Wedding Blog
Have you been to a bridal show? If you haven’t, does the phrase strike fear in your heart? Do you involuntarily cringe? Did you just spit out your cocktail water in utter disgust and revulsion? Do you picture a roomful of crazy—with shoving brides and pushy vendors? Do you picture yourself running, arms flailing, from some crowded convention center? If so, do you picture an overzealous, perpetually smiling, curiously skinny bridal consultant with the face of Murphy Brown running after you beseeching you to enter a drawing for a free steak knife set/mystery box/honeymoon to the island where those guys from Where the Wild Things Are live??
That’s what I pictured, too! How very wrong I was.
About a week after our engagement, Potato Head’s mom mailed me a newspaper clipping advertising a South County, Rhode Island bridal show, with an invitation to bring my mom along. I thought, oh. Ohh. Oh nooooooo! But her gesture was so sweet that I readily agreed to go (with PH by my side).
The show was held in a place called The Towers, a historic building on the beach. In fact, it was on that very beach that we strolled and chatted at one of our first meetings, when our siblings were trying to set us up all those years ago!
Sounds idyllic, right? A nostalgic visit to a beautiful venue? Yeah, no.
We had a hefty snowstorm the night prior and woke up early to shovel out from the twelve feet of snow dumped on our driveway. But on we trudged, moms in tow. And then, several things happened:
The bridal show wasn’t crowded (maybe because of the snow?). Free gelato was offered (and gladly accepted). Vendors were polite and congratulatory. Potato Head and I collected business cards and our moms got along like houses afire! There were more snacks! Snacks as far as the eye could see!! Cakes! Teeny sandwiches!!
Thinking back, the bridal show was the best thing we could have done (so thanks Mama PH!). We walked away with a tummy full of sandwiches, bags full of free schwag, and not one, not two, not three, but four of our future vendors’ cards… including the venue itself!
Snapped this a month or so later (no snow!)
Have you attended any particularly fun bridal shows? What made them so fun?
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hmmm now i’m thinking about attending one. thanks for the enlightenment!
The thought of going to a bridal show just makes me want to crawl in a hole and cower. I’m super super super nervous in crowds, which makes no sense given my stature, but I just imagine a conference hall with 03073452037 people trying to show me things.
I’m glad you had a good experience with it! I might give in and go to one with my matron of honor, as I am her maid of honor. :p
@fiftyfootbride: I’m the same way with crowds! The snowstorm really helped drive people away, so I had that in my favor! It was calm, relaxed, just my speed. But perhaps this bridal show was an anomaly…
I just want to say that is an awesome venue!!! Although my brain went almost immediately to wondering what kind of drunk antics will be happening in front of those windows to cars passing by. LOL!!
@honeybun: I nearly spit out my water laughing when I read that! Dirty mind, you! 
(Although I think you could be right; we have a particularly goofy groomsman!)
I too fear the bridal show, so never hit one up, and since the shindig is about a month away, probably won’t make it to one. But so good to hear you had a great time.
You are lucky to have had such a fun time- my one and only wedding anxiety attack was caused by a bridal show shortly after we got engaged. It was after work and I could take our new light rail down town after work- super convenient, sounded like fun. I went and completely and utterly hated every minute of it. I was ready to elope right that second, I was in tears on the ride back to my car, worrying about how nothing fit what we wanted to do and how our wedding would be a complete failure. It was at the new Phx convention center, poorly marked where it was located, so I wandeded around for half an hour; registration was a nightmare full of mean cranky people; and the vendors were super pushy. I have avoided them like the swine flu ever since.
I have been to two, and they were both great. I’m so glad I went, I met lots of people and it was a great resource for me since I have yet to find a venue. Only so many ceremony and reception sites are on the Knot, ya know? Going to the bridal show let me see that I had so many choices that I knew nothing about–it was great!
I highly recommend grabbing your MOH or mom and going to one. You might find something you love, or if you don’t, you’ll eat some really good cake!
What a pretty place! And yes, I am shamefully addicted to bridal shows…and I may or may not be attending another one AFTER my wedding (ummm…it’s for…research?!)
that’s a gorgeous building. we ran from bridal shows like the plague because yes, we envisioned the horrors too.
I love bridal shows! Last year I went to TONS! My favorite part of the shows are the fashion shows. Granted, watching the guys do the obnoxious, can I buy you a drink bit while trying on the tuxes are no fun, I love seeing the dresses. I’m only going to one this year and its to book my DJ and limo b/c they have the BEST deals during these shows!
I have! And the fun part was free stuff. And cake. Cake. Cake.
Hmmm, I’ve never been to a bridal show before, but your post is intriguing to me. Free cake? Really?! I might have to go find me a bridal show
Good for you! I avoided those shows like the plague during my planning.
