Trade Show Etiquette for Attendees

image from Google Images

When attending a trade fair as a guest or visitor there are some unspoken do's and don'ts that you need to know.

Attendee to Supplier

• When establishing a rapport with the supplier practice the 3 G's - grip, grin, greet.
• When a supplier hands out flyers, you must politely give feedback whether you are interested in their service or not and not string the supplier. 
• Be honest with the details of your event.
• Be honest with your budget.
• Don't compare rates (can you match the rate/package of ***) or haggle as if you're at Divisoria.
• Don't take photos of their items or exhibit. Take a mental note of what you like about their product or write it down. People are sensitive when it comes to intellectual property/design.
• Everyone loves free food samples. Don't linger around to munch all the samples. Graciously accept the sample, taste, ask questions if you're interested in the product and get the move on. 
• If you're at the same industry, don't attend a trade fair as a guest and go around pitching your services to other attendees. That's being sneaky. Rent a booth and work the floor or pay the registration fee and observe and learn from your competition.  

Attendee to Attendee

• There are several trade fairs that have heavy foot traffic and getting through can be hard. Say "Excuse me, pardon me, makikiraan po, etc." will get you through that mess more quickly than shoving or elbowing people. 
• If there's a line, ask where the end of the line is and fall in line like a good sport. 

Attendee to Organizer

• Pre registration normally has a deadline. If it's already closed, don't beg Organizers to reopen the online registration just for you. If it says, print registration form, then print unless they tell you otherwise.
• If there is a line at the registration area, ask where the end of the line is and fall in line like a good sport. 
• If you're also an Organizer of the same industry, do not transact or market your own event. Feel free to collect flyers or literature of suppliers/exhibitors but do not invite them to join yours. 

Thank you Ms. Chacha Datu of Lifestyle Party Planners and Ms. Gerri Diokno of Home and Bridal Essentials for sharing some of your thoughts and tips. 

What is a Bridal Fair?

What is a Bridal Fair?
A bridal fair is a convention of suppliers in the wedding industry to highlight their services offered. It is also a way to get to know the supplier more and get to interact with them. This event helps the soon-to-be married couple in choosing the perfect team who will handle their once in a lifetime moment in a location more convenient and reachable by them.

Reasons to attend a bridal fair?
It is an exceptionally daunting and tiring task for couple to go from north to south just to canvas for their respective suppliers with a plethora of choices also given to them. The bridal fair will give the couple the convenience and the comfort of bringing them all the suppliers they would be needing one event and in one location. Kinda Nifty eh? :)

Bridal fairs also offer extensive promos and discounts for the marrying couple from the suppliers in the event who would come and visit the event. Who wouldn’t want discounts and to save money.

FREEBIES. actually it says it all. haha yup! FREE stuff. Fun games, Raffles and prices await you and your love. There will be FREE trial session for make up for brides. Yey! :)

It is also a great way to conceptualize and plan what kind of wedding do you want to achieve. Ideas and inspiration can come aslo from going to bridal fairs.

Will you attend a bridal fair?
YES,YOU definitely should!:)

You will interact, be inspired, have fun and get to know people in the industry.

Its fun to hang out with us wedding suppliers. We dont bite! :) We pamper! :)

WE will be looking forward to seeing you there!

How to go to a bridal fair?
PRE-register and get tickets for FREE!

Contributed by Nybie Ng Make Up Artistry

Before I Do Couple: Francis and Kat

Francis and Kat had a no fuss wedding. Everything was simple, relaxed, environment friendly and everyone had fun!

I actually considered it as a GREEN WEDDING - earth friendly and low cost. How were they able to pull it off? Let's go over some of the things they had on the day of their wedding starting with the:

Bridal car - Instead of hiring a bridal car, Kat used her own car on the day of her wedding. Her driver? Her very own Maid of Honor.

Bouquets and boutonnieres - Kat ordered fabric flowers from her friend instead of ordering fresh flowers. Served as souvenirs as well.

Photo / Video - This was a gift from a relative of Francis who is into the Photo / Video business in the province.

Invitation - They came up with their own simple design for Invitations by Kenneth Uy to execute. Envelope? Lullu of Invitation Designs by Kenneth Uy had a hard time with this one because they used craft paper.

Church entrance and aisle arrangement - Instead of paying for floral arrangements they had potted plants and what's the good thing about this? They donated the plants to the chapel after the wedding.

Offertory - Again, instead of flowers, potted plant.

Centerpieces - Potted herbs that some of the guests got to bring home.

Wine toasting - They had coke instead.

Wedding cake - A humble 1 layer cake. No styrofoam in this wedding.

