You’ve probably heard that The Bridal Spectacular bridal show is an excellent one-stop shopping experience to find all your wedding day needs. With displays from vintage wedding dresses to today’s cutting-edge trends, Bridal Spectacular offers such a wide variety of inspirational displays and wedding professionals-for-hire that any bride can find her perfect fit. But, Las Vegas brides, that’s not the only reason to trust Las Vegas’ biggest bridal show. As a premiere bridal event, Bridal Spectacular also wants to prepare you for safe wedding shopping at bridal shows, online, and even in stores.

Speak face to face with vendors at the bridal show to find your best fit.

Find reputable wedding professionals.

At Bridal Spectacular, we require that businesses be licensed in the state of Nevada to participate in our bridal shows. If a business passes that requirement, we will review their history through Better Business Bureau records to check for excessive filed complaints.

Brides, while we work to display reputable vendors, we encourage you to do your research as well. Start your search at Bridal Spectacular’s bridal show. Through this unique opportunity, you’ll benefit from in-person communication with local wedding professionals who want to help your wedding dreams become realities.

“One of the great benefits of meeting your vendors face-to-face at the show,” Debra Hansen, producer of Bridal Spectacular, said, “is [that] you also have an opportunity to evaluate their personality to see if they are a good fit for you.”

Utilize your online wedding resources.

Bridal Spectacular offers brides several online resources for their Las Vegas wedding planning.  Visit the Bridal Spectacular website’s “Wedding Services” page for a full list of reputable vendors and bridal show professional participants. From this page, you can further explore the companies that caught your attention at the show. View their websites, find their contact information, and call to schedule an appointment to ask questions.

You can also view commentary by fellow brides through Bridal Spectacular-approved planning sites. Stop by WeddingWire.com, TheKnot.com, and similar sites. Through their forums, references, and reviews, you’ll find unedited responses from brides with honest personal experiences.

Remember to keep these online reviews in perspective. If eight brides loved a vendor but one bride recounts a poor experience, it’s possible this one bride experienced an unusual circumstance that applied only to her situation. In this case, make an appointment with the vendor to determine your own views.

As you shop securely, remember to enjoy your wedding planning too.

Pay by credit card.

In today’s economy, protect yourself by paying all your wedding expenses by credit card.  Why shouldn’t you use cash? First, you have documented evidence of all transactions. Secondly, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, you may have recourse with your credit card company. Whether you’re paying a quick deposit to take advantage of a good sale or supplying a final payment for a big purchase, credit is always best. Finally, remember to take note of these expenses. You want to be a trustworthy bride who stays in budget, always delivers your payments on time, and remains debt-free.

Brides, as we’ll discuss more tomorrow, we’re not offering these tips to warn you away from wedding vendors. Rather we want you to find the right wedding vendors, the ones with whom you will work well and enjoy your wedding planning experience. Check back tomorrow for “Be safe, Have fun! Six Tips for Safe and Secure Wedding Shopping (Part Two)” as we dive into the ways you can protect your personal information online, control your own destiny, and benefit from the best bridal show experience.

Author: Allyson Siwajian © 2011

Photographs: Adam Frazier (first image), Allyson Siwajian (second image)