Your Bridal Show Survial Guide!

Winter is such an amazing time. You have Christmas, New Years, and of course, engagement season! There is also the time of year where every Wedding Vendor prepares anxiously for that one BIG weekend to outdo them all...Columbus Bride: The Show. Two straight days of interacting with Friends in the industry, and of course, selling ourselves to Brides!

I have had the pleasure of attending more than a few of these events and I have been thinking recently about all the different things that go into having a succesful Bridal Show experience. As a Wedding Professional, it gets easier as the years go on - but what about the brides? I kept imagining what it would be like to attend one of these shows with no knowledge of the bridal industry - so much pressure! This show in particular had almost 200 Wedding Professionals and over 1000 brides -to -be! I imagine that this would be a little more than ovewhelming for someone who didn't know where to start!

After much deliberation, I have compiled my top list of things that will have any future bride (or groom!) prepared to walk confidently into any bridal expo and and accomplish everything on their to do list without suffering a mild stroke. Enjoy!

1. Dress for the occasion. First off Ladies, I cannot stress enough the need for comfortable footwear! 5 inch heels are just not condusive to what should be a fun and enjoyable day persusing a bridal show! I saw girls weeble, wobble and almost tumble for two days straight! Flats, boots or sneakers are going to help you get the most out of your bridal show experience! I imagine it would be extremely difficult to have a conversation with what could be the perfect vendor for you, but you can't comprehend anything they are saying because all you can think is "I can't feel my toes". If you still feel like you can't part with the pumps...at least throw a pair of cute ballet flats into your bag (you know, just in case). In regards to the rest of your perfectly plotted outfit - keep it simple. Try to avoid the bulky winter coats and sweaters. After about 20 minutes, you will be sweating and your coat will be on your last nerve. I recommend jeans and a light sweater or jacket to be most comfortable.

2. Part with the posse. Do you have 8 girls in your Bridal Party? While it is fantastic that you have such a large support system, we recommend you leave the posse at home. Sticking with Maid of Honor, your Mom or even your fiance is best! When you have more than a couple of people with you - the experience turns more into a tug of war over what shade of blue you like best, or who is going to sit with whom when the fashion show begins. These show are a great opportunity to see vendors at their best! If you are constantly fielding the opinions of half a dozen people who have tagged along with you, it may be hard to hear your own thoughts or you may not approach that one photographer you think looked great because you didn't want to hurt a friends feelings. Less is more friends, less is more.

3. Mailing Labels are your new best friend! Before attending any Bridal Show or Expo, take a few minutes to print off mailing labels with your contact information (Name, addresss, email, phone number, wedding date). This will save you much time when filling out entry forms and you won't have to worry about someone not being able to read your handwriting. You wouldn't want to miss out on that free Honeymoon you could have won, just because a vendor couldn't decifer your email address, do you? The beach is sounding pretty good right now with all this snow, right?!

4. Use your Vendor List to your advantage: I gave this advice to my brides this weekend and it received a pretty positive response! Lets say you are in the need of a photographer and cake artist,-look up their booth numbers on your map and find out where they are located. Grab a pen and walk around, casually strolling by their booth. As you go through, highlight the vendors that spark your interest with their display, photos, personality, etc. Next, go back and have converstations with those who captured your attention. You should view their work, sample their cakes and ask questions that are important to you. Once you have done this - it will be much easier to make a desicion about who you liked best. Their product and personality will be fresh in your mind and as I always say, "Go with your gut!"

5. Put your money where your mouth is: If someone approaches you inside or outside of a show and wants to have a conversation with you about their delectable cakes, visually stimulation videography or awesome photobooth - first ask what their booth number is. If they did not pay to be at the show, RUN! The Wedding Professionals at these shows work tirelessly to create a welcoming and positive enviroment for all the potential brides in attendance. Someone who is strolling in to try and attract brides without the footwork is no good to you. It shows they are not willing to invest the time, effort or money to solicit the right way. Think of it like the purse vendors in chinatown who lead you into an abandoned building where you have to knock three times on the back door and utter a password to get your hands on a shoddy Louis Vuitton? It's just bad business.

6. Pay Attention to Personality: I know I am not the only vendor who is saying this but, I had a blast this weekend! The booth next to ours was represented by a venue in Grove City, where two good friends of mine work as Wedding Planners. We laughed for two days straight! In between talking to brides and showing off our respective venues, we were able to catch up, laugh and reminise about the past. For me, catching up with industry "friends" and making new ones is one of the best parts of Bridal Expos! I had one bride tell me that it was my personality that first attracted her to come up and talk to me. That is such an amazing compliment! I believe in stress free Wedding Planning and I want all my couples to have the time of their lives, so this meant so much! By working with a vendor who matches your personality, you are so much more likely to be satisfied with the end result of their work, no matter what aspect of the industry they are in. So taking a little bit of time and watching how certain vendors interact with potential customers will tell you a lot about thier true personality.

7. Most Importantly, Have Fun! This is supposed to be the best time of your life! Take a deep breath, smile and enjoy the process! Don't be the girl in this photo!

8. Avoid Junk Mail! I borrowed the following tip from my friend Todd at Team DJ. Create a separate email for your Wedding Vendors. For example: kimandjaysbigday@gmail.com. This is going to help you stay organized with all of your vendor communication along with preventing the possibility of losing an important email while sorting through your inbox. Thanks Todd!

Visit out Facebook page "Jefferson Country Club Weddings and Events" to view some pics from this years show!

Eventfully, Jefferson