Woop Woop! You’re officially engaged! So, let the wedding games begin. May the odds be ever in your favor. Throughout the years we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and responses to help brides navigate through the Bridal Show. We’ve found that a lot of our brides and grooms decide to take the bull by the horns and venture to the Arizona Bridal Show to meet venues/vendors, check out the deals/specials, and get some wedding inspiration. Our advice? Be careful. After hearing tons of experiences from our brides, here are are a few things to bring with you to make sure that your time at the show is successful.
1. SHOES- Comfortable shoes. Trust us, there is a lot of walking, standing, and a ton of dodging.
2. INFORMATION- Have your wedding details ready to share. Every single booth will ask you to fill something out. Do yourself a favor and already have typed out on your notes on your phone to show the vendors. Have the following details ready: Your Name, preferred wedding month(s)/year, email address, phone number (Or, whatever items your comfortable listing).
3. QUESTIONS- If you find a vendor (Photographer, DJ, Florist, Cake, Officiant, etc) that you’re interested in ask them the following: *Have you ever worked with _____ venue(s)? *Have you ever worked with _____ vendor(s)? *Do you have a list of reviews on wedding wire? *How many weddings have you done? *How long have you been in business?
4. SKEPTICISM– Be skeptical of companies and their ‘specials’. Vendors might say that you need to book right there in order to qualify for their special. Walk away. Does that price look too good to be true? It just might be. Remember what your mom always told you- “You can’t trust everyone…”
5. BOOKING ORDER: Do not book your vendors before booking your venue. I repeat, do not book your vendors before your venue. Some folks put the cart before the horse on this one. We have brides and grooms ready to book their venue with us, but wait, we don’t have that particular date available! SO, they have to change their date with their already booked photographer…and they lose their special, and now they’re wondering why they even booked that photographer in the first place after seeing our preferred vendors. So, book your vendors after booking your venue. It’s kind of like buying your house before the furniture…makes sense, right?
6. TEAM- You want to make sure that each of your vendors gel well together. We’re in the business of creating a dream team! You don’t want a feuding photographer and DJ do you? Or, a coordinator and florist that have two different visions? After booking your wedding venue, make sure that you have a solid team that will put on a smooth sailing wedding for you! The easiest way to ensure for a smooth wedding is to make sure they’ve worked together before 🙂
7. CALM- Stay calm. Your wedding will come together- promise. Some brides go to the show on a mission to check off each of their venue/vendors.
The intent for the show is for you to be exposed to different people- not to smush ALL of your wedding planning into one day. Don’t rush. Start with a venue. Now, go through those crowds confident that you will be putting forth the due diligence and research to make for the perfect wedding!
