A Crazy Bridal A-fair

Being a bride-to-be, I'm more than excited to plan for my upcoming wedding. I already bought a couple of wedding magazines, borrowed some from friends, and browsed almost every wedding website in the internet for ideas. Anyway, Brian and I also decided that we should attend Bridal Fairs to help us out with our hunt for suppliers and for ideas. And thank God because I found some helpful Pinoy websites which promoted some Bridal Fairs and one of them was the Weddings and Debut 2011 Bridal Fair held last February at SM Megamall.

We decided to go to the Bridal Fair in SM. I registered online for the event and felt really excited! Brian was also excited and he, too, was doing his own wedding research. Anyway, February 19 came and off we went to Megamall for the fair. I totally had no idea what to expect but seeing the lineup of exhibitors on the website, and knowing about their promos, discounts, and other offers made my eyes sparkle.

We arrived a little before 11AM at Megamall that day. Brian and I went directly to the pre-registered counter to sign up. I got myself a Wedding Handbook and a paper detailing the promos for the fair. I was getting giddier every second! We went inside right away and got greeted by the gowns designed by Edward Teng. My eyes sparkled even more! Anyway, the first flier that was handed to me was of course from Edward Teng's exhibit.

Booth after booth, Brian and I tried to get as much information, ideas, and fliers. Too bad I didn't have a small bag or folder with me to organize all the fliers so I had to carry all of them with my hands. But after about 15 minutes of walking through the first few aisles of the fair, I got a little dizzy and confused! Almost every booth that we passed by handed us fliers, tried to get our contact details, tried to talk to us, tried to get me to try their free makeup, tried to get Brian to sit down to look at wedding rings....gaah! It was so confusing! Everyone was just trying to talk to us! I didn't expect the Bridal Fair to be like that. It was like going to a market place. But thinking about it, it really is a market place. A one-stop-shop for all our wedding needs. But everything around me was just whirling and I couldn't focus anymore. So when a jeweler called us to see their wedding rings and asked us to sit down and have a chat, I gave in. Brian and I needed some rest from all the people trying to talk to us.

After about ten minutes, Brian and I continued to tread our way aisle after aisle.We found some good suppliers and each tried to give us a good deal. I was also very interested in checking out the photo/video coverage exhibitors. That's because one of my top priorities for our wedding was getting a good photo/video coverage supplier. I know that we couldn't afford Jason Magbanua's services or The Mayad Studios (cause they're waaaay too expensive), so Brian and I tried our best to look for good deals with great service and output. We did found some but the thing is, we have to book them on that day. I didn't want to make an impulsive decision so Brian and I decided to let it go. There will be other Bridal Fairs, anyway.

We finished going through the whole Bridal Fair exhibit after about two hours. We tried our best to get as much information and inspiration. We got so tired and hungry after so we decided to have our late lunch at Kaya, a Korean restaurant.

It was actually fun to go through this whole experience of going to a Bridal Fair with Brian by my side. But here are some learnings that I think every bride should know before going to one:

1. Pre-register for the event. This helps you spare spending a few extra pesos for entrance fees. Pre-registering for the event also makes you a VIP Bride *wink wink*
2. Research and do your homework. It's important that you know the suppliers who will be participating in the Bridal Fair. Look them up on the internet to get a rough idea on costs, the quality of their service, etc. This also helps you assess which suppliers to prioritize.
3. Bring the groom-to-be with you. Although it's the maid of honor's job to help you with the whole wedding planning/preparations, it's also best to involve your fiance in the whole process. This helps develop communication between the two of you. Besides, it's his wedding too. And if you need help with carrying all those fliers, he could really give you big help. 
4. Wear comfortable clothes and footwear. Since you will be going through aisle after aisle of wedding supplier booths, make sure you're ready for battle! Wear clothes that you're comfortable with. Footwear is also important cause you'll be walking and standing up the whole time, unless an exhibitor invites you for a little sit-down chat.
5. Bring water with you. Although the place would most likely be air-conditioned, make sure to bring water with you. You would be talking with a lot of people and you might experience a dry mouth. It also helps keep you hydrated :-)
6. Never be impulsive. If you don't have a clear idea of how you want your wedding to be like, don't be impulsive in getting suppliers that offer "good" deals. Most often, these suppliers will extend their promos for a week after the Bridal Fair.
7. Bring a folder/a canvass bag, a notepad and a pen with you. The folder/bag will help you organize the fliers you get during the whole event. You don't want to lose all those important fliers so keep them organized in one place. A notepad and pen comes in handy, too, if you have a particular supplier that interests you. Note them down so you'll have an easier time remembering them. 
8. Take time to talk to suppliers that interest you. Even though you're not really going to book them right away, it's best to talk to suppliers and get them to answer the questions you have in mind. This will help you clear what's included and what's not in their packages. Also, it'll give you an idea or feel of the rapport they have with customers.

So there. I learned my lesson. Bridal Fairs are indeed exciting. But it can definitely go crazy! That's why you have to be prepared for it. And I will be, next time :-).