Party Like You is a monthly series from Complete Weddings + Events. It is candid, down-to-earth advice aimed at helping couples keep things real for them. At Complete, Party Like You is more than a slogan. No two couples are exactly alike, so we work to package wedding services that fit couples as uniquely as their love story.
January brings an expected set of factors: holiday hangover, return to work after downtime, and the chance to start a new year. In places like Naperville, where I live, it also brings snow.
For folks in the wedding industry, January means wedding show season. This starts as reliably as the clock and calendar turn. Complete Milwaukee and Chicago teams spent the first weekend of January doing three wedding shows. Wedding show season directly follows engagement season. The holiday season remains the most common time of the year for couples to become engaged. Attending a wedding show is a great way to ease into the wedding planning process. Tara and I put together a great podcast episode full of tips to have a great show, and that is at the bottom. But this is about Party Like You. Let’s dive into how to attend a wedding show like you.
Align the Mindset
This starts before attending a wedding show and involves aligning with your future spouse. Picture the wedding day, establish the desired mood and vibe, and plan with that mindset. What am I getting at here? There are a million ways a wedding day can come together. Not every way is right for every couple. One couple may have a vision for an elegant, formal, meticulously planned fairy tale for 100 guests. Another couple may picture a small, informal, backyard affair with close family and friends. A third couple may have visions of a raucous party with their 300+ closest family and friends. These are 3 different events, all the correct approaches, but all approached differently.
The first wedding requires impeccable execution from selected vendors. Our second couple needs to find vendors that fit into their inner circle for a day. The third couple needs bona fide party animals. Regardless, correct vendor selection is key to a successful, stress-free day.
Wedding Show with a Purpose
Align your mindset with your future spouse before stepping foot into a wedding show. This will increase efficiency and avoid future conflict. It also gives you a plan to approach the day. My recommendation is to get into character and focus on the vibe.
High Execution Needed
If you fall into the category of needing a high level of execution, make sure to live that need. Use the day to dress up a bit and spend time interviewing your potential vendors. Take time to think of worst-case scenarios and failure potentials on your wedding day. Ask vendors to talk about how they plan for success, deal with adversity, and how they fix problems before they happen. Make sure that wedding planners are on the list.
Vendors are the Friends You Pick
The party people and inner circle couples should approach the interview differently. Think harder about how you picture the vendors fitting in with you and your crew. Ask this question: can I spend 8 hours in the same room with this person? My suggestion is to be open with your most important vendors about this dynamic need.
Chicago Feelings
January means football and NFL playoffs. Unfortunately, the Bears are taking a hiatus this postseason. Cheers and hope that this is a short-term thing. A new, offensive-minded coach that can unlock the potential of Justin Fields is in order. The Blackhawks are still in their downturn, but hopefully, the turn is in range. Now the Bulls are a different story. That’s a team on the rise and the Eastern Conference is on full notice. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point, but Complete is full of sports fans. Wedding show season is smack dab in the middle of many important sports seasons. Make sure to party like you. Keep fandom in the wedding planning process if it is part of your DNA as a couple. Party and plan like you can easily mean picking show attendance time around tip-off. The shows run long enough to accommodate.
Wear the jerseys too. We as vendors want to meet the real you. The sports side conversation can go as deep as you like. My final note: Chelsey Dagger is the best grand march song for a pair of Blackhawks fans.
Complete Weddings + Events in Naperville
Planning a wedding is an exciting time in your life, but when it starts to become overwhelming, know there are experts who are happy to help! Contact Complete Weddings + Event for advice or to set up a consultation for your Naperville event!