My First Wedding Show

Last night I checked out my first wedding show, Canada’s Bridal Show and I was pleasantly surprised.

I have to admit that I went in with low expectations. I expected too many people, too many photographers and too many aggressive vendors. And while there were a lot of people, there was also a good mix of vendors and the only aggressive ones were a couple of tuxedo rental companies.

I picked up a ton of stuff: free magazines, free re-usable bags, two free (though kind of crappy) wedding planners, free chocolate, cake samples and of course plenty of brochures and business cards. I also got a lot of ideas when it came to photographers, invitations and cakes. There are some very talented people out there and I think it’s going to be tough to make decisions in those areas.

DJs and limo companies were well represented (not that I have an interest in either of those) and there was also a number of men’s attire companies that were offering some great deals on tuxedoes and suits.

Speaking of which, many of the vendors did offer show specials, usually in the 10-25 percent off range. Because of that, I’ll likely be checking out one of the big fall wedding shows when I’m ready to start booking vendors.

I was surprised though at the lack of florists and wedding dress designers. While both categories were represented, I found that they weren’t represented enough. While I likely could have found my invitations, photographer and cake at the wedding show, there’s no way I would have found my flowers or dress there.

But if I was looking for a banquet hall or a golf course as my venue, I had plenty of choices to pick from. However, more “off-beat” types of venues weren’t really represented at all though I’m not surprised at that. These wedding shows at generally aimed at people who want weddings that are closer to traditional than original.

That’s not to say that they are a waste of time if you want a wedding that’s more “original” than “traditional”. Most weddings, regardless of their overall feel, have the same elements and many of the vendors at these shows are more than happy to bend to your particular vision.

A few basic hints for surviving a wedding show:

• I might be stating the obvious here but any discounted time period (last night it was 2-for-1 after 5) is going to be busy
• I’m told that Friday night is the best night to go if you want to avoid crowds
• if you want to enter all the contests, print up some address labels
• in addition to wearing comfortable shoes, were comfortable clothes such as a t-shirt and a lightweight jacket (though there is generally a coat check)
• if you’re determined to watch the fashion show, grab a chair early (though from what I saw, the fashion show was nothing remarkable)
• don’t worry about bringing a big bag, you will get plenty of bags at the show
• don’t go with more than four people, you’ll just lose them
• do bring the groom, there were plenty of guys at the show I was at