The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is peak engagement time. Something about welcoming Santa or the new year brings out the romantic side in those in love.
It’s day two of a new year and you’ve agreed to spend the rest of your life with someone. What next?
Once the celebration and magical feeling dies down, the reality of planning a wedding kicks in. Each January, New Orleans Bride Magazine holds its semiannual bridal show. Here, future brides and grooms, and their entourage, can peruse aisles upon aisles of wedding professionals there to make your planning much easier.
But navigating a bridal show can sometimes be daunting. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks that we think will have you planning your wedding in no time.
Comfortable shoes, time management – It may seem odd to point this out, but this event is all standing and walking. You want to make sure to get to every booth, especially those just starting to plan, and standing for an hour or so in heels could prove to be a difficult task. As for time, think first about how much left you have to plan. Are you just starting your planning process? Getting to the event as it starts will ensure you have all the time to meet every vendor, sample all the tastings and get all of information you need.
Correct entourage – It’s important to make sure you bring the right people with you. You want those that have your best interests at heart, who help with their opinions instead of hurt and who is ultimately there for you. Is five people five too many? Should you just bring your mom or your best friend? These are important questions to ask before inviting everyone you know.
New email address, specifically for wedding planning – This one is a must. Your email will be given to vendors so they can contact you about specials or to follow up, and you will want to separate that from your personal email. Having a separate location for wedding-related correspondence helps you stay organized and on top of everything.
Printed labels – You’ll be asked to put your contact information everywhere. Make this easy for yourself with printed labels that have it all laid out. Put your name, phone number (if wanted) and email address. Then when a vendor asks for your information, or if you want to make sure they follow up with you, you can peel and stick your information instead of writing your name 150 times.
Take notes – You’re going to meet a lot of people. You will want to take note on the good, the bad, the ugly and the fantastic. This can also be a task for a member of your entourage or whomever you bring with you to the show. At the end of the show, or even days later, these notes will help you remember whom you met and which professionals had your same style and vibe.
Have fun – This is an exciting time. Don’t let the planning get to you. Meet all the wedding professionals you can and let them help you plan the day you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Bridal Show
When: Jan 10
Where: Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Elite Hall
Time: 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Visit www.brideneworleans.com for more the list of vendors, sponsors and ticket information.
