Everything you need to plan your wedding!

Engaged?  Vow renewals? Or maybe you are hosting a party – you can find all the vendors you need to make your event a success at the Premier Bride Expo in St. Augustine Florida.

No matter what stage you are at in your wedding planning process…you can find it at the Premier Bride Expo in St. Augustine.  The showroom floor will be filled over 100 wedding professionals,  representing every wedding category & more…everyone will find something they are looking for.  If you are at the beginning of your wedding planning process the first things you need to figure out is a wedding venue and decide on the date.  Choosing a wedding venue in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Amelia Island, the beaches or the surrounding area can be challenging because there are so many choices! 

If you are at the end stages of your wedding planning process, there are a lot of vendors for you to talk too as well.  There are vendors at the Premier Bride Expo that are not your traditional wedding vendors.  Some vendors are there to help you with the “after the wedding” needs.  Financial planners, real estate agents, home services and more can be found here too!

At the bridal show, make sure you walk the entire floor, talk to vendors and collect information.  When you walk in and check in at the bridal registration, you will receive a bridal swag bag.  This bag is stuffed with goodies and vendor information.  Use it to collect more business cards, marketing material and trinkets you collect along the way.  Keep the bag and reference the information you collect as you continue your wedding planning process!

Many of the wedding vendors that participate in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine bridal expo book wedding services on the day of the show, sometimes offering great deals and discounts if you are ready to commit!  Make a list of the different “types” of wedding vendors you want to speak with. Others will set up appointments where you can have a one on one meeting to discuss their products and services that they offer.  To check out categories of vendors and wedding vendors on the First and Historic Coast visit  www.PremierBrideExpo.com or www.PBJacksonville.com.   If you find a vendor you want to meet – email and ask them if they will be a the show.  Each wedding vendor that participates at the expo receives free tickets, so give them a call, tell them you would like to meet them at the show and ask them for a pair of complimentary tickets – they would love to accommodate you!

To ensure a great bridal show experience, make sure that you read all of our tips…including making mailing labels!

Most importantly, please pre-register at www.PremierBrideExpo.com – this saves you time!

Enjoy the show and see you on September 13^th 2015 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine Florida.  

1.      Consider your engagement as the beginning of your lifelong commitment! It’s the perfect time to create a healthy foundation for your marriage so let the lines of communication be open.  As you plan your wedding, focus on your financial future by sharing dreams, savings, and debt issues, and start making a joint plan. Make sure you start off on a great foundation and everyone is on the same page.  Check out our financial planners that have a booth at our Premier Bride Expo!

2.      If you are planning on having a wedding that falls on around a holiday such as New Year’s Eve, Labor Day Memorial Day, Florida Georgia Weekend or TPC, make sure to reinforce the date, create personalized, magnetic save-this-date cards, and send them out at least six month’s in advance. 

3.      If you’re a disorganized bride, the stress will show at every turn.  Use the pre-wedding time to organize and weed-out conflicts, clutter, and emotions.  Enlist expert help to support you by hiring a financial advisor, wedding planner, organizational consultant and personal trainer.  The extra time and money invested will result in a successful wedding and good-to-go marriage.  All of these services can be found at the Premier Bride Expo in Jacksonville and St. Augustine!

4.      Once the engagement is announced, choose the bridal party carefully.  This can be an emotional time, but use logic when you make important decisions.  Please consider; emotions, personalities, dependability, affordability, and your relationship with him or her. Once you make the offer, you can’t take it back, so use your best judgment.

5.      A good test for a photographer is the engagement photo.  Pay attention to the way the photographer communicates and whether or not you are handled in a relaxed but professional manner.  Is this person willing to work with you?  Do you love the results?  Is the customer service excellent?  There are great photographers at the Premier Bride Expo, so you will  have a lot to choose from and talk to.  Set up a consultation after the show if you need more time.

6.      If possible, use your engagement party as a test for catering.  Have it at a restaurant that caters to celebrations and ask whether they might give you a discount on catering, etc., if you also book your shower or rehearsal dinner with them at the same time.  If it is at someone’s house, bring in a catering services that you might want to use for the reception or rehearsal dinner!  There are a lot great caterers in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas and a lot of restaurant options too.  And don’t forget about the food trucks!

7.      Don’t put off discussing premarital agreements – get it out of the way, right away.  Yes, it’s awkward, but it’s part of our culture.  If you try to slide the issue on the table a month before the wedding, you’re not only asking for disaster, but it might not hold up in a court of law because it can be considered an agreement made under pressure.

8.      WEL-COME – “Wedding Essentials List:  Communicate/Compromise, Organize, Manage and Exercise.”  During the engagement period, work on these everyday.  You’ll reduce your stress during the hectic and emotional months ahead.

9.      Use the engagement time wisely.  Pre-marriage counseling is meant to weed out potential problems and strengthen your communications.  At the Premier Bride Expo, we have pre-marital councilors, it is a great place to meet them.

10.  Right after the engagement is announced, grab a copy of Premier Bride Magazine and use the check list in the back to start planning.  Download and app, create a binder, make a Pinterest Board…get ready to start planning!

11.  The pre-wedding phase is crucial planning time.  Make a list of things you want to delegate and create a support system from the start.

12.  What’s your wedding style?  After you’re engaged and before you’re knee-deep in wedding planning, take some time with your sweetie and discuss your unique wedding vision. Will you have a theme?  What time of year?  What are your colors?  What wedding traditions will you have? Either way, it should ultimately reflect the two of you.

