How to navigate a bridal show

Accountant Alycia Spriggs got married last fall, but not before she attended three bridal shows in preparation for her trip down the aisle.

Sarah Penner is engaged and planning a May wedding. She already has attended one wedding expo for inspiration and ideas.

Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming experience, but Wichitans Spriggs and Penner say bridal shows helped them with their to-do lists. At a bridal show, a variety of vendors – cake, dress, invitations, flowers, photography, reception venues, caterers and even honeymoons – set up at one convenient location.

Both women have tips for other brides-to-be for navigating wedding expos, as do the organizers of these popular events. Amy Ellis runs the Big Day Bridal Show, with her 19th iteration of the event Sunday at Century II. And local wedding and event planner Ashley Moore is gearing up for her first Bridal Bash, which will consist of three mock weddings elaborately staged at three actual venues.

The brides and the bridal-show organizers offer the following pearls of wisdom.

1. Do not eat before the show. “Come hungry,” Spriggs said. “We probably tried 20 different kinds of cake.” And it’s not just the sweets. There are usually lots of savory options, too, as caterers try to earn new receptions business one bite at a time.

2. Bring address labels. Spriggs learned this the hard way. “Every vendor has giveaways or drawings,” she said, and she got tired of writing her name and contact information over and over. Spriggs saw a group of women who were clearly bridal show pros just sticking address labels on all the entry forms.

3. Know your wedding date. “The biggest thing is make sure you have a solidified date,” Moore said. It is much easier to check availability of ancillary vendors if you know the date of your ceremony. If you don’t have an exact date, at least try to have a season in mind, particularly if you are scouting ceremony or reception venues.

4. Bring your calendar. Whether you use an iPhone or a day planner, you will want to check and track the availability of vendors you are most interested in.

5. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet going from booth to booth, and you won’t want to be distracted by aching feet, Ellis said.

6. Have a budget. Do some preliminary planning before you end up at an expo, Moore said. Prioritize the services you are interested in. If photography is tops for you, then find out the fees your favorites charge and put them in the context of your overall budget. Spriggs said she ended up saving several hundred dollars by attending bridal shows. She even ended up using coupons that she got for a dentist and a bridal shop.

7. Make a detailed list of what you’re looking for. Moore suggests writing down questions you might have for each category of vendor. Then be sure to take notes on what the various vendors tell you. If you have colors already chosen, it would be helpful to have swatches along as well for discussions with bakers, florists and gown shops.

8. Keep an open mind. Penner said bridal shows can be overwhelming, but she recommends taking your time. “Know that you don’t have to book right away,” she said. “I love the fact that they give you handouts.” Moore believes a lot of choosing a vendor is about forming a relationship, so she encourages brides to ask questions and get a vibe for whether the vendors’ personalities mesh with their own.

9. Bring a buddy. Penner first learned the ropes of wedding planning by attending expos with her sisters. Spriggs went with her mom and grandma as a bonding experience. Penner said it can be helpful to have someone you trust to consult with. In most cases, the bridal expos are filled with women, but there are a few fiances and dads who attend with the brides in their lives.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "How to navigate a bridal show."