Bridal Show Etiquette - 10 quick tips

Last weekend I attended a local Bridal Show as a Consultant looking for a few vendors for an upcoming wedding that I have. There were of course lots of brides there along with lots  grooms, and other family members. I'm not sure if some of them were prepared for the show. Yes bridal shows can be overwhelming for newly engaged couples but following these 10 simple rules can help anyone survive.

1. Pre-register before the show. It will save you time in the lines.
2. Make Contact labels with your name and contact information on it.
3. Bring a digital camera to take pics of things that you really like. Ask permission first.
4. Bring people you trust to give you good advice.
5. Do your research. Know what vendors are in the show and have an idea of what vendors you are looking for.
6. Ask questions. Let the vendors educate you on their products and services.
7. Comfortable Shoes! Need I say more!
8. Bring a notepad, so that you can jot down things. You can't remember everything and this makes it easy when you are reviewing all the stuff you collected at the show.
9. Bring a credit card or checkbook. Sometimes vendors are selling items at the show with a special Bridal show price.
10. Make a day of it! Enjoy yourself! Remember that drawings will continue throughout the day and you have to be present to win.

Happy New Year!

The whole year is ahead of us! With so many holiday engagements, there are lots of happy and eager Brides-to-Be! Follow along as we share advice, ideas, and inspirations. Happy 2013 Planning! Blissfully,

Michole

Grooms Timeline

Okay in my search for things for the Grooms I found this site called "The Plunge" www.theplunge.com built especially for you guessed it Grooms. What I found I thought was hilarious...not the type of wedding timeline I would put togther but......for kicks and giggles I reposted it just for the fun of it.

Traditional Timelines will include advice on when to interview the vendors, select your flowers, and pick a videographer. Screw that. Yes, that junk all has to happen, but if you spent your time stressing over all that, well, you'd be bridezilla.

Instead, we've streamlined the wedding planning checklist to focus only on the things that you actually need to care about.

5-10 years before the wedding

• Have as much meaningless sex as possible.
• Drink an unhealthy quantity of alcohol.
• Spend more time with your buddies than family or girlfriends.
• Care more about fantasy football than a relationship.
• Have at least one pregnancy scare.

3-5 years before the wedding

• Have a serious girlfriend.
• Break up with her in a spectacularly irresponsible, immature fashion.
• Start to feel like maybe, kinda, don't-tell-anyone, maybe you should settle down and find the right girl.

1-3 years before the wedding

• Meet your fiancée.
• Think that okay, maybe it wouldn't suck so bad if you were in a long-term, serious relationship with her.
• Rethink that last point. Damn. Maybe you're not ready? Go back and forth.
• Meet her parents.
• Move in with her. Wonder how that differs from marriage. Wonder how that differs from marriage.
• Push off her engagement ultimatum.
• Finally, after hemming and hawing, decide that what the hell, she's the one.
• Save up for an engagement ring. Figure out how much to spend.
• Buy the engagement ring.
• Ask her father for permission...Or not.
• Plan your wedding proposal.
• Pop the question.
• Announce your proposal to the world.
• Fantasize about eloping.
• Negotiate the length of your engagement.

9 months - 1 year before the wedding

• Figure out your role in the wedding and the groom's responsibilities.
• Understand how wedding porn is corrupting your bride.
• Suffer through an engagement party.
• Start planning the wedding guest list.
• Begin planning the wedding budget.
• Approach the parents about awkward money stuff.
• Ensure she doesn't set the wedding date on Super Bowl Sunday.
• Seriously consider a destination wedding.
• Pick your best man and groomsmen.

6-9 months before your wedding

• Find ways to tighten the wedding budget.
• Start planning your honeymoon.
• Complete your wedding registry.
• Make the tough guest list decisions.
• Pay just a little, little bit of attention to the wedding reception venue selection.

3-6 months before your wedding

• Sign up for dance classes. Start practicing.
• Pick a DJ/band for the wedding reception.
• Be thankful you're not your fiancée who has to deal with much, much more detailed junk.
• Purchase your wedding bands.
• Help your parents plan the rehearsal dinner.
• Embellish like hell: submit a wedding announcement to The New York Times.

1-3 months before your wedding

• Knock out the marriage license.
• Taste the wedding cake.
• Buy (yes, buy) your tux.
• Make sure the groomsmen have taken care of their formal wear.
• Handle the wedding day transportation.
• Attend your bachelor party.
• Buy gifts for the groomsmen.
• Buy a gift for your bride.
• Understand the marriage tax consequences.

1 week - 1 month before

• Call/confirm any guests from your side of the family.
• Perfect your moves for the first dance.
• Prepare your rehearsal dinner and wedding night speeches.
• Write your wedding vows.
• Give the DJ/band song instructions.

A few days before

• Pick up formal wear.
• Get your hair cut.
• Confirm transportation.
• Check on logistics for your family's share of out-of-town guests.
• Keep plenty of cash on you for emergencies.
• Practice vows.
• Confirm honeymoon logistics.
• Start packing for honeymoon.

Day/night before

• Give marriage license to officiant.
• Give gifts to groomsmen.
• Attend the rehearsal dinner.
• Stay sober. (But just in case, learn how to fight the hangover.)

Wedding Day

• Warm your cold feet.
• Give rings to best man.
• Goof off and relax with your buddies. Seriously.
• Get married. Compared to everything else, the wedding ceremony will be quick and painless.
• Don't blow it in the bedroom. Have mind-blowing wedding night sex.

Afterwards

• Recuperate on your honeymoon.
• Help with wedding thank you notes.
• Overcome post-wedding stress.
• Don't get your bride pregnant.

You're Engaged ...Now What?

So you're Engaged Now what! After you scream, shout, and cry for joy....share the good news with family and close friends. They will be just as thrilled as you are and will probably spread the news just as quickly as you will.

Here is a "Get Started" list.

1. First the Bride and Groom should sit down and decide before making any plans, if their special day will be formal or informal. This will help you in your search for a venue, your design, and especially finding the perfect wedding dress.

2. Next determine what your budget is and who will pay for what. Traditionally the Brides's family pays for all the expenses of the wedding and the reception. This usually means that the bride's family determines the size and style of the wedding. The new trend is for both families to either split the cost 50/50 or each family donates a set amount towards the total. However alot of working couples are choosing to pay for the entire celebration themselves.

New trends or old traditions which ever route you choose, this is one of the first conversations that you and your fiance should have with your families. It will save on alot of confusion and frustration in the long run.

3. After searching though the magazines, collecting your ideas, hire a wedding planner. Whether you are a DIY Bride or have no idea where to get started hiring a Planner/Consultant may be your biggest lifesaver. They will be able to do as much as you like or as little as you want without losing your vision keeping your wants first before anything eles. Decide how or what you need from them. Many consultants have packages you can choose from. If you are still unsure if you want to hire a consultant....Check out my blog on why to hire a consultant!

Talk to you soon!
Michole