching the fashion shows.

What should I do before attending a bridal show?

• Website: Check out the bridal show website to get an idea of which vendors will be there.
• Priority List: Mark down vendors you definitely want to talk to, which services you still need, and which services you do not need. Give a copy of this list to your entourage so they know what you are looking to accomplish.
• Check the time: Find out what time the fashion shows are and make sure you can watch at least one.
• Bag: Get a laptop style bag with a shoulder strap to put all of the vendor papers into. This keeps your hands free for writing notes and grabbing other brochures. Make sure all your ladies bring a bag to put brochures in also.
• Stickers! Stars, smile faces, ones with funny sayings, or whatever you desire.
• Pen: Bring a pen and a small stapler from the dollar store. Some vendors will give you more than one brochure.
• LABELS! Print off address labels. This is inexpensive and is an amazing idea.

Explanation:

At the bridal show you will be completely overwhelmed with brochures, pamphlets, business cards and samples. Everywhere you turn someone will be handing you something and it is very difficult to hold on to all of this stuff. You absolutely need a large, well supported bag to put all of this paperwork into. Believe me, the bag will weigh about 10 pounds extra by the time you leave considering you start off the show by receiving several thick bridal magazines. By writing down who you want to see, and who you are interested inahead of time (give a copy to everyone you go with), youwill stay focused.

The sticker idea is fantastic! Picture this- you talk with a DJ who offers everything you want, will give you a discount, can do your buck and doe, and is within your budget. You go home, dump out your loot and find 10 DJ business cards! Which one was his??? Having a sticker to identify vendors you are interested in will help you when you get home. Trust me, they all begin to blend together and the business card doesn’t say “The DJ with glasses, dark hair and a tattoo on his forearm”.

On the labels write your name, phone number, full address, email address and wedding date (even if you only have a tentative one). Almost every vendor will have a “draw” of some sort and imagine writing this information down by hand 100 times? Get enough pages of labels so everyone you bring with you can have a sheet and put your name in for draws on your behalf. Note: you will definitely get emails from vendors. If you aren’t so keen about this, look for a free email client and set up a new email address just for wedding stuff such as judy.wedding@email.com.

Look for part 2 coming soon. 
What did you bring to the bridal show to help stay organized?

To have and to hold,

Elizabeth Honey

Engagement Photo Shoot – part 2

Let’s re-cap part 1. You’ve already chosen:

• Who  to photograph you – professional or not
• What to wear – something you are comfortable in and accents your best features
• Where to have the pictures taken – chosen by the photographer or yourself
• Why - for your save-the-date cards, to frame the photos at your wedding reception or for your home
• When to have the pictures taken

Now you are ready to ask: What happens at an engagement photo shoot?

 

I’ve already had mine done so I can speak from experience. Here are some of my details: We were engaged in April 2011 and had our engagement pictures taken in October 2011. Our wedding was planned for November 2013 so we did not have to rush. We chose October for our pictures because we both love the fall colours and our wedding colour is red, so we hoped to get some red, orange and yellow leaves in our photos. We wore dark jeans, black shoes and grey sweaters with white undershirts. My fiancé and I had a professional photographer who was local to the area we live in and he suggested we take our pictures by a waterfall. 

Bring with you:

• Lipstick and a small mirror (you will be kissing your sweetie a lot today, so you will need to re-apply). 
• Facial tissues to wipe away tears, stray eyeliner and/or to use for blowing your nose if the weather gets windy or your allergies act up.
• Blanket if you are having photos outdoors and may need to sit on the ground for some shots
• Props such as a scarf, a puppy (haha…), hats, sunglasses, umbrella etc. We brought a scarf since it was October and we got some good shots using it tying us both up in a bow, pulling it around his neck to lean in for a kiss, etc.

During the photo shoot:

• Smile for the camera. The photographer will often ask you to pose in a specific way while they jump around to different angles for the best shot. Also, they will sometimes suggest you just “relax” so they can get a few in-the-moment shots that are not pre-planned. Remember to smile! 
• Hold still. You will be asked to “hold that pose” many, many times! Often this will be while you are mid-kiss with your sweetie. Holding a kiss perfectly still while someone takes pictures of you is difficult. During my photo shoot holding the kiss was so odd that I would laugh out loud and need to compose myself before we started shooting again.
• Go with the flow. Your photographer may ask you to pose in ways that seem odd or silly to you. I suggest you go with the flow and give it a try. It is possible the pictures won’t turn out the best, but what if they turn out beautifully? If the person behind the camera has done this before, they may know a few tricks you don’t.
• Check out all areas. You may be in one particular spot (such as a waterfall), but there are many places to take photos. Move around and try out different areas. I was at a waterfall, and we have pictures in 6 different areas: on a small bridge, sitting by a stream, on a rock, in some tall grass, by the waterfall, on rocks by the waterfall, and on a bench.
• Have fun. The whole experience will be a bit silly and you may be stressed thinking you will have these pictures forever but remind yourself to breathe and ask the photographer for a minute or two break to get yourself together if you feel a bit strained.

After the photo shoot:

When the pictures are developed you will have the option to purchase them from the photographer. You can either purchase individual prints, a package of prints, or maybe purchase all the photos in digital form on a disk. 

I definitely suggest buying the digital copies of photos because professional photographers often charge a lot of money for prints. From personal experience I can tell you our photographer charges $22.00 for an 8x10 print. My fiancé and I instead purchased from him 80 professionally edited photos on a digital CD Rom disk for the computer and the disk cost us $100. We then used the disk to purchase prints at a local big box store who charged $2.00 per 8x10 print. –much better! I printed off one of each photo in a 4x6 size to put in an album and then printed larger sizes for family and my home.

Make sure to discuss the experience with your partner to see if you would like to book them for the wedding. Suggestion – wait until you receive the engagement pictures from them before you decide for sure. A picture tells a thousand words and some of those words describe if you want them to do your wedding photos or not.

Did you get engagement photos done? Did you use that photographer for your wedding photos – why or why not?

To Have and To Hold,

Elizabeth Honey