Bridal Shows

* I wrote this post almost a year ago, a few months into the planning of my wedding. I still feel it is important to highlight these things, so I am going to post it now! Also, if you like what I have to say about this bridal show, check out the 2nd edition tomorrow, February 10th, 2013. For more information, times, locations, and vendors, check out their page on Facebook!

One of the best parts of my engagement was attending Bridal Shows. If you don’t already know, Bridal Shows are events at which various wedding related vendors (photographers, caterers, florists, etc) set up booths and try to convince you to use their services. I attended two during my engagement-one in Homewood, Alabama at the Soho House and the Southern Bridal Faire put on by Hello Gorgeous Photography and RSVP Magazine. Although I’m sure the show in Homewood was very helpful to people in the Birmingham area, I found that I wasn’t able to get my full worth out of my tickets because none of the vendors were local and would have been too expensive for me to use. Because of this, I am going to focus on the Southern Bridal Faire.

The awesome Aubrie of Hello Gorgeous Photography. She was one of the coordinators of this event! 

RSVP Magazine has come to be known as having its thumb on all things current in the River Region and also for putting on events with style and flair. I have been a fan of this magazine for quite some time now, so I was very excited to check out their bridal show. So my mom, aunt, and maid of honor accompanied me to this event, and we were able to get discount tickets (which is super awesome, as anyone who is planning a wedding on a budget knows!).

There was a bit of a bottleneck at the entrance, but this was their first show, so I expect logistical issues like that to be worked out by the next show. There were so many top of the line vendors there, and all of the booths were beautifully decorated. I wont name any specific vendors in attendance, but there were some really great ones there, and it will be so exciting to watch the numbers grow in the future. They served a refreshing peach tea punch in mason jars with striped straws-and they were served by a tuxedoed wait-staff! That was such a special touch and definitely kept on trend with what is going on with weddings and events right now.

This was at the entrance to the show. Such a cute idea!

The highlight of this faire for me was completely un-wedding related- I got to meet two of my heroes: Kevin and Layla Palmer from The Lettered Cottage  . These guys have an awesome home decorating blog and you should check it out!

Kevin and Layla Palmer of The Lettered Cottage 

Because this blog would not be complete without one of my lists, I came up with a list of tips on going to bridal shows for you to keep in mind. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does contain some things I learned from my experience/things I wish someone had told me when I got engaged.

1. Get your tickets early.

We were able to get our tickets early and this allowed us to save some money. With both shows, we were able to get our tickets through discount websites like dealchicken.com, so be sure to keep those in mind and plan ahead. Like I said before, any savings in your budget is helpful!

2. Try to stick with local shows.

Not only will you save on gas/travel time, but you will also save yourself the frustration of falling in love with a particular vendor and then realizing you cant afford them because of their travel fees. It is so much better to spend the time investigating the local vendors that will be at your local shows and make sure you know what questions to ask them. I found my makeup artist (and consequently, my hairstylist, at this show. Rebekah of Lush Makeup Art is AMAZING. I had been following her for a while through Hello Gorgeous Photography, and I KNEW I had to have her! 

3. Don’t eat before you go.

Well, this really depends on your situation. If you are on a super strict diet and don’t plan on sampling the food from the different vendors, then yeah, eat something light and protein filled-you will be walking a lot! But if you do plan on munching your way through the show, don’t eat. There will be plenty to eat-trust me!

4. Take someone with you.

This company serves two purposes: it creates a built-in sounding board for ideas you may encounter at the show, and it gives you someone to share desert samples with. I know that last part sounds silly, but if you eat all of every single cupcake/sweet treat that is offered, you will be sick. Just ask my Aunt Donna!

My friend Courtney Wolf (formerly Courtney Covey Anderson). We both were planning weddings at the same time so it was fun to go through the experience together! Look out for a post on her new adventure coming in the next few weeks! 

5. Take pictures-you’ll thank yourself later.

The one thing I wish I had done is to take more pictures-and in most cases take better pictures than what I actually did. You may think you may remember every idea you came across, but trust me-you wont! The more detailed pictures you take, the easier it will be to implement the ideas you had from clear inspiration, rather than trying to remember how a particular boutonniere looked.

One of the few pictures I took. I thought it was beautiful! 

Like I said before, this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many important things I left off, but these five I feel will help the most. I hope my tips help and that you are able to attend a great local bridal faire for inspiration!