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2017 Premier Bride Expo Dates
Brides, Grooms, Friends, Family and Vendors...mark your calendars!
Sunday, January 15th from 1-4 pm at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville, FL!
The theme for the show is “River City Romance” with colors in black, white and rose gold. It is a very modern look! This theme will also be the displayed in a 20 page fashion and décor spread that Premier Bride Magazine will feature in the Winter/Spring 2017 edition. Copies of the magazine will be available, for free, at the show! Make sure you check out our “Décor Showcase” at the entrance of the expo!
Sunday, February 19th from 1-4 pm at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine Fl.
The theme for the show is “Industrial Chic.” This theme has colors in oranges, yellows, browns, black and silver. The theme for this show is inspired by the hard industrial elements, softened for the wedding look!
Cover photo by Monarch Studio themonarchstudio.com
For more information go to www.PBJacksonville.com
#PremierBride #PBExpo #PBNEFL
Tips on Flowers
Wedding Planning Tips – Choosing your Florist and Understanding Wedding Flowers
If you have not figured it out already, there are a lot of different aspects to planning your wedding. Choosing a florist and picking out arrangements, flowers, and flower décor is an important element to your wedding with many different “moving pats” that effect the price you will pay for your flowers.
At Premier Bride, our mission is to educate brides and grooms on the wedding planning process. Here are some great tips and things to consider when choosing a florist and selecting your flowers!
We would also like to thank Anything with Plants and Flowers who created the arrangements and wrote some of the advice below!
Here are some tips about deciding on a florist to use
· An important consideration is to make sure your florist has a proper cooler to store the flowers in. Home refrigerators do not hold flowers at the proper temps and will kill your flowers.
· Ask for references! Make sure you check out the work that they have done from real weddings. Remember, anyone can pull pictures off the internet!
· Just because you see something online or on Pinterest does not mean that it can be duplicated. Some things to consider, silk flowers might have been used, you don’t know what season it was and the availability of the flowers or what part of the country the image was taken in.
· Talk to the florist about day of the wedding, make sure they and/or their crew will be there to deliver and fix anything that is needed
Let’s talk about budget! It is so important to be honest with your florist about your budget. Almost all wedding can work within any reasonable budget. It does not mean you will get exactly what you want, but a true floral professional will be able to present you with comparable alternatives!
· Ask yourself, are you set on a particular flower or a particular look?
· There are a lot of elements to determining the price of flowers; time of year and/or the season they grow, the color of the flowers, how many steams you have to order or if there is a minim order
· The structure of the each arrangement reflects the price
· The size of the arrangement effects the price
· The containers of the arrangement effects the price
The bottom line is that a professional, educated florist can present you options. By being honest about budget and being able to give your florist a vision, they can present you options to make your flowers, bouquets and arrangements for your wedding.
Here are two examples of centerpieces for weddings. Anything With Plants and Flowers wanted to show similar centerpieces in the same size and color, however, their price is $100 difference because of the flowers. Remember, no one is going to know what might be missing in your arrangements!
Let’s break down the arrangements from Anything with Plants and Flowers;
$ 125.00 Arrangement
4 Gerbera Daisy
6 Stock
8 Roses
5 spray Roses
6 Carnations
4 Hydrangea
Now lets look at the $ 225.00 Arrangement
5 Dalias
8 Garden Roses
4 Jumbo Hydrangea
6 Astilibe
6 Ranunculus
5 parrot tulips
We also want to point out the amazing artwork behing the beautiful arrangements - this is by Susna Michal!
Tips on Saving Money - Wedding Planning
You are engaged...now the wedding planning starts! One of the most popular topics of conversation is how brides and grooms can save money when they are planning their wedding. It is important to understand, you don’t have to sacrifice hiring quality wedding vendors to save money! Remember, it's one of the most important days of your life so make it meaningful and special to you!
STEP ONE
When you are starting your wedding planning process, sit down with your fiancé and establish a budget. Talk with your parents and see if they are going to contribute to wedding financially so you know what you have to work during the planning process.
