First of all, let me be honest: if I had it to do over, I’m not sure I would choose to go to a Bridal Show. That said, I can see why some people would choose to attend such an event. But if you’re planning on going, I’d like you to learn from my experience.
1) You should not have to pay admission.
If they are charging you admission, then something is amiss. As in, you “amissed” that coupon in the back of The Knot or that email offering you free tickets. If there is an event coming to a Convention Center near you ask vendors or check local wedding websites for free tickets.
2) Bring a sandwich and a bottle of water.
These events are generally loud and crowded, but short on available snacks unless you count the cake samples. But you really shouldn’t. There will be a seating area for a bridal fashion show, and that’s a great place to catch your breath and refuel.
3) Create a new email address before you go.
Create a new email address dedicated to vendor communication. You can even set up an automatic response with details about your wedding and edit that response as decisions are finalized. Oh, how I wish I had done this! I’m tired of deleting venue offers from my personal email’s inbox.
4) Lower your expectations.
Don’t go in imaging that you will find your dream dress or cake. This is an intel gathering mission only. What you should be here to do is hone your opinions on what you do and do not want for your wedding. In our case it was mostly what we did not want, but it gave us a good jumping off place for a myriad of discussions. Also, my fiancee would like to chime in with the fact that she was grossly disappointed in the free schwag offered.
5) Expect confusion.
I wore my Marriage is So Gay t-shirt to try to minimize this occurrence but we were still met with forced smiles and frowning foreheads when we answered the inevitable “which one of you is the bride?” question. And we were in ultra-liberal, gay-friendly Northern California!
6) Remember that this is not the norm.
The vendors you meet at a bridal show may be a little over-the-top. They may seem pushy or overly focused on the bottom line. Or they may seem downright homophobic. But fear not, there are many lovely vendors out there who are excited to make your dreams come true.
My future mother-in-law seems to really want me to go to one of these. I think with the advent of blogs, bridal shows aren’t as nessecary as before. Unless I win a honeymoon trip.