I’ll just say this. Weddings are my jam. I love them and everything that comes with it. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into planning this one day that you have most likely been thinking about your entire life. I know you want it to be perfect! Trust me, I get it. I’m a recent bride myself, and a very seasoned bridesmaid to my sisters and friends. So needless to say, I know my way around a bridal expo(particularly the Arizona Bridal Show). I’ve come to learn a thing or two about these events, so since it’s officially that time of year, I figured I would share with you all my 7 Bridal Show Tips for the Best Experience!

1. Create a new email address. Trust me on this one. The email address you use to sign up for the expo will be used by vendors to contact you. And they will be sending you emails for years even after your wedding date has passed, so make a new one to use for all of your wedding needs and say sayonara to it later. And why not make it something cute like, smithpartyof2@email.com just because you can? Have fun with it!
2. Pre-make address labels. This is a life saver. Most vendors will have a giveaway at their booth and you’ll need to enter some information on a little piece of paper in order to be in the running. To save you time and an excruciating hand cramp, buy some Avery Address Labels and make them up to have your full name, wedding date, email address(your new one), and your phone number. All you have to do is stick it on and place it in the box! :)
3. Bring your bridesmaids! Make it into a fun event for all of you. And if they are super awesome, they might even help you put some labels on some giveaway entries! To cover more ground in less time, see if some of them will walk around and grab some pamphlets and brochures from the vendors your looking for.
4. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. You will be there for a long time. Probably longer than you think. There is so much to see and do, you’ll be thanking yourself for wearing your TOMS over your stilettos after 4 hours of trudging from booth to booth. And most expos have trunk shows for wedding dresses as well, so be prepared to try on some amazing dresses at great prices! As a matter of fact, two of my closest friends found their dress at the expo for a fraction of the cost they were originally! Bring a strapless bra if you’re planning on trying them on, and maybe even some heels to check the length of the dress.
5. Don’t go to every booth. Talk with your fiancé and bridesmaids about what you already have figured out and what you need to find at the expo. Don’t get sidetracked by something that you already have booked or don’t want, there will be plenty of them, and it could cost you a lot of time in the long run.
6. Bring an empty tote bag. A lot of expos will supply you with one at the entrance, pre filled with coupons and fliers, but if they don’t, you’ll need something to hold all of the brochures and information packets you’ll be getting. Maybe even sneak in a few snacks in your bag as well. You’ll get hungry at some point! (EXTRA TIP! First thing, make your way to The Knot’s booth. They usually give away a really cute tote bag with a magazine and other goodies inside but they get snatched up quicker than you can say “I Do”)
7. Make time for the runway shows. At the Arizona Bridal Show they have runway shows every other hour or so for wedding dresses, tuxes, bridesmaids and groomsmen attire. Even some flower girls dresses. It’s a great opportunity to get some pictures of dresses you like for later use. During these runway shows, they do several bouquet tosses into the audience to win a free wedding dress so be sure to get those elbows ready! ;) Anyways, the runway shows will be worth the visit, even if it’s only for some time to sit down.

And that’s it! We hope you find these tips helpful for your future bridal show visits and if you have any more tips for other brides-to-be, leave a comment below! Love you all!

Brooke