STEP TWO
Sit down with your fiancé and create a list of what are the most important elements of your wedding. Use this list as a guideline when creating a budget for each element of your wedding. Remember, it is what is important to you as a couple and every couple is different. Here is a list of “elements” to a wedding that you can consider when creating your list;
Reception Venue
Ceremony Site
Photography
Videography
Ceremony Musicians
DJ or Band
Catering/Food
Cakes & Sweets
Invitations
Wedding Planner
Décor & Rentals
Transportation
Wedding Dress
Tuxedo/Suites
Officiate/Clergy
Flowers
Photo Booth
Bar Service
Wedding Bands
Honeymoon
Hotel/Accommodations
Rehearsal Dinner
Hair & Makeup
Linens & Place Settings
Favors & Gifts
Calligraphy
Guest Experiences
Other Entertainment
STEP THREE
Attend one of our Premier Bride Expos and pick up your copy of Premier Bride Magazine of Northeast Florida! The expos allows you to “Speed Date” wedding vendors and can offer discounts! The magazine is packed with many other tips and advice on all aspects of the wedding planning process!
Here are tips from each segment of the wedding planning process;
Wedding Planner Tips
1. Hiring a wedding planner can save you money in the long run. Experienced wedding professionals know many tips that can help you save money and eliminate expensive mistakes and misjudgments
2. If you can’t afford a full wedding planner, consider hiring a Day of Coordinator. The day of coordinator will work with all of your vendors and confirm times and keep you on schedule all day long
3. Hiring a coordinator/wedding planner that is newer to the industry might be less expensive than one with many years of experience
Reception Venue Tips
1. Reduce the number of guests you invite to the wedding! The more people you invite, the more of everything you need including; food, invitations, tables, flowers, and more
2. Reception venues typically have different pricing structures depending on the day of the week. Saturday’s are the usually the most expensive. For a more cost effective option, think about a Friday, Sunday or weekday wedding
3. Having a morning wedding and serving brunch can be a less expensive option in some cases
4. Time of the year, Jacksonville’s more popular wedding months are October, November, March, April and May
5. Avoid holiday’s and other major events like TPC or Florida vs. Georgia weekend
Ceremony Tips
1. Having the ceremony in the same location as your reception saves on transportation costs
2. Use pre-recorded music instead of live music
3. Reduce the number of ceremony musicians from multiple musicians to one or two.
Photography Tips
1. Many photographers have pricing structures that correlate with the number of hours they work, to save money, hire them for 6 hours opposed to 10-12
2. The time of year and the day of the week can affect the price for your photographer
3. A lot of photographers also bring a second or third shooter with them, only having one photographer can also save you money
4. Don’t order your photo album right away, wait until after the wedding when you can save money to purchase your album
Videography TIps
1. Consider hiring a videographer for fewer hours of coverage or only covering the ceremony part of the wedding
2. Just like reception venues and photographers, the date of wedding could affect the price
3. Some videographers are also photographers and vice versa, to save money on both services, considering hiring a company that offers both
Cake & Sweet Tips
1. Instead of paying for multi-level cake to serve to all of your guests, make a smaller cake for pictures and serve sheet cakes to your guests
2. Cupcakes can eliminate the “cake cutting” cost at some venues
3. Having a sweet/candy table can reduce the cost of buying in bulk and you have the containers available
Catering & Bar Service Tips
1. Smaller guest list means less alcohol you have to serve
2. Limit your open bar hours so it does not cover the entire wedding reception
3. Just serve beer or wine and/or have a signature drink
4. Plated dinners might cost less, but there are additional staff needed to serve
5. Tell your caterer what budget you have in mind “Per person” – have them discuss options with you to create a menu that fits within your budget
6. Talk to a few catering companies and get quotes to compare.
Invitation Tips
1. Size of the envelope, weight and thickness effects the postage rate – take to post office before mailing
2. Addressing correctly will eliminate the returns, so make sure you understand the USPS rules for addressing envelopes
Transportation Tips
1. Having your ceremony and reception at the same location cuts costs on transporting the wedding party
2. Most transportation companies charge by the hour with a minimum number of hours. If you are having your ceremony and reception in different locations, have them close together in time to reduce the number of hours
Wedding Dress Tips
1. All bridal salons have sales racks and many of them will sell you the sample dresses – don’t be afraid to ask
2. Bridal salons also have trunk shows for wedding dress designers. These trunk shows typically offer discounts or sales.
