How prospective brides can efficiently navigate bridal expos

Bridal expos are a perfect event for a bride-to-be to collect valuable

information to help with planning her wedding celebration.

However, being presented with such a vast amount of bridal resources in one

fell swoop can be over stimulating, produce high anxiety and overwhelm even the

most organized person.

Professional Organizer Candita Clayton of

Your Life Organized by C Squared

based in Rumford, Rhode Island suggests the following pointers to help

prospective brides efficiently navigate bridal expos with ease.

Prior to the Expo:

• Prepare your tools for the expo on the night before so you can maintain

  your focus on the day of the event

• If the expo has a website, take a look at the vendors who will be

  exhibiting.

• Develop a written plan of attack before you attend the show
• Create a list prioritizing the categories you wish to gather information

  about

• Arm yourself with an accordion file folder. This will keep all the

  materials you collect together

• Label folders according to each category of products and services you

  wish to gather

• Use standard letter envelopes to hold business cards for each category.

  Mark the front of each accordingly

• Use a compact notebook, pen and yellow highlighter
• Predetermine that you will write keywords about each vendor on their

  business card to help you recall unique details such as price, quality,

  availability, etc.

• Pack a tote bag with your supplies and personal essentials in place of

  your purse

• Wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers of clothing
• If you have attended similar events at the expose venue, try to recall

  how the booths were organized to help you predetermine how to approach the

  venue's interior space

• Promise yourself that you won't make any impulse decisions or commit to

  the services of any one exhibitor until you review your candidates after the

  show.

At the Expo:

• Upon entering the show, immediately locate a program listing exhibitors
• Step aside from the crowd and find a space where you can review the

  program

• Scan the list to find those exhibitors who match your high priority

  categories

• Highlight this info
• Make a list of their booth numbers. If possible organize the list in

  numerical order

• Use this list as your map to help you navigate the show and as a

  checklist to ensure that you have visited each before you leave the show

• Next, familiarize yourself with the space's layout and arrangement of

  booths

• Use your list of booth numbers to determine your first stop
• Head straight for the booths for your top priority vendors
• Avoid getting sidetracked with other vendors before visiting those with

  high priority.

After the Expo:

• Give yourself ample time to decompress, even if it is several days
• Review the materials you have collected at the show only when you feel

  refreshed and enthusiastic

• Sort through the materials on a category by category basis rather than

  all at once

• If necessary, sort through the info in separate sittings so as to not

  overwhelm yourself at once

• Determine a deadline as to when you need to select a service or product.

  Write this date on the exterior of each category's envelope holding the

  business cards

• Do not throw away any business cards until you have hired a vendor in

  case you need to revisit the selection process

• Keep a running list of the final companies that you are considering to

  hire along with your contact notes for each.