Where to start

These days a bride can be pulled in thousand of directions in making decisions about their wedding. Many brides not only get overwhelmed by the decisions for their wedding, but about where to go to find vendors & ideas. About 5 years ago there was about 2 or 3 bridal shows in Knoxville that brides depended on to meet vendors, win prizes, and learn the latest trends. Now there are about 50 bridal shows taking place from January-May. It is getting overwhelming even for us vendors. Then there are the magazines, the blogs, the websites, and pinterest. Where does a bride begin?As a bride here is how you should use all these tools to your advantage.

Bridal Shows: Use these to scout out vendors. To learn who is out there, get their information, and learn if their personality or style is for your wedding. Then if you highly consider them for your wedding contact them after the show. Pay attention to special deals vendors have for brides attending the show, it can really save you money. Some to check out in Knoxville area: The PINK Bride http://knoxvillepinkbridalshows.com/, The Bleak House http://www.knoxvillecmh.org/BridalShow.pdf, 29:11 Studio http://www.facebook.com/pages/2911-Event-Planning-Studio/274301939269102

Magazines and Blogs: Use magazines for inspiration. Many magazines have sections of real weddings and inspirational photo shoots. This where you can how certain vendors captured the wedding style, and you can gather ideas of what you want at your wedding. You can also use magazines as a reference for vendors involved in your wedding, especially florists, rentals, and other decor. Check out: Grace Ormond http://graceormonde.com/, Enchanted Bride http://www.enchantedbrides.com/, Elizabeth Anne http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/

Studios: These are new to the wedding scene. I call these studios "Barnes & Noble for brides". Studios are meant to help brides any day of the week with fitting brides with vendors, inspiring brides with latest trends, and educating brides in every aspect of their wedding. You can sit & read through magazines and books, attend workshops, gather contact info, or just work on your own wedding to do list. Use these to your advantage as they are there to assist you. Check out 2911 Event Studios http://www.2911-events.com/

Please remember never to forget about hiring professionals. These resources should be used to gain knowledge, and NOT to learn how you can do the wedding without the pros. I encourage my brides to gain as much knowledge as possible for their wedding. As a wedding planner I take your inspiration and ideas to create a wonderful event from the decor and "look" to orchestrating how the entire wedding event will run. Have fun with your wedding and let it be the event you have dreamed of.