3. Buy your dress 9-12 months out to avoid rush fees
Tux Tips
1. Attending a bridal show will get you discounted rates on your tux rentals
Flowers
1. Reduce the number of attendants to reduce the number of bouquets and boutonnieres you need to have
2. Fewer wedding guests, fewer number of tables you need to decorate with center pieces
3. Use flowers that are in season, talk to your florist about flowers that are easier to order
4. If you are trying to achieve a certain look (height or fullness for arrangements) work with a florist to find alternative flowers that might not be as expensive.
5. Use the bridesmaids bouquets as centerpieces or to decorate the head table
6. Florists that have storefronts typically purchase flowers in bulk at wholesale pricing, working with storefront florists could save you money
DJ’s & Musicians
1. The day of the week and the month of your wedding can affect the price
2. Larger DJ companies with multiple DJ’s have different rates. Less experienced DJ’s charge less but still bring great equipment and the customer service is still great
3. Bridal shows offer discounts
4. Shorter reception times can reduce the cost
5. Providing your own ceremony and cocktail music can reduce the DJ cost
6. Having a wedding coordinator that handles the reception events (dances, cake cutting, bouquet tossing, etc) can reduce the cost of your DJ
7. Have a bridesmaid or sister that is also getting married? Booking the same DJ (or the same wedding vendors for that matter) could get you discounts!
Just remember that hiring a true wedding professional will save you money and time in the long run. Individuals and businesses that work weddings every weekend do it because they love helping brides and grooms create the wedding of their dreams. Many of them have done hundreds, if not thousands of weddings so and they love to offer advice and tips to their clients….take advantage of their knowledge and experience. You do not have reduce the quality of wedding vendors you hire…you just have to prioritize what is important to you, be honest with the vendors about budget, and plan smarter!
Premier Bride Expo - "Bold Boho" - St. Augustine
Mark your calendars for the last bridal show of 2016…the Premier Bride Expo at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village on Sunday, September 18th from 1-4 pm!
Brides, grooms, friends, family and all the professional wedding vendors know that that Premier Bride Expo’s in Northeast Florida live up to their name…they are the PREMIER wedding shows. Each show features over 100 of the very best wedding professionals in Northeast Florida. You can feel confident that each wedding vendor that exhibits at the show has a reputation for quality.
No matter what stage you are in the wedding planning process….there is something for you at the Premier Bride Expos.
With other 100 different wedding vendors representing 20 different wedding categories, you can be assured that there is something for everyone. If you are just starting your wedding planning process the first thing you need is a wedding date and a venue. A wedding dress is important to set the tone and style of your wedding. Hiring a wedding planner to guide you through the process is also something to strongly consider in the beginning. Booking a photographer, DJ, Cake Baker, Catering Company, Florist and Videographer is at the top of the list too! Many of these vendors book months to a year in advance. Hair & Makeup, Invitations, Transportation, Grooms Attire, Musicians, the Honeymoon, Dance Instruction, Health and Wellness, Décor and Rentals….are just some of the other details you will find at the shows.
The Premier Bride Expos are different. Our focus is 100% on meeting and experiencing the bride/groom to vendor relationship. We want you meet one on one with the vendors, say hello, get to know them, experience their products and services, get information and make great decisions on who you will hire to help you make your wedding day an amazing experience!
Each couple receives a swag bag as they walk through the door. This is great to collect all the information you will get during the expo. There are many prizes and give-a-ways that are available the day of the show, make sure you pre-register online at www.PremierBrideExpo.com to get a complete list the day before the show. We do give a honeymoon trip away each show, drawing is at 3:45 pm and you must be present to win!
We hope to see you at the Premeir Bride Expo! Make sure you pick up the latest copy of Premier Bride Magazine or visit our website at www.PBJacksonville.com to find vendors, information and tips!
Premier Bride Expo - Jacksonville "Rock N Roll"
Jacksonville, get ready for the “Rock N Roll” Premier Bride Expo happening on June 12th at the Prime Osborn Convention Center!
The theme for the expo is inspired from the fashion and décor photo shoot that happened for the new edition of Premier Bride Magazine!
Over 40 wedding vendor came together to create over 5 table scapes, 6 guest experiences, and 17 wedding gowns for the “Rock N Roll” spread. Make sure you pick up the newest copy of the magazine at the show and check out the décor showcase that is all about “Rock N Roll!”
