Bridal Shows: Insider, Expert Tips to Enjoy Them!

My my – ladies (and gents), it has been BUSY around here!

The Music City Events teams have been resting and enjoying the holiday season. But we already look forward to our lovely ladies in whites and creams, handsome men in fabulous suits {you know how much we love a good suit!}, stunning decor with perfect lighting, handcrafted signature cocktails with custom stirrers and perfectly executed introductions and first dances... these things don’t just happen by themselves you know!

The holidays are over and with them comes "engagement and booking season". Many of you said "Yes!" when your handsome boyfriend asked you to marry him and I'm sure you are excited about some upcoming bridal shows!

Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show - Sunday January 12

Nashville Pink Bride Show - Sunday January 19

Anyhoo – here are a few tips and tricks to ENJOY any bridal show you attend and how to get the most out of it.

Go in with a plan It’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed at a bridal show. So, make a plan. Go to the right, stay to the right. Go to the left stay to the left. Go up and down the aisles or make a circle, starting from the center and moving out. Whatever your plan, make one and STICK to it. This ensures that you will not skip over any professionals at the show – and potentially missing out on that one “aha!” element or service.
Bring stickers Print your name, address, e-mail, wedding date (if you have it. If not, “summer 2014″ will suffice) and groom’s name on address labels and bring several sheets with you. Trust me, it will make filling out any paperwork for more info from key pros MUCH easier. Peel and stick and voila!
Create a new e-mail This really should be 2.5. Signing up for more info from these pros will get you just that – more info. Sometimes a lot of it. For a long time. You can, of course, unsubscribe to newsletters once you no longer want to receive them, but I have found it better to create a new e-mail for wedding planning only. This also allows you to stay uber organized, something we love here at MCE. (Insider tip: try not to make it ridiculously long – i.e.: MrandMrsScottandSarahsummer2014@blahblah.net. Something fun that will catch a pro’s eye is always an awesome choice – i.e.: WeddingRookie@blahblah.net will make us chuckle AND remember you in a great way).
The Fewer, the Better Trust me, this is just like wedding dress shopping. The more people you have with you the more opinions you will be given and the more directions you will be pulled. (photo courtesy of National Museum of Dance)
Be You. If you want to rock it out in heels and a hella cute scarf – DO IT! Same goes for sneakers and jeans. Whatever makes you comfy, because if you are comfy you will be much more likely to enjoy this. And that’s really important for the next one.
Take Notes + Pictures Pay attention to the things that capture your attention {BUT DO NOT abandon Rule 1, which is make a plan and stick to it. If you see something cool, be patient. You WILL get to that booth. }. Once you get to Uber Cool Display, snap a shot of the booth and jot a note on the brochure/postcard/what-have-you that they are giving out. This will help you match the company info to the booths you love. When you see 30-50 in a few short hours, it can be difficult to recall which were which 5 days later.