We attended the Calgary Bridal Fair at the end of January and won the award for Best Booth Design in the Event Planner category. I was so excited when they presented us with the award. This is the second time we’ve won this award. You can view the pictures of our award-winning booth here.

We’ve had a lot of interest in our wedding planning services since then so I’ve been busy meeting with couples. They’ve all loved our new office space in Calgary which is in the community of Bridgeland, so not far from the downtown core. We’ve also debuted a new collection of planning programs, which are overseen by my Associate Planner, Kendra Scott. We launched this line of planning programs because so many brides want the Firefly Occasions experience but unfortunately their budgets were not aligned with the pricing involved in our custom programs, which I oversee. I’ll expain all the details in an upcoming post but if you’d like to see these for yourself to see if they are a good fit for you please drop us an email at info@fireflyoccasions.com

So the Calgary Bridal Fair was 2 weeks back and I can proudly say that Firefly Occasions (my wife’s Wedding Planning company) won the Best Booth Design by an Event Planner.  It was pretty cool, we worked really hard on the design and it was great to be recognized again as a leader in our industry.  I got to meet a lot of Brides & Grooms and chat with them about their weddings.  Thanks to some of my Grooms for braving the show and stopping by to hang out.  We’re all settled in the new office and I’m just hanging the last of the art work around the place, it looks great!

We’re booking meetings for new clients and we’re booking up fast, so if you saw us at the fair or you’re thinking of hiring a wedding planner or designer for your special day, I say visit the all new website at www.fireflyoccasions.com . Contact us right away to secure your free consultation and take the next step in ensuring that your wedding is the one all your guests talk about for years to come.  Or you can email me at info@fireflyoccasions.com and we’ll hook you up that way.

Cheers,

Simon

Click here to book your free consultation.

Bridal shows can be completely OVERWHELMING for a bride. There are so many other brides, so many booths, everyone is trying to get from point to point and it can really get crazy. In this special edition of my ezine I’m going to give you some savvy tips and tricks for hitting the bridal expo with style and sass!!

Tip #1: Wear comfy shoes! – You’re going to be walking a mile on a hard tradeshow floor. Yes, it’s lovely to look fashionable but the brides in stilettos never last long at the bridal expo. If you really want to see everything and be comfortable think about your feet first! (But be a little elegant and leave the stinky gym sneakers at home… opt for some cute supportive flats.)

Tip #2: 1000 Brides Gather In 1 Place – You think it might be a bit of a mob scene? Well then you’re absolutely right! If you really want to get some valuable one on one time with the exhibitors I recommend planning the timing of your visit to the Expo. When the fashion show is taking place the booths slow down significantly. This is a great time to chat with an exhibitor or try on dresses at the gown sale. I also recommend first thing in the morning (especially if you want your pick of all those frugally priced gowns).

Tip #3: Your Hand Will Cramp – Many exhibitors will be offering prizes at their booths and you’ll be asked to fill out a ballot form. You waste valuable time writing out your contact info again and AGAIN. So print off a couple sheets of labels that include your name, your groom’s name, your wedding date, your address, phone number and email. Then it will be easy to just peel and stick your info to the ballots. Then you can spend quality time checking out all the cool stuff on display!

Tip #4: Watch Out For Bridezilla! – I often see the dreaded bridezilla at the Bridal Expo. You know her… she’s the girl that pushes your Mom aside so she can get a better look at the booth, she criticizes your wedding colors when she overhears you gushing about them, she muscles her way to the prize box while telling the exhibitor she doesn’t want any information (just the prize!) and she complains loudly about how expensive everything is…. Oh yes… Bridezilla always makes an appearance at the Bridal Expo. But don’t let this kind of bride ruin your good time! She has a bunch of BAD karma surrounding her so just IGNORE HER and have some fun!

Tip #5: Be Patient & Be Nice – Be the opposite of bridezilla. The exhibitors at the show have brought some really great deals with them… some that you won’t even know about unless you talk to them! It’s true! At our booth I have a SPECIAL OFFER JUST FOR YOU!! If you come to my booth I’ll give you a special gift if you introduce yourself to me and let me know you read my ezine. But I’m ONLY giving this gift to brides on my ezine list that visit my booth- no exceptions. But I might be a little busy, so please be patient and look around our booth because I do want to talk to all the brides that come by.

