Prepare For The “After-Show, After-Shock!

Through “Enjoying The Bridal Show Experience: Part I – Think Ahead!” and “Enjoying The Bridal Show Experience: Part II – Taking It All In!,” you learned how to prepare for a Bridal Show and what to expect. That brings us to the final installment.

“Enjoying The Bridal Show Experience: Part III – The After-Show,
After-Shock!”

Before we go too far, readers are reminded that Wedding Professionals invest quite a bit of their marketing budget to participate in a Bridal Show. Between booth rental fees, booth decoration cost, booth labor, Bridal Show bag inserts, advertising, etc, a professional can invest as much as $2000-$4000 for the few hours available to them to promote their goods and/or services to you. It should not come as a surprise to anyone that their investment comes back to them, not just in “day of” sales, but at the conclusion of the Bridal Show, as well. Participating Wedding Professionals will be given a list of names, including contact information, for each Bride and Groom that came through the doors. And, it should be understood that at least some of those professionals will, in all likelihood, contact couples via phone, email or direct mail to ask for their business.

With that said, remain calm and polite. You have the power to say “no” or “remove me from your list” at anytime to professionals you do not wish to pursue. Realize that you are not being “spammed” unless a Wedding Professional ignores your request. Most will not contact you, again, if asked not to do so.

Hopefully, you followed the tip presented in Part I of this article and set-up a separate email account, specifically related to your wedding, and that email address is the one you used when you registered for the Bridal Show. Before you go crazy deleting all of the emails you’ll receive from professionals after the show, read them. Remember that you probably registered for contests and the email you just deleted could be informing you that you’ve won an all expense paid honeymoon in Hawaii! And, sometimes a Wedding Professional will make additional free or discounted offers through a post-show, direct mail or email marketing campaign.

Before summarily dumping the bag of information given you when you attended the Bridal Show, go through it and make sure you’re not losing out on other free offers or discounts that may appeal to you. Do it soon, however. Many offers may expire within a few days of the show. Some professionals may have slipped in a surprise or 2 in the form of a random prize, as well.

Immediately contact the Wedding Professionals that offered goods or services that most interested you and arrange to meet with them as soon as possible. If, at the show, you’ve already made an appointment, send a meeting confirmation via email so they, hopefully, won’t book your date before you’ve had a chance to meet. Remember, the primary reason a Wedding Professional exhibits at a Bridal Show is to book their open dates. And, if you really want their service or product for your wedding ceremony or wedding celebration, you need to act quickly before someone beats you to it.

One additional note from Part II  of this article that is worth repeating, Kansas City Bridal Shows only represent a sampling of the hundreds of Wedding Professionals in the metro with the expertise to help you achieve your dreams. Your perfect “choice,” both in skill and personality may not have participated at all. Make sure to explore all of your options before making critical decisions.

Most likely, you have enjoyed or will soon enjoy a Kansas City Bridal Show. It is hoped that you found the tips presented in all 3 articles of value. Feel free to leave a suggestion or 2 of your own. I’m always eager to share additional perspectives from other Wedding Professionals and Brides and Grooms.

To obtain a complete list of my Bridal Show Tips, including many more not included in this article, send an email to ron@ronruthweddings.com and I’ll send you the list.

Ron Ruth is a certified, Wedding Entertainment Director™, owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment and has authored and presented a number of seminars and workshops designed to assist Brides and Grooms enjoy extraordinarily fun wedding celebrations. Ron has also been a featured speaker at regional DJ conferences and local, professional associations.

Kansas City Bridal Show

In “Enjoying The Kansas City Bridal Show Experience: Part I – Think Ahead!”, I shared a few tips on how to make sure you have everything you need when you arrive at any of the Kansas City Bridal Shows scheduled to take place over the next few months.

This article will focus on what to expect after you arrive and offer a couple, helpful tips to make your Bridal Show experience enjoyable and hassle-free.

“Enjoying The Kansas City Bridal Show Experience: Part II – Taking It All In!”

Arrive early, allowing yourself plenty of time to find a parking space. Get into the Bridal Show right after the doors open if you’d like to get your hands on some of the free stuff that Wedding Professionals may be giving away. Often times, quantities are limited and the “freebies” will go fast.

Take the lesser road traveled. Some Bridal Shows have so many Wedding Professionals participating that the aisles can be quite narrow. Instead of following the crowds to the closest booths just inside the doors, begin your Bridal Show exploration on the side of the room furthest from the front doors and work your way back. With fewer people to maneuver around, your experience will be more enjoyable and it will be much easier for you to talk to Wedding Professionals without having to wait a long period of time.

As stated, with the number of Brides and Grooms in attendance, the environment at a Bridal Show can be quite hectic and you might find it difficult to receive the quality time needed with some Wedding Professionals to learn enough about them and their service or product to make a purchasing decision. With that said, approach a Bridal Show as an opportunity to “window shop,” gather ideas and to meet Wedding Professionals that provide the services or products most important to you and that are within your budget. After the show, contact those individuals and arrange a meeting where you can get all of your questions answered before signing a contract.

