{Wedding Wednesday} How to Survive a Wedding Expo

Welcome to another Wedding Wednesday! It's quickly become my favorite day of the week! I absolutely LOVE going back through my wedding planning materials and reliving it all!

Today I want to go over my advice for surviving a wedding expo. Bridal show, wedding showcase, bridal expo, wedding expo, whatever it's called, it can be extremely overwhelming. Depending on the size of the show, you could be faced with anywhere from 20 to 200 vendors! And all of them want your business. 

So without further ado, here's my advice for how to make the most of your bridal show experience!

Go to several and go early!

I went to 3 different bridal shows way before my wedding date. You want to go pretty much as early as you can. Even if you're on the verge of engaged and there's a show coming up, go to it! I went to the 2nd Forever Yours Dream Wedding Showcase on February 21, 2010, the Richmond Bridal Showcase on January 9, 2011 and the Richmond Wedding Expo on June 26, 2011. We didn't get married until March 24, 2012! Each time it was just my mom and I that went. Bringing more than 1-2 other people can just get crazy. Bringing your fiance is not required and he will probably thank you for not dragging him along. If he wants to be involved, by all means, he can come! But honestly, it's more of a bride/girl thing and chances are he won't have much fun. 

Also, "go early" means to get to the show early. If it's on from 12pn-4pm, don't wait until 2pm! You want to get there early so you have enough time to go through the booths at least once, preferably twice. It's a lot to take in, a lot to see, do and there are tons of vendors to talk to. Plus, many expos will have exhibitions going on throughout the day. It could be a runway show of bridal party attire, wedding dresses, photographer slideshows or even a DJ or band performing. Check the schedule on the expo's website ahead of time to get an idea of who and what you want to be sure to see! 

If you like a vendor then take their info!

Don't assume you'll remember the company name or website. Even if they're out of business cards, write. it. down. Even if it's a service you're not sure you'll use (like a limo company or a wedding planner), err on the side of caution and take the info. Later on you can filter through and decide what you'll need and what you won't.


Take your time

Like I said before, give yourself plenty of time to visit every booth. You don't want to miss anything. Go early and plan to stay for a few hours. It can be exhausting but you want to be thorough. Plus, if the door prizes are must-be-present-to-win, you don't want to miss out!



Be prepared

Bring your planner, a pen or pencil, a tote bag and a water bottle. Sometimes vendors or the show will have these things for attendants but don't count on it. Be ready to write your name, fiance's name, phone number and e-mail address about a hundred times. Oh and don't eat a big meal before going, but do eat something. Very often, caterers and bakers will have samples available to try so you don't want to be too full to try them! And don't stress about your "wedding diet," just eat the tiny square of cake and be happy.


Enter any and all giveaways

Unless the prize is something you know you'd never use or couldn't give to a friend, enter them all! The show will most likely be hosting some giveaways/door prizes as well as many of the vendors. Vendors will also do their own giveaways. Some will have raffles, some will have spinner wheels and some will just be offering discounts for anyone who books with them at the show. Think carefully before signing up for those, though. You don't want to get stuck with a vendor you're not sure about.

Get Organized

When you get home from the show, kick back and take a breather. Then, get yourself organized. If you haven't already, get a 3 ring binder and sort all of your goodies. Creating a wedding organizer will be a whole separate post but it's something you should definitely do! Sort your brochures, pamphlets, business cards and price lists by category and make an initial "toss" pile. Again, there will probably be some info you take from vendors you really don't think you'll use so feel free to toss them. If there's a photographer you liked but is waaay out of your budget, toss it. There's no need to bum yourself out over something you can't have. 

Budget it

If you've already established a wedding budget, factor in the bridal shows. It counts. 

Enjoy it!

Last but not least, as always, enjoy it! Breathe, smile, eat, laugh. Meet other brides, meet vendors, don't stress. 

And there you have it, my advice for making the most of wedding expos! If you are in the Virginia/D.C./Maryland area, then keep an eye out for expos all the time. Richmond and D.C. have multiple shows each year and they are top notch! To find wedding expos near you, simply Google it. Don't exclude nearby large cities, that's probably where most will be held. 

Have you been to a wedding expo yet? If you have, what was your favorite part about it?

Till next time,

Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

Virginia Renaissance Faire-Spotsylvania, Virginia

This past Memorial Day weekend we were able to be back in Richmond with our families. Among the rest of the fantastic weekend (the most perfect weather weekend ever!), we also went to the Virginia Renaissance Faire at Lake Anna Winery in Spotsylvania, Virginia! 

It was a new experience for us but it was a lot of fun! Plus free tickets don't hurt! My sister- and brother-in-law were both volunteer performers so we scored free tickets through them!

Clear blue sky! The weather was absolutely amazing and the cicadas were loud!

My lovely sister-in-law playing her part well as Margaret Emmerson. I don't know how they're all so good at staying in character! My favorite was when they called an iPhone a "pixie box."

Brian and I waiting anxiously for the mini circus show to start! 

Circus Stella was phenomenal! Dextre (pictured above) and Jana (pictured below) are a beautiful young couple who perform together. They also have 5 rescue dogs, 3 of which have a part in the show! 

It's hard to see but that's Jana up on a static trapeze. I know I wouldn't be brave enough to be up on one of those!