This kind of mentality will get you far with other exhibitors as well. I find myself giving extra nice brides FREE advice! I know other exhibitors do too!! (because we all want to work with nice brides)

Tip #6: Hydrate! – The Round Up Centre with over 1000 people in it at any given time can heat up pretty quick. And you can bet the water ain’t cheap! So bring along some water for your journey. You don’t want to get a headache!!

Tip #7: One Step at a Time – Okay, the truth is that there are going to be A LOT of booths, people, and noise at the Bridal Expo. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. YES, there are a lot of choices but you don’t have to choose EVERYTHING or choose ANYTHING right there and then. Here are a couple of TIPS within my TIPS to dealing with all the choices:

•  Seek And Ye Shall Find – Know what you are looking for and enjoy the rest. Don’t feel like you have to choose ALL your vendors from the Bridal Expo. This is just a sampling of some of Calgary’s finest. You may connect with some vendors, you may not. This is a great opportunity to meet people face to face and figure out if they should be part of your wedding day.
• One by One – Approach each vendor calmly, ready to hear the sales pitch (yes- the sales pitch). The exhibitors are there to sell to you. You’re there to buy right? So if someone is overwhelming you just ask them politely to SLOW DOWN. You don’t need the info dump! Ask the questions you want answered.
• Thanks But No Thanks – If you’re not interested thank them and walk away. Don’t take the flyer and load up your bridal bag. Guess what? You’ll quickly rifle through that bag ONCE after the expo, pulling out the vendors you connected with… and then it’ll sit in your closet to be found on your 2 year wedding anniversary!

BONUS: Tip #8: Overwhelmed? Come Relax With Me – The day can get a bit hairy but think of my booth as a sanctuary. Come by and enjoy the elegance, look at pretty wedding photos and chat with us about your wedding. It’s really hard to figure out which exhibitors you should be seeing and I can point you in the direction of some of my favorites. I can also tell you about our FABULOUS programs that will do ALL the work for you (they make you feel like a celebrity!). So always know that I’m waiting at Booth 115 with a smile (and a hug if you need it!)

Ciara’s Bridal Advice

Good luck and I’ll see you there!! Don’t forget to introduce yourself to me for my SPECIAL OFFER, available ONLY to subscribers of my ezine!

It may have been Valentine’s day, it may have been on vacation or it may have been during a hot air balloon ride (Congrats Steve & Sonya), but you got engaged…you’ve done a bit of planning, and while you were hiding the newspaper (like Marge did to Homer when the Chili Fest came to town) your bride to be has found out that there is a huge Bridal Show in Calgary and now she wants you to come as well. This is a full day of wandering around the Round Up Center looking at booth after booth, most of which couldn’t care less if you were there or not. Most vendors go after the Bride and the Bride only. It’s why I started Gutsy Groom in the first place and it’s why I work full time with my wife at Firefly Occasions to make sure the Groom isn’t left out and that his ideas are fully incorporated into the wedding planning process and the wedding day.

WHAT DO YOU AS THE GROOM DO????

As a planner & event designer, I attend this event twice a year, so I’m going to impart some tips to you on how to survive this day, keep your bride happy and make it out alive.

Comfort And Style

The trick is to mesh the two. You need to walk around all day, stand on concrete and look good while doing it. You wouldn’t wear track pants to go buy a new car, so why slum it for the Bridal Show? Project a high end image and high end vendors will be drawn to you. This is simple attraction. Vendors interview you just as much as you interview them, so put on a nice shirt, good pair of jeans and a kick ass pair of COMFORTABLE shoes. I’m not saying show up in a 3 piece suit, but dammit man, LOOK GOOD! I started going to this event in a T-shirt and jeans years ago, now that I plan 6 figure weddings, I dress the part.

Versatile Clothing Is Good

A dress shirt is good, as I find that they seem to blast the A/C, but when all those people get into that space…man it gets hot. I get cranky when I overheat so I always make sure I can change my body temp quickly and whenever possible, without having to carry anything. So with a dress shirt, you can roll up the sleeves, let off some steam and this will keep you in a better mood and not overheated all day.

Sure you can take a sweater off, but then you have to carry it.

I also recommend, that if you bring a coat, leave it in the car. It’s not that far from the car park to the doors, and you DO NOT want to be carrying around a coat all day. With Calgary you never know what the weather will be like, but trust me, if your fiancé brings a coat, odds are you’ll be carrying it around when she gets hot. So leave yours in the car so you won’t be carrying around two. And avoid the coat check (if there is such a thing) as that’s just another line you’ll have to wait in.

