Bridal Show Survival Tips
It’s our favorite time of the year again, Engagement Season, this is when the industry is infused with a beautiful new batch of glowing Brides. Now that you have the “Rock” get ready to kickstart your wedding planning by visiting the Arizona Bridal Show! It is no lie that this IS the largest bridal show in AZ, with hundreds of vendors all wanting just a minute of your time. I warn you: it is overwhelming, it can get frustrating, but it can also be a lot of fun! This is just a bit of advice to help you get the most out of the show and have fun this weekend:
THINGS TO BRING:
A Sturdy tote bag – the large paper bags they give will eventually start to rip and the handle start to kill your hand/arm once it fills up.
Pre-Printed Labels Including: Your Name, Email, Phone, Address (if desired) and wedding date…this way you won’t to have to write this out every time.
Comfy shoes, this show is HUGE, lots of walking, lots of standing and lots of waiting.
Take an apple, baby carrots, banana or granola bar to snack on halfway thru. Yes, there will be plenty of fantastic caterers there, but there will also be a lot of sweets. Keep your energy and sugar levels in check by having a healthy snack when you can.
Your Bridal Party not only do they make great company, they can help run interference if you need to be pulled away from a pushy vendor (yes, a few of them do exhist).
THINGS TO DO:
Make a plan to differentiate the Professionals you like from all the others, your bag will already be stuffed with a dozens of flyers and cards, so take color dot stickers or a marker and place a star on the corner of the flyers or postcards that you WANT to remember to follow up with or simply put the business card in your pocket. Otherwise you will come home with 100′s of pieces of paper and not know who you talked to and liked and most importantly who you didn’t.
Take a breather, this show can and will be overwhelming, you will be called in 100 different directions, asked every question under the sun all in the first row and 20 minutes of being there. If you are feeling uncomfortable or maybe frustrated grab some water or my personal favorite, a cake sample, and take a step outside of the ballroom for a moment or two.
Have a great time meeting some wonderful Wedding Professionals.
XO, Care
