Tips for attending Bridal Shows – Superbowl of All Bridal Shows

Tips for attending Bridal Shows – Superbowl of All Bridal Shows
Did he put a ring on it?
Did he put a ring on it?
shotgun wedding
Does planning your wedding make you feel like you are staring down the barrel of a shotgun?
tips for attending bridal shows
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming to say the least. It’s hard just to figure out where to get started. The good news is that it is Bridal Show season!
gettaway car for wedding
Because the majority of engagements happen during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, it makes sense to have Bridal Show Season begin in January. The first and biggest bridal show of the year is the Sounds of Music DJ’s Superbowl of All Bridal Shows. This bridal show is a two day event this Saturday and Sunday, January 10th and 11th, from 1pm-5pm. It is so large that it is at two separate venues, The Stranahan Theater & Great Hall and The Premier Banquet Complex. Both venues are on Heatherdowns (across from one another) and transportation is provided between the two venues, so you only have to park once. Tickets are good for both days AND both venues. Over 125 vendors will be in attendance with hundreds of brides and grooms coming out to meet the vendors and to get information and ideas, and to book their favorite wedding specialists. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $8 at any Anderson’s Store, 2B Bridal Boutique and J. Foster Jewelers; or you can purchase them at the door for $10.
bridal show photo booth
I will be there with my Kurt’s Kustom Keepsakes green screen photo booth and my Kurt Nielsen Wedding photography. I will be at The Premier and located at the back wall which is directly across where you will be entering the venue. My vendor booth is next to the Sounds of Music DJs booth. We will have my full photo booth set up and ready to show you how much more fun a green screen photo booth can be. Plus, you and your bridal show companions will each get to take home a free 4×6 photo from the photo booth. For a sneak peek at my Bridal Show Specials, please visit my website at: http://www.kurtnphoto.com/toledo-bridal-show.asp. Don’t forget to sample our special treat courtesy of our friends at Hit of The Party Ice Cream Machine Rentals!
old time wedding photos
Times have changed and so has wedding planning! One of the best and easiest ways to plan your dream wedding is to attend a bridal show. However, attending a bridal show can be extremely overwhelming, especially if this is the first one you have gone to and it is so big, like this weekend’s Sounds of Music DJs Superbowl of All Bridal Shows. Hundreds of brides, like yourself, will be in attendance. It will be crowded, it will be loud, and it will be confusing! But have no fear, we’ve got you covered! Here are some helpful tips for attending bridal shows to help you through the day.
chalkboard signs for wedding
Pre-Register! Not only will this save you time in line at the door, but for this show, you will be entered to win a great prizes. You can get information on how to pre-register on the Sounds of Music DJs website at: http://www.soundsofmusicdjs.com/bridalshows.html. You can also look at the list of participating vendors and get the layout of where everyone is located. The list will show you who will be there and you can check out their websites and reviews before you go which will help you in your decisions for planning your dream wedding.
getting ready photos for wedding
Show up early! Not only will this give you a head start on the other brides, but it will give you more time with the vendors before things get too crazy. Since this is a four hour per day show and it is for two days, you can always go back and talk more with your favorite vendors if you start early!
country wedding photos
Bring an entourage! Bring your mother, your maid of honor, your bridesmaids, and your groom; whom ever will be helping you plan your dream wedding. Not only will they be able to help carry things for you, like the information and your coat, but they may be able to see and hear things that you may not pick up on. They can also help you make decisions.
wedding banner
Make up address labels! This is very important to help you save time. Most of the vendors will have some sort of drawing for prizes and having the labels ready will save time and prevent your hand from cramping. Make sure you include your name, phone number, email address and wedding date as these are the things most of the vendors will want to know.
photo guest book for wedding
Bring a notebook! This is a great way of keeping track of what you like and don’t like. You can write down notes to yourself about the vendors or ideas you get from speaking with them.  You never know what you will need it for, and you don’t want to forget the great ideas that you get from the show!
toledo free press photo booth
