Don't go to a bridal show until you read this!

We went to The Bridal Extravaganza Show at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston last weekend. Luke and I thought it would be nice to bring along both of our mothers, who have never met each other, in order to include them in the planning. My mom is basically acting as my wedding planner, helping with every tiny detail because I pretty much have NO idea what I'm doing, but we really want Luke's mom to be involved as well. So with the best of intentions we figured the bridal show would be a great way to kick off our wedding planning.

I knew that the show at the George R. Brown is the biggest in Texas and one of the biggest in the nation; what I didn't know was exactly how insane this thing would be. There were hundreds of vendors there and the convention center was at full-capacity with crazed, wild-eyed brides. You couldn't even walk foward, but rather had to turn sideways and progress through the crowds crab-style. I was literally shoved out of the way by a very large woman trying to get to at some free cake samples! At another point a would-be bride and her rude-as-sin mother told me to "hurry the hell up." For realz: apparently weddings cause people to completely lose their minds and behave like three year-olds with ADHD. Because this was my first event (and probably my last, to be quite honest) I wasn't adequately prepared. Allow me to put my hard-won knowledge to good use and provide you readers with some tips before you head off to your nearest show.

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and leave the big purse at home. I know this seems like a given. However, I did in fact see several women in heels. I also confess that I'm guilty of the big purse because I take one everywhere, and I never stopped to think about how much crap I would be lugging around by the end of the day. When you add in a ginormous bag, your arm will certainly be hurting.
  
• Comfort is important, but make sure you wear makeup and at least look presentable. Why? Because sometimes photographers set up free photo opportunities. Luke and I were able to take Save the Date photographs and we sat in two different photo booths and took the pictures home with us. This is pretty much a smorgasbord of free stuff, guys. If free photos are being offered, you'll definitely regret wearing sweats.
  
• Once you've decided you're attending, set up a special email account for wedding related stuff. This is just a good idea in general when you're trying to get organized. It's especially important when you're going to bridal shows, open houses, and other junkets. Believe me when I say that you WILL get a lot of vendor info and spam, even if you're selective about who you give your info to.
• Print up a batch of peel-and-stick address labels and take them with you. Each label needs to include the following information: your name, your address, your phone number, your email, and your wedding date. Including your fiance's name is up to you. These labels are important because every vendor will have cards to fill out for free giveaways and so they can send you more information about their services. They were selling labels printed with this stuff, but it was expensive and really prolonged everyone's wait in line. My recommendation is to pre-print them if you can and bring them with you. Trust me, you will get really tired of writing the same stuff by hand after just a few booths.
• Bring the following other items with you: cash, a pen, a camera, and maybe some snacks. You'll need the cash for any food or drinks you want to buy on site, or you could just pack some snacks like granola bars or some raw veggies. Remember though: these things usually take a long damn time, and for many people snacks simply won't cut it. The camera is obviously to take photos of things you like or that inspire you. You'll need the pen to make notes on vendor information. For example, we tried some cake samples that were just awesome! I made sure to pick up an information pamphlet from the baker so I could follow-up on prices. Well, imagine my dismay when we got home and I began to sort through hundreds of pieces of paper from vendors. I must have had 20 pamphlets from bakers alone, and for the life of me I couldn't remember which one had the great Amaretto-raspberry cake with cream cheese frosting. So put your pen to use and write directly on the vendor's paperwork any impressions or samples you tried.
• Limit the size of your group. Bringing an entire entourage of 10 people isn't going to do you any good. You're likely to get separated, you won't usually be able to sit together at the runway shows, and it will take you twice as long to get through the entire venue. You're also likely to end up explaining that you do not, in fact, like the knee-length tuxedo coats five or six different times.
• If you have anxiety or problems with crowds, think twice. I sometimes get a little freaked out in huge crowds, but it's usually nothing I can't handle. This experience, however, had me wishing for a candy bowl full of Valium. So if you need to take something beforehand to keep you on an even keel, I highly recommend it. Better yet, if you know you can't handle it, just skip it altogher. Send a trusted friend, bridesmaid, or family member in your place instead.

I didn't win a fee honeymoon in the free prize drawing or anything, but I did get a lot of really cool ideas and inspiration, as did Luke. Check out some of what we liked (click on the pictures to enlarge).

Aren't these centerpieces from the Houston Museum of Natural Science really cool? I love anything with peacock feathers.

Luke absolutely loved this groom's cake, even though fondant pretty much tastes like Play Dough.



I was absolutely floored by this dress: it's one of the loveliest things I've ever seen, and the photos really don't do it justice. It's a beautiful vintage-style gown, but unfortunately it costs about a thousand times more than I could ever afford.