Don’t feel pressured to take advantage of a “Bridal Show Only” special. If the service or product is one that greatly interests you, take a moment to schedule a meeting with that professional and commit to meeting with them within a day or 2 of the show. A great number of Wedding Professionals will honor a reasonable grace period and would appreciate the opportunity to know more about you and your expectations so they can better serve your needs.

Almost every Bridal Show presents at least one or two fashion shows that draws the attention of just about everyone in attendance. If you’re willing to pass up the gowns and tuxedos, you’ll find that the Wedding Professionals are not busy during these times and are more capable of giving you personal attention.

Don’t forget to use all of those pre-printed labels you brought with you to enter the many door prize drawings. And, remember to double check registrations before you drop them in the box just in case additional information is required. (Note: By completing a contest registration, you are giving the vendor permission to contact you after the show.)

Get business cards and brochures from every Wedding Professional that piques your interest so you know how to contact them after the show. You’ll also be able to visit their web sites for additional information, find answers to some of your questions and better determine if they are the right fit for you before taking the next step.

Additional Note: Kansas City Bridal Shows only represent a sampling of the hundreds of Wedding Professionals in the metro with the expertise to help you achieve your dreams. Your perfect “choice,” both in skill and personality, may not be participating at all. Make sure to explore all of your options before making critical decisions.

Have fun at the Bridal Show! But, you’re not done yet.

There’s more to come in the next article, “Enjoying The Kansas City Bridal Show Experience: Part III – The After-Show!”

To obtain a complete list of my Bridal Show Tips, including many more not included in this article, send an email to ron@ronruthweddings.com and I’ll send you the list.

Ron Ruth is a certified, Wedding Entertainment Director™, owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment and has authored and presented a number of seminars and workshops designed to assist Brides and Grooms enjoy extraordinarily fun wedding celebrations. Ron has also been a featured speaker at regional DJ conferences and local, professional associations.

Kansas City Bridal Show

If you’re one of the thousands of Kansas City area couples that got engaged over the holidays, congratulations! No doubt you’re very excited about your wedding day and are equally anxious to get started with the planning process and the selection of the Wedding Professionals that can help you create your idea of the ideal wedding ceremony and wedding reception.  

A very popular starting point for engaged couples is to attend one or more of the dozens of Kansas City Metro Bridal Shows that are scheduled for the first quarter of 2010.

Kansas City Bridal Shows are fun, a great way to meet a wide variety of Wedding Professionals and get up to date information on the latest wedding trends. With so many details at your disposal in a relatively short period of time, it’s also very easy to suffer from information overload.  Not to worry! Over the next 3 articles I’ll provide a few helpful tips to make the Bridal Show experience more enjoyable for you and your fiancé.

“ Enjoying The Kansas City Bridal Show Experience: Part I – Think Ahead!”

Set-up an email address that is dedicated to all things wedding related. By doing so, it will be easier to keep track of emails sent from wedding professionals without filling up your personal inbox. And, with a dedicated email address, you and your fiancé will both have access to all of the information you receive without the hassle of forwarding correspondences back and forth.

Take advantage of special discounts just for registering early. You’ll also avoid wasted time completing a registration form at the door. Better yet, ask a wedding professional you’ve contacted prior to the Bridal Show if they are participating and find out if they have tickets to give away. Don’t be shy. Odds are they do and have just been waiting for someone to ask. You should, however, be polite and return their generosity by stopping by their booth.  

If possible, establish a budget before attending the Bridal Show. If you don’t know exactly what you want to spend on the many options available, make a top 10 list of your “can’t live withouts.” From flowers and food to decor and entertainment to the cake and those colorful M&M’s with your names printed on the candy coated shell and everything in between, list your wants and needs in order of priority. Doing so will keep you focused on obtaining what is most important to you. Having predetermined selections will also remind you where you can be flexible should a portion of your budget need to be redirected from your least important preference to cover a more costly, #1 priority.  

Go to a Bridal Show ready to have fun, shop and maybe even win a valuable prize from one of the many Wedding Professionals you’ll meet. But, filling out numerous contest registrations can be time consuming. So, create and print labels in advance that include the Bride & Groom’s name, mailing and email address, phone number and wedding date. Simply stick those labels on each entry. Double check registrations before you drop them in the box, however, in case additional information is required. (Note: By completing a contest registration, you are giving the vendor permission to contact you after the show.) 

Between the cake tasting, food sampling, conversations with a number of Wedding Professionals and taking in the ever popular fashion show, plan on a 3-5 hour outing.  

You’re ready to go but don’t head out the door yet! Come back next time for “Enjoying The Kansas City Bridal Show Experience: Part II – Taking It All In!”

To obtain a complete list of my Bridal Show Tips, including many more not included in this article, send an email to ron@ronruthweddings.com and I’ll send you the list.

Ron Ruth is a certified, Wedding Entertainment Director™, owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment and has authored and presented a number of seminars and workshops designed to assist Brides and Grooms enjoy extraordinarily fun wedding celebrations. Ron has also been a featured speaker at regional DJ conferences and local, professional associations.