Bridal Shows: Friend or Foe?

This weekend we went to our second (and final?) bridal show. January is typically the month when most bridal shows take place, and since we got engaged in March we missed them last year. This year we are four months from the wedding and have already secured most of our vendors for the wedding. So going to these two shows was really more for the fun of it (and the potential to win some prizes, though that didn’t happen).

Let me start with some good that came out of going to these shows. We were able to see most of our vendors that we’ve already booked. I really like getting to see all of these people. They are going to play such a big part in making our big day as special as it can be and I really appreciate the relationships we have with each of them. And let me tell you, we have the A Team.

We also did have a few unexpected finds that we may decide to add on, one being a videographer. I had not really considered using a videographer. We hired stellar photographers  (J&C Imaging) and I have so much confidence in their ability to capture our day beautifully that I thought the added cost of a videographer was not necessary. I also decided to have one groomsmen and one bridesmaid use flip video cameras to capture some of the pre-wedding festivities. But, when speaking with a videographer at one of the bridal shows he mentioned a package he has to just cover the ceremony portion of the day for a very reasonable price. And the thought of getting to see a video of those special moments seems pretty wonderful. Now, I need to do some research on the videographer options out there. But just the idea of hiring one for just the ceremony wasn’t something I had considered but really love the idea. Hold on a sec, gotta go add that to my to-do list….

So now let me tell you what drives me nuts about these bridal shows. THE OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF CAKE. Okay, I get it. You want these brides to taste your cake, love it, and hire you to make their wedding cake. But seriously, let’s get real. We’re brides. Want to know what brides do? The one thing that takes the longest to do pre-wedding? We go on a bridal DIET. I have known some seriously skinny brides, and you know what they do? They go on a bridal diet. Do they need to? No. But every bride wants to look her absolute best that day and eating a little healthier helps them feel even more like they do. Cake is good. We already know that. It’s fantastic. But with the number of cake samples a bride is going to try at the bridal show I doubt any single one is going to stick out as “the most amazing tasting cake” she’s ever had. She probably had two other cake samples that she was trying to suck down simultaneously. Because it’s there (everywhere), it’s delicious, we’re sick of this “bridal diet”, we’re hungry, and hey, it’s a special occasion….right?  Why, oh bridal show, do you do this to us vulnerable brides? However, at today’s bridal show I found something that made me smile ear to ear. A cute little gathering of bite size veggies in a shot glass with a small dip of ranch in the bottom. Thank you, Dela Voce. You restored my faith in a wedding food vendor looking out for the bride. Your tiny garden was a delicious, guilt free treat. And cute to boot. Score you.

Stay tuned! The wedding is a few short months away!

Days to wedding: 118