by Danielle Andrews Sunkel
A lot of couples get engaged at Christmastime, so the largest Wedding Shows are in January each year. These shows are a great way to see what is available for your wedding and to meet multiple vendors at once. The only problem is, the shows have multiple vendors at once! The Wedding Shows can be information overload and you can quickly become overstimulated and tired. Here are a couple tips to get you through.
Prepare Yourself
*A Wedding Show isn’t a Fashion Show, wear comfortable shoes and leave your coat in your car.
*If you are planning to collect a lot of information, bring one of those shopping totes on wheels. Of course you want to get those free Wedding magazines, but remember you will have to carry the 10 pounds of paper for the rest of the day!
Timing is Everything
*Avoid the rush and visit the show a few hours before closing, most people go first thing in the morning or in the early afternoon.
*Visit the vendors you would really like to speak to, while the fashion show is on, you’ll get their undivided attention because everyone else will be watching the show.
*If you really want to see the show, have one of your entourage save seats for your group. Tell them to bring a book and enjoy being out of the crowd. You will truly appreciate the chance to get off your feet.
Leave a Calling Card
Look ultra-chic and save yourself time by not having to answer the same questions from multiple vendors. If you are interested in their service, give them your card, so they can contact you when there aren’t another 500 brides around.
Vistaprint.ca has several wedding-themed calling cards (business cards) available starting at only $7.95 for 250! Or for a less-cute option, visit your local office supply store and purchase the preprinted perforated business card sheets.
Be sure to include:
*Name
*Anticipated Wedding Date
*Contact info
Forget the Writer’s Cramp
Never miss the chance to win something for FREE (but keep in mind the vendors are collecting your information to build a mailing list). Save your hands and valuable time, by arming yourself with a stack of return address labels with all your vital info preprinted!
Most importantly, remember only a WPIC certified wedding coordinator is regulated and only WPIC is approved to certify wedding planners in Canada. So ask any wedding planners you talk to if they are “WPIC Certified”. If they aren’t, why not? Then move along.
I absolutely love the bride calling card idea! It definitely is the best way to take in all the variety of a Wedding Show, without having to answer all the same questions over and over again! Just make sure that this doesn’t completely replace having a conversation with a potential vendor.
I agree with Melanie. The bride calling card idea is so great. I read this post earlier when it first came out; but I had to come back and look it over one more time. It’s not just useful information for Brides. As a wedding planner I was still able to gain new knowledge from it. It helps to understand what the Brides are going through when they visit these shows and from now on I’m going to start carrying around my address labels for when I have to fill out forms in general.
Great article Danielle! As a bride who’s gone to many, many, many shows those tips are very useful. I’ve also used the mailing label in the past as well, quick and easy!
Another tip which I found very useful as a bride is to take notes. With so many vendors at the show, you’ll also have a bagful of countless flyers/brochures/business cards etc. It’s hard to keep track of them all when you get home. So if you find a vendor you like, or something you’re interested in, bring a pen and write on their brochure. It’s also a great way to keep track of vendors you DON’t click with. When you go home and empty out the contents, you’ll be able to distinguish between which vendor is worth a second look.
Tip #1 is important one should never forget when attending such event. Wear comfortable dresses so that it will be an ease to you when you try to fit a gown.
Nice work.
Cheers
Four score and seven minutes ago, I read a sweet article. Lol thanks