Expect to meet well over 100 of the top wedding professionals in the Jacksonville and surrounding area at the show. There will be vendors representing all aspects of the wedding planning process. There will be wedding venues, photographers, invitations, honeymoons & travel, catering companies, cake & sweets, videographers, bridal salons, beauty, health, grooms wear, florists, DJ’s & musicians, transportation, accessories, and so much more!
We encourage all brides & grooms to attend with their significant other! It is also recommended that you only bring other people to the show who are part of the decision making process. Large groups of people are always welcome, but if you are coming to the show to book your wedding vendors, having a large entourage it can be harder to talk to everyone you want too.
Another trick is to print labels so you can peel and stick instead of writing out all of our information. Most vendors will have prizes at their booths, but they do require filling out a registration form. Your labels should include your name, phone, email, wedding date and address!
We also suggest pre-registering and pre-paying for the bridal show online and printing out your tickets. This will allow for a speedy entry at the show. If you can not print out your tickets, don’t worry, we will be able to look up your registration and payment online. This line is sometimes long, so if you can print your tickets out that would be best!
Tickets are $8 online or $12 at the door. Doors open at 1 pm to 4 pm!
Premier Bride Expo "By the Seaside" in St. Augustine
Over 450 brides and grooms, plus the friends and family come to the Premier Bride Expo on February 28th in St. Augustine Florida at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village!
The Premier Bride Expos are the PREMIER wedding shows in Northeast Florida. Well over 100 of the top wedding professionals in the industry attend the shows wanting to meet Northeast Florida’s couples getting married.
Remember, if it does not have PREMIER in the name…it’s just an average show!
At the Premier Bride Expo we focus on having quality wedding vendors at each show. Brides and grooms will also notice a very nice mix of “types” of wedding vendors. We understand that every couple is at a different stage of their wedding planning process, so we don’t saturate our expo with 20 photographers, 25 DJ’s and 30 non-wedding related vendors. The Premier Bride Expo ALWAYS has a great mix of quality, professional wedding vendors that represent over 20 different categories! At our show you will find;
1. Reception Venues
2. Ceremony Sites
3. Wedding Photographers
4. Special Occasion Photographers (Boudoir or Engagement Only)
5. Wedding Videography
6. Off Site Catering Companies
7. Professional Wedding DJ’s
8. Musicians (Ceremony & Reception)
9. Honeymoon and Travel Specialists
10. Florists
11. Cake & Sweet Bakers
12. Bridal Salons
13. Tuxedo & Suit Rentals
14. Décor, Linens & Rental Companies
15. Wedding Planners
16. Celebration Venues (Rehearsal Dinners, Bridal Showers, Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties)
17. Invitations & Calligraphy
18. Wedding Dance Instruction
19. Bridal Registries
20. Accommodations – hotels and lodging
21. Beauty – Hair and Makeup
22. Health and Fitness
23. Wedding Resource Groups, Associations and Magazines
24. Transportation Companies – Trolley & Limos
25. Ceremony Services
26. Jewelry & Accessories
27. Photobooths
28. And many other vendors that help make your wedding special, unique and memorable!
Make sure you pick up your copy of Premier Bride Magazine – the only Northeast Florida publication and website local to this area! You can also view it online at any time and download it to your tablet or smart phone.
Enjoy the images from the last Premier Bride Expo and make sure you check out the next show on June 12th at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in Jacksonville Florida!
Premier Bride Expo - St. Augustine - February 28th 2016
If you are planning a wedding...make sure you plan with us!
The Premier Bride Expo is headed back to the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine Florida on February 28th! The doors open to the brides, grooms, friends and family from 1-4 pm.
No matter what stage you are in the wedding planning process the Premier Bride Expo has something for you. We have vendors representing over 20 different wedding categories; Bridal Attire to Videography, Catering to Transportation, Cakes to Photography, Dance Instruction to Rentals and Décor, DJ’s to Reception Venues, Flowers to Tuxedos and so much more!
Every bride or couple receives a swag bag when the attend the expo.
Discounted tickets can be purchased online on this website or you can buy your ticket at the door.
Make sure you pick up the latest copy of Premier Bride Magazine or check it out online here!
