Bridal Show Round 2

On Saturday my mom, grandma, and I went to the Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular. This was my second "Bridal Spectacular" and third bridal show. Once again it was information overload. Who thinks of all of the things you need when planning a wedding?! If you've never been to one there are some things you should know:

1. You will see people from all walks of life. While I was talking to a girl from David's Bridal, a fellow bride walked up and asked if they sold camouflage wedding dresses...and she was very serious.

2. No one pays attention to what is going on around them. The majority of people in attendance are so absorbed in their own wedding bubble that they will start talking to someone you are talking to, push their way past you, and even cut in line in front of you while you're waiting for a piece of cake. 

3. Some vendors seem really weird and sketchy. For example, we stopped at a photo booth that goes for $600 for a full reception. Inside the booth was just a MacBook and some Dollar Store props. Nice try guys. 

4. If you can think of it (and even if you can't) someone offers it. There were vendors for everything from dresses to photographers to invitations to weight-loss, and SO MUCH MORE!

While some of the information I got was similar to things I had gotten at the previous two shows I had been to, there were a ton of new displays and set-ups to see, as well as a fashion show! (Pardon my poor photos and the inclusion of the back of people's heads.)

 There were a couple of different reception table set-ups. The first one was really different and unique compared to other things I've seen. While it probably wouldn't be too practical to do that to every tables, I thought the concept could be neat for the bridal party table or even the guestbook, dessert, or gift tables. I also liked the second photo a lot as well. It's very simple, but still elegant. I like the candles mixed in with the flowers and picturing some of the ideas I've found on various blogs and Pinterest, this idea could go well with our colors.

My favorite part was the bridal fashion show. There were so many gorgeous dresses! At the moment I am very convinced that I want a "princessy" dress, both because that has been my dream, and because I think that style will look best on my body. I am open to any style really, and I obviously won't know until I try dresses on, but these were the dresses that really stood out to me.

Pockets!

This dress has tulle AND glitter...AKA my dream!

I love that things like this exist because there are things I would have never thought of on my own that I have discovered because of bridal shows. I know there are some people that kind of "poo poo" them, but even if your "style" isn't really featured, there are so many people that are there to talk to you that can lead you in the right direction and offer assistance. I would definitely suggest that any bride go to at least one. I have found so many places that I didn't know existed before that are now on my radar. They are very chaotic, and you will definitely leave a little overwhelmed, but I have gotten so much information and so many new ideas from attending.

Two Bridal Shows and a Very Tired Bride-To-Be

On Sunday I went to my very first bridal show. Well, I actually went to two! Fort Wayne was jam packed with goodies for us brides-to-be. I went with my mom and my friend (and one of my bridesmaids) Kristin. I really didn't know what to expect. I knew that there would obviously be a lot of information coming my way, but I didn't quite realize just how much there really is out there!

Our first stop was the Wedding Day Bridal Tour at the Grand Wayne Center downtown. Right when we walked in I was armed with a pink polka dot and rhinestone flower, magazines, and a bag to carry all my papers and goodies in. My mom even convinced the woman at the check-in table that Kristin was also engaged so she could have her own bag! When we entered the ballroom I was immediately taken back by the amount of booths and displays set up all around. Every vendor had their own set-up that really showed off their personality and everything they had to offer. I really wish I would have taken more pictures because there were some really cool booths, but I was busy moving around from booth to booth getting information and taking it all in. There were make-up and hair demonstrations, food and cake tasting, fashion shows, florists, event planners, all things honeymoon, photographers galore, and so much more! By the time we made it around the entire ballroom my bag was pretty heavy. And we still had one more to go!

Our next stop was the Bridal Spectacular at the Coliseum. This one was almost an entirely different animal. Unlike the bridal show at the Grand Wayne, this was not spaced out. Each vendor had the same amount of booth space and they were all very close together, leaving little room for any one vendor to show off much. I felt like I had been thrown into the lions den with blood thirsty brides. Everyone was fighting for the chance to look at a booth or talk directly to a vendor. While it was packed and chaotic, there were a lot of fun vendors.We tried more cake and food and desserts, saw more gorgeous dresses, and even got to play in not one, but two, photo booths. I am now completely convinced that we need one at our reception. How much fun would that be?! 

By the time our day was over Kristin and I both had two bags full of wedding stuff, and I was drained. It felt like we had entered a million giveaways for everything from a Jamaican honeymoon, to monogrammed napkins. When I sat down that night and dumped out my bag of wedding information goodness I even had a ton of freebies! Vendors had given out pens, bubble bath, chocolate, cookies, and even deodorant. In going through all of the booklets, papers, and business cards my total was over 200 pieces of information to look through.

I've had every intention this week of buying an accordion binder and organizing everything, but my giant bag is still hanging on one of my table chairs staring at me. It's all kind of overwhelming at the moment to be honest. Dreaming up your wedding and picturing what you want is one thing. Actually having to sit down and make decisions and pay people is a whole different ballgame. Luckily we are still a couple of months from having to make solid decision. So, for now, I will focus on looking through every bit of information and slowly processing it. Or, what I will most likely do, is get it organized and then spend the next couple of weeks staring at a binder on my kitchen table.

Regardless of how overwhelming it was, the day was awesome. I am so excited to get to plan this wedding, and even more excited after seeing a whole new slew of ideas and options that I never knew existed! Hooray for wedding planning.