Bring a camera! If you see something you like, like a centerpiece or even a vendor you want to remember, you can take a picture to help you remember.
Sounds of Music DJs Superbowl of All Bridal Shows Vendor Layout
Gather as much information as you can! Most of the vendors will have some sort of hand out to give you. Whether this is about pricing, services or both, getting that information now can be extremely helpful and can cut down on time spent researching later. You should receive a bag at check-in to keep all of your information in. This bag will get heavy so it’s a good idea to let someone else hold it for you while you talk to the vendors. If you come late, bring your own tote bag just in case they run out. It’s also a good idea to look over the information that you receive as soon as possible after the show while the conversations are still fresh in your mind.
wedding-Photo-Booth-IMG_0087
Bring your checkbook and/or credit card! Almost every vendor will require some sort of deposit to hold your date. However, not all of the vendors will be able to take credit card payments at the show. That’s why it is important to bring your checkbook, or even cash (not advised!). However, if you must make a credit card payment, the vendor may be able to write down your number and info and run the card at their office, or they may schedule you to come in that week to take care of it in person. {Be sure their bridal show offer will still be valid if you need to schedule an appointment!}
save the date ideas
Bring your calendar! As I said in the previous tip, you may need to schedule an appointment to speak to the vendor more at length than you can at the bridal show. Having your availability ready to schedule an appointment will be a huge help in planning for both you and the wedding vendor.
wedding champagne toast
Know your budget before you go! You will be soooooo overwhelmed and see things that you really like and want, but will you be able to afford them? Remember, deposits are usually non-refundable and booking something or someone you cannot afford is never a good idea. However, going with the cheapest vendor to save money is not necessarily a good idea either. That’s why you want to set some sort of budget so you know how much you can afford to spend on each of the details of your wedding day. The five major costs will be the venue, the caterer, the DJ and/or band, the photographer, and the florist; not necessarily in that order. They are also the most important aspects to book early because they book out several months or even years in advance! {I have several events booked for 2016, some late in the year!}
Dinosaur chasing wedding party
Don’t get pressured into booking someone that you are not ready to book! The wedding vendors are there to attract clients and show off what they do. A few of the vendors will try to pressure you into booking them instead of their competitors. Checking out the wedding vendors before you go is a great way to prevent this. Make sure you read their reviews on TheKnot.com and WeddingWire.com to see what their past clients think of their services! There will be a lot of brides attending the show that will be ready to book, but most of them are just collecting information. However, because some will be ready to book their favorite vendors, it is important for you to be prepared to be flexible in your decisions, just in case your favorite vendors are already booked for your dream wedding date.
cupcakes instead of wedding cake
Eat before you go! Although some of the vendors will have some type of food or dessert, including us, you will only be getting sample sizes. Even if you eat all of the samples that will be there, it will still probably not be enough to fill you up, especially since you will be walking a lot. It is also a good idea to bring a water bottle of other liquid refreshment. You will be talking with so many new people that you will definitely become thirsty. In the past, the venues have had their full service bar available, but they will charge you for their drinks.
wedding flip flops
Probably the most important tip of all is to wear comfortable shoes! You will be doing a lot of walking and standing. Because of how many vendors and brides to be will be in attendance, there is no room in either venue for chairs for the participants to sit down and relax. Therefore, wearing comfortable shoes and clothing becomes even that more important.
wedding reception party photos
I hope these tips for attending bridal shows help you prepare yourself for this weekend’s Superbowl of All Bridal Shows, and any other bridal show you might attend. If you are coming to this weekend’s show, be sure to stop by my booth and say hello and have your picture taken in our fun photo booth! Don’t forget to sign up for my give-away!  Good Luck and Happy Planning!
formal church wedding photos of bridal party
For more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at: www.kurtnphoto.com.

