The Plano Bridal Show, held September 25, 2005, was a huge success. Despite weather concerns, the day of the show arrived with sunny skies and big crowds. Many say this was the best Plano Bridal Show they were ever participated in.

Judy McAlvey, with Just For You Custom Creations, presented a phenomenal fashion show to the delight of the many brides in attendance. Exhibitors such as Ostermeyer Photography visited with hundreds of brides and showed them everything their company had to offer. What a great opportunity to "show and tell" your products!

The Plano Bridal Show is a small regional show produced by Bridal Shows, Inc. due to the request of many of our vendors. Although it is on a much smaller scale than the Dallas Bridal Show, many vendors benefit from the personal venue where they have time to really discuss the bride's vision. The Plano Bridal Show also targets a higher end bride.

The next Plano Bridal Show will be March 12, 2006. If you have not already booked a space then please call to become a part of this great show. The Plano Centre is a limited space facility and we always have a waiting list for space, so the sooner you reserve a spot the better.

Two dollars from every adult admission at the September 2005 Plano Bridal Show was donated to the American Red Cross in order to help hurricane victims. There was a total of 1,015 adult tickets sold, creating a donation total of $2,030!

What are wedding associations?

A wedding association provides opportunities for various wedding related companies to come together and network, discuss industry topics, and share ideas. Being a part of one or more wedding associations is not only fun and enjoyable but also very beneficial to building your business. Networking is the key to referrals and getting your name out to a number of brides. It is also a great way to gain new ideas and suggestions from your peers. Bridal Shows, Inc. is a part of three wonderful wedding associations in the area. Click on the titles to learn more about each.

Association of Wedding Professionals

Professional Wedding Guild

Wedding Entrepreneuers of Distinction

If you are interested in one or more of these associations and would like to visit a meeting as a guest of Bridal Shows, Inc. we would be happy to have you! Please contact Naomi at naomi@bridalshowsinc.com to become our honored guest.

The following story was submitted by Amanda with Celebrate Cakes:

After years of working in the wedding industry, Celebrate Cakes was aware that things don't always work out. Therefore, they have established a strict "no refund" policy. When one client's mother called in and announced that the wedding was off and the bridal cake was no longer needed, the mother was reminded that all she could receive was credit for a cake of "equal or lesser" value.

Dissapointed but understanding, the mother hung up saying they would consider what to do. Not too long after that she called back asking if she could have their cake delivered to a residence on the would be day of the wedding. Amanda with Celebrate Cakes replied, "Sure, is there another event going on that day?" The mother assured her there was no event but that they wanted the cake delivered to the ex-groom with a very specific message.

The Bride and her mother requested their cake be made in the shape of a horse's rear with the words, "Good luck in life with Lacy and Tina." One can only assume who Lacy and Tina might be...

Always one to satisfy the customer, on the day the wedding would have taken place, Amanda showed up at the ex-groom's house with a special delivery. She'll never forget this experience!

If you have a funny "wedding mishap" story you would like to share in a future newsletter, please email a brief synopsis to bonnie@bridalshowsinc.com.

The Dallas Bridal Show is the second largest bridal show in the United States and is barely two months away! Have you reserved a space yet?

Drawing 3,000 brides out of 10,000 attendees, the Dallas Bridal Show held January 14-15 is not only our largest bridal show of the year but the largest bridal show in the DFW Metroplex! The Dallas Bridal Show is a two-day show held at Dallas Market from 10:00am to 6:00pm both days.

Being face to face with thousands of brides gives you the chance to really sell your product or service. Our longtime customers will tell you this is one show you don’t want to miss out on. Read just a few of our many testimonials below:

Our videography company, Soulbox Productions, owes a lot to Bridal Shows Inc. The first year we took our business fulltime, we also had our first show. That year we got over 85% of our weddings, booking more than 20 brides and grooms, from the Dallas Bridal Show alone. Which meant the show paid for itself 20 times over. Not only that, but their staff is so kind and always willing to work with us.

Thank you for helping our business grow and profit,

I have been a professional florist since 1974, and have seen many trends come and go. In all this time, there has never been an establishment that has had a greater impact on the wedding industry than the Dallas Bridal Show. My business has been involved in this trade show for many years. During this time I have seen thousands of brides thrilled to be able to plan an entire wedding in one weekend at the show. From a vendor’s viewpoint, we are a family. Naomi and her staff are committed to our success. There are only winners at the Dallas Bridal Show. All year long, the chatter around town is, “When is the next show?” Each one brings something new and exciting to the brides and merchants. I look forward to this combination or work and fun every time.

Madalyn Zimmermann
Z’s Florist

And for those of you who have done shows and feel you don’t need to do another, read Larry Jackson’s testimonial below:

Naomi,

As Larry mentioned, our shows fill up fast and we already have waiting lists for several categories. So don’t wait a second longer, book your booth for the Dallas Bridal Show!

We recently sent out a survey to over 3,000 brides that have attended our shows in the past. The survey asked the following questions:

• What did you like about the bridal show?
• What didn't you like about the bridal show?
• What benefited you most?
• What made you want to do business with some of the companies?
• What made you NOT want to do business with some of the companies?

The responses have not only been helpful in improving our bridal shows, but can also be used by you, the vendor, to improve your sales from the bridal shows.

Listed below is a small sampling of some of the responses to "what made you want to do businesses with some of the companies?"

"The ones that seemed the most prepared really caught my eye"

If you would like to see more of the responses from the survey, attend one of our Exhibiting 101 seminars! Attendees will each receive a report from the Bride Survey.

