My Bridal Show Experience (And Some Advice!)

I’m just starting to plan my wedding, and yesterday I attended my first two bridal shows.

The best part of each was definitely the free food. I sampled tuna, pork, scallops, potatoes, egg rolls, sushi, assorted finger foods, and 6 different types of cake. (Never go to one of these things on a full stomach!) And then there was the wine — I had a glass of so-so pinot grigio and fantastic pinot noir. Yum.

Besides the good food, though, there was the real reason for going: to learn about my local vendors and decide which (if any) would be a good fit to the party I’m trying to plan. I talked to photographers, videographers, florists, cake people, chefs, DJs, officiants, stationers, and even a chauffeur. From each of these people I received at least one (more like 3 or 4) pieces of written information, so that by the end of the day I had a bag brimming with booklets and brochures.

Overall it was a really fun, helpful experience. I do have some ideas about how I might do it differently next time, though, so I thought I’d share them here:

• Set up a separate e-mail account to give to wedding vendors and wedding websites. I gave my main email address to 50 people over the course of the day, and now I’ll probably be inundated with messages I don’t really need. In hindsight, I wish I had used an alternate address — both to keep all wedding stuff in one place, and to keep it from taking over my main account.
• Go with specific questions in mind. And have a pen. Ask your questions, and if you like the answers you hear, jot that down on the literature they give you to remind you later on. For instance, I’m considering a double wedding with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, so we went around asking various officiants how they would handle such a thing. Some people came up with great responses; others did not.
• Don’t eat too much! I know it’s hard not to try a little of everything, but remember that a lot of the food is rich, filling, and exotic — the type of stuff most people aren’t used to eating and that may or may not mix well in the stomach. Add to that the noise, the heat of a crowded room, the strong odor of other foods and flowers, and you have the perfect recipe for nausea.

If you’re planning a wedding and you hear about a bridal show in your area, I encourage you to attend. Even if you don’t find any vendors you like, there are a lot of fun things to see and cool people to talk to — and, best of all, many delicious foods to sample (in moderation, of course). Have fun!