Wedding show questions

[kevinsbride2B]

My maid of honour and I have decided to hit up all the big wedding shows in southern ontario. This is because a distant cousin of mine did this and won all her huge stuff!!!!!! I mean the dress (Veira Wang!!!), photographer, DJ and even her reception hall!!!
I've never been to any of the shows and they start up in toronto in early September. Is there anything that I should really look for, or any tips on what I should focus on when I'm there?
I know it soudns silly, but i don't want to be there all day and find out there are specific things I should look for in wedding shows.
I'm forsure goign to get there early to get the freebies (some of them are AMAZING from what I've read), and I'm goign to fill out any and every ballot I possibly can! Free never hurts right?!

[Kacie_bride]

I have been to 2 very large bridal fairs and 1 small one. My advice is to pre-print sticky labels with your name, address, phone number, e-mail, and wedding date. Your hand will tire from having to write all that info over and over.

Know what you specifically want to look at and do not get distracted. If you already have a DJ do not let DJ sit there and talk to you about their service. You will be there all day talking to vendors about their service when you already have one hired.

Be careful with the freebies. Some of them are just scams or come with strings attached. For instance, both times Celebrity Brides has called me and said I have won 2 nights in a hotel and a set of crystal toasting glasses. It is legitimate, but you have to go listen to a 90 minute sales pitch.

[Twigler]

Kacie_bride is right...be careful of a lot of scams. I got about four calls after the bridal show and they all were something like "you've won a free vacation" and they were all time shares. Basically they want your money. So don't get your hopes up about the free trips. Just be really careful.

She also made a good point about taking lables with your name, address and phone number on them. That will save you a ton of time!

I took my mom, future mother-in-law, and two of my bridesmaids with me, and they all filled out my name into the drawings for me as well as just mine. I would suggest to be there when it starts because the one I went to was a zoo about an hour into it.

I also suggest that you take a camera. I was able to get pictures of some great ideas! Just make sure to ask the vendor first if it is ok.

And as far as winnings are concerned, good luck! I actually won a free pearl necklace and bracelet form a local jeweler. Just don't expect to win and have fun at them!

[StaceyMc]

Be prepared to get a mountain of mail when you sign up for prizes and "register" at the show. I was pretty picky on what I signed up for and I am still getting a bazillion ads and things. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn't have "registered" and just taken my own bag to put papers in.

Make sure you get there when it opens. We did that and got about 1/2 way through before the place turned into a circus. Joe lost his patience in the last row when some chick kept poking him in the rear with her big tuxedo bag.

We did have a good time (Joe finally understood why I was spending so much time looking at prices and different vendors and why we are DIY a lot of things) and we got some great ideas.

[MOB Karen]

Amber & I went to one at the Phoenix Civic Plaza, and it was packed in there. They want you to fill out so many forms, and you will get tons of emails after it. We are still getting emails from that, and it was back in January. But we learned a lot of wedding stuff that we had no idea about, and it was a lot of fun. And we ate like pigs!!! :D

[kevinsbride2B]

Ya I'm not expecting anything rediculous, or to register just anywhere. HBC stores are huge here and are most of the sponsors for the shows.
I'm not expecting to really win, just fun to see what happends. And I get to bug my future hubby for a day with "oh look at that!" and "oh we need one of those!" lol
With some of the shows here in Toronto, there huge, and are sponsored by some pretty big names, and the first 100 or so people to some of them get free gift baskets with some nice stuff.
The funniest part is that originally i was just goignt o go with my maid of honour, now KEv's nose is all in a twist cause he says it's his wedding too, and he wants to go. He has NO IDEA what he has gotten himself into!!! lol I figure I'll let him come to the first one with us and he'll never wanna coem back again!!! lol I just know him and how bored he'll get, cause he'll say how "everything's the same!" There's always a method to my madness!!!

[septemberbride06]

I didn't even have a chance to go to any, but a friend of mine's weddingis a few months after mine, so I'm going with her, so I guess I will sort of get the experience. :bblol:

[Jenn060306]

I went to a couple of the shows in Toronto. I wasn't overly impressed with them to be really honest with you. If you are outside the GTA I would recommend you look at checking the shows happening there as well. There is a huge one at Casino Rama in January.
There were lots of ideas and companies to get information from. Lots of favours, invitations, start your registry here now, LOTS of honeymoon booking and information, there were also some places for receptions to talk to and catering companies.
If you are getting married north of Toronto i can recommend some services. There is a noticable price difference we found. Our wedding was in Newmarket.

[kevinsbride2B]

Ya I could believe that. We have all the wedding shows in southern ontario on a calender lol. No we're getting married right in Toronto, but for the most part we're pretty set with some of the companies. But for soem of my stuff I actualy am contacting people in Newmarket and Keswick such as the DJ and photographer.

[LaceyinPgh]

I went to two wedding shows. One with my moh and the other with Sean. None of us were impressed by what there was to see. At the same time though, I knew exactly what I wanted and under no circumstances was I going to be talked into something different by a vendor. So they were really just a waste of time for me.

[Jenn060306]

Ya I could believe that. We have all the wedding shows in southern ontario on a calender lol. No we're getting married right in Toronto, but for the most part we're pretty set with some of the companies. But for soem of my stuff I actualy am contacting people in Newmarket and Keswick such as the DJ and photographer.

Great! We got our cake in Keswick and our photographer was from Newmarket. She was awsome!

Have a great time at the shows!

[rainbowtreat]

I went to one Bridal show with a friend who's wedding was 2 months before mine. The only thing I got out of it was that I didnt have my dress yet so I booked an appoinment with one who I foudn some nice dresses at some nice prices in her books and she put on the fashion show. And because I booked her at the show I got 10% discount when I boguth my dress.

[SoontobeMrsClark07]

I'm going to the HUGE bridal show here in DC in September. We're planning on getting a lot of things out of it. We're still in search of a DJ, Calligrapher, Rehearsal Dinner Site, Cake baker, travel agent, and some other odds and ends. Since this is a HUGE thing, there will be several of each at the show. I plan to walk out of there with appointments and possibly discounts. I'm mainly going so I can try and find some vendors. There are so many around here that it gets a little overwhelming at times.