Survey - Bridal Shows

kellster22

OK, so now I have a question - I have tickets to fly in for the bridal extravaganz in Janaury. I still need so many things and there is just so much you can do over the phone and internet. This is all so new to me - so I have questions.

Tell me your plan of attack. Do you use your bridal bucks or is this a waste? Do vendors have good deals using the bridal bucks?

Did/do you actually book while at the show? Are show prices good?

Do you go for just ideas? Do you stop and visit with the vendors. There sure are a bunch of them, seems like it would take hours. Do you spend hours?

Do you go just collect pricing information and look at it all when you get home? 

How do you keep track of it all?  

laleighmoore

I would like answers on all of these myself with one additional question - CAN YOUR FIANCE GO TOO?

I have 1 BM in town and 2 in Houston. There are 2 shows I want to make in January and my MOH from Houston may not be able to attend either and my BM in Austin will be out of town for both.
I dont want to go alone but my fiance doesn't think he should be there at all since it is a BRIDAL show. But isnt it all about wedding planning not just brides?

AggieDaner

From my experience you go to get ideas and spend a few minutes talking to vendors who interest you. You definitely can't spend huge amounts of time with any  one vendor, but you can get a few key questions answered. I saw everything I wanted to see and didn't spend more than 3 hours there, there are a lot of booths that you can skip right over (bridal flip flops, florists with hideous displays, anything that says "FREE HONEYMOON", etc). It all depends on what you already have planned and what you still need.


And yes, your fiance can come. Lots of ladies bring their fiances. Tell him there is a LOT of free food and free cake. :-)

sheaday

I think the big bridal extravaganza show is fun to go to but in my opinion, not really worth the hype.

Regarding bridal bucks- on the austinweddings.com website, you can see the list of vendors who participated in the last show with bridal bucks and what they offered. None of the vendors were offering anything that appealed to me so I didn't use any of the bucks.

Plus with it being so crowded, you really can't have long discussions with vendors. I would just listen in on whatever they were talking to another person about, maybe ask a question or 2, then take their card/flyer and make notes and move on.

And a lot of vendors have "bridal show only discounts and deals" which I've found to just be a ploy to get people to write a quick check. After the last show a few months ago, I received many, MANY emails from vendors still offering their "bridal show only discount".

I love getting to eat all of the food and cake and the major highlight is when they give away the big prizes at the end of the show. You have to be present to win. So I'm planning to come 2hrs before the show is over so I can look at everything and still be there when they announce the prizes. Getting there at noon will make for a long day.

chloetutor

Tell me your plan of attack. Do you use your bridal bucks or is this a waste? Do vendors have good deals using the bridal bucks? 

I just started at one end and made my way up and down each aisle. Just focus on one booth at a time or on things you need to not get overwhelmed.  I didn't use bridal bucks, but I was more there to look for ideas since it was so early on.  I kept in mind how low vendors could go to talk them into lowering prices later on.

Did/do you actually book while at the show? Are show prices good?

No, I didn't. I wanted some time to think things over. Most will give you about a month after the show to use the discount.

Do you go for just ideas? Do you stop and visit with the vendors. There sure are a bunch of them, seems like it would take hours. Do you spend hours? 

Yep, I really avoided giving my address to them though. Everyone is out to get you on a listserve.  I didn't stay the whole time, I was exhausted.

Do you go just collect pricing information and look at it all when you get home?  

Yep

How do you keep track of it all?   

When I got home I went through the bags and threw away some and hole punched others and organized them into a binder.  

Yes! Take the boy! I wish mine had gone to keep me sane. Go hungry and with a bottle of water. So much food and cake and freebies! Good luck

reddie36

I personally found the Bridal Extravaganza the most helpful in talking to all the photogs and videographers on my list in one swoop - I met with all but one or two photogs I had my eye on and all of the videographers so that way I narowed down the lists pretty fast. I actually booked the photobooth I found there and the videographer there and by saying I saw them at the show I save a % off each (I did not book at the show but a lot of them have deals to where if you book with them so long after a show they give you a discount). I did not use any bridal bucks - they are kind of lame unless you just happen across a vendor who has a deal with them. I ended up finding my photog from going to an Unveiled event which (IMO) are a little more modern shows, and don't have the normal vendors that are at the extravaganza.