To contact Kurt to schedule your FREE Wedding Consultation, please call the studio at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post on your favorite social media site. Pin your favorite images to your Pinterest board!

I Do at the Zoo – Fall Bridal Show

I Do at the Zoo – Fall Bridal Show
I Do at the Zoo
Kurt Nielsen Photography was happy to once again to be a part of the biggest Fall bridal show in the Toledo area, the “I Do at the Zoo” by the Sounds of Music DJs at the Toledo Zoo.
Fall Bridal Show Floor Plan
My booth was near where you entered the Nairobi Pavilion. It was situated between the Tecumseh Trolley booth and the Glass City Dance Company (DJ Service). We were directly across from the Mary Kay Cosmetics and the Origami Owl Jewelry booths.
Romantic Wedding Photographer
If you stopped by my booth, you should have been given my pricelist and my fall bridal show special. The special is $200 off of my Complete Wedding package which includes full day coverage of your wedding day and my green screen photo booth for the entire duration of your reception with a scrapbook of all of the photo booth images that your guests can sign and decorate. This means that if you want me there at the salon at 9am for pictures of you and your bridesmaids getting ready, I will be there. I also stay until the reception is over, even if it is midnight or later. For me, full day is as long as you want me. All of your wedding photos will be given to you on a special jump drive with full print rights, and a DVD slideshow set to music for you to enjoy.  My fun photo booth staff will arrive one hour prior to the start of your reception and they will be up and running before the first guest arrives.  They also will stay until the reception is over.  The only catch for this offer is that you MUST book me by this Friday, September 12, 2014 in order to take advantage of this special price!
Custom Photo Booth
My photo booth is different than any that you may have seen before. It is more like a portable studio than an actual photo booth. We use a 10 foot wide green screen instead of the boring white backdrop. By using the green screen (which is what the weathermen and movie studios use), we can utilize any photograph as the background scene, and fit up to 15 adults (sometimes more) in the picture. Wedding guests really love this concept and have tons of fun posing for the image as if they were really in a scene and not just a photo. Plus, instead of the usual 2”x6” photo strips with multiple images, we instantly print (unlimited) ready to frame 4”x6” color photos for each of your guests to take home. We stay for the duration of your reception, and all of the images are uploaded to my website in an online gallery for you and your guests to download for FREE and use however they want. We don’t charge extra for “downtime” (like during the dinner service) or extra hours of coverage. We don’t charge extra to print a copy of the image for everyone in the photo. We don’t charge extra to bring props that fit your selected backgrounds. Everything is included in your photo booth package. We can also create a scrapbook from all of the images your guests have taken during your event, which they get to sign and decorate as a fun and unique guest book that you take home the night of your wedding reception. You would not believe how much fun wedding guests have knowing that they are creating a unique memory book just for you. To learn more about my photo booth and view past events, please visit my photo booth page on my website.
Toledo Wedding Photographer Fall Bridal show
If you were to book each of these items separately, you would be paying $1895 for my Full Wedding Coverage package; $850 for my photo booth package and $150 for the scrapbook, which totals $2,895. By choosing my Complete Wedding package, which is regularly priced at $2,595, and using the $200 bridal show discount, you will save $500 by bundling! Just remember, you have to book me by this Friday to receive the discount.
Also part of my bridal show special offer, for any wedding photography or photo booth package, you will only be required to put down a $200 deposit instead of the $400 I normally require to hold your date. This is not a discount on the package price, just a discount on the deposit to save your date.
toledo wedding photo booth special
My payment policy is simple. You pay the required non-refundable deposit and sign the contract when you book my services. Then the remainder of your wedding package must be paid in full 2 weeks prior to your wedding date. You may make payments as you wish or pay the remaining balance at the due date. How you choose to complete the payment process is up to you.
Ohio and Michigan Wedding Photographers
For more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at:  www.kurtnphoto.com.

To contact me to schedule your FREE wedding consultation, please call me at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post with anyone that you know who has recently become engaged and are planning their wedding.  Pin your favorite images to your Pinterest boards.

Toledo Wedding Photographer | How much will your Toledo Wedding Cost? | Invitations | Part 9

