Attending the Great Bridal Expo is a great way to start planning your wedding. For brides, attending this event can be a way to check out new wedding gowns all in one place, as well as a convenient way to find out more about parts of the wedding experience that they might not have even thought about – such as catering services or floral arrangements.
To make the most of your experience at the Great Bridal Expo, here are several quick tips!
Tip #1: Plan in advance which exhibitors you want to see first
When you first arrive at the Great Bridal Expo, you might be overwhelmed by all the exhibitors and all the events planned throughout the day – there’s a lot packed into each bridal show! As a result, you’ll want to do a little advance planning to make sure that you get to visit all the booths and vendors that you need to see. The Great Bridal Expo venue is divided into different themed areas (e.g. gowns, venues, catering, honeymoons), so it’s actually easier than you might think to come up with a general plan of attack. Just pick up a program guide for the Great Bridal Expo and highlight your “must-see” exhibitors at the event.
Tip #2: Ask plenty of questions
Each booth is staffed by a knowledgeable, friendly representative of a company, so why not take the time to stop by and ask a few questions? Most brides tell us that they learn more in a quick 5-minute conversation than they do by reading through the company’s promotional materials. This is your chance to get very specific, customized advice for your wedding, so why not take advantage of this opportunity? You don’t have to talk to every exhibitor, of course, because you won’t have time. Weddings are extremely personal, so it’s good to establish a personal connection with someone at your vendor of choice.
Tip #3: Treat this event like a show, not a convention or conference
The Great Bridal Expo is meant to be a fun, interactive experience. Throughout the day, there are different contests and giveaways, so make sure you enter at least one of these. And one of the highlights of the bridal show is the fashion show with live DJ – this is your chance to see the latest designs from the most famous wedding designers in the industry. You might walk away with a few great ideas for your bridal gown!
Tip #4: Keep an eye out for new trends
If you are attending the Great Bridal Expo with plenty of time before your upcoming wedding, this is a great opportunity to catch up with various trends in the industry. The more you start planning your wedding, the more you will see how weddings today are very different from weddings just a few years ago – not just in bridal fashions, but even in the types of venues that some people choose to celebrate their wedding. You might make a note in your planning guide of the different exhibitors who seem to be more traditional, and those that are influential tastemakers within the industry, pioneering new trends.
And one final bit of advice – if you are attending this bridal show with friends or family, you might plan to do a little “divide and conquer” that will let you focus on what matters the most to you, while still making sure that you visit as many vendors as you can at the event. By doing so, you’ll have everything that you need to plan the wedding of your dreams.