Tip: Def make a label sheet with all your info so you don't have to write it down for each booth - name, address, wedding date at a minimum. Oh, and have fun!

SarahPLiz

Im just going for the food and cake samples. FI is going with me, as well as a couple friends who also want to see the cake and food. I have an email address specifically to give to them so I dont have to ever log in and look at what they sent me. When I bought my tickets I gave them the wrong phone number, because Ive already gotten sales calls on my cell phone and I HATE that.

MnMShaw

Bridal bucks could be useful but only a limited number of vendors use them so if a vendor you want to use has them they will help you.  I didn't use mine.  However, I waited to book some vendors until after I went to the Bridal Extravaganza, like my baker and florist.  When I talked with her at that the show, she was giving out her business card with like a 10% discount if you book a consultation within X days after the show.  So, for things like that, the show was useful because I got a discount.

The only thing I booked at the show was tuxes.  I did that because there aren't a ton of places to get them from and we had already decided we were using Als and they give a 20% discount if you book with then.  All I had to do was pay a $25 refundable check.

I spent a couple of hours there, no more than 3 I think.  You can't really "visit" with vendors that much because of so many people but you can see all the stuff they have, look at it, touch it, taste it, that kind of thing.

Yes, I collected pricing information and looked at it at home. Almost every vendor has a price sheet, brochure, or something.  So I got a bag from one vendor and the took a brochure from everyone I was interested in and just stuck them in the bag and waited til I was home.  When I was home I sorted everything by the type of vendor and then went through it that way so I could compare. 

I also agree with this: Tip: Def make a label sheet with all your info so you don't have to write it down for each booth - name, address, wedding date at a minimum.

Take your FI, my now DH went with me.

Also, they do these game shows there called the "Nearlywed Game" and you and your FI can compete in them for prizes.  Don't do it.  It's a scam.  Me and DH did it and won this week long vacation, airfare and hotel, included.  It was this big scam where you have to pay $50 to "reserve it" then when you get to your location you have to sit through a day of a timeshare presentation where they literally pressure you and are mean to you to buy these timeshares.  Totally not worth it.

laleighmoore

Good thing you mentioned the Nearlywed Scam... we'd hate to have a similar experience as the south park episode about timeshares! lol

ejayne

First time I went I didn't use the Bridal Bucks. Second time (closer to the wedding) I used them to get 50% off dance lessons! I was stoked because I wouldn't have been able to afford them without the special. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is they are hit or miss. Depends on what you are looking for. They're usually good for a month after the show.

Make a game plan: show up with a list of categories you're hoping to find at the show. Already booked a venue? You can skip those booths. Also having a general idea of your budget will help you not to waste time with vendors WAY outside your price range. No sense in talking to a photographer that starts at $5000 when your budget is $1000, right? Keep moving, and spend time on vendors that are realistically someone you would hire.

I found my cake vendors at the show. It was nice to have all the little samples and I made note of who I liked, LOVED, and didn't care for... checked prices and stuff like that either from flyers I picked up at the show, or on their websites, and was able to narrow it down to 4 places to actually schedule a tasting with FI. (He never went to the shows... I either had my MOH or went alone. Though to his credit, he did ask if I wanted him there.)

I also found my caterer at the show. It was helpful to be able to taste so many at once and gather all the pricing... helped me narrow it down before I booked a personal consultation.

Definitely stop to talk a bit with the vendors you're really interested in, but don't expect a full interview on the spot... you've got a lot of people to see, and so do they! :P

Some advice: Bring a little notepad and take notes on what you think of the vendors. What really stuck out for you? I wish I had done this... I came home with so many handouts, I had a hard time remembering which ones I really liked! Also, bring a camera and take pictures of floral arrangements you like, etc.

chloetutor

The labels are such a good idea! I wish I'd thought of that!