I should be very honest and start off this Wedding Wednesday by saying that I absolutely hate wedding shows. They are not for me. I personally find them to be very lacking in anything that is not traditional and I’m quite sure that I am not their target audience. We lasted 17 minutes at the first show we attended. I found it to be stressful as vendors were almost jumping on me to push their product or service. In some ways, it was a very positive experience because within those 17 minutes we learned exactly what we didn’t want! That being said, the shows are great for discounts and bargains and to meet with lots of vendors and suppliers. I’m not knocking traditional weddings in any sense and I very much believe in doing whatever you want for your wedding. As I said, it just isn’t for me.
As mentioned, they can be great for discounts and putting ideas together so I have decided to give my top tips for surviving them:
- Arrive early. The show is likely to be packed. The earlier you arrive, the easier it is to move around the room and have a look at everything on offer.
- Know what you want to look for.
- Be prepared for vendors and suppliers to jump out of their stalls to get your attention. I got a bit of a fright at the first show.
- Bring a tote bag that is light and easy to carry as you may leave with lots of paper, receipts and pamphlets. You could be walking around for a while so having a lighter bag will help. On the same note, wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring water because they can be very warm as there are lots of people around.
- Don’t wear a coat or heavy clothing for the same reason as above.
- Print labels with your details. If you meet with a vendor, you will be asked to write your details out plenty of times on forms. If you have a label sheet with them already written, you can stick them to the form and save yourself time and effort.
- If you are gluten free like me, (or dairy free or vegan) you more than likely won’t be able to sample any cakes or food. If you can eat whatever you want, you’re in luck because there will be lots of delicious cake samples to try. Bring a little zip-lock bag with you and add a few cake samples. If you’re unsure which flavour you prefer, revisit them later on at home.
- If you know what colours or materials you are working with, bring a little sample bag with your details printed on the front. You might have the exact shade of purple in mind that you want but explaining it to someome else isn’t that easy. This is helpful for flowers, cakes, dresses etc.
- Bring cash. If you are going to choose suppliers and vendors on the day, you will need to pay a cash deposit.
Have you any ideas for surviving wedding shows? What has your experience been?
