You're engaged to get married — hearty congratulations are in order! However, once the post-engagement bliss dies out, you realize just how many things you have to get done, and in particular, how many vendors you have to contact to get your flowers, dress, tuxedos, venue…the list goes on and on. Luckily, expos like the Bridal Expo make this easier for you by gathering hundreds of vendors into one place, allowing you to turn days of phone calls into ten-minute conversations, with vendors all flocking for your attention. But if you don't want to get overwhelmed, it's important to try to streamline the process as much as possible — so here are a few tips and tricks to make the most out of your next wedding expo.

Priorities

With so many booths and so many services in your face, it's a good idea to set your priorities before entering the expo. If you have nothing in place, you'll want to look at things like venue and dress offers — not to mention booths highlighting the different skill sets of different wedding planners. Once you have those three things handled, move onto catering, cake, flowers, transportation, lodging, and other smaller concerns that fit along with the staples of your wedding day. Expos often have maps to help you to get exactly where you need to go with a minimum of distractions from flash booths promoting second- or third-tier priorities.

Personnel

You can't go alone to an expo — if nothing else, you'll need a pair or two of helping hands to hold samples, pamphlets, pens, and other tchotchkes and souvenirs for the many booths set up in the expo. Choose your partner or partners almost as carefully as you've chosen your spouse-to-be, however — a party of 5 or 6 will definitely get lost and separated much more easily than a handful of people. If your intended spouse wants to come along, definitely make room — but if they have no interest, make sure to keep them informed via cellphone or other messaging device. It's best to bring along a close friend and family member, especially if you have a family member or friend helping to pay for the wedding — they should be at least around when big monetary decisions are made.

Presentation

The highlight of most expos is definitely a wedding dress fashion show, where the latest styles — and every other style, for good measure — are shown on models to demonstrate exactly how they look in motion and on a person, rather than hanging on a rack or being displayed on a mannequin. Take note of the fabrics that you like — if satin is too heavy, lace too patterned, or organza too shiny, they won't make good wedding dress fabrics for you. On the other hand, if satin's ability to hold its shape, the pattern of lace is beautifully even, or if organza makes the dress glow under the light, note that down too — knowing your likes and dislikes makes the dress shopping that will come later much easier.