How did last weeks post fare for you? I hope it wasn't too much for your first week. Now this week I want to talk a little more about Richmond Bridal Shows. They can be a little over wheeling at first but once you know what to expect they can be so much fun!
So last week I had you scope out all the local Bridal shows in your area, here in Richmond there are a few great ones. And just in case you did do all your homework from last week here are my top 3 favorite Richmond Bridal Shows:
1. Richmond Weddings Expo
2. Richmond Bridal Showcase
3. Elegance Bridal Show
At these Bridal shows you will find tons of vendors from wedding venues to her Herstle halls to photographers any indicators on site ready to give you a great tasting for your wedding day. Now when you first walk in it can be crazy overwhelming not to worry I'm going to help you prepare so it's not so difficult.
The first thing you should do when you find out the date of your upcoming wedding expo, go online and register to attend the bridal show. This way even if something comes up and you're not able to make the event all the vendors for still have your contact information that way they can contact you via email or phone you can still get a great chance to meet some great vendors.
Second you want to check the local newspapers and online to see if you can find a coupon for your entrance fee to these great expos. The Richmond Times dispatch will usually run a discount admission price 1 to 2 weeks in advance of the actual bridal show. But no worries if you find out about the show on show day and you don't have time to grab the newspaper usually bridal show entrance costs is between $10 and $15 per show per person.
Third you need to contact either your maid of honor or your mother the bride so they can attend with you. Bridal expos are some of funnest event that a bride can attend. If you're by yourself walking around collecting information, you might not see all the fun. Instead you want to have someone that you like and will also be in the wedding so that they can assist you in remembering the small details of the day or remembering which vendor it was that had the great picture of the bride in the horse on canvas (that's me).
Now the night before the expo you'll want to make sure you pack an extra special bag just for collecting vendors information and swag from the expo. Other things that you want to make sure you pack are a bottle of water, ink pen, sticky address labels, & an awesome bag. Ok let me break this down for you, first you will need the Water to drink after all the samples of catered food & cake! You will need the sticky address labels to quickly enter in all the vendor giveaways. And then you will need a bag to hold all the business cards, brochures and swag that you get from the Wedding Vendors.
Now it's the big day the bridal show this year you'll want to make sure you have everything ready to go. When you arrive it show your first be signed in then some shows will give you a free bridal magazine that they put together, some will even give you swag bag right away. These swag bags give you everything from their VIP vendor list to free giveaway or discounted wedding items that you're going to need to buy. So make sure you take the time to look threw that bag very Carefully. Once you register and walk into the expo I strongly suggest starting at one end and working your way Row by row. Not pyrogens nothing is getting together you'll find photographers and caterers and videographer spread throughout the expo, so to make sure you stay on the same track and don't miss any vendors or special giveaway.That's right I said getaway at every table you should be a giveaway going on that is valued up to Italy's $50 worth of wedding product make sure you enter even if you've arty booked a great caterer this caterer is offering a free romantic dinner for two you can enter what to go to hurt to have something free am I right?
Make sure you take the time to actually speak to the vendors you're interested in, if you look at their work displayed at the expo and it grabs your attention take a few moments and talk to that vendor. By taking this three minute talk to the vendor it could save you hours of your life down the road by making sure that you click with that vendor before scheduling consult. That's right any good vendors and offer you a free consult other services cake tasting portfolio review mini session anything along those lines it can all be considered a free consult of their work for your wedding day. If after talking to that vendor for just a few minutes you really feel like you have a connection with this vendor you might even possibly want this vendor for your wedding go ahead and set up your bridal consult right there at the expo. This will get you an ideal place on the calendar and even possibly get you some bonus perks from booking your consult at the bridal expo.
Now they've gone through and met with all the vendors at the show and once you get home don't just place that vendor swag bag on the couch and forget about it for a few days you want to go through it right then. You going to want to split everything in your bag into three main categories,
1. Vendors you Loved
2. Vendors your not interested in
3. Catchy Swag to keep
Once everything is sorted into appropriate pile and toss away the vendors that you're not interested and if you didn't get a connection or didn't like their work than what's the point of holding on to something that you're not going to use? Then take all the information from the vendors that you love and place it in your wedding binder is under the appropriate tag and when you get ready to book that vendor or venue you can revisit it and set up a great consultation if not done already with that vendor you loved from the expo.
Easy right? Now go out and enjoy this weekend's Richmond bridal show and tell me what you think! I'll be there with a great friend and client of mine helping her pick out flowers, caterers, and everything you can imagine for her beautiful wedding day coming this August. Happy shopping!
Don't forget to pop over and enter my JANUARY BRIDAL GIVEAWAY! There are only 7 more days to enter!
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