Bridal show!!!!!

They can be fun and introduce you to various wedding vendors. Be careful filling out some sweept stakes because they are really a ploy to get you to buy some appliance but could be good. We went to a pot demo and ended up buying (my FH wanted -_-) but wont free champagne flutes, wedding bands and got a few trips with restrictions though.

It can be overwhelming, but also really fun. I would say don't commit to booking a vendor at the show just because you get caught up in the moment. Definitely get all the business cards, brochures, etc. Make a wedding email!!! It has been the best thing I did for myself. For example, ours is "belkwedding2020@gmail" that way you can keep everything tracked in one place without being blown up in your personal email. We also saw a lot of brides made label stickers with their name, wedding date, and email so you're not rewriting it all at every booth you go to.

#1 tip: create an email account for all wedding related issues and ONLY give that out. You are going to be flooded with junk mail the second you register. #2 tip: There are tons of scams, so be cynical about all of it. Realize the show organizers sell your contact info, so lots of the email will say things like, "it was so great to meet you at the Bridal Expo, to follow up....", when you never talked with them and they might not have even had a booth at the expo. As pp mentioned, you'll also receive emails saying you've "won" drawings you never signed up for. Realize most of those are come-ons or outright scams. Everyone "wins" a Mary Kay makeover (which is just a ploy to get you to host a MK party). You'll likely get at least one email claiming you've "won" a free engagement session -- 99% of the time it's the session that is "free" but every photo you actually want is going to cost you a fortune. Same thing with the "free honeymoon," which is often just a ploy to get you to sit through a timeshare presentation or sell you way overpriced pots and pans.

It's a fun thing to do when you are first planning, but take everything with a grain of salt. Also, most really good vendors do not attend Bridal Fairs -- they are working weddings on weekends and have no trouble booking based on word of mouth without wasting their time at an expo. Lots of the vendors will be just starting out or are brokers for independent contractors (so a "photographer" is likely just a middleman who gets bookings for independent contractors). Again, just be cautious. Talk with people, gather info, but unless you are really certain, do not actually book anything until you have a chance to vet the vendors. Good luck!

Have you started planning? they can be really overwhelming if your not sure what you need or if you need everything I found them more help full when I knew exactly what I needed. Collect all the vendor info you can get and look into it when you get home.

They can give you really great inspiration for decorations and the style you want. I booked an appointment at a bridal show to go to a salon for dresses that was helpful. Don't give everyone your info because they will all contact you. They can also give you realistic pricing expectations for vendors.

I've never been to one, but based on what I've seen here on WW I would be careful handing your contact info to just any vendor. I hope you enjoy and have fun

I would be weary of taking a huge group! I went with just my sister and mom and we had a blast!