She is incredibly flexible and has balance like a cat!

Dextre stood on a ladder with no support! Then he had this kid climb up the ladder, again with no support, and give him his hat!

Shouldn't this be the other way around? Haha. 

Clearly the circus was my favorite part of the faire. I took way too many pictures! She also did an aerial silks routine which was amazing. 

Balancing on a chair on a tight rope!

Did I mention dogs?! Here's their newest rescue puppy named Mabel. 

Stella, the circus' namesake!

Stella jumping over Louise.

Adrian walking on poles. 

Parrot dog! She looked comfy up there!

 Dancing at the May Pole.

The minstrels playing music for the dancers. 

Shh...don't tell my husband I have evidence of him participating! He's such a good sport!

There were even alpacas!

And a falcon! Apparently there are only about 2,000 falconers left in the United States and there's a very strict hierarchy that you have to make your way up.

Jousting!! We walked over in time to see this final joust but that's all we got to see. The winner was a woman! 

The Lady's Court of Love. This was a fun interactive bit where anyone could come up and bring up a love matter than needed help solving. It could be anything from, "My friends said they would come here today at 2pm but they were late!" or "My husband won't admit I'm right!" And then the ladies of the court will banter and make a decision. It was pretty entertaining!

And here's a crummy shot of one of the vineyards. 

The faire is going on from now unti June 9th on Saturdays and Sundays. It's $9 to get in but children 5 and under are free. It's a great place to visit for fun but also is a great learning experience for kids (and adults too!). Definitely more fun than reading a textbook!

Lake Anna Winery is also a great place to visit! They're open Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm and Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm. Ask for a tour and bring a group with you! 

How'd you spend your Memorial Day weekend? Have you been to a renaissance faire before? 

Till next time,

Catherine

The Bizarre Bazaar-A Richmond Tradition

If you've ever lived in Richmond, you know about The Bizarre Bazaar! It has been a Richmond tradition for 37 years and there are two each year. There is The Spring Market, usually in April, and The Christmas Collection in December. 

I drove all the way from Lynchburg to attend this year! My mom and I planned to spend just about the whole day at The Bazaar but we actually ended up stopping at two other craft shows! It really did become an all day event! 

First we stopped by one of my favorite places for a small local artisan craft show at The Montpelier Center for the Arts and Education. This is actually where my husband and I had our beautiful wedding reception! The building serves many purposes from a library to a ruritan meeting place to a dance studio to a venue for various events. There is a beautiful ballroom surrounded with windows and a hallway around the entire ballroom. There is always beautiful, local art work hung up in the hallway. During our wedding reception there was animal themed art in the halls which was perfect for someone like me!

We showed up nice and early around 9:30am to start off our day!

There were maybe about 30 vendors that hand-crafted everything from goat's milk soap to pottery to wreaths and even beautiful woodwork. It was hard to keep my wallet in my purse! 

Several vendors were showcasing their gorgeous handmade jewelry. There was even a lady who hand spun wool into yarn. I absolutely LOVE seeing the gifts and talents of my local community being showcased. Everyone has some sort of talent that they can put to work and I really enjoy supporting them in their endeavors. If you've been keeping up with my blog, you've probably noticed a pattern where I love finding Made in the USA products. As much as I love USA made products, I love locally made products even more!  

After we spent almost 2 hours at the Montpelier Center, I was checking Facebook on my phone and a friend had commented that there was another craft show going on at a nearby high school that had about 75 vendors! I mentioned it to my mom and off we went! 

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of that show but there were a lot of great vendors and products available there too! There were a few more direct sales type of vendors but also lots of cool handmade products. We spent another couple hours at this craft show and we each found a few good things for gifts so it was nice and successful. We also bought lunch there to support the school, which my mom and my older sister both attended, actually!

Now, onto the big daddy craft show! The Bizarre Bazaar! 

I couldn't stretch my arm high enough to get even a fraction of what was there!! The Bazaar is held at the Richmond Raceway Complex which is a huge venue for all sort of events. The Bazaar alone took up their main building and 3 adjoining buildings! This year there were 475 vendors, primarily from Virginia and the nearby states but some even as far as Vermont. 

This picture is deceiving because, let me tell you, there was rarely that much available walking space in the isles! This place was packed with people from all over Richmond! We spent about 4 hours going booth-to-booth trying not to miss anything! There was just so much to see...and taste! 

By the end of it we were frankly quite tired! We each found a bit of stuff to buy and I found one of my favorite soup companies, Leonard Mountain! Their soups are delicious! They're "just add water" soups and are quick and easy. They're great by themselves or you can add all sorts of extras and it's always delicious! I blogged about one of the soups here. I had been hoping I'd see them because I was out of the soups I had bought last year. I ended up buying 7 soups at a craft show deal price. Yum! Winter is always the best time for soups, isn't it? I also bought some adorable reusable sandwich and snack bags for my husband's lunch! So glad I won't have to use hundreds of plastic baggies anymore! My mom also found plenty of gifts and we collected lots of business cards for reference. 

All in all in was a great day, not only for buying locally crafted goods, but for spending some fun, quality time with my mom :-) 

Do you enjoy attending local craft shows? Is there a yearly event you just can't miss? What's your favorite product you only get from local vendors?

Till next time,

Catherine