Hello Friends!
I just wanted to update you on the goings ons here! I have been CRAZY busy and just haven't had a minute to fill you in.
I have been putting together my "Be My Maid" kits and will be posting about them very soon! I will be giving them out this coming week and will post the how to once everyone gets their packages.
I hope you'll stick around for the reveal! I'm totally jealous of the gifts so hopefully the girls will like them!
Stay tuned! I appreciate your patience! Oh, and Happy Easter!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Bridal Show Tips and Tricks
First off so sorry this post took so long! Life has been totally crazy, awesome, fun, hectic and somewhat stressful this past week! Phew!
This week's post is all about prepping for Bridal Shows! Shout out to my mama for taking a last minute trip this weekend to come with me! <3 Love you!
Ok, So you have a budget and you have an idea of what you want your day to look like Yay! But, you don't know where to start.....
One of the best things my fiance and I did was visit a Bridal Show or three.... We were relatively new to the area (he's only lived here to attend college) and we had no idea where to start looking for a venue or any of the other things needed to host a wedding. So, I took to the internet to see what I could find. It turns out there were quite a few shows in the area and all were FREE to attend! Talk about budget friendly!
This past weekend my mom and I attended the 5th show in the area and thought I'd share some of the great things I've learned so far:
1. Keep calm! Even though we have already booked the major vendors for our wedding this past show was just as hectic and overwhelming. If possible plan to attend multiple shows in order to take advantage of all the great deals! If you are looking for a particular vendor make a list (most bridal shows have vendor lists on their website where you register) of those that are "must sees." This way you know what you need and who to look for/speak to first. Once you've talked to your must sees, you'll be more relaxed and able to enjoy the other vendors.
2. Sign up for free stuff! Bridal shows are THE best place for free things! I don't care what your budget is, free makes it that much better! We've attended 4 shows and have gotten the following for free by just signing up with vendors for drawings/give-a ways etc:
Two 4 day 3 night all inclusive vacations (yes 2 vacations!) (not including air-fare) of our choice to 1 of 14 resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico
1 set of wedding bands valued over $500
Personalized champagne flutes
(2) 1 year memberships to coupondough.com (look it up! omg awesome)
5 kitchen knives
1 kitchen apron and matching pot holder
$20 gift card to shutterfly.com
Numerous samples of cake, makeup, invitations, and coupons for popular vendors in the area
This doesn't include the extras that came with the free stuff;
1 entry to win a 5 night 6 day all expenses paid trip to Paris, France.
1 entry to win a 2013 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
An additional gift card for 2 more wedding bands to "share with family and friends."
Did I mention this was all FREE?! Seriously! We signed up at the booth and went to an hour long "show" that promoted their products and they gave us this stuff just for attending. And yes it's legit we got the wedding bands in the mail last week :)
3. Bring the VIPs with you! Most times these shows permit you to bring whomever you want. Be sure to bring the decision makers! Mom, Dad, Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids, Groom etc. This may sound counter productive to step 1 Keep Calm, but in the end it will be easier to make decisions when you have the opinions of those closest to you. :)
4. Take your info home. Enjoy yourself at the show! Don't worry about signing your life away that day. Most vendors extend their bridal show promotions for a few days/weeks past the show so you can still save without the pressure to make a decision on the spot. Once you've gathered all your info, go home and sit down with your fiance, sort out your favorites and determine what you liked/disliked and how they will work for you. We narrowed everything down to our top 3 choices for each area (dj, venue, photographer etc.) and then made appointments with each of those 3 vendors to see what they could offer us. It was much more relaxed and we were able to determine what was important to us and what wasn't.
5. Be confident in your decision! Once you make a decision on a vendor, stick to it! You'll drive yourself crazy looking at other options once you've already made your decision. When you register for these bridal shows you are usually added to a general mailing list and you will continue to receive emails from vendors promoting their businesses or deals they're running. Don't feel bad about the other offers! There's a reason you chose your vendor and you should stand behind that decision. It's like buying a car, once you buy one you don't keep shopping! :) Better yet, respond to their email and kindly ask them to remove you from their mailing list once you've chosen a vendor in their field. This way you want have to worry about it at all!
