How to Get the Most Out of Wedding Shows
Wedding shows are an excellent place for you to meet and find wedding vendors because they offer the convenience of “one-stop shopping.” Instead of making lots of appointments or inquiries with vendors, you can put on your walking shoes and meet a lot all at once!
However, these shows can also be overwhelming if you’ve never been to one. At some, they have hundreds of vendors! So, I want to share some tips and tricks with you for how you can make a wedding show work for you.
Wedding Email & Pre-Registering
If you haven’t already, consider making a separate email address for information pertaining to your wedding. Doing this will keep the information you get from vendors or anyone else involved in planning the wedding separate from your work email or personal email.
Have fun with this! You can use the hashtag from your wedding, your date, or any other kind of combination of your names.
Once you have this email address, use it to pre-register at the wedding shows you want to attend. Some shows will even offer discounts on admission or have pre-show giveaways for you to take advantage of.
Pre-Printed Labels
This will save you so much time! Before the show, create address labels with your names, wedding date (or a TBD like “fall 2022”), and your contact information.
When you go to a wedding show, you’re going to be giving this information out to many vendors, and this will save you time, as well as avoid any mistakes from handwriting your information.
Do your Research
Wedding shows will have a list and sometimes a map published before the show that you can look over to identify which vendors you want to meet at the show. This is awesome because you can do your due diligence before the show by checking out their website, social media, and reviews by other engaged couples who used their services.
You can then make a list of all the vendors you want to check out during the show, so you don’t miss any of them!
Wear Comfy Shoes
Wedding shows are often held in big expo halls with unforgiving floors. Do yourself a favor and wear shoes that are good for walking, because you may be doing a lot of it!
Some shows will also have wedding gown fashion shows, and seats can be limited. Leave the heels at home and wear something you can move in!
Keep an Open Mind
Even though you might come prepared with a list and vendors to meet, make sure to check out the other vendors who are there. You may not have even considered their services, and they could be a great complement to your day.
Say hello and talk with them! You’ll find that vendors are friendly at these shows and want to meet you.
Did Someone Say Discount?
It’s true; many vendors will offer a show discount or special incentives from booking their services as a result of the wedding show you meet them at. You won't be expected to book right then and there- most will want to meet with you at another location where you can talk more extensively about your wedding day.
But here's the thing- make sure you book a consultation with them as soon as possible, especially if they are not a big company! Any specials being offered during shows will definitely expire. Plus, wedding shows are usually jam-packed, and good vendors go quickly for prime dates!
Have Fun!
Wedding shows can be a ton of fun! They are also great for generating ideas for decor, photo opportunities, and sampling yummy food from catering and baking companies. You might just end up finding all of your vendors in one place, saving you lots of time and money. Enjoy!