Gifts for sponsors - Wines in native bags

Souvenir for guests - The trusty old photo booth

Featured Before I Do Bridal Fair suppliers:
Month of the Wedding Coordination: Simply Beautiful Events
Entourage gowns: VitaBella
Entourage Hair and Make up Artist: Make up by AnneVida and Alyssa Rae Apostol
Invitations: Invitation Designs by Kenneth Uy
Entertainment: ALT
Emcee: Charito Marie Datu
Photo booth: Tinker Booth

The Bridal Fair Experience

The story remains the same… When the initial shock wears off and you force yourself to look at other things (other than that beautiful diamond engagement ring on your finger), many decisions will need to be made and you start to panic. Suddenly, questions such as: When to get married? Where will the dream wedding be? Who are you going to invite? Just pops one after the other. Relax. This is supposed to be the fun part!

Visitors and Guests at Before I Do Bridal Fair

Attending a bridal show such as one of the Before I Do Bridal Fair Series is very helpful in planning one's wedding because you can meet with many wedding specialists all in one location and it’s the most convenient way to learn about a myriad of event options, from gowns to jewelry. It normally takes months for couples to meet with all the suppliers they want to meet and book. But when you attend bridal fairs, you can make educated decisions in a time-efficient manner.

Bride having her trial make up with Ms. Jo Barba 

 At bridal fairs, you get to experience with all your senses what you miss online or in the printed word. Smell the flowers…taste the cakes…listen to the music…meet award winning photographers….try on the tiaras! And once you’re face-to-face with the experts, you can ask them their most burning questions.

To help you start at the right footing, here are the first few things you should do when you attend bridal fairs:
   1. Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. You'll be glad you did.
   2. Register online to avoid the long line if not, be prepared to register at the door. Be patient! This is well worth it.
   3. Bring pre-printed self-adhesive address labels or DIY calling cards with your name, address, phone, email, and wedding date. This will save you time and allow you to sign up for anything you want very quickly.
   4. Bring a pen and print very clearly when registering for anything.

Couples filling out coupons for the Onsite Booker Raffle

   5. Bring your check book in case you decide to book services or hold dates with a deposit. Be sure to check on refund policies before giving any money, and read the contract carefully before signing.
   6. If you're not sure, don't commit. Collect any information you are interested in - take it home to look over again when you have some quiet time.

Couple consulting Chef Velmor of Purple Dish during their food tasting at Before I Do Bridal Fair

   7. If you cannot attend, send someone in your place to register you for prizes and collect information on services you need.

   8. It is nice if your fiancé attends with you. A lot of grooms-to-be attend, so he won't be the only one there!
   9. Relax and have fun -- this is your wedding shopping spree!

Wink offered incredible deals at Before I Do Bridal Fair

Bring your girlfriends, mom, and even your fiancé and enjoy the day. Many wedding suppliers will be giving discounts and you can only benefit from these if you attend bridal fairs.

Foot Washing Ceremony

Have you heard of Foot Washing Ceremony? I just learned about it when I saw the wedding photos of RJ and Pat.

A good alternative to a Unity Candle Ceremony specially if your wedding takes place at a garden or the beach.

This is a physical expression of a commitment to service. Husband and wife are supposed to love and to serve one another, this is a really lovely way to show humility, devotion and complete surrender to your spouse.

Our friends, RJ and Pat, during their feet washing ceremony last December 30, 2012.

Where did this originate? In biblical times, washing the feet was something the servants of the household or the host did for their guests after a long journey. During the last supper-- on the night before Jesus was arrested-- He showed submission and humility to His disciples when He washed their feet. They called Him Master and Teacher, but He humbled himself before them.

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”  After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. 

John 13: 1-17 NLT

Scribbles of an Event Planner

Wedding Budget

I have been asked countless times "How much does it take to get married?" and I normally throw back a question straight and direct to the point... "It depends on how much you want to pay for it?".

Yes, it all depends on how much you want to spend for your wedding. You can get married for as low as Php 7,000 (just enough to pay for legal papers) or the moon is the limit (well here, anything goes - the most expensive wedding we did was at 2.5M).

When my clients get confused with their budget, I get them to answer a short questionnaire just to find out if they are at the same page in their wedding preps and their priorities.

In planning your dream wedding and staying on the budget, here's what you need to do:

                            

Think about your dream wedding. Each of you should list down everything that you want to make your dream wedding come true. Once you're done with that, time to go back to reality and compare notes (to find out if you are at the same page), determine how much you both are willing to spend or save up for your wedding.

                         

Now, you have to work with your fiance on the following:

1) Be realistic... up to how much do you want to spend?

• Getting married these days is pretty expensive. Better to know early on what your limit is would be a great help. Remember, there is still life after the wedding. You don't have to impress anybody.

2) Identify your top 3 or top 5 priorities and your least priorities.  

