Tips for attending Bridal Shows – Superbowl of All Bridal Shows

Did he put a ring on it?

Does planning your wedding make you feel like you are staring down the barrel of a shotgun?

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!}

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.

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!}

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.

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.

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.

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!

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: