Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, trying to find a venue, DJ, caterer, live music, dress, and more, is sometimes overwhelming; which is why a bridal show, or wedding expo, is a great way to see options first hand, and meet the people you may be hiring for your wedding.

Some bridal shows are small intimate affairs, while others can be pretty huge. Regardless of the size, there are a few suggestions for attendees to help get the most out of your experience:

• Comfortable Shoes
  • This is very important, you will be doing a lot of walking and standing, this is not the time to show off those new 4″ stilettos.
• Eat something before you go.
  • There’s usually a lot of free samples of food, but like Costco sample dining, most are the best tasting, least nutritional types. Give your body some fuel to burn for a few hours so you don’t get hungry, or go into a sugar/caffeine-filled frenzy.
• Create labels with: Bride’s Name, Groom’s Name, Address, Phone Number, Email Address and Wedding Date.
  • There will be a lot of “Enter to win” contests, and you don’t want to be wasting your time writing all the same info over and over again. Not to mention getting carpel-tunnel syndrome.
  • Sometimes the organization hosting the Wedding Expo will do this for you, and give you the labels when you arrive.
• Bring a small planner/personal calendar, or use your smart phone to book meetings.
• The Multi Bag/Buddy System:
  • You will be handed a lot of promotional material, by the time you leave, you could have more than 100 pamphlets, coupons, etc. It’s a good idea to have a bag for pamphlets from vendors with whom you would like to actively follow-up, and another bag that a buddy can hold, that has all of others. When you get home, it’ll be easier to find the ones you liked.
• Take your time and have a plan.
  • Bridal shows are busy, and it’s easy to get flustered and skip things, and those things you skip may wind up being a dress you love, or a DJ who’s personality is just what you’re looking for. On the other side, if you’ve already booked a venue for example, try to spend less time looking at venues, and focus on things like narrowing your list of caterers or DJ’s.
• Have a guest count and budget in mind.
• Make a Wedding Ideas photo album on your phone and take pictures as you see things you like. This is useful even when you’re not at a bridal show.
  • Try to ask before taking photos, some venders prefer not to have their booths or arrangements photographed.
• Have Fun!