Image by Boston Mountain Photo. See more of this styled shoot here. 

Wedding planning is exciting, stressful, and overwhelming all at the same time. But lucky for newly engaged couples, there are tools and events that can help limit the stress. And less stress means more time spent enjoying your engagement season—what a win! 

Before securing your wedding vendors, touring venues, or creating your mood board, there’s one thing you should prioritize. It’s a wedding tool that’ll help you get inspired, meet vendors, and score freebies. We’re talking about wedding expos. To help make sure you get the most out of your experience, here’s everything you need to know about attending your first wedding expo. 

What Is A Wedding Expo? 

Wedding expos are an efficient tool for newly engaged couples, especially during the early wedding planning stages. They are essentially a one-stop shop for all things weddings, including fashion, venues, vendors, and even honeymoon destinations. Picture a large warehouse filled with rows and rows of helpful wedding planning tools and information. 

Image by Rachel Artime Photo. See more of this styled-shoot here.

Why Should You Attend A Wedding Expo? 

Wedding expos may seem like information overload, which can be overwhelming for some couples.  But there are many reasons why people decide to attend these events all over the world. The first and most obvious reason is for inspiration. Seeing all of your options first-hand will allow you to get a clear understanding of what it is you like and don’t like. 

Wedding expos are also a great resource for hunting down trusted wedding vendors in your area. And when it comes to building your dream team, it’s important to love their work and vibe with their personality—which is hard to do over the phone. Meeting potential vendors in person gives you a chance to interact and see if you’d work well together. Plus, wedding expos are a great place to score good deals and even freebies. If that’s not enough motivation to purchase an expo ticket, we don’t know what is. 

How to Prepare For A Wedding Expo 

The beauty of attending an expo is that you don’t have to know exactly what it is you’re looking for. That’s actually the point of attending an event like this. But, with that being said, there are a couple of things you can prepare ahead of time to ensure you get the most out of your experience.

Before attending your first wedding expo, sit down with your significant other to finalize a budget that’s comfortable for you both. It’s also important to create a “wedding day must-haves” list and estimate how much of your budget will be put towards each wedding element (florals, fashion, cake, honeymoon, etc.). This will help you stay on track when face-to-face with countless vendors.

Image by Marissa Nicole Photo.

Tips For Attending Your First Wedding Expo

Wedding expos are supposed to be fun. But, as we’ve said before, a lot of preparation is involved. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before attending your first wedding expo: 

• Buy your wedding expo tickets online to save from waiting in line at the door. Keep in mind the earlier you purchase your expo tickets, the cheaper they will be 
• Plan out what shows, speakers, and events you don’t want to miss ahead of time 
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Bring friends and family that are actually interested in attending with a good attitude 
• Enter all giveaways for a chance to win 

Image by Meraki Weddings. See more of this real wedding here.

2022 Wedding Expos You Should Attend 

1. Great Bridal Expo

• Boston, Massachusetts: September 24, 2022
• Baltimore, Maryland: September 25, 2022
• Washington, DC: October 2, 2022
• Atlanta, Georgia: October 9, 2022
• Phoenix, Arizona: October 16, 2022
• Houston, Texas: October 30, 2022
• Dallas, Texas: November 6, 2022
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: November 13, 2022
• Miami, Florida: November 13, 2022

2. The Pink Bride

• Nashville, Tennessee: August 7, 2022
• Knoxville, Tennessee: August 14, 2022
• Birmingham, Alabama: August 28, 2022
• Memphis, Tennessee: September 18, 2022

3. Florida Wedding Expo

• Orlando, Florida: August 7, 2022

4. Bridal Wars Event & Festival

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: August 7, 2022
• Manchester, Maryland: August 21, 2022
• Providence, Rhode Island: September 11, 2022
• Charlotte, North Carolina: September 18, 2022
• Oklahoma, Oklahoma: September 18, 2022 
• Bono, Arkansas: September 25, 2022
• New Orleans, Louisiana: September 25, 2022
• Voluntown, Connecticut: October 16, 2022
• Houston, Texas: November 6, 2022 

After attending your first wedding expo, it’s time to kickstart your creative wedding planning. Take all the wedding inspiration you loved at the event and start piecing it all together. Not exactly sure how to start? Check out this five-step process to create a wedding mood board that captures the essence of your personality, style, and wedding dreams.

Image by Erin Roberts Photography.