On another note, I’ve actually been to two weddings at the towers… beautiful! (We ended up both times at the bar accross the street for an after party) Your lucky you were able to see it without having to set up an appointment with the strange lady that is “in charge” of bookings… seriously…her purse is a rubber chicken. lol.
i haven’t been to one but i’m tempted to go to one of the fancier ones just for the free stuff. but we’ll see what happens by the time i get engaged. haha
The thought of these usual makes me hide under my bed for cover - but perhaps I’ll consider one now! Bringing the moms along sounds like a swell idea, too!
i went to one that was a big pain in the butt! There were a lot of people in a small area and even more pushy vendors that were calling non stop for weeks afterwards.
That sounds fun! I only went to a couple of bridal shows, but they were both relatively lame. Most of the time, I just felt like people were pressuring us with the “hard sell”.
oh it strikes fear in my heart! My goal: avoid like the plague!
I am absolutely terrified of bridal shows for the same reasons you listed! We have 2 coming up here and if I can drag someone along with me, I might go. Did you have a plan of attack?
I never went to a single bridal show! Sounds like you made out really well! That building is great!
Glad to hear you had a good experience at the bridal show. I went to one but wasn’t that wowed… no gift bags, not much food, and mostly hard sell. I was mortified to find that I paid $20 to meet a bunch of people that pestered me into buying their products.
Houston has a huge one that I attended 2 weeks after getting engaged and then 11 months before our wedding. I loved it both times! The first time I was completely overwhelmed and talked to almost everyone. The second time I was much more focused, brought my fiance, and booked vendors shortly after the show. I think the key is not making eye contact- if we didn’t need a particular vendor, we just walked past their booth and they generally left us alone!
I saw a billboard this morning for Visionary 2009 2009. Its going to be hosted at 11 north pearl. That is a beautiful building. The website says that they will cater for brides that want the best of the best in a bridal show. The stores look pretty good so maybe it will be…..
@lemondrop: Oh no! Sorry to hear you had such a bad time. That was my fear too.
@207Bride: We love the bar next door! It is certainly our after party destination!
@KMSull: My plan of attack was to have Potato Head do all the vendor schmoozing while I skulked in the corner with cake. It worked pretty well.
I was scared of bridal shows, too! Then I went to my first one. Sigh. Nothing at all like I’d feared! If anyone gets the chance to attend a Wedding Salon event, don’t pass it up!
I’ve been to 3, working one as a vendor. That’s the one where I met our photgrapher, I love all the free stuff. Although I won a “free” honeymoon and I’m still trying to get my money back from that one…
I was actually supposed to attend one this past weekend, but I was sick 
I can’t say I share the same pleasant experience though. With the exception of one, I have never been to a bridal show that involved snacks or non-pushy vendors. Most of the bridal shows I have been to are like a cattle drive, pushing your way through the crowds only to be accosted by one florist or photographer after another, and no swag. Lucky you!
I’m so glad you had a great experience. Ours was pretty crowded and although a great affair… not one for me. I really rely on personal recommendations (home town weddings are easier that way) so I didn’t like the idea of someone “selling me” their services.
What a cute venue
We’ve been to one bridal expo, and it wasn’t very exciting or anything like yours! Since we have most of our vendors booked already, I doubt we’ll be back. But free gelato? Yum!
I’ve been to a few, none of which occurred while I was engaged (which has only been 2 weeks, but whatevs). Yep, I was that girl playing fake-bride just for the schwag and snacks.
Not all the shows have snacks, though! One I went to had cheesy, low-brow vendors but free champagne and snacks (helloooooooo scallops wrapped in bacon!), whereas the other had no snacks or bevvies (boooooo) but better vendors. Go figure.
I’ve been to a couple-most of the vendors were photogs & dj’s-both of which I have already. I do enjoy the free food & a chance to win some prizes! (which never happen)
I only attended one. I did find one of my vendors there, but I mostly used it as an opportunity to get some great ideas for centerpieces, appetizers, and the style of photo that appealed to us most! So glad you found so many vendors at one place!
I’m glad you had such a good experience. Looking back I think attending a bridal show might have opened my eyes to a wider range of options for my vendors…I wish I would’ve gone to at least one!
My fear of bridal shows is only matched by my fear of bridal magazines. My mother is flying across the country Thursday to accost me with both. Plus 4 venue appointments and weddings dress shopping. In the span of 60 hours.
My family is soooo excited, but wedding planning is basically the most terrifying experience of my life.
[...] after leaving the nonsucky bridal show held at the historic Towers in Narragansett, Mr. Potato Head and I held an in-depth summit in which [...]
[...] x 2 by Mrs. Eggplant, Dear Wedding Industry by Mrs. Gloss, Bridal Shows Don’t Suck by Ms. Potato Chips, An Engagement Photo Dress for Pennies a Day! by Ms. Potato [...]
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Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RI
Age and Occupation: 29, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy Assistant
Engagement Date: January 1, 2009
Wedding Date: June 2010
Venue: The Narragansett Towers
About Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
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