Due to the extreme weather at the beginning of the year, many of the annual wedding showcases in Portland were postponed to much later dates than usual. Tough for the vendor participants who have to re-plan for the new date, but great for you couples who are just getting started on your wedding planning for 2017 and 2018!
And then all this weekend, the Portland Bridal Show is at the Oregon Convention Center.
Bigger trade shows not your thing? Then definitely check out The Luxe Bridal Event in March, and Portland Monthly’s ROCKED in April.
See below for the full list. We’ve put together this list of the shows and events we’ve heard about, but if you know of one we missed, please put it in the comments! Happy wedding planning!
We are starting to get back into bridal show season and I though I'd share a few tips on how to get the most of your bridal show experience and how to avoid "bridal show overload."
Gear Up!
First things first, make sure to have a good breakfast or lunch before attending the show if it doesn't have a food function offered. Many times samples of cake or even champagne are offered, and these can wreak havoc on an empty stomach.
Bring a water bottle so you stay hydrated while you're walking around. Sometimes all that air-conditioned, recycled air can dry you out and leave you feeling fatigued.
Finally, make sure to wear comfortable shoes since you'll be doing lots of walking.
Be Prepared!
Use your show time efficiently! Make a few sheets of labels with your name, address, email, and wedding date if you want to avoid standing in lines to enter drawings or raffles. At the same time, remember that if you provide personal information, you'll probably receive mail and email from those vendors. If you provide a wedding date , most vendors will stop contacting you once your date has passed.
Understand the show timeline. Is there a seated food function, or seminars to sign up for? What time should you arrive in order to get a seat for the fashion show? Make sure you take a look at the program offerings; that way you get the most out of your admission fee.
Make a list of items you still need from your wedding checklist, and target those booths first. Otherwise you could spend precious time wandering the aisles! Also, bring notes or pictures to help your planning along — for example, if you're looking for jewelry and accessories, bring a picture or swatch of your attire.
If you plan on hitting the gown sales, avoid wearing heavy foundation or lipstick, as products are bound to smear. You can always stop by one of the beauty vendors for a touch-up once you're done shopping!
Finally, Enjoy Yourself!
You'll probably receive lots of brochures and business cards. Try to sort through them as you go through the show, otherwise you could wind up with a heavy bag that just gets recycled!
In the end, be sure to have fun and enjoy yourself! Don't be overwhelmed by the choices; in the end you'll be sure to find some great ideas and hopefully, put together a winning team for your wedding day.
We are so excited to be invited back to participate in The Art of Weddings, a boutique bridal show happening on Thursday, January 8, 2009 from 5-8pm at LUXE Autohaus. Last year, it was held at the very swanky Secret Society Ballroom, and this year’s installment promises to be even more inventive and interesting! The Art of Weddings team has enlisted the help of the CRAVE! Portland team — you know, the gals behind the extremely fun shopping parties? — to promote the event, and it looks to be even bigger and better this year.
$100 off custom wedding invitations by 1st Comes Love for any wedding booked at this event!
Grand Bridal Raffle featuring amazing prizes: 1 hour engagement
session with website and $50 print credit from Jasmine Photography
(value $300), Custom Invitation Package from 1st Comes Love ($275
value). All proceeds benefit Go Red for Women.
Stay tuned here for all kinds of news and buzz about the show. You can even win tickets over at Simply Chic Weddings. We look forward to seeing you there!
It has been a busy month! Yesterday EJP Events and The Bridal Loft participated in a very fun, very energetic wedding show called the Bravo Wedding Affair. We heard that there were 500 attendees and it certainly felt like it in our themed room — "An Island Getaway". If you weren't there, here's what you missed:
We didn’t have our blog back in February, when we participated in the Bravo! Wedding Affair, but now that we do, I thought I’d share a few of the photos with you: