Being an Educated Bride is Being a Savvy Bride

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) November 27, 2007 -- Bridal season, the time when couples across the tri-State get engaged, is drawing near. This January, bridal shows will draw thousands of newly-engaged couples.

"Ironically, more clients book wedding planners after bridal shows because they leave them so overwhelmed," said Kathy Piech-Lukas, president of Your Dream Day. "It's important to know how to use all of the wedding planning tools out there and understand exactly how they work."

Going to a bridal show is the most efficient way to taste cakes from 10 different bakeries in one hour
When going to a bridal show, Piech-Lukas suggests wearing an outfit that has pockets. This way, the vendor's contact information doesn't get lost in the mass pile of literature. Go into the bridal show with a shopping list of what needs to be booked for the wedding. Determine which wedding vendors and categories need to be booked beforehand and only visit those vendors. Bridal shows are a great way to sample multiple wedding cakes in one location.

Bridal shows and wedding magazines, such as The Knot Ohio, Southwest Ohio Weddings and Cincinnati Weddings, are a great way to get decorating ideas, create wedding planning timelines and manage a wedding budget. Featured weddings in all of these magazines showcase some of the best work across the state and give brides great decorating ideas. Your Dream Day offers a complimentary copy of each of these magazines with a free meet-and-greet consultation.

Piech-Lukas also advises brides to do their own research for wedding vendors and not to rely solely on a list from another vendor or an ad from a magazine. "Planning a wedding is an emotional time and an emotional purchase. For wedding vendors, it's a business and their livelihood."

Wedding vendors pay to be in print publications and listed on websites like The Knot, Cincinnati Weddings, Southwest Ohio Weddings, Perfect Wedding Guide, Bride and Groom Planner and the Wedding Day Planner. Although it may initially be by invitation only, vendors may pay hundreds of dollars, sometimes thousands, to exhibit at smaller bridal shows at reception halls, be on exclusive referral lists, or participate in a networking group for wedding vendors. Publications given to brides by reception halls, which have colorful advertisements, are also typically paid placements.

Non-biased surveys, like The Knot Best of Weddings, are the best resource for good wedding vendors. The Knot conducted a massive survey of 25,000 recent brides and grooms - the first of its kind - to capture detailed feedback on every wedding business that couples hired for their wedding celebration. Newlyweds were asked to rate their vendors on multiple criteria, from creativity to professionalism, and to comment on their experiences. The resulting ratings - and detailed feedback - were aggregated by the editors of The Knot to create this one-of-a-kind publication highlighting the best wedding resources in each region according to local brides. The survey was administered by Harris Interactive. The Bride and Groom Planner also conducts a survey of its members at www.myweddingsurvey.com. All vendors, regardless of whether they advertise at the Bride and Groom Planner, are reviewed on the website. Cincinnati Magazine also conducts a "Best of City" survey which has awarded select wedding vendors, like Fabulous Bridal, the coveted award.

Your Dream Day, which is a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, the International Special Events Society, and the only wedding coordinating company that is a member of the Better Business Bureau, was named a pick in The Knot Best of Weddings 2007 and believes that these survey resources and referrals from your wedding planner, friends and family members are your best bet. Your Dream Day is located in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio and also designs events throughout Ohio and the United States.

"Bridal consultants like Your Dream Day prescreen all 800+ vendors offering wedding services in the tri-State and does not accept kickbacks from any vendor we refer. The Association of Bridal Consultants strongly frowns on its consultants accepting kickbacks. Referrals are made solely on budget, personality, and style fit for our clients. We want our clients to get the best bang for their buck and demonstrate why it's a necessity, rather than a luxury, to have a wedding planner on a couple's team of vendors. If we don't demonstrate cost savings and time efficiency to our clients, we're not doing our job."

Upcoming Bridal Shows in the tri-State include:

Wendy's Bridal Show, January 5-6, 2008, Cincinnati Convention Center, 10 to 5 p.m., $10 per person.
Dayton Bridal Expo, January 5-6, 2008, Dayton Convention Center, $8 per person.
Cincinnati Wedding Showcase, January 12-13, 2008, 11 to 5 p.m., Sharonville Convention Center. $10 per person.
Dayton Hara Bridal Gala, January 19 & 20, 2008; 11 to 5 p.m. Hara Arena, Dayton.
Dayton Bridal Expo, January 27, 2008, Dayton Marriott, 12 to 5 p.m., $8 per person
BridalRama Winter Showcase, February 9 & 10, 2008, Cincinnati Convention Center. $10 at the door.
Wedding 101, taught by members of the Association of Bridal Consultants. December 7, 2007 and March 2, 2008. $25 per person. Pre-registration required.

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