5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Bridal Show

Bridal shows are an excellent tool for getting a lot of wedding-related tasks tackled all at once. They are also a huge source of wedding inspiration that can be a big help for anyone planning a wedding.

Pre-Register

If the bridal show you will be attending offers pre-registration, it's a big time-saver. Instead of filling out paperwork when you first get there, you can get bypass the long line and get to the main event faster. You might even be eligible for additional giveaways by getting your name on the list early. 

During the current pandemic, the extra efforts to maintain social distancing and additional safety precautions being enforced may make pre-registration a requirement rather than just an option. Be sure to read all of the show's details and frequently asked questions to make sure you don't miss something important.

Create a Wedding Email Address

You will be asked for your contact information every time you sign up for giveaways at vendor's booths. Rather than trying to separate all of the emails you'll be getting from potential vendors after the bridal show (both wanted and unwanted,) set up a temporary email address specifically to handle wedding information. 

Once the wedding planning is over, you can shut down that address and never have to get an email from those vendors again. If there are some businesses that you may use in the future for other events, you can share your permanent email address with them later.

Plan Ahead

A bridal show is the perfect place to get a close-up look at what your local wedding vendors can really do. Speaking to them face-to-face will also help you find out if their personality and wedding planning philosophy will gel well with yours. 

Research the vendors that will be there and plan to visit the ones that you are most interested in first. The other booths will still be there to browse at the end of the day if you have extra time.

Print Contact Info Labels

Nearly every booth will have giveaways to entice you to check them out, so there will be a lot of signing up to do. Even with "Team Bride" helping you out, hand-writing it over and over again will get old quickly.

Instead, print out all of the information that may be needed on sticky address labels. All you will have to do then is put that label on each giveaway sheet. No writing involved plus it takes up a lot less of your time.

Information that you should include is: 

• Names of the Couple Getting Married
• Wedding Date
• Location of Wedding (City and state at least. Add the venue if you already have it booked.)
• Email Address
• Phone Number (only if you are okay with them calling you.)
• Home Address (Optional, but you should at least include the city and state where you currently live.) 

Gather Your "Team Bride"

Take friends or family along with you that will enjoy this type of event and can also help you accomplish everything that you need to get done. It can be a really fun girls' afternoon for your entire wedding party or you can make it a special day for just you and your maid of honor.

Some brides bring along their mom and future mother-in-law, and a few even persuade their future spouse to join them. Avoid taking children if at all possible. Their attention spans are most often a lot shorter than what is required for this type of event.   

That should be plenty of "homework" to get you on the right path to a fun and productive bridal show experience. If you're looking for a little wedding inspiration before the bridal show rolls around, you can always head on over to our online wedding store and browse through the beautiful wedding decorations and accessories available 24/7 at WhereBridesGo.com! 

Next week we'll be back with 5 helpful wedding tips and tricks that will come in handy on the day of the bridal show. Going into this type of event prepared means you will be able to get a lot more out of it, helping to make your wedding day the incredible experience it should be!