Hudson Valley Wedding Show Tips
It’s January and wedding show season. This is the time of the year when newly engaged couples attend wedding shows to begin planning their wedding. Wedding shows can be overwhelming and exhausting if you don’t prepare in advance. We see hundreds of brides every year at wedding shows and can spot the overwhelmed and unprepared brides rather quickly. We decided to put together a few helpful tips to put couples at ease and help them get the most out of wedding shows.
PREPARING FOR THE SHOW…
1. Prepare and bring a list of vendors you are seeking to hire.
It’s a good idea to focus on 2 or 3 of the most important vendors you want to hire. This way you will not end up overwhelmed. If your goal is to find a dj and photographer at the show then you can skip over the other vendors and focus on finding the right one to match your style. You can find a bridal show almost every weekend, so consider attending at least two shows, as not to overwhelm yourself with vendor choices.
2. Create a list of a few simple questions to pre-screen the vendors with.
Think of 2 or 3 questions that you might ask a vendor to determine if they are right for you. For example, you might want to ask what their starting prices are so you can determine if they will fit into your budget and what their company’s style is to see if they are the right fit for your wedding. This doesn’t have to be the deciding factor but will be helpful in later determining who you might want to meet with.
3. Make labels with your name, email and wedding date.
This will be extremely helpful since most vendors will request your contact info for follow ups and/or entry in their giveaways. It saves you the time of filling out forms and provides vendors with legible contact info.
4. Bring a bridesmaid or family member to assist you.
You will end up with lots of information and freebies so you will want someone else to help carry things and take notes. This is the perfect job for your Maid/Matron of Honor.
AT THE SHOW…
1. Note the vendors you spoke with that you feel you like best.
This will help you to weed out the ones you didn’t like later when you return home with a pile of brochures. A simple way of noting which you really liked is to bring some gold star stickers to mark the brochures of the ones you really connected with. After the show you can expect a bunch of follow up emails from the vendors you spoke with so this will be helpful in knowing which you want to set up a meeting with.
2. Skip the fashion show.
If you are tight on time you may want to skip the fashion show and chat with the vendors. It’s always quieter and easier to chat with vendors during the fashion show. Most of the time the fashion show is in a completely different room. This is the best time to relax and spend a little more time chatting with the specific vendors you are interested. After all, you are not going to buy a wedding dress at the show. Perhaps you can make the fashion show your focus at one show and vendors at another or just visit the bridal showroom for a look at the dresses in person.
AFTER THE SHOW…
1. Reach out to the vendors that made the best impression on you.
The top vendors will book up fast so you want to take the initiative to reach out before another couple does. The first few vendors you should be booking after you’ve found your venue are a photographer, dj and wedding planner.
2. Prepare a list of questions to bring with you to your meeting with prospective vendors.
It’s always nice to see couples that come to meetings prepared with questions. If you prepare a list of questions ahead of time you don’t have to try to think of what to ask on the spot. We are very thorough in covering everything a couple needs to know about hiring a wedding dj. So no worries if you haven’t created a list for us.
Now that you have all the information you need it’s time to choose a Hudson Valley wedding show to attend. We have complied a list of upcoming shows to assist you. Don’t forget to stop by our booth and say hello!
F.E.A.S.T. Caterers at Roundhill, Washingtonville, New York (open to couples booked at FEAST only) – Sun. Jan. 25th & Saturday Jan. 31st
Dutchess Manor, Beacon, New York – Sunday Jan. 25th
Greentree Country Club New Rochelle, New York (open to couples booked at the Greentree only)
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook to receive notifications of upcoming shows!