If you attended the September 22nd session, a copy of the Brides Survey Report will be mailed out by the end of November.

A little boy was in a relative's wedding. As he was coming down the aisle he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd (alternating between bride's side and groom's side). While facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar . . . so it went, step, step, ROAR, step, step, ROAR all the way down the aisle. As you can imagine, the crowd was near tears from laughing so hard by the time he reached the pulpit. The little boy, however, was getting more and more distressed from all the laughing, and was also near tears by the time he reached the pulpit. When asked what he was doing, the child sniffed and said, "I was being the Ring Bear. . ."

http://www.becquet.com/laughter/66.htm

Attention all wedding companies!

Naomi Hulme of Bridal Shows, Inc. will be producing a Wedding Industry Trade Show on May 17, 2006 at the Diamond Oaks Country Club near Fort Worth.

Wedding businesses are invited to attend this event which is designed to include exhibitors that help wedding businesses succeed in bridal shows, advertising, chasing leads, and general small business information.

More details to come in the future, but for now circle May 17 as a day you don't want to miss!

Thank you to all our many active subscribers that have shown a keen interest in our newsletter and have responded with positive comments. One email, sent by Carolyn Weeks of Chair Covers & Linens, Inc. reassured us that the newsletter, among other things, is helping our vendors build their business! Please read her email below:

Naomi,

Carolyn Weeks
Account Executive
Chair COvers & Linens-Texas Division

Carolyn told us that it was after her corporate office had a look at the November newsletter that they allocated the funds to participate. Use your newsletter to help you! Forward it to your corporate office or other friends in the industry. If you would like a copy of our media packet (pictured above) let us know!

The Dallas Morning News and Bridal Shows, Inc. are working together to deliver a magazine that highlights wedding businesses and draws additional attendees to the Dallas Bridal Show.

Dallas Bridal Show exhibitors will have the opportunity to advertise, at a discount, in the magazine which will be mailed to 15,000 newly engaged brides in the DFW area. This is a great way to create a call to action (something to get people to your booth at the show) for additional potential business.

We will also have 5,000 copies of the magazine available for distribution at the Dallas Bridal Show. There will also be a promotion to brides-to-be for entry into a drawing for $1,000.

If you are already a Dallas Morning News advertiser, please call your account executive for additional information. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity to advertise with The Dallas Morning News for the first time, please call Lauren Feldman at
214-977-2230.

This opportunity has a limited timeframe with a very quick upcoming deadline, so if you are interested call today!

Pink Panache is the creation of two sisters, DeeDee and Noelle, who love to adorn women for all occasions. Bridal and bridal party jewelry is one facet of their passion for creating beautiful things. They have the ability to create fabulous custom jewelry that reflects the uniquness of this singular day in a bride's life.

Working with a bride or through a bridal consultant to complete their vision for adorning the bride or her attendants is a unique opportunity that they relish. Choosing jewelry that can be the gift brides give their attendants and what they wear on the big day is easy to do with the classically playful designs created by Pink Panache.

Amy Love, the owner of Bliss Mobile Day Spa, is a massage therapist with extensive experience in the wellness industry. “The mobile spa is a new trend in the ever evolving spa industry.” She says. Bliss brings the spa to you. All the luxury, indulgence, and enjoyment found at a traditional spa can now be yours in the comfort of your home, at a hotel, at special events, in the office, indoors or out. Bliss brings all the supplies: fresh linens, soft towels, spa equipment, aromatherapy candles, soothing music and more to soothe your spirit and enhance your well- being.

Bliss specializes in “spa parties” which are a fun and affordable way for guests to celebrate a special event. From bridal and baby showers, bachelorette parties, birthdays or a girls night out, friends gather to enjoy a variety of spa services. Preventing stress in the workplace is another of Bliss Mobile Day Spa’s goals. A simple 15 minute chair massage to reduce stress can focus the mind wonderfully. Bliss offers services to companies big and small and helps obtain a happy, stress-free workforce.

Treat yourself or a friend to Bliss spa services to look and feel your best. “You can spa on your own schedule,” Love says. “Taking the time to nourish your body, mind and soul in this fast-paced world is not a luxury, it’s a necessity!”

Is your bride having a difficult time finding a matching wedding band for her engagement ring? Most grooms do a great job selecting an engagement ring but don’t take into consideration the complimentary wedding band. Often brides find it very difficult to find a wedding band that fits flush against the engagement ring, without leaving a gap. Shapiro Diamonds offers the unique opportunity to work with world-class jewelers to custom create a wedding band that not only complements the style and look of the engagement ring perfectly, but also fits completely flush against the engagement ring. The professional design team at Shapiro Diamonds creates wedding bands using either a wax model or CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology, a technology allowing a the wedding band to be created “virtually”. These options create a wedding band that is custom fit and matches her engagement ring. Click HERE to view the several custom designs!

Shapiro Diamonds is a private Diamond and Jewelry Design Studio specializing in bridal jewelry including diamond engagement rings and wedding bands. Shapiro Diamonds offers couples a private, upstairs design studio environment and the ability to work one-on-one with a tenured diamond expert. Additionally, the studio provides unlimited access to an inventory of over 50,000 loose diamonds ranging from half a carat to ten carats. Shapiro Diamonds has a team of onsite world-class jewelry designers, ready to create a custom, one-of-a-kind piece especially for the couple. With international diamond access, private studio environment, and custom design expertise, Shapiro Diamonds delivers an unparalleled diamond and jewelry buying experience.