Blogs | Here Comes the Wedding | My Bridal Show Experience
May 1, 2008
My Bridal Show Experience
This really doesn’t have anything to do with being a bridesmaid, but I thought I’d share anyway since it’s wedding related.
The Phoenix show was the second bridal show I’d worked for Bridal Guide, but the first on my own. The first one where I stood at the booth all alone and spoke to an endless number of brides. As far as first shows go, I think I did OK, but there were a few things I learned just in case I ever do this again:
- Make sure you have some sort of dolly or package-carrying device. Carrying heavy boxes in four trips isn’t very fun. I don’t care if the loading dock is only 150 yards away from the ballroom. Doesn’t matter when the boxes are heavy.
- Make sure to take the complimentary water bottle from the hotel and some snacks. You never know when all the stores around the bridal show site only operate Monday through Friday.
- Eat a big breakfast. Even though the show is only four hours long, the day starts early and you’ll need all that energy if you’re going to be talking non-stop.
- Find as many interesting things as you can, you may just discover a potential story or great idea for a friend’s wedding.
- Make friends with the vendors who have food. See numbers two and three.
- Hope and pray that the show is in a hotel and that you can stay in that hotel. A much-needed nap between set-up and the actual show just might save you.
- Make sure you put your wallet back in your purse before you leave your car at long-term parking. I suppose this doesn’t apply to everyone and requires some explanation: I had a 6 a.m. flight and woke up at 3 to get to the airport on time. I was making pretty good time until I went to the security line and realized my wallet was missing. Panicked, I went to see if I could catch the shuttle back then realized that would take too long. I wanted to cry. I saw no taxis, no shuttles, nothing to get me back to my car. When I finally found the taxi dispatcher, it was already five. When the taxi finally showed up, it was almost 5:10. Before he actually had a chance to come to a full stop, I threw open the door, tossed by suitcase in the back and jumped inside the cab. I explained the situation to him and we were off. Amazingly, I was able to get back into the security line at 5:30 huffing and puffing and down $40. At least I made the flight and didn’t have to go through the hassle of finding another one.
- If you’re taking a red-eye flight home, try to get one without a stop. Sleep on a flight is never really that good, but interrupted bad sleep is even worse.
Although the trip was a little tiring from start to finish, I was able to see my friend Rachel—who I happened to be a bridesmaid for years ago. She’s in the cake-making business now, so if there are any brides in the Phoenix area looking for a wedding cake, she’s your girl!
Speaking of cake, there was a very nice Mary Kay representative who befriended me and was kind enough to give me one of her “cake” samples. I got a little excited because I really thought she had cake and I was starving, but it ended up being a lotion sample. Regardless, it was a very nice gesture.
Posted by Lori at 3:45 p.m.
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