Holidays, oh holidays, and the best one of the year!

I don’t know about you, but that little jingle from the Honda commercials this year really stuck in my head. And of course, it was the best one of the year for many of you newly engaged brides! Congratulations! It’s always an exciting time of year.

The holidays served to be an exciting time to tell all your friends and families about your new engaged status, updating your Facebook relationship and posting pictures of your gorgeous new ring. And now that you’ve rang in the new year, the reality of planning your big day is beginning to sink in. There are so many things to do and no doubt you ran to the nearest bookstore to pick up the latest Brides or The Knot magazine to figure out just exactly what to do first.

This is a fabulous time of year, as you may know it’s the time for bridal shows! There is so much information you as a bride can gather at a show to help you plan your big day! I can’t wait to meet with you at 3 upcoming Michigan Bridal Shows I will be at this year! Since I know how overwhelming bridal shows can be, for both you and the vendors, I wanted to give you a few helpful tips before you head off into the chaos of a show!

Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting the show you want to attend.

Bigger doesn’t mean BETTER!

We often think that the HUGE bridal shows in our areas are the best one’s to attend. After all, you have 1000 vendors to speak to rather than 30. However, what we normally don’t take into account is that having a 1000 vendors to speak to means A LOT of talking and repeated conversations, OR very little conversation at all. The show is only open for so many hours and there are a lot of people to talk to for both you and the vendor. Unfortunately, this often leads to missed opportunities for you to really get to know vendors. If you like to have quality conversations with vendors and not just collect a bunch of swag you’ll never use and will end up in your local landfill, try checking out the smaller bridal shows that are more intimate and give you plenty of time to hand select vendors.

Divide and Conquer

No one wants to attend a bridal show alone; there are just too many vendors for you to approach alone. Make sure you saddle up with your best friend, maid of honor, mom, or even your wedding planner so you can split up the share of talking. Be sure to ask questions and be engaged in the conversations with all the vendors you chat with. Your entourage should be there simply as backup support, since you’re bound to have moments of memory failure after talking about your wedding after the 78th vendor. So pick your crew carefully, too many people can slow you down as you make your way through the show. One to two is a good number!

Be Open, Stay Open

Bridal shows are a bit scary. You are constantly being approached by vendors, asking you about your wedding date, wedding location, wedding cake, flowers, etc. It can be downright frustrating having to answer these questions 10,000 times a day. But try to remain calm and open to vendors who sincerely want to talk with you. Yes, some will try to monopolize your time, but if you are honest and let them know you are not interested in their service after you’ve chatted with them briefly, they will understand. Too often, brides are bombarded early on in their walk through the show that they become overwhelmed with questions and less open with new vendors as they go along. Try not to get defensive when a vendor approaches you, you never know if they just might be the perfect fit!