• Knowing your priorities will help you determine where you can splurge - food, venue, photo and video?
• It will determine what items you can skimp on - souvenirs, decor, flowers, etc.
• Make sure that both of you have the same priorities. If not, it's time to talk about it and compromise if needed (e.g. You want a vintage bridal car but he wants a Mercedes Benz bridal car). 
• Our clients normally decide on prioritizing the following: photo and video, venue (church and reception), food, entertainment and gown

3) Allocate a specific amount for all the items in your list

• If you prioritize your photo and video allocate a certain budget for this. Packages from good photo and video suppliers starts at Php 35,000. The most expensive we know of is at Php 150,000. 
• If you're not prioritizing your gown, you may opt to buy it at Divisoria at Php 5,000. Just don't tell anyone about it. Nobody would really know it's from Divisoria. For all they know you had a big time designer to create it for you (as long as it's nicely done).

4) Tally everything

• Add the total cost of the amount you alotted for your wedding based on your "dream wedding"
• If you're over budget, find out which item made you go over budget
• Determine what items you can skimp on, do it yourself, delegate, let go or keep the optimism high by finding the next best thing.

5) Search for your suppliers

• The best way to meet suppliers is to attend bridal fairs. It's just like shopping but here you'll be shopping for the best deals for your wedding
• Buy wedding magazines. For international magazines, I prefer Martha Stewart Weddings because of their do-it-yourself crafts but I would still buy our local wedding magazines as reference since it features local suppliers.
• Browse thru wedding portals such as kasal.com 
• Ask your coordinator (if you're getting one)

6) You can always ask for a wedding package

• Some suppliers, normally caterers and hotels, have wedding packages that includes almost everything. Making it easier for you to plan your wedding and sometimes it comes out cheaper

Hope this helps you plan your wedding!

Feel free to add more tips!

Scribbles of an Event Planner

Before I Do Couple: Christian and Michelle

Christian and Michelle's wedding made me realize that anything is possible.

By just listening to their onsite video you know that they went through a lot and the love is there to stay.

"There's one thing, the only thing I want you to remember, kahit magka Alzheimer's ka kailangan mo syang tandaan. I will love you for the rest of my life that's the only promise I know how to keep."

Michelle shared with us some thoughts on how she prepared for her wedding and a bit of an advice for soon to wed couples.

"The best thing that happened during the wedding preparation...hmmm....nothing so unique but being surrounded by the people I love, bringing them all together it's....wonderful. Knowing that they made an effort travelling back to Philippines to be with me and witness a very special event in my life. They just made it extra special."

"The best thing that happened during our wedding:
#1 Finally were married!!!! aside from that...
#2 the Sun came up after few days of rain and aside from that ...
#our very special friend who had been with us all through out the wedding prep was there even though she was on the rough spot and dealing some personal issues she was there with us to help us and make sure that everything will run smooth. Hands down very professional. I respect her for being so professional. By the way she's our Coordinator, Summer." For more about this visit http://vrccreative.blogspot.com/2013/08/of-beginnings-and-endings.html)

"I haven't seen or talked to my father for years and hearing his speech was something I never expected. The memories and how well he still know me was just so special to me."

"I splurge on the major things like the venue, food, photographer, dress and the stylist and saved on invitations. I also did some DIY on few details."

"Ohhh!!! The wedding is very fun to think about like thinking about you're dress and imagining your wedding, but wait till you start the real preparation it wasn't that easy at all."

"It will take most of your time doing some research and all that to put up your dream wedding. Good thing that I have people to count on during those time when I don't know what to do. Not one bride knows what to do with their wedding except for those who are already involved on the wedding industry, I think."

"You're best friend is Mr Google. Before you hire a supplier or plan something research first check everywhere. There's forum, there's Facebook and other social media and every possible way you can check them so you're sure you're getting the right supplier for you. If you're based abroad never neglect hiring a Coordinator because she will be your person."

"I wish I had more time preparing for the wedding there's something more I wanted to do."

"Our best decision was we hired a very professional suppliers to create our dream wedding. We never risk on hiring suppliers for the sake of saving. If you trust and like the work of a supplier and you feel that they will give you what you want I say go for it. It's a once in a lifetime event so why not make it special."

Surprise birthday cake for the birthday boy

"Married life is a mix up fun and challenge. It's fun because we made it fun as much as possible even though there is absolutely down time on some days. I think it actually depends on the couple how they will handle their marriage. I say it's challenging because now you have to consider you're husbands thoughts and feelings not like when you're single I will just do whatever I like. Also let's not forget that there's a lot of adjustments to make. Also a bit of advice give you're partner freedom let you're partner do whatever he/she wants as long as both of you know your limitations. I swear it avoids a lot of conflicts and arguments."



Featured Before I Do Bridal Fair suppliers:
Full Planning & Coordination: Simply Beautiful Events
Ceremony and Reception: The Mango Farm
Invitations: Wingdingz Invitations
Entertainment and Sound System: Notecracker
Mobile Bar: GQ Mobile Bar
Bridal Car: Don Roberts Bridal Car
Photo booth: Fantasy Kiosk