This is part 9 in our blog series “How much will your wedding cost?” and this part is about your wedding invitations and stationary.  As with all the blogs in this series, I am using CostOfWedding.com as a resource for the facts and figures listed in this blog.  As stated in part one of this series, the website listed the Toledo Brides and Grooms spent $262 to $436 for average wedding invitations and between $524 and $698+  for more elaborate ones.  However, they have changed their format on me and now list the cost of Lucas County Ohio weddings and have lumped in the cities of Berkey, Harbor View, Holland, Maumee, Monclova, Neapolis, Oregon, Sylvania, Toledo, Waterville and Whitehouse.  With this change, they have combined all of the survey responses for these cities and now say that Lucas County brides and grooms spend $503 on average for invitations.  I am guessing that because not all brides and grooms shop in Toledo exclusively, this may be a little more accurate, but that’s just my opinion.  In all of the past posts I only used the figures for Toledo proper.  For the purposes of the remainder of this blog series, I will be only using the new figures for Lucas County and your actual costs may vary depending on where you shop.  As also stated in previous posts, the website does not list how many brides and grooms responded to the survey.
Toledo Wedding Photographer
Not all couples send out Engagement Announcements, but those that did in Lucas County in 2011 spent on average between $65 and $108 on regular announcements and spent between $129 and $172+ on custom made ones.  Not all couples sent out Save the Date cards either.  In 2011, Lucas county couples spent $71 and $118 on average Save the Date cards while spending between $141 and $188+ for custom made ones.  Engagement Announcements can also be used as Save the Date cards or for invitations to an Engagement Party.  If you are marrying during a high travel time like a holiday or in the summer, or have a lot of out of town guests, sending a Save the Date card will increase your chances of your guests being able to attend.  They should be sent 6 months prior to your wedding.  Just remember that if you are sending someone either the Engagement Announcement or a Save the Date card, that you must also invite them to the wedding as it is proper etiquette.  You should also address the Save the Date Cards as you would your wedding invitations so your guests know who will be invited; i.e. Mr. Smith and Guest, or Mr. and Mrs. Jones and Family.  Also, if you have a wedding website, it’s a good idea to include the URL on the Save the Date card so your guests can keep up to date on your plans.
Wedding Photographer Toledo
In 2011, Lucas County brides and grooms spent between $155 and $258 for average wedding invitations and reply cards while spending between $309 and $412+ for designer or custom made ones.  This is one area where Do It Yourself projects are becoming all the rage.  Our friend Kelly Henry at UpperCase Designs offers this advice if you are planning on going that route:

”If the bride has the right software program, that is a start but they need to consider the printer they are using. How well will a thicker card stock run through the at home printer? Many don’t feed well with 100lb card stock. Now there are a few tips I can suggest to try and make your invitations not look homemade. To start with start working on designs 6 months from the wedding date; you need time to gather samples. Double up on the paper, do a backer color against a white or cream paper to create a thicker invitation. Have fun with the backer paper there are so many options out there.  Get samples a head of time to find the best fit for your wedding. Invest in a good paper cutter.  If you don’t, you will have jagged edges making your invites look homemade. Glue dots are the easiest way to assemble the two paper stocks together. The ribbon trend is beginning to fade but this is always an easy way to add a detail touch to the pieces.”

If you are going the DIY route, not only do you need to include all of the items needed for the invitations, but you also need to include the printer ink in your budget along with any other items needed such as the paper cutter, scissors, stamps or stickers or whatever you will need to create the invitations.  After pricing all of this out, including your time to make the invitations and put them together, you may find it cheaper and less stressful to have a stationary expert do your invitations instead of you doing them yourself.

Kelly also offers this advice if you are going to order your invitations from a professional stationer:

“My number one suggestion is if you go cheap, they will look cheap. I have so many brides who come to me and this is the first thing out of their mouth: ‘I want these as cheap as possible’.  Many brides believe they are going to throw them away anyway, but think about this… this is the first taste of your wedding day for most of your guests. Do you want them to think they are attending a casual affair or something they will remember the rest of the year? My guess would be the second one. Take a moment and find the right fit for your style.  I am sure there are many local options out there.   You just have to do some investigating.  Keep in mind these ways to save money: 

Do not use a square envelopes, postage is more on these.
Keep the weight down per envelope, adding ribbon details may increase postage cost.
Make the RSVP card a postcard, postage is cheaper for postcards.

 Set up a website for RSVPs, this will save even more money.
Can details be combined on the pieces, such as the reception details on the invitation?
Use one envelope, no need for the traditional way of sending out invites (with an inner and outer envelope).

Make sure envelopes are hand cancelled (hand stamped) to eliminate on wear and tear.
Proof read the final copies.  Many people over look the tiny details and miss something they typed incorrectly.  Have multiple people proof them.
Order extras!  This may sound crazy but if you have 145 invites to send out and only order 150 you may find yourself needing 160.  It will cost a lot more to reorder and possibly endure more shipping costs.”