Have you been to a show? What did you think?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
This week's post is all about prepping for Bridal Shows! Shout out to my mama for taking a last minute trip this weekend to come with me! <3 Love you!
Ok, So you have a budget and you have an idea of what you want your day to look like Yay! But, you don't know where to start.....
One of the best things my fiance and I did was visit a Bridal Show or three.... We were relatively new to the area (he's only lived here to attend college) and we had no idea where to start looking for a venue or any of the other things needed to host a wedding. So, I took to the internet to see what I could find. It turns out there were quite a few shows in the area and all were FREE to attend! Talk about budget friendly!
This past weekend my mom and I attended the 5th show in the area and thought I'd share some of the great things I've learned so far:
1. Keep calm! Even though we have already booked the major vendors for our wedding this past show was just as hectic and overwhelming. If possible plan to attend multiple shows in order to take advantage of all the great deals! If you are looking for a particular vendor make a list (most bridal shows have vendor lists on their website where you register) of those that are "must sees." This way you know what you need and who to look for/speak to first. Once you've talked to your must sees, you'll be more relaxed and able to enjoy the other vendors.
2. Sign up for free stuff! Bridal shows are THE best place for free things! I don't care what your budget is, free makes it that much better! We've attended 4 shows and have gotten the following for free by just signing up with vendors for drawings/give-a ways etc:
Two 4 day 3 night all inclusive vacations (yes 2 vacations!) (not including air-fare) of our choice to 1 of 14 resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico
1 set of wedding bands valued over $500
Personalized champagne flutes
(2) 1 year memberships to coupondough.com (look it up! omg awesome)
5 kitchen knives
1 kitchen apron and matching pot holder
$20 gift card to shutterfly.com
Numerous samples of cake, makeup, invitations, and coupons for popular vendors in the area
This doesn't include the extras that came with the free stuff;
1 entry to win a 5 night 6 day all expenses paid trip to Paris, France.
1 entry to win a 2013 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
An additional gift card for 2 more wedding bands to "share with family and friends."
Did I mention this was all FREE?! Seriously! We signed up at the booth and went to an hour long "show" that promoted their products and they gave us this stuff just for attending. And yes it's legit we got the wedding bands in the mail last week :)
3. Bring the VIPs with you! Most times these shows permit you to bring whomever you want. Be sure to bring the decision makers! Mom, Dad, Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids, Groom etc. This may sound counter productive to step 1 Keep Calm, but in the end it will be easier to make decisions when you have the opinions of those closest to you. :)
4. Take your info home. Enjoy yourself at the show! Don't worry about signing your life away that day. Most vendors extend their bridal show promotions for a few days/weeks past the show so you can still save without the pressure to make a decision on the spot. Once you've gathered all your info, go home and sit down with your fiance, sort out your favorites and determine what you liked/disliked and how they will work for you. We narrowed everything down to our top 3 choices for each area (dj, venue, photographer etc.) and then made appointments with each of those 3 vendors to see what they could offer us. It was much more relaxed and we were able to determine what was important to us and what wasn't.
5. Be confident in your decision! Once you make a decision on a vendor, stick to it! You'll drive yourself crazy looking at other options once you've already made your decision. When you register for these bridal shows you are usually added to a general mailing list and you will continue to receive emails from vendors promoting their businesses or deals they're running. Don't feel bad about the other offers! There's a reason you chose your vendor and you should stand behind that decision. It's like buying a car, once you buy one you don't keep shopping! :) Better yet, respond to their email and kindly ask them to remove you from their mailing list once you've chosen a vendor in their field. This way you want have to worry about it at all!
Have you been to a show? What did you think?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below!