Northern California Wedding Planner | Summer 2017 Bridal Shows

We're about half way through our wedding season this year, and we are taking a pause to work on some really fun events coming up! We wanted to share some of our top tips for attending a bridal show!  Check out our event calendar for some of the upcoming bridal shows. 

We had a blast at the Chico Bridal Show in January, 2017! 

---

Bring your appetite! 
Seriously you will be well fed with all of the delicious samples by many of the top caterers and bakers. 

Standout
These shows are just for you, the couple so stand out! It can get pretty crowded at our booths so it is great when we can easily pin point who the couple is and know who we can turn our attention to next.  Lot's of mothers, sisters and friends also attend on behalf of couples if they aren't able to attend and that is fine too!

Start with a mission
Have in mind which services you are looking for and ask your wedding planner for tips on who to visit at the show.  If you don't have a planner yet stop by and ask away!

Bring a bag or closable folder
You will want to have a bag or closable folder for all of the handy info you will be picking up from the booths.  Bonus points if you bring a smaller bag to slip the cards in of the businesses that stand out to you the most so that you don't have to dig through later. 

Create pre-addressed mailing labels
Chances are you will visit several booths that have a prize or drawing in addition to the sign up lists for various promotions.  Save yourself the time and the hand cramp by bringing pre-addressed labels that you can stick right onto the sign-up list. The labels should include your name, preferred contact (phone or email) and your wedding date if you have selected one. 

Entourages are welcome!
Feel free to bring your fiance, wedding party, mom or any others to the show to share in the experience. Bonus points for dressing up, standing out and having fun! 

Ask Questions
Feel free to ask questions and talk to exhibitors, just keep in mind that with crowds it can be difficult for us to talk long but we love getting to talk to so many couples! You can always grab a card and shoot us an email with additional questions as well as schedule a complimentary consultation.

Attend Open Houses
Many of the exhibitors will host open houses, and these are a great way to talk in more detail and to take advantage of special bridal show pricing when you book. 

~ Happy Planning! ~ 

Northern California Wedding Planner | Speed Dating With A Wedding Planner

What would you ask if you could sit down with a wedding planner?

We met with hundreds of couples at the Chico Bridal Show.  We wanted to hear from couples what their one question was in their stage of planning.  Read on to see what our top questions were:

We haven't set a date, how do we start planning?

There were lots of couples who just got engaged on Christmas, so congrats! First off if you don't already have a date that is significant to you we recommend giving yourself time to take it in and not jumping into selecting a venue until you have thought about your must haves. Then after you have found a venue that meets that criteria, check their pricing, amenities and availability. Choose an ideal date from their list of open dates.

Our venue has a coordinator included, would we still need a wedding planner? 

A venue coordinator will be an excellent resource for any venue related questions, and overall logistics of their staff such as what time the chairs will be set out what time the first course is served etc.  They won't however attend vendor appointments with you, or assist with contracts of outside companies or work with you to create your overall design concept of your wedding.  No matter where we come in (Full Service, to Day of) we are looking at the big picture.

How do we choose a wedding venue?

Choose a venue that provides your must-haves which are different for everyone.  The more amenities included (tables, chairs) the more your budget will thank you!

What will a wedding planner do for us?

Every couple's needs are different, for those who are busy working or going to school they simply do not have the time do manage vendor communication, research venues, create a timeline, secure contracts, and more.  We can be your wedding wing-women or we can chauffeur you through the planning process. From design concept, attending fittings, vendor selection, managing your save the dates/invitation/rsvp's to full set up and break down it can be done.  Check out our services page for a little more information on how best we could assist you.

You can read more of our F.A.Q's or If you haven't already downloaded our free planning guide, do so now at the link below for even more planning tips!

Sunday Funday..Wedding Style

We are glad to see that so many couples are prepared to take advantage of the Bridal Show for all of their wedding needs, making sure to pre-register and save money at the door is just one of the smart moves they are making. If you pre-registered you will receive your personalized mailing labels with your contact information pre-printed so that you can use them to enter to win countless prizes. If you missed the pre-registration, you can still make your own labels ahead of time and print them from home.

As always we will give a few tips for getting the most from your bridal show experience:

1. Check Your List Be aware of your needs so that can make sure to collect information from exhibitors offering the services you have not yet booked.  For example, if you do not yet have a venue or a wedding coordinator you should be sure to make that a priority.  Take advantage of discounts and special offers, and pay special attention to the expiration (if any) of the offer.

2. Attire Your wedding will give you time to shine, but the bridal show isn't the best place for those new heels you bought.  Your feet will thank us, just be comfortable!  Bring a bag that you will be comfortable holding so that you can easily store flyers and business cards from the exhibitors.

3. Entourage Make a day of it, bring your bridal party as back up just in case you need someone to help you decide which catering sample rocked your world, or to help you cover more ground and listen for your name on the prize announcements overhead.

4. Enjoy This day is about you, and all of the possibilities out there to help shape your big day into the celebration you always dreamed of.  So go ahead, have another cupcake on us!

The Chico Bridal Show Recap

Chances are you're coming down from your sugar high from cake samples, and your feet are a little sore from the Chico Bridal Show today.  There is one thing we know for sure, you won't leave a bridal show hungry with all of the food, sweets & refreshing drink samples.  We want to thank all of the couples who stopped by our booth today, we always enjoy having the opportunity to meet new people and share in your excitement.  We look forward to sitting down with all of the couples who signed up for a complimentary consultation.  Don't forget, all of the couples who meet with us for a consulation will be entered to win coordination for their bridal/wedding shower.  If you need more information about the drawing please email us with any questions.  For anyone who wasn't able to attend, here are just a few images we snapped of the show (forgive us for our iPhone photography!) Thank you to WeDoDesigns & Cambray Rose for collaborating on the open concept design of our booth for the show. We hope all of the attendees liked our booth and we are looking forward to a great show in August! For more information on any of the vendors you see here, you can check out our Bridal Show Page for direct links.

Happy Planning!

[gallery columns="1" orderby="rand"]

Wedding Giveaways & Sweepstakes

If you have been following our blog you have seen our posts about some of the reasons why attending a local bridal show is important, mainly because it can save you time and money. If you didn't catch the part about all of the prizes you can win at a bridal show; listen up! The Chico Bridal Show is this Sunday, February 24th at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Check out some of the prizes that will be given away at the show!

Make sure to attend the Chico Bridal Show for your chance to win some of these sweet prizes: ♥ Thousands in door prizes ♥ Two honeymoon giveaways ♥ Three sets of wedding bands at the show! Valued at $600 each (shipping and handling not included)

These are just a few of the prizes available, as most of the vendors will also have their own raffles and contests at their booths so don't pass any booths on your way through the buildings. You never know what you will miss if you do! Signing up to win prizes may seem like a waste of time but if you end up winning you can save a lot of money, so bring your mailing labels with you!

Mark your calendar, the Chico Bridal Show is Sunday, February 24, 2013 from Noon to 5 p.m. at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. For more information visit the Chico Bridal Show Facebook Page

Good Luck and stop by to see our booth at the show!

_____________________________________________________ Here is another contest going on in 2013:

Michaels Craft Store is having a 2013 Ultimate Wedding Contest www.mdesign.michaels.com/bridecontest