We are in the middle of wedding “off-season,” because in the months November through March there typically aren’t many wedding days. Therefore, vendors take this time to get together and host bridal shows, that are both useful and overwhelming to brides planning their big days! In this area there are loads of bridal shows in January and February, and I am so excited to be hosting my own booth at the Sioux City Bridal Fair this Saturday!

Even though this will be my first time at this particular show, over the 7 years I’ve been in business and attended vendor shows I’ve learned so so much! Rather than keep all of that information to myself, I thought a few of my current (and hopefully future) brides would find these tips helpful! I hope you love it!

 

I have seen so many brides get overwhelmed at shows, because 1) it’s probably your first big experience after getting engaged and 2) the shows are overflowing with talented, creative vendors wanting to grab your attention! It can be overstimulating and sometimes make for a long day when you talk to the majority of the vendors there. There are ideas, information, pricing packages, samples, freebies, photos being taken fashion shows, etc.

Woah.

Now, before you think twice about even going, let’s go through some tricks that can help you prepare ahead of time. This way you will know what to expect, cut out the necessary distractions, and get the absolute most value from your time at the show! So, read this post, rally the girls, drink a mimosa or two, and have an absolute blast at your next bridal show!

BEFORE THE SHOW

1. Create a “wedding only” email address. As you send out inquiries and start to get responses from multiple vendors, the rush of incoming emails can be confusing. If you add that on top of work or personal emails, something is bound to get missed! Save yourself the headache,  and make an email address that is dedicated strictly to all things wedding! This way all your wedding information will be in one place and easily accessible. This should be the only email address you give out during the bridal show.
2. Print labels ahead of time with all your information. Each vendor you stop and chat with will most likely ask for your contact information. They are not at all trying to flood you with spam! It can be difficult to devote a lengthy amount of time to each interested bride during the show, so getting your information and contacting you further at a later time makes more sense! Instead of writing your name, phone number and email address over and over to 50 different vendors, try making labels! This way you can peel and stick your information at any booth you want to discuss with a vendor further or enter for their prize drawing! Simple white mailing address labels will work and you can print them off at home!
3. List the vendors you want to see the most. When you walk through the doors and see hundreds of booths setup with all their products, it will be overwhelming. So, make sure you stay on track and get the most important stuff done by making yourself a list ahead of time. Go to the bridal show website for a list of all the vendors that will be present and list the ones you really want to meet in person. If there is also a show map with booth numbers, include the number so you can find it more easily!
4. Plan your “top three tasks.” Going to a bridal show is all about having fun, but you probably want to accomplish a few things as well. Make a list of three things you absolutely want to get done, and then if nothing additional is accomplished, you can still feel good about your time there! Get these three things done first, and then you can sample cake and catering without guilt for a few hours!

THE DAY OF THE SHOW

1. Grab and enter! Most vendors give out fun freebies, extra information and even prizes and giveaways. Grab everything you can, that’s what it’s there for! Speaking personally, if I have leftovers of my freebies, I don’t always know where to store them or what to do with them, so they end up in the trash. They might as well go home with you instead! So ditch the guilt and grab the goodies! Also, enter for all the prizes! This can be a great way to pas the wedding budget a little by getting a few things for free!
2. Star favorite vendor cards to refer to later. You may be seeing 4 photographers, 6 caterers, 3 DJs and 7 florists. All of that information can be hard to dig through later, so make a system for yourself and star the corners of business cards and flyers as you get them. This will quickly tell you which ones are priority when you’re back home going through it all.
3. Ask questions and take notes. Vendors won’t know how to best serve you in a short time without you guiding them a little bit. Be prepared with specific questions for each type of vendor and don’t feel bad for shooting them off at rapid-fire! Think of the best system for you to take notes, because the information will come back at your pretty quickly too! Use an app on your smartphone, jot it in a notebook, write things on the worksheet I provided at the bottom of the post. Whatever works, get it written down! You’ll thank yourself later!
4. Stay focused. I cannot say this enough times: you will get overwhelmed and possibly off track, especially after the bride tribe has had a few mimosas! Use your lists and your top three tasks to stay on track. If the only thing you really need is a photographer and a DJ, don’t spend two hours talking to florists and dress boutiques!
5. Accomplish your “top three” first. Again, go straight to the vendors that can help you get your top three tasks done. Once those are finished, anything else is bonus, so you can enjoy the other perks guilt free!

AFTER THE SHOW

1. Group vendor information together by “type.” You could possibly come home with a stack of dozens of rack cards and magazines. The first thing you should do is sort them into piles: piles for each type of vendor (caterer, DJ, florist, etc) and a pile for trash. Next, prioritize each pile with our starred cards and most like vendors on the top of the pile!
2. Discard information that you won’t use. There will be some “junk mail” type things in your stash and that’s okay. Just don’t overwhelm yourself more by holding on to things you don’t need. Get rid of the informational cards that you’ll never use right away.
3. Contact vendors via email right away. Vendors can also be overwhelmed after a bridal show, and most are trying to sort through all of the contacts that they received. It’s possible that vendors also booked several weddings on the day of the show or shortly after, so make your day a priority by contacting them as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait too long and then miss out because they’re already booked!

Are you overwhelmed by my tips alone? No worries, I have your back! I put together a double sided worksheet to help you make the most of your next show! Use the boxes on the front to organize your planning (vendors you want to see and your “top three”) and use the back to take notes of all the amazing things you saw! I hope this helps next time you’re at a show and if you’re in Sioux City this weekend, I can’t wait to see you!