A Wedding Show Worth Checking Out (if you have the budget)

Long time, no blog (but then I have been busy writing over here).

I decided to make my first post over here in quite some time because there’s a great event happening this weekend over at The Carlu: The Wedding Co.’s annual wedding show.

I have to admit that I never attended this particular show when I was a bride though I really wanted to. It’s smaller and more selective than most of the other shows out there and the vendors are generally quite high in quality and talent. Unfortunately that means they are also higher in price. So I decided not to tease myself with services and ideas that I couldn’t afford and skipped this show.

 

However, if you have the budget, or are great at DIY stuff, this show is worth its $20. Need proof? Just check out the Highlights section over here.

See Jane Dayus-Hinch at The National Bridal Show

Look who you can meet next weekend...

It's a bit of a pain that this show is way out in Mississauga. At least the January edition is in Toronto! I did check that one out earlier this year and you can read my review of it here.

A Couple Upcoming Shows

Hello, I’m back from Mexico!

But I’m also super-busy and because of that, this entry is going to be super-short and is going to highlight two upcoming events:

The Cake Show
Sunday, April 25
Noon – 5:30 pm
Artscape Wychwood Barns
601 Christie Street
$10

Organized by the Bonnie Gordon School, the Cake Show is a great place to get inspiration on what your cake should look and taste like!


The Spring Wedding Show
Saturday, May 1
10 am – 4 pm
Drake Hotel, 1050 Queen Street West
$10

Organized by the Wedding Co., this event showcases 40 local artisans and wedding vendors who promise to offer “unconventional, chic or edgy” touches for your wedding. Also featured are over 20 engagement portraits taken by Toronto photographers who are competing in The Great Engagement Shoot Challenge.


We're passing on the Cake Show since we already have that sorted but maybe I'll pop by the Spring Wedding Show on May 1, it sounds like it should have some good stuff.

The National Bridal Show

Last night I checked out the National Bridal Show at the Direct Energy Centre. This was a smaller show than the one I’d checked out last January at the Toronto Metro Centre but that turned out to be a good thing. The crowds were thinner, the vendors better and the whole experience was rather pleasant and useful.

Below is the good, the okay and the not-so-great.

Good

• Free bags: we got free reusable bags from William Ashley, the Bay and the show itself
• Free cake: I think we were able to try five different kinds of cake
• Photographers: We don’t need a photographer but if you do you might just find your guy here
• DJs: To be honest, the DJs there appeared to be on the cheesy side but maybe they were just trying to get our attention
• Men’s Wear: All the usual men’s wear suspects are there and most are offering great deals
• Honeymoon/Travel Ideas: Sandals/Beaches, Sears Travel, Puerto Rico and more are all there to give you ideas on where to go
• Registries: William Ashley, Sears and the Bay/Home Outfitters are all there. We registered at the Bay and got $50 in gift cards for our effort

The Okay

• Invites: Stephita’s there along with a few other choices
• Venues: While none of the venues would have appealed to us if we were looking, there are plenty of choices here

The Not-So-Great

• Florists: I was really hoping to talk to some florists but the only flower-related people there were those offering bigger décor packages than we needed
• Make-up: I think I saw one make-up related vendor
• Dresses: Okay, no one goes to a wedding show to look at dresses but there are a few dress vendors there, none of whom are offering great stuff

If you do go, make sure to get the Wedding Bells gift bag before you go in. In addition to containing a copy of the magazine, there are also some great samples in there of Burt’s Bees products, John Freida hair products and Nina Ricci perfume. (Yes, I love free stuff.)

Upcoming Toronto Wedding Shows

It’s almost time for the January wedding shows. Here’s a look at what’s happening when. For hints on how to survive a wedding show, read this post.

January 2-3
Total Wedding Show
International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga
$15
This huge show features all the usual suspects and the chance to win a diamond ring.
More Info

January 8-10
Canada’s Bridal Show
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W., Toronto
$15
Another big show. Many vendors who do the Total Wedding Show will also be at this one so don’t feel like you have to hit up both shows.
More Info

January 15-17
The Wedding Show
The Carlu, 444 Yonge Street, 7th floor, Toronto $17/$20
Featuring 115 hand-selected exhibitors, this intimate (as wedding shows go) event is best for brides with cash and a love of the finer things.
More Info

January 16-17
Canada’s Wedding Expo
Toronto Congress Centre North. 650 Dixon Road, Toronto
This big bridal show includes a “How To Dress Your Man” seminar.
$15
More Info http://www.canadasweddingexpo.ca

January 22-24
National Bridal Show
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto
Brides who register in advance are free; $15
I think I might check this one out this year. It features some stuff on green weddings and is doing a Rich Bride, Poor Bride casting call.
More Info

Wedding Show This Weekend

Just a reminder that there’s a big wedding show this upcoming weekend, over at the Convention Centre.

Canada’s Bridal Show
September 25 - 27
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
255 Front St. W., Toronto
905-264-7000

Tickets are $15 but you can find a $5 off coupon over here.

I checked this show out back in January. For brides who are looking and ready to book vendors, it’s worth checking out. You can read up on my bridal show experience right here.

I’m not going this time around but I think Shawn and I will check out the January 2010 edition. The show usually has really good deals on men’s wear so I think we might get Shawn’s tux from there.

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

Upcoming Wedding Shows

It's wedding show season. I've never been to one and I know that some people hate them but as someone who likes crowds, lots of walking and contests, I think I might do okay at these things. I'll be sure to report back after I've checked one out.

The Wedding Show - The Carlu

Jan 9 - 11, 2009

"Toronto's wedding industry experts come together in an intimate, boutique-inspired atmosphere." That means that this smaller show will feature classy vendors who are out of my price range.

Canada’s Bridal Show - Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Jan 9, 2009 - Jan 11, 2009

This one claims to be Canada's #1 bridal show. I'm thinking of checking it out; it has some nice door prices like diamond rings (that I would sell).

The Total Wedding Show - International Centre

Jan 16 - 18, 2009

"The Total Wedding Show is the city's biggest bridal show, with over 350 wedding retailers and service providers in southern Ontario. Sample products, compare prices and see all the latest trends in bridal fashions for the entire wedding party." I'm also thinking of checking this one out. Brides get a free wedding planner package.

National Bridal Show - Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

Jan 23- 25, 2009

Horrible website but brides do get into free to this show.

First Post

I got engaged in August 2008. My finance Shawn and I quickly agreed on two major things:

1.) we’d get married in Toronto
2.) the wedding would take place in the summer of 2010.


Since then I’ve started, and stopped, wedding planning multiple times. The reason for this is the lack of solid, usable, online wedding resources. Sure, there are tons of blogs and sites out there but I’m finding that most of them offer advice that is obvious, non-applicable to me or not really advice at all.


I want solid facts, numbers, names, opinions and reviews, both positive and negative. And I want that information to be relevant to me and my situation. I don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a wedding but at the same time, this is going to be my one and only wedding.


I want it to be nice and I don’t want to find myself looking back and going, “Damn, I wished I’d sprung for the….” I also want my wedding to at least be somewhat green and ethically responsible.


So I’ve decided to try and help fill this knowledge gap on “common sense weddings” with this blog. I hope you find it useful and let me know if there’s anything that you’d like to see me mention.