Instead, bring sticky pre-printed mailing labels with:

• Your wedding date
• Full name
• Address
• Email
• Phone number

This will save you from having to fill out the plethora of ballots and save your hand from getting a cramp! If you happen to be visiting a Best Wedding Showcase show, after following the process of purchasing a ticket on our website, you will be given the option to have custom labels made for you that you can print straight from home.

If you are attending another bridal show, visit Avery.com and search the templates for address labels. You can make them for free right on your home computer!

Make sure to visit www.BestWeddingShowcase.com to get a list of our upcoming shows!

*Photos courtesy of Cassandra Storm Photography, taken at Best Wedding Showcase, York 2012

After the bridal show, use these photos as references when you are considering following up with the vendors of interest.  Having pictures to help you remember will also help the vendors when sorting through all of their options!

Visit www.BestWeddingShowcase.com to see a full list of vendors and check out our upcoming shows!

Not sure what you need to try on a wedding dress?  Here are a few of our suggestions:  strapless bras, high heels, corsets.  With the right accessories, you will be able to look your best when trying on dresses.

To make sure you get the right colors on the first try, bring material swatches or ribbons of your wedding colors with you to the show.  These will come in handy when speaking to florists, tuxedo rental services, bakers and balloonists.

Photo courtesy of: Wedding Advice – Here Comes the Blog!

If you have “Bride” and “Groom” hats, t-shirts, or pins, this is a great time to get your money’s worth out of them and wear them to the show.  Well produced bridal shows like the Best Wedding Showcase brand will provide “Bride” and “Groom” stickers.  They know it can be confusing for vendors to identify attendees and if they know that you’re the bride, you are more likely to get a little more attention.

While at the bridal show, make note of the vendors that you’re interested in and rate
them on their level of interest. From this list, you will be able to easily remember which
vendors you preferred and are interested in contacting for more information.

Central PA brides, click here for more information on the March 25th Bridal Show at the Holiday Inn York Conference Center.

Not bringing a purse will help you be able to look around and speak to vendors without having to worry about the heavy bag.  In your small bag, you’ll want to bring a small notebook and a pen and highlighter for note taking. Ultimately, leaving your (big) purse at home is just one more way to take a little weight off your shoulders before the big day and maximize your time (and energy)!

Visit https://www.bestweddingshowcase.com/OrderBridalShowTickets.aspx for information on the York, Pa Show on March 25th.

Stay tuned for tip #3!

For the prospective bride, a bridal show offers the opportunity to meet most local and sometimes non-local vendors all in one location. Attending a bridal show may mean one can consider all the things that go into a wedding in one day of shopping.

Make sure you go prepared by taking all of the materials necessary for making the most of your bridal show experience. This week, we’ll cover WHO you should should take, while the next couple of weeks, we’ll uncover what other items to bring (and not bring) to maximize your experience.

Okay, first, think carefully about who you want to take. Just like dress shopping, you don’t want TOO many opinions, for that could be disastrous and overwhelming. Consider taking your mom, maid of honor, a bridesmaid, and even your fiancé.

Depending on your fiancé’s role in the planning, more times than not, your fiancé will be interested in the cake tasting booths as well as the honeymoon booths, so be sure to bring him along!

If you have children, consider hiring a baby sitter for this one. Bridal shows require your undivided attention. You don’t want to be distracted when making such important decisions, such as choosing colors, flower arrangements, cake decorations, tuxedos, and more!

Stay tuned for next week’s tip #2 on what to bring to a bridal show. In the meantime, visit our website for information on the March 25th York Bridal Show at the Holiday Inn York Conference Center and to pre-register for the show.

So you want to get the most out of the show?  Well, you’ll want to make sure that you come prepared for it. You’ll need to consider what you’ll bring, who you’ll bring, what you’ll ask, what you’ll wear, and other items to remember so that you get the most out of the show!

You’ll also want to find a way to stay organized. You’ll be busy gathering information, comparing services, comparing prices, registering for prizes, looking out for the latest fashions, observing trends and most importantly, having fun!

We’ve compiled some tips that will help you get the most our of your bridal show experience:

First and foremost, consider pre-registering for the show. Most often, an early bird discount is offered to those who pre-register. You’ll also cut down on time spent in lines when paying at the door.

Spend some time researching the show ahead of time. Make note of the vendors you MUST visit.  Or, consider mapping out their booths so that you can maximize your visits in a timely manner. Make a list of the questions you want to ask the vendors.  Many times, vendors will offer discounts to those who book their services at the show.

If the bridal show is featuring a fashion show, consider the different show times and incorporate them into your schedule accordingly.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of information coming your way, but remember that this is about you and your big day. So don’t forget to think about how the different ideas can be incorporated into your wedding such as types of flower arrangements, color combinations, favors, etc.

If a vendor gives you information that is of particular interest to you, put that information in a separate bag/folder so that you can easily follow up with them. Keep separate files of general info and must follow up info. Otherwise, it will just become a pile of overwhelming-ness.

These are just a few tips that can help you tremendously in making the most out of your bridal show experience. Please stay tuned as we’ll share with you more blog posts with details on What to Take to a Bridal Show.

In the meantime, for any brides in the Central PA area, be sure to check out/register for the March 25th, 2012  bridal show at the Holiday Inn York Conference Center. 

Many of us have encountered, in one way or another, the marvelous cupcake tower or the colorfully delicious candy bar, and even His-and-Hers Goody-Bag stations. I don’t know how I didn’t come across this sooner, but recently I discovered yet another delightfully creative idea – The Cookie Bar!

Cookie buffets most certainly have a special place in our hearts. You can choose to have it as an after dinner dessert offering or as a late snack, either way, there’s just something so harmonious about presenting your guests with milk and cookies, no?

To load up your Cookie Bar with great tasting cookies, you can ask relatives to bake their favorite recipes or have a local baker bake them for you. For the cookies you always knew EVERYONE would enjoy, this is a fantastic opportunity to share them with the people you love!

Consider displaying them in apothecary jars, cake plates, porcelain dishes, and tiered stands all varying in height for a beautiful display. Homemade labels are adorable and functional in avoiding confusion. Consider labeling each jar with the cookie name and whose recipe it is, whether it’s Aunt Sophie or Grandma Smith.

Go the extra mile and have a sign in book on the table for people to list their name, email address and favorite cookie, so you can send them the recipe. And don’t forget to provide quaint containers or paper bags for those that want their cookies to go.

Now, let’s not forget about the milk! Whether you choose to offer ice cold milk in old fashioned milk bottles with a carrier or milk shot glasses as part of your array, your guests will be thrilled to dig in!  Or maybe better yet, offer coffee readily available nearby for the “dunkers” in attendance, with maybe some Kahlua or Drambuie shots at the bar for some extra kick!