Bridal Show aka Frenzy

Yesterday I went to a bridal show in Baltimore...what a crazy experience. It was definitely worth it for the free year's subscription to Bridal Magazine and contact information for a couple of the vendors that are national, but wow! Brides are crazy. 1000 girls with "Bride to Be!" buttons adorning their shirts dashed into this exhibit center on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore to be greeted by strangers (way too happy for your wedding considering they don't know you) with cakes, dresses, deals on tuxes, DJs, full band orchestras, Passion Parties, Pampered Chef parties, registry venues, limosine rental, hotel reception ideas and countless honeymoon contests you know are only going to result in a lot more spam in your inbox.

I was relieved to see a harpist at one of the first booths I visited, and the company that provides the musicians is national, so hopefully I can reach someone in Texas. Maybe this is silly, and I have a feeling it is going to cost an arm and a leg, but when other little girls were dreaming of white dresses and fairy tale cakes, all I really knew I wanted was a harpist to play Canon in D as I walked down the aisle. Now I have a lot of great ideas, thanks to being in a sorority and attending a grand total of about 25 weddings since I graduated (don't worry, I love you all!), mostly in the DFW area. But the harp has been a constant in my wedding daydreams.

Gosh, I just can't believe how you begin to sign your life away as you're planning a huge event like this. Every vendor requires a contract and every contract requires a lot of research and negotiation. For the first time, I am thankful that I was volun-told to plan my office's Christmas party last year. You can't put a price on that kind of experience in planning an event. Hopefully, hopefully, I can make it through the whole process a) without a coordinator while b) maintaining my sanity.

This weekend is wedding venue decision time, with a cake tasting and some bridal shopping thrown in. How much can I possibly get done in two days in DFW? I guess we'll find out!