Convention Center Bridal Show – THIS WEEKEND!

Just a quick reminder to all of you out there that the Convention Center Bridal Show is THIS weekend! 🙂 This year they are having a cake dive for a few lucky grooms-to-be which should be absolutely hilarious!! You can bet we'll be there with cameras in hand for that one. LOL CLICK HERE to view all of the info, show times, entrance fees and fashion show times!

I wanted to post some helpful hints for attending bridal shows today since this may be the first time many of you have ever attended a large bridal show like this…

1. Wear comfy shoes! 🙂 Comfort outweighs the cute factor when choosing shoes ladies! 😉 Even though the Sagamore Ballroom is carpeted, you'll probably be doing a lot of walking and standing so no uncomfy shoes that day! Also, leave your coat in the car if possible. It will be one less thing to carry in and out that day since you'll be coming out with lots of bags of samples, brochures and information!

2. The Convention Center is located just south of the Westin and the Sagamore Ballrooms are closest to the Westin's skywalk. The easiest way to get there is to park at the Westin (or in one of the government center garages that are less expensive) then take the Westin skywalk on the 2nd floor across to the Convention Center. Make a left once you're inside the convention center and the ballrooms will be up on your right. Plan to be there for at least a few hours, the fashion show is usually about 45-60 minutes in length and always worth watching! (Tip: Get there early, seating is first come, first served!)

3. Unless you enjoy filling out your name, address, phone number, wedding date, etc. a million times, save yourself some time and make pre-printed labels before you go!! Vendors will appreciate it because your info will probably be more legible and you'll save yourself a lot of time filling out the same info over and over again. LOL Here's what needs to be on your label: Bride's name, Groom's name, address, city, state, zip, phone number (if you want to be called), a valid e-mail address (a MUST!) and your wedding date. A few vendors may ask for more specific information which you can write in as needed but that will save you a lot of time. 

4. Just remember, if you do NOT want to be called after the show, do NOT give out your phone number. This seems logical but I can't tell you how many of my vendor friends have told me that brides have requested to be called after the show or they've given out their phone number and then treated wedding professionals like they are random telemarketers! LOL

5. Bring cash with you the day of the show. The entrance to the Convention Center show is $5 per person at the door and you'll need cash again when paying for anything at the concession stand and again for parking. If you forget and are in a bind, the Westin has an ATM across from Starbucks in their lobby, just FYI. 😉

6. Bring a notebook, pen and a small digital camera with you so that you can take pictures of unique ideas and write down who you want to contact for appointments after the show. Sometimes after you've seen the 10th photographer, they all start to look alike and afterwards, you may forget who was who!

7. Bring your calendar with you if you'd like to book appointments at the show and bring your check book or credit card if you plan on securing services at the show. We typically do not book weddings on the spot at the shows because we like to make sure we're a good fit (style and personality!) for each client, rather than booking dates in a frenzy. 😉 Once the show is over though, we usually have many brides e-mailing and calling for appointments, many of the brides have the same wedding date, so the sooner you book an appointment afterwards, the more likely you'll be able to reserve your date with us!

8. Talk to vendors & have fun! Stop by our booth, we're scheduled to be between Sound Spectrum Entertainment and Allisonville Nursery this weekend (our booth is #48 & 49 I believe) so come see us! We will have a special goody bag for brides whose dates we still have available for 2008 & 2009 and we'll have a great giveaway that all brides can register for but it's a secret so you have to come see us this weekend! 🙂