Brides are always excited to see and hear the latest trends in weddings. Whether it’s through a popular bridal magazine, wedding industry website, or even bridal reality show, brides are in search for great ideas and experts to help make their wedding reality a dream come true. Aside from these resources, bridal tradeshows also can be a valuable outlet, IF you know how to make the most of the experience.

By: It’s All About The Bride

Often, I hear that bridal tradeshows can be “overwhelming” to brides. Trying to process all the information thrown at you from perspective vendors, might be daunting. Neverthless, I believe, if you carefully craft your time and who you give attention to while at a tradeshow, you can find “vendor gems.”

Here are a few things to consider:

Map out a plan of attack. It would be great if you could spend hours visiting with all the vendors at a bridal tradeshow, but the reality is you can’t. Avoid getting overwhelmed by the temptation to “see it all” by deciding well in advance the particular services you KNOW you NEED. Research which vendors related to your need will be at the tradeshow by visiting the shows website, then the vendor’s website, and weed out the list to determine your top three. From the tradeshow vendor map, locate the both numbers for those vendors and mark them on the map. Determine you will not get sidetracked by the “lure of crowd” and spend the time you have at the tradeshow investigating their ability to provide the services you need.

Show and Tell. Most tradeshows have a full range of vendors, each with their own distinctive style or talent. Some have “been there, done that.” Some are qualified newcomers that really want opportunities to demonstrate their skills. Both groups can work well for a bride, but you need to be prepared to articulate exactly what you need from them. It might seem a little elementary to bring pictures, swatches, or other samples with you, yet “show and tell” can really help you decide which vendor can work within your vision. It’s one thing to see their stock photos and samples, but the goal is to have your wedding reflect YOUR style and not become another “cookie-cutter” client.
Friendly doesn’t necessarily equal professional. A true sales professional can convince a drowning man to buy a bottle of spring water. Those that do it for a living know exactly which buttons to push to sway you in their favor. I can respect their effort, but the goal is to get qualified, affordable, and personable service! While it’s always good to have friendly people around, the main goal is to make sure you have true professionals working for you. “She/he was nice” doesn’t mean they can do the job. For shy folks like me, you would never know about the years of experience I have with special events unless you decided to look beyond the fluff you hear and see from others to learn about my professional background. You definitely want a vendor that is friendly and easy to work with for your wedding, but ultimately, you are at the bridal tradeshow to find the best person for the job not your best friend. So, give everyone on your list of top three a fair opportunity to win your business (and also be a friend).

Be wishes for a great 2013 and finding fabulous vendor partners for a super fantastic wedding!

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