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.

10 Questions to ask any wedding vendor

As a bride or groom, you will be meeting with several different types of wedding vendors like photographers, DJs, caterers, etc. It is easy to forget your questions when sitting in front of a vendor or sometimes it is hard to know what to ask in the first place. Here are ten general questions to ask any vendor you interview:
 

· Are they available for your wedding date and time?

· How long have they been in business

· Do they have a business license?

· Do they have liability insurance?

· Is the person you are interviewing going to be the person who is there the day of your wedding?

· Has the vendor worked before at your location?

· What is included in the price/package?

· What is the required deposit and is it refundable?

· What are the fees for extra hours?

· Do they do more than one wedding a day?

· What is their back up plan in case of illness or accident?

These ten questions will tell you a lot about a particular vendor. Depending on the answers to these questions, you will probably think of others to ask. Remember this is an interview and you are the one offering the financial opportunity.

Find Your Perfect Place for Your Wedding

Now that you are engaged, you are starting to think about where and when to have your wedding. You have probably already thought about how your dress will look and what colors you like for flowers and bridesmaid dresses. The venue you pick for your ceremony and reception will affect many other decisions. You can determine ahead of time what you want for color scheme and style of wedding and then find a location that FITS what YOU want.

I suggest you ask yourself a few questions before you decide on a venue:

Do you want to have your ceremony and reception at the same location?

How many guests will be coming?

Do you want to marry indoors or outdoors?

What time of year do you want to marry?

Once you know these things, you are one step closer to selecting the right venue for you. Maybe you have already searched online to see what venues are available that fit your criteria. Once you have found a few locations that appeal to you, now ask a few more questions

What will the venue look like at the time of year you are marrying? Which plants, trees or bushes will be blooming at that time?

What is the maximum capacity for the venue?

What are the permanent colors in the space such as walls, carpeting, and maybe even the chair colors? Will these go with the colors you want to have or will the colors clash?

For reception venues, do they have an exclusive in house caterer or do they allow other outside caterers to use their facility?

What is included in the fee to rent the venue? Are tables, chairs, linens or their sound system included? Can you use the whole venue or only certain rooms?

Do they have a preferred vendor list and do you have to use their chosen vendors?

Your budget and timing for the day can be affected by all of the above. When you go and look at a few venues, ask lots of questions before signing a contract.

If you would like a full check list of questions for selecting a venue, call or email me for a complimentary consultation. I offer many wedding services including researching and recommending vendors to brides.