Bridal & Wedding expos can be a fun way to connect with your bridal party, Mom, bestie or fiancé, and a great first step in the planning process. It's the perfect way to meet several vendors all in one spot and have a fun wedding planning weekend!
Wedding expos make it easy to meet with vendors face-to-face to see how you vibe, and it also helps you gather ideas & inspiration!
Remember you will be spending a lot of time with your wedding day vendors, you want to make sure they are a good fit!
As a wedding stationer, planner, coordinator and past bride, I want to share my tips for having the most efficient wedding expo experience. These tips should help alleviate overwhelm and stress so you can have a productive and fun experience!
1. Create A Joint Wedding Email Address Before you start any wedding planning, I highly recommend, create a wedding-only email address where *ONLY* wedding-related info is sent. This way, you can intentionally avoid it when you are not in planning mode and it will cut down on inbox overwhelm as well as helping to keep things organized.
2. Explore local shows - Buy tickets in advance
Find shows you are interested, and add them to your calendar. Buy your tickets in advance. Tickets are usually free if you buy them ahead of time, or $10 at the door. Save that $10 and add it your wedding budget. Every little bit helps!
3. Do your research
Scout out the list of vendors attending to see if there is anyone who interests you and do a little research before you get to the show. Make a plan of the vendors you know you want to see in advance so you can make the most of your time at the show!
4. Create Address Labels Most vendors have sign up lists or giveaways. Creating address labels in advance. It saves loads of time... again, allowing you to maximize your time at the show by easily sticking your labels to any sign up sheets. This also helps vendors since your contact info will be legible :) they can easily reach out to you if needed!
You'll want to include your first/last name, partner, wedding email, wedding date, town/state, venue (if you have one), email, and phone number.
5. Bring a bag to hold your goodies
Some wedding expos and smaller bridal shows also giveaway free bags, but you'll want to bring your own, JIC so your hands will be free to browse at booths!
6. Charge your phone
You'll want to snap and show inspo photos, take notes, use QR codes to store vendor contact info so make sure your phone is at full battery!
7. Most importantly have fun!
This is a once in a lifetime experience so really savor your engagement every step of the way. Happy Planning <3
Here is a list of local wedding shows I will be a part of, hope to see you there!
https://www.ae-invitations.com/events
xo Ashley