It’s wedding show season and these events are the perfect opportunity to meet new vendors, chat with your selected vendors and get inspiration for your special day. Wedding shows can also be overwhelming and a bit scary. We’ve assembled out TOP 6 TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WEDDING SHOW.

TIP #1
Assemble Your Squad.
Gather your group but don’t feel like you need to invite the whole squad. If you’re easily overwhelmed, we suggest going with a smaller group. Even as small and you and your fiancé. If your partner isn’t interested in attending grab a couple close friends. Bridesmaids are always good to have by your side or even Mom and Grandma. Keep it simple. If you think you can handle the whole crew, bring them all along.

TIP #2
Wear Comfy Shoes.
While your favorite pair of shows might be tempting, remember you’ll be doing a lot of walking. We recommend ditching the potentially uncomfortable for a cozy pair of Converse or a comfy boot.

TIP #3
Create A Wedding Email Address.
Throughout your planning process you will receive a lot (and we mean a lot) of emails. Keeping your regular inbox clean and organized can be an impossible task. To help you, setup an email address for wedding planning communication only. That means all your planning information is contained in one inbox. Genius! Examples would be: futurejones@ or ourwedding2020@

TIP #4:
Labels!
Every vendor will want your email address and other contact information. Give it to them! It’s important you share your information with vendors. Often vendors will offer exclusive show discounts or promotions. These deals might be show specific, if you don’t give them your digits you might lose out. Spelling out your new wedding email address over and over can get a little mundane. Invest in some labels that have your name, best contact information and your wedding date. When vendors ask you for your information you can easily slap on your label and move on. This also works GREAT for vendor giveaways! If you plan ahead you can order labels from Shutterfly  for under $5. You can also create your own using a simple inkjet printer and blank labels from Target.

TIP #5:
Take Notes.
You are about to experience an overload of photographers, venues, florist, bakeries, wedding dresses and every other wedding related industry. It is a lot to remember. Utilize your phone to save notes and pictures of what you liked, what questions you have and vendors you want to follow up with.

TIP #6:
Have Fun!
Enjoy the planning process and soak in all the excitement. You’re in a room with people who love weddings. They want to hear all about what you’re doing, what colors you’ve chosen, what your dress is like and everything else. While there is defiantly working to be done don’t be afraid to dance to the DJs jams, laugh at the photo booth, eat cake samples and share all your ideas with everyone. Soak in every moment!

Happy Planning!

Pure love is all we can say about Shawnee & Zachary who were married in October 2018. Their simplistic wedding design allowed the natural beauty and charm of the historic property to shine. Shawnee chose to utilize our beautiful Palm Room as her bridal suite which allowed her ample space to enjoy hair and makeup by local artist Whitney Audra. Photographer K. Bolin Photography took full advantage of the charming English Garden and timeless hotel exterior to capture their love. After a wonderful dinner catered by LARKS Ashland the two danced the night away with DJ Rick Templeton.

There is no denying the appeal of social media and the desire to post the perfect insta-pic. Especially at weddings. While its common practice for brides and grooms to ask their guests to “unplug” during the ceremony but once the party gets moving it’s nearly impossible and everyone wants to catch Uncle Dave’s epic dance solo.

The question is, should you have an official wedding hashtag? There is no right or wrong answer. But, there is no denying there are some amazing photographs on everyone’s social media feeds captured by family and friends.

So maybe the question is, why would you not do it? You are guaranteed to get some fun shots, it is a great way to make your guests feel involved and a great way for your family and friends to be included in your entire wedding planning process.

When picking your official hash tag, the number one rule is to keep is simple. Making it complicated, easy to misspell or too long won’t make for a successful conclusion. Use hashtags like #meetthemacys, #jeffandbecky or #robinsonwedding.

It’s a good idea to choose your official hashtag early in the planning process and start using it. You can share photos of your cake tasting, bridesmaids dress fittings, tux shopping, venue tours and the always fun DIY projects.

If you send a Save The Date, that is a great place to start getting the word out. You can also add it to your wedding website, invitations, on a sign near your guestbook and don’t forget to give it to your vendors.

Most wedding vendors today have a solid social media following. They love a good hash tag from their brides and grooms. It gives everyone who views your hash tag a fun behind the scenes look and the best perk is, your photographer can use it to post those highly anticipated sneak peeks so EVERYONE can see how gorgeous your wedding day was.

Whether your techy or not, creating a fun and simple hashtag is a great way to collect priceless images and share amazing memories.

P.S. Most wedding venues have an official hash tag too and they love seeing all those fun pictures. #AshlandSpringsHotel

Jason

I am beyond excited to begin this new journey at the Ashland Springs Hotel. I don’t know if my shoes will be as sparkly as Lora’s, but I will do my very best to be as amazing and full of creative energy as she is.

I am a Southern Oregon native and have always had a love for hospitality.

My hospitality career began when I was 14 years old. I jumped in as a dishwasher at a diner in the small farming town of Bonanza, Oregon. In my early 20’s, I along with my then girlfriend (who is now my wife) opened a cupcake bakery. It was there that I realized how incredible it is to be a part of someone’s special wedding day. My wife and I had the privilege of creating some amazing wedding desserts all over Southern Oregon. Having a wedding cake featured on Martha Stewart Weddings was the highlight of our bakery career.  We sold the bakery to focus on family. I am now the proud father of 2 amazing like boys.

Just over 2 years ago I joined the incredible team at Neuman Hotel Group. It is so fulfilling to come to work every single day with a team that is just as passionate about hospitality as you are. I began here as an Event Manager at our sister property, Ashland Hills Hotel. There I executed weddings not only at the hotel but also at our outdoor venues, The Ashland Springs Estate and Lithia Springs Resort.

I am so excited to bring my organization, my creativity and my years of experience to this new role as Sales & Catering Manager. I have such love for the history and glamour that the Ashland Springs Hotel possess. I love our Oregon-centric, farm to table cuisines, our world class team that executes our weddings and our phenomenal hotel located in  Downtown Ashland. I look forward to speaking with you and making your wedding day dreams come true.

Jason

https://www.instagram.com/jasondnelson/