Surviving the Bridal Show Gauntlet

The wedding industry is sometimes sickeningly "cutesy". My mom and I attended my first bridal show, and after about five minutes, I wanted to go throw up in the nearest tulle and pearl covered potted plant. I got so tired of the vendor's trilling "Sooo.. Who's the lucky bride to be???" or Soo.. When's the big day???" with as much fake, syrupy excitement as possible One thing to keep in mind- you are only making a brief foray into the world of weddings, these people live there- and I think it makes a few of them a little batty.

I went to every bridal show that came to my city before getting married. Some were much better than others, but each was useful in their own way.

Some things I learned that may make your bridal show trip easier:

- Before you go, look for coupons for admission. Most shows charge a fee (I paid anywhere from $3-$10 a person.). You can find coupons in ads at wedding related stores, in the local newspaper, or even online. Usually the coupons are buy one get one free. Some shows will also validate your parking if you would otherwise have to pay to park. We didn't realize this at one show, and parked in a pre-paid deck instead. One show didn't advertise an admission cost, but charged $7 when you arrived, which I thought was tacky.

- Bridal shows are not good places for most men. If your fiancee is eager to go, by all means, take him along. But don't drag him. I have never seen so many miserable looking men in my life in one place as those at a bridal show. The lucky ones were allowed to go sit down somewhere and wait- the ones who actually had to participate looked even more miserable. They had that purse-holding, "yes, honey", beaten-down look about them. Take your mom, future mother in law, sister or friend, but don't drag your fiancee unless he wants to go.