Bridal Fairs

I’ve already attended my fair share of bridal fairs in Eastern Iowa. January - March seems to be the peak season for these events in order to precede the summer wedding rush. For those of you who have attended bridal fairs, or those who plan on attended some in the future, I offer just a few suggestions and tips:

• For those of you getting married in Iowa, sign up for a FREE Iowa Bridal Planner, and bring it with you when you attend fairs.
• If you don't have a planner, bring a notebook or some other device that allows you to take notes. Even if you do not choose to go with any of the vendors, you are likely to encounter a lot of great ideas that you can DIY at a much lower cost. Also, many shows offer free bags to collect business cards and brochures, but be prepared with your own folder or bag in case they are not provided for you.
• “Couple cards” are a new trend I recently saw featured in the spring 2011 issue of get married. For those vendors you have a serious interest in, consider creating couple cards with your names, phone number, email, address, and a photo of you and your future hubby to help people remember you. Trust me, your hand is going to get really tired from writing down all of that information on all of those forms at the vendors’ booths. Make it a little easier on you. The vendor will appreciate not having to interpret handwriting that can be difficult to read (especially with email addresses). Shop.getmarried.com offers many different themes for personalized couple cards, but I suggest looking into vistaprint.com for possible less-expensive options.
• Check to see if your venue (or preferred venue) hosts their own bridal show. Many venues host these events and offer great prize packages associated with the venue and their preferred vendors.
• While it’s fun to sign-up for all of those great prizes and gifts, you also have to be somewhat cautious in the types of personal information you are handing over. Don’t write down a phone number unless necessary, or if you are serious about a specific vendor. Unless you want your inbox flooded with wedding emails that will eventually become irrelevant, create a new email address specifically for these events so you can delete the account after your wedding.
• Although it is good to attend bridal fairs to get ideas and tips, try to attend fairs that are located in the area you plan on hosting your ceremony and reception. If you fall in love with the services of a vendor at a show, keep in mind that they may not be able to offer you the same services due to travel restrictions.
• Although there are many great vendors at these events, keep in mind that they are not the only ones you have to choose from. You are by no means limited to the typical vendors that show up for these fairs. Many of the bridal fair vendors are on the more expensive side, since they have the funds available to purchase a booth at the event and other forms of promotion. Some of the best vendors don’t pursue this type of publicity, so you may have to network with other local brides to hear word-of-mouth promotion. Websites such as weddingmapper.com also offer great “real bride” testimonials and ratings for various vendors.

My Fair Wedding

I’m sure many of those who are planning a wedding have encountered David Tutera, the infamous celebrity wedding planner . Though I’m sure most of us have never actually been to a Tutera wedding, many have felt transported to his events via My Fair Wedding, a WE tv original series in which Tutera lends his expertise to non-celebrity brides. Tutera shows up just three weeks before the selected bride’s wedding and essentially turns everything around. Many brides think they know what they want on their big day, but sometimes we all can get carried away. Colors clash. Themes collide. Brides meltdown. Although Tutera deals with a lot of brides that have very outlandish ideas, we can all learn some valuable tips from his sense of organization and his outstanding coordination skills.

 

　
　
My mother actually got me to watch this show. I’ve never really been enthused by reality television -- especially not wedding-related reality TV. However, after being hassled into watching a few episodes, I became addicted. It’s absolutely amazing how Tutera is able to work with and revise the bride’s original vision (or lack thereof) and create a truly remarkable, celebrity-worthy event. I’ve seen him execute outrageous wedding themes, such as Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, and pirate-inspired. Somehow, they’ve all turned out classy and original.

So, naturally, as soon as I learned there was an open casting call for this show, I jumped on the nearest computer for more information. Good news 2011 brides, WE tv is accepting applications for those getting married between April 2011 and August 2011, as well as October 2011 and November 2011. However, the couple must reside or plan on hosting their wedding in Los Angeles or New York City. Based on the episodes that I have seen, you probably need a really outrageous theme in-mind, clashing ideas, or literally no plans at all. So those of you who have a good start on planning, forget about it. However, WE tv is casting for several other new and returning wedding shows. Visit their casting site to enter!


"Chelsea"



Tutera has also launched a wedding dress collection with Faviana, a leading designer of sophisticated evening wear. The collection, David Tutera by Faviana, is a line of luxurious wedding gowns inspired by celebrity red carpet fashions. Remember Chelsea Clinton’s Vera Wang dress featured in my previous post? Tutera has designed his own version of the gown, appropriately named "Chelsea.”

Find an authorized David Tutera by Faviana dealer near you!

Planning

Like so many women, I've been looking forward to planning a wedding since I was a child.  Now, when the opportunity is upon me, however, I can't help but shy away from the responsibility. As a public relations major in college, I've had a lot of experience planning and organizing various special events. It's a task I have really come to enjoy. When it comes to my own wedding, however, I've been so tempted to hire my own wedding planner. It's kind of ironic, really. Maybe sad, too.

Well, realistically, I'm not going to hire a wedding planner. Besides, Jennifer Lopez has shown us how disasterous that can be. Nope, I'm just going to have to do this on my own...with the help of friends and family, of course. Besides, who needs to hire a planner these days when so much planning and information is available online for FREE? Martha Stewart offers a very detailed To-Do List, and for the budget-wise bride-to-be, Frugal Bride offers a more pocketbook friendly version.