Traditional Wedding Photography in Toledo
You will also need thank you cards for after your wedding and should include this in your budget.  According to the Cost of Wedding website, in 2011 Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $56 and $94 for average thank you cards and between $113 and $150+ for custom designed ones.  You might want to make sure you have extras of these as well just in case you get gifts from people that did not get invited to your wedding and/or your wedding professionals.
Wedding Photographers in Toledo
Postage is probably one thing many brides and grooms forget to include in their budget when planning their wedding and this could be a costly mistake.  According to CostOfWedding.com, Lucas county brides and grooms spend between $67 and $111 on average for postage.  However, it also lists that they could spend between $134 and $178+ if they use custom or designer stationary.  What you need to spend on postage depends on what you send out.  For instance, if you are sending out Save the Date Cards or Engagement Announcements, this can double your amount needed for postage, along with having the added expense of the cards themselves.  You will also need to add postage to your RSVP postcards or envelopes for the response cards.  Plus, you will need postage for the invitations and thank you cards.  How much postage you will need for the invitations will depend on the dimensions and thickness of each invitation.  Remember that the more you add to the invitation, the more it will cost.  For instance, if you are going with the traditional formal folded invitation with the inner and outer envelopes, the tissue paper insert, adding a map for your guests, the RSVP card with envelope, and added embellishments to your invitations such as ribbons, your postage will probably be higher than an invitation that uses a post card for the RSVP and has no added embellishments and only the outer envelope.  The post office determines the postage by size and weight, so keep this in mind when designing your invitation.  Another thing to consider is that the more invitations that are sent, the more you will need for postage.
Wedding Ceremony Program Ideas
Ceremony programs are another added expense you need to include in your budget.  According to the report, Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $66 and $110 for average programs and between $132 and $176+ for custom ones for this item.
Wedding Seating Chart ideas
Lucas county brides and grooms also spend between $70 and $116 for average Reception Menus and $140 to $186+ for designer menus.  Table names and escort/place cards are another expense for the bride and groom to figure into their budget.  The website says that Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $47 and $79 for average items and between $95 and $126+ for custom made items.  The reception menus, table names and escort/place cards are not always necessary and you may not need them for your wedding.  However, if you do chose to include these items, be sure to include them in your budget.  There are also a lot of alternative examples, such as seating charts, that can be found on wedding websites like TheKnot.com and also on Pinterest.com.
Wedding Guest Book ideas
The last thing in this section of your budget that you need to consider is your guest book.  The Cost of Wedding website states that Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $37 and $61 for a traditional guest book while spending between $74 and $98 for a custom designed one.  The new trend is having a guest book made using photographs from your engagement session, which makes for a truly unique and personal guest book.  Of course, if you go with this option, you will have to either order the guest book from your photographer or buy the disk of images that includes a print copyright release so you can make it yourself.  If you do chose to make it yourself, make sure that you have the rights (from the photographer) and software needed to edit the images (crop and downsize) and layout the album to fit your needs.  Most photographers’ print release forms do not include cropping or altering images in any way, so make sure you know this about the images you purchase.  Because you will need to pay your photographer for the disk of images and may need to purchase software to size the images you use (because they usually give them to you at full resolution which is about 48”x72”), you may find it cheaper and less stressful to just have the photographer make the guest book for you.  You will also need to consider the time involved in doing this project on your own.  If you are not familiar with the software needed for laying out an album, it could take you several days or weeks to make the album the way you want it to look.  Plus, a professional photographer uses professional print labs that you can’t access and the quality of the guest book will more likely be better than what you could get online or at a big box store.
Toledo Wedding Photographers
As you can see, the overall numbers do not match the specific numbers given in the report for actual items when it comes to your wedding invitations and stationary.  This is why it is so important for you to do your own research for your wedding budget.  Hopefully, I was able to break down a little bit of the details and help you with your planning.  This is the ninth part in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding (now Lucas County Weddings).  Look for the next blog post about gifts and party favors coming soon.   Feel free to post any comment or question you may have to let me know if this is helpful to you for planning your wedding.
Fun Wedding Photographers in Toledo
For more information on Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography including pricing, please visit my website at:  www.kurtnphoto.com.  You can contact me at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments and/or share this blog post!