13.  The most critical part of the wedding: the marriage license. Without it, you can’t get married. Call the office in your county that handles marriage licenses, and get all of the important details, such as when you need to apply, how much it costs, and what types of payment are accepted. Do this far in advance of the wedding!  Premier Bride Magazine has a list of addresses for the court houses in Jacksonville, St. Johns, Nassau, and Clay country.

14.  Be a happy bachelorette. Be clear and articulate with your bridesmaids about the type of bachelorette party you would like to have. You don’t have to dictate the details, but if you want an ‘intimate gathering of friends to talk’ and they’re planning a ‘wild night at strip clubs’ you may feel a wee bit disappointed, not to mention uncomfortable.

15.  Attend a Premier Bride Expo.  It’s a great way to start or finish the wedding planning process.

16.  Enjoy it and try not to stress….getting married is exciting and should be fun!

The groom has proposed; you’ve accepted. Now the planning begins. The only problem is that you and your groom probably work full-time jobs and have hundreds of day-to-day errands and responsibilities. So where do you find the time to plan a wedding? Chances are you’ll be among the thousands of couples each year who have discovered bridal shows. Lucky, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and the rest of the First Coast has many different bridal shows. Some are large like the Premier Bride Expos, and some are smaller, boutique bridal shows. A bridal show affords couples the opportunity to meet photographers, florists, caterers, bakery representatives, musicians, DJs and many other wedding professionals, all conveniently set up under one roof. These shows also provide the opportunity to sample wares, view vendor’s work and compare your level of comfort with other vendors you may already be considering. Many bridal shows features bridal and groom fashion. At the Premier Bride Expo, each bridal salon and groom fashion get extra space where they bring in models and mannequins to display their wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and tuxes. It is a good idea to bring a note pad and pencil or a camera, so you can take notes on your favorite dresses, tuxedos and the stores that offer them. Bridal shows range in size from 40 to 200 exhibitor booths. They normally take place on weekends during the months of January, February, June, and September. In addition to fashion shows, food samples and entertainment are also featured. There are numerous door prizes and contests to enter so bring stick on labels with your name, address and wedding date to make registering for prizes easier. Local bridal shows generally advertise on the radio, in bridal magazines, like Premier Bride Magazine, and in other publications. Local merchants, especially bridal salons, have information on shows in your area as well.

How To Get the Most Out of A Wedding Show

Before you attend the Premier Bride Expo in Jacksonville or St. Augustine, here are some helpful tips that you can apply to get the most out of the bridal show experience!

• Register at www.PremierBrideExpo.com before the show.  This will prevent you from filling out the registration form before entering in the expo floor!  You will be asked to fill out the pink form used for prizes and give-a-ways, which is located at the main emcee booth!
• Check out the vendors that are there!  If you are interviewing or would like to meet certain vendors, email or call them to see if they will be at the expo.  Each participating wedding vendor receives free tickets, ask them for a pair!
• Decide on which “categorizes” of wedding vendors you want to see and make a list.  With over 100+ vendors at each show, you can get overwhelmed so make a list!
• Bring a list of questions you want to ask each vendor.  Make a “note” on your phone or on your tablet.  With so much going on at the expos, it is easy to forget what you want to talk about!
• Don’t be shy!  If you want to talk to a vendor, make sure you approach their booth and start a conversation.  If they are talk to someone else, stand by and listen…they might be asking the same questions that you are!
• There are 3 hours at each Premier Bride Expo in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, so you can come early if you have lots planning, or you can come around 2 pm to avoid the mad rush at the beginning of the show. 
• Every couple is treated as a VIP at the Premier Bride Expo, so everyone gets a swag bag full of goodies and information. 
• Try to have a pattern when walking the trade show floor.  Go right, or go left…just remember where you went and stay on one side of the isle before going to the next.  You want to make sure that you do not miss any vendors!
• Make sure you bring your camera or camera phone – you will want to take pictures of the inspirations that you find or the vendors that you want to use.
• Only bring the people with you who are decision makers.  Your finance, your parents or may be your close friends.  Too many opinions can be tough to get things accomplished.  It can also be frustrating….because it is your wedding…so do what you want!
• Stay together, don’t split up!  Make sure that you walk the floor together because you are making decisions together and there is plenty to discuss!
• Use the map and vendor list that is given to you at the entrance of the bridal show, or is in your wedding swag bag.  It will help you locate the vendors you want to see and find their location.  The Jacksonville expo, at Everbank is on two floors…so it is helpful to know where each vendor is.
• Make sure you bring your calendar with you because you might want to set an appointment at the wedding expo!  All of the vendors are professional and they will respect your time.  They will not push their services on you, but you might fall in love with them and want to book at the show!
• Don’t be afraid to tell a vendor that you have already booked with another vendor, they will appreciate your honesty.
• Enjoy the fashion at the bridal and grooms attire booths.  Many of these vendors bring tons of sample gowns and/or live models to show them off! 
• Eat!  Taste test the cakes, catering and  reception venue food…that is what is there for! 
• If you have a popular wedding dates; March, April, May, October, or November Saturdays…be prepared to make decisions because these are the popular wedding months in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, Orange Park and the surrounding areas.  Be prepared to book vendors quickly because they book up too!
• Wear comfortable shoes….you will walk around a lot!
• Bring labels. Bring labels. Bring labels.  Many wedding vendors will ask you to register at their booth if you are interested in their services.  If you bring the peal and stick labels…you can save your hand from writing out your information! 
• Make sure you pick up your copy of Premier Bride Magazine!