Getting Married? Attend a wedding show or event.

If you are engaged and looking for quality vendors for your wedding day, consider attending a wedding show or event. The Puget Sound area has some excellent wedding events to attend and check out local wedding professionals.

As a professional wedding consultant , I will be at Seattle Wedding Show coming next year on January 11^th and 12^th, 2014. Come by and meet me and other vendors.

Below are some suggestions for attending any wedding event to make it a more valuable experience for you:

·         Go to the show online and pick out your top 5 vendors that you want to see and consider for your wedding. Write down the booth numbers and company names. Shows can be overwhelming when there can be 200 vendors or more at a show. This way you have a plan of who is most important for you to see.

·         Many wedding events have vendor drawings and you may also want specific vendors to contact you after the day of the show. Consider pre-printing some labels with your crucial contact information.  I cannot tell you how disappointing it is as a vendor to have a drawing and not be able to decipher the handwriting of the winner. Your labels should have the info you want to share: Name (Bride/Groom), phone, email, wedding date, and your mailing address (if you wish). Any office supply store will have labels you can print at home and then peel off and place on entry forms or contact forms at the show. Quick and easy for you and easy to read for the vendor.

·         You may find the perfect vendor for you at the wedding show. Go to the show with your checkbook and credit card so you can book a vendor that day if you wish. A few words of advice: Do not feel pressured to sign right then and there. Read the entire contract before signing or making a “deposit” to hold a vendor for your day. Most vendors take a “first payment” which is frequently non-refundable. I suggest making an appointment with a desired vendor for the week following the show. This will allow you to meet and ask questions in a less hectic environment than the show floor.

·         An additional way you can improve your wedding show experience is by considering your comfort. Wear comfortable shoes – you may be walking the aisles for 2 or more hours. Choose clothing that can be worn in layers. When the show floor gets crowded it can get quite warm and at the beginning of the show it can be chilly. Bring a handbag that is not heavy with items already before the show even starts. Your back and neck will thank you after the show.

·         Do bring information you already have for your wedding day. A small binder is a great way to have all your info gathered in one place. You can add the vendors that you meet and like at the show to your binder for easy locating later. You will be thankful later that you did this when you don’t have to sort through everything you picked up at the show.

 

Wedding shows and events are fun and sometimes overwhelming. If you start off prepared, you will enjoy it so much more.