Happy Feet Ain’t Just For The Penguins

ALWAYS make sure you have a comfy pair of shoes on. You’ll be walking around all day and standing while you chat to vendors or your fiancé does. The floors in the Round Up Center are concrete. Being on concrete for hours on end takes a toll on the feet. And after the feet go, the legs follow and then it’s all downhill from there. I usually wear a pair of sneakers or the shoes I picked up at the Bridal Centre (patent leather sneakers) I’m not saying head out and buy new shoes for the show, go through the closet and see what you have. But make sure they have a nice, comfy sole on them. Cushioning will get you through the day and save the pain in your legs when you hit hour 4. This is a big venue and you’ll be doing A LOT of walking.

Hydration Is Key

So I know that the show is on a Sunday and Saturday nights are a great party night. But this is only ONE day out of countless weekends you’ll have in your life. Do yourself AND your fiancé a favor and don’t go out and get sloshed on Saturday night. Trust me on this, you’ll pay for it tenfold the next day.

So no hangovers OK guys!?!!

That being said, the recycled air will dry you out almost as fast. I suggest bringing a large water bottle, sure they sell water and but there is that whole line thing again. Bring Vitamin water, Powerade, whatever gets you through. I strongly suggest passing on your Red Bull type drinks as they induce a rather nasty crash after a couple of hours. (And if you leave that coat in the car, carrying a water bottle around isn’t that bad.) If you do need a “pick me up” type drink I suggest those little 5 hour energy drinks they sell at the gas station. I use these on long road trips and I can say they work, and have little to no crash at the end. I think they may include a bottle of water in your “welcome Package”…but you’ll go through that in no time flat. And remember to eat as well…the burgers are actually quite good.

Take It All In

This type of event can be very overwhelming, so take your time. If you find a vendor you like, get all their contact info, make a note on it so you don’t forget what it was you liked about them and keep it somewhere safe. There is so much info passed out at these things that the good stuff can get lost in the shuffle. If you can make an appointment with the vendor on the spot for a later date, do so. Take the time to talk to the vendor and get a feel for them and the services they offer. If you take an interest in stuff instead of hanging back and moping, the day will go by faster, your fiancé will love you for it and you’ll be able to get some of your ideas incorporated in your special day as well.

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

While this may not be the greatest day ever…it doesn’t have to be the worst. Follow the simple steps listed above and it’ll go smoothly. If your fiancé brings other people, ie: her mother, maid of honor, any bridesmaids…anyone really. Listen to what they have to say, add your opinion, but NEVER get into a fight with any of them. You can discuss all the info you gather when you get home with the only person who really matters…YOUR WIFE TO BE.

We are flooded with calls after the show, so if you want to meet with us after meeting us at the show, we can hook you up on the spot and make a sit down appointment with you. This way you won’t have to wait and you’ll have pick of the times we offer for meetings. If you’d like to secure your meeting now, simply click here and let me know the details of the wedding and I’ll book you in for a meeting.

It means a lot to your bride to have you involved so suck it up and go in with your head held high and the best of intentions. You may actually have a great time.

We’ll be there with a fabulous booth with not 1 but 2 tables designed in two very different ways but with the same colors! You’re going to have to attend to find out what we’ve got in store for you. AND any bride that let’s us know that she reads this ezine when she visits us at our booth will receive a free gift from me personally. This gift is super special and will really help you with your wedding planning.

See you there!

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday September 27th at the Round Up Center. The show runs from 10:00am- 5:00pm.

We always seem to book up after this show, so if you’d like to secure your free consultation to discuss your wedding planning and décor needs, click here to book an appointment.

Once again I looked to those things in life that I love when planning my booth for the Bridal Fair last Sunday. Sitting down on a comfy couch for a good chat defiantly ranks up there. So why not have an area for a quiet chat at your wedding? A place to sit and catch up with friends and family you haven’t seen in awhile. Not to mention that it is a welcome relief for those who wear killer stilettos!

One thing I always want to create for my Brides is a look to make their signature colors pop. One way to do this is to use splashes of this color on a neutral background. I used the lime green and pink on a dark brown background at my Bridal Expo booth this past weekend in just this way.

By using splashes of lime green and pink instead of draping everything in these colors you make the color stand out and become special. This will draw your guests in and let them notice the little details that would be lost in a sea of pink and green.