Booth Inspriations for Vendors
Thinking about being an exhibitor at the Premier Bride Expo? Here are two different types of booth spaces that we offer; 10x10 standard booth and a 5x5 hightop booth space.
All of our standard booths are 10x10 in size. You can purchase multiple booths if you need extra space to showcase your business. Each booth comes with pipe and drape (to separate the booths), a banquet table, linen, chairs and a sign for your booth. Each booth set up makes it possible for you to come in, set up your material and participate in the expo. You are also allowed to decorate your booth any way you wish as long as you fit within the 10x10 booth space. This includes bringing in your own tables and linens. Some vendors choose to set up with a tent, custom draping, string lights, wood panels…and so much more! We encourage you to decorate your booth so it best reflects your business! Here are some great examples of booth décor!
This is a 20x10 booth space!
Our second booth option is a 5x5 high top booth space. This type of space is reserved for business like; wedding officiates, musicians, skin care, jewelry, and other types of wedding services that do not take up a large part of the wedding budget. Each high top booth space comes with pipe, drape, a 30 inch high top or low boy table, linen, chairs and a sign for our booth. You can bring in extra tables and decorate your space any way you wish as long as you stay within the 5x5 space. Here are some great examples of high top booth spaces.
Jacksonville's Premeir Bride Expo
On January 10th the Premier Bride Expo débuted at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. This show was the first time the Premier Bride Expo was held at the Prime Osborn and it was a huge success. On Sunday afternoon close to 650 brides/grooms walked the halls and met over 110 professional wedding vendors.
The show had Jacksonville’s and surrounding areas top wedding professionals exhibiting at the bridal show. These top vendors represented over 20 different categories that are all part of the wedding planning process. Since there is always a wide variety of wedding vendors at each Premier Bride Expo it does not matter what stage of the wedding planning process you are at…there is always something for you to see, find and learn! We have vendors that represent reception venues, photography, bridal attire, videography, wedding cake, catering, invitations, travel and honeymoons, jewelry and so much more.
At each show the Premier Bride Expo has live music, a décor showcase, fashion, food and plenty of prizes and give-a-ways!
Here are some pictures of the latest show!
Premier Bride Expo - Jacksonville "Vintage Carnival"
Getting married in 2016? Then you should plan on attending the Premier Bride Expo! North Florida’s biggest, best and most inspiring wedding shows! Premier Bride Expo kicks off the wedding season with the very first bridal show of the year.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 10th at the Prime Osborne Convention Center from 1-4pm. For 3 hours, brides, grooms, family and friends will have the opportunity to meet North Florida and Southern Georgia’s top wedding professionals. Over 115 wedding vendors will grace the convention floor, showing off all they have to offer weddings, celebrations and special events.
No matter what stage you are at in your wedding planning process, the Premier Bride Expo has something for you! If you just got engaged, start with dresses, wedding planners, reception venues and photographers. If you are in the middle of the process check out our cake bakers, florists, caterers, videographers, accessories, rentals, tuxes, and so much more! Not engaged but will be soon? Come check out engagement rings, fashion jewelry, our health and beauty vendors…and many others. Premier Bride Expo also has non-wedding vendors attend the expo and showcase their products and services…things that you need for “after the wedding” and in everyday life.
There is plenty to see and do at the Premier Bride Expo. Each couple gets a swag bag full of goodies and information to help you plan your wedding. Couples and attending friends and family can pick up a copy of Premier Bride Magazine too. It is North Florida’s wedding guide to planning all special events, celebrations and weddings. There are prizes and give-a-ways to won…so bring your labels! All of our caterers, cake bakers and sweet treat vendors bring samples, so get your taste buds inspired.
NEW! The Premier Bride Expo is now having a “Décor & Guest Experience Showcase.” This coincides with our theme of the show, “Vintage Carnival.” Walk through themed table scapes, get inspired with center piece ideas, and see the variety of paper goods integrated into your place settings. The biggest trend in weddings is the “guest experience” – giving your guests an extra special something at the wedding! There are many choices and many of these experiences go with the theme of the wedding. As you walk through our new showcase you will be inspired by the creativity, talent and vision of our professional wedding vendors!
If you are planning a wedding, plan with us! Tickets are $8 online or $12 at the door. Parking is FREE!
Go to www.PremierBrideExpo.com for more information or www.PBJacksonville.com