Bridal Shows 2011

Happy New Year!

Congratulations to
all engaged Brides!

As a Bride, you should
take advantage of all the
many wonderful Bridal shows,
and attend at least a couple
of them, with your husband-to-be,
Mom, or some of your Bridal party.

The shows can be a lot of fun as well
as informative. You can talk to a
variety of different Wedding services,
get some new ideas, and have some of your
questions answered all in one day, at one
location, within just a few hours.

However, not all Bridal shows are created equal!

It is a good idea to contact the facility
in which the show is being held, or the
producers, prior to the show, to get a list
of the vendors participating in the show.
The exhibitors should be listed on the show
producers website, along with directions,
fashion show times and other information to
help you plan the day before arriving.
You want to be sure that there will be vendors
there that you are interested in meeting.

There is usually a charge to attend a Bridal
show, but if you pre-register for a Bridal
show, most times you will receive a discount
on the entry fee, and sometimes pre-printed
mailing labels for you to use at the show.

When you attend a Bridal show, to make your
life much easier, and for a more enjoyable
experience, always remember to
BRING MAILING LABELS, with your name and
mailing address on them.

Another good idea, is to create an e-mail
address specifically for Wedding information.
This will help keep you organized, and have all
the information for your Wedding services in
one place, separate from other e-mails.

If you have time you can make labels,
including your name, mailing address,
e-mail address, wedding date and grooms name.
Almost every booth will have something to fill
out with your information for some type of
give-away, or to contact after the show.

I only know of one Bridal show producer who
gives these labels to Brides if you register
in advance, and it is such a great idea.
It really makes registering for give-aways so
much easier for both the Brides filling out
the cards, and the vendors trying to read
their writing!

You want to be able to view a few different
photographers Bridal books, watch videos of
other Weddings ceremonies and receptions,
taste samples of cake, see DJ’s in action,
get ideas for your flowers, and see a lot
of products and services that you hadn’t
even thought of!

A lot of vendors offer discounts, or free
merchandise when you book them from a Bridal
show. There is usually a fashion show to enjoy.
Although you might not find your gown or
bridesmaids dresses from the show, it’s fun to
watch and get ideas of what styles you may want
to consider. Prizes are almost always given out
before and after the fashion show, and usually you
need to be present to win. Sometimes these are
some really great prizes given out by the vendors
participating in the show.

You should mark the business cards of the people
you want to contact later for a consultation.
Even though you think you will remember them,
sometimes it’s hard to remember everyone that
you talked to after the show.

The Wedding Guide attends all of the Bridal shows
in the South Bay, Long Beach, Los Angeles and
Orange County areas.

Be sure to stop by our booth to say “Hi” and to
pick up the newest copy of our Wedding Guide publication.

Remember to BRING YOUR MAILING LABELS!

Happy planning, and we will see you at the next Bridal show...

by Debbie Christensen,
Publisher of The Wedding Guide