12 Tips on How to Make the Most Out of a Bridal Show

One of my good friends brought me to my first bridal show this year. Neither of us knew what to expect from the event. These are the tips we would tell the newbie first setting foot in a bridal show.

1. Don't bring food

We brought protein shakes and granola bars. They were totally unnecessary and just became extra baggage to lug around. You will get full from the tastings at a bridal show. Every caterer has generous samplings of food, not to mention the cake tasting and chocolate fountains galore!

2. Be choosy with what food you taste

I would advise you to be picky with your selections, as there are too many things to choose from! Take a tiny taste out of your sample, see if you can do without it or not, and only indulge in the best of the best. We ran into a cake that tasted like it could be bought at a local grocery store. We threw it away to save room for the cake from the baker who was trained in Europe. She served us the fluffiest vanilla cake with butter cream frosting and black berry cream.

3. Take advantage of free services

Brides to be, do not hesitate to ask your Maid of Honor to come to the bridal show, thinking they are doing you a huge favor. There is so much for her to take advantage of at a bridal show! I got a free makeover and went all out with smoldering smoky eyes just for the fun of it, just because I could! I got free acupuncture on my ears to help curb my appetite, and if I would have known earlier, I would have taken advantage of the free teeth whitening as well! Bridal shows are a win-win for vendors and brides and their friends. Vendors get to showcase their best goods, and everyone else gets to partake for free!

4. Definitely don't go alone.

Having such a huge selection of booths to go through, with every vendor competing for your attention and promoting their services is overwhelming enough. Don't go at it alone. Another person's opinion on food selections, DJ selections, wedding locations, and photographers will be invaluable. When I went with my friend, we were able to use each other as sounding boards, discussing the pros and cons of various things we ran into. I was more knowledgeable about photography than my friend, and I helped to point out some distinct features that made some photographers stand out. I was able to give my take on the food selections and brainstorm ideas for the locations we looked at. It was a great experience for both of us because it was shared.

5. But don't bring your groom.

He will eat the food, and then he'll want to leave. If anything, you don't want to feel rushed. Everything else about a bridal show seems extravagant and unnecessary to your typical male. He won't understand why you feel the need to be choosy about linens and seat covers. Why do seats need covers, anyway? He'll ask. Weddings are not a man's sport. As my friend mentions, you never see "Grooms Magazines." Everything about a bridal show speaks to the ladies. Do him and yourself a favor. Leave him at home.

6. Have your friend/mom/sister write down things for you in a notebook.

Have her stick the pamphlets inside the notebook. She can make like a secretary and write down specials featured by photographers or write down pros and cons of locations, brilliant ideas that come up during your day, or anything necessary for your big day. If you want to get really efficient, you can even bring a binder with folders as dividers so that you won't have a bag full of brochures to sort through later on. You can have your friend write notes and put the coordinating brochure in the folder next to the notes.

7. Don't expect to find very many clothing selections

I guess vendors assume the work of finding a dress is already well underway because there are never very many clothing retailers who showcase their fashions at bridal shows. There was a fashion show at my first bridal show, but needless to say, it was not the best selection, and the models looked like they were picked up from the local high school. Best to do your dress shopping online or at bridal boutiques.

8. Go straight to the booth that is the farthest away from the entrance.

You will beat the crowd. Who wants to wait in line when there are a ton of other vendors just vying for your attention at the other end of the event? Work your way backwards, against the flow of traffic.

9. Take every opportunity to take a picture.

Some photographers actually take pictures of you and your accompanied party so you can see first hand what their work looks like. Then there are the awesome photo booths. Free photo booth pictures to remember the event? Great for the scrapbook. Just make sure to let yours dry before tucking it inside a pamphlet. We learned that the hard way as we peeled the photo off the pages and saw our happy faces blur around the edges. It was sad.

10. If you're running out of time, at least make sure to get a business card with web info.

Fortunately, we made it through almost every single booth, but those that we didn't have a chance to really go through, we picked up a business card and checked out their web pages later on.

11. Pay attention to the small booths.

Some of the best vendors were the ones that were small, privately owned business, tucked away next to the large booths filled with hype and advertisements. We found the photographer of our dreams in one of those small booths. The small booths that often times get ignored have some really talented individuals who are passionate about their art, whether that means cake decorating or wedding photography. Let the work speak for itself. Let the cake tasting do the talking.

12. Figure out what you like and skip the repetitive booths.

This will save you so much time! Early on, my friend and I both realized she wanted a more contemporary look for the photos as opposed to the traditional look. We wanted photographers who were comfortable with candid shots, sepia, and who took pictures with bold, courageous, inventive angles. Once we realized this, we were able to skip over anything that looked too glossy and traditional, which saved us so much time!