I am doing a HUGE one here too ... last year this one had over 1300 people attend - 350 were registered brides. SOOOO....my plan is to decorate 1/2 the table bridal but the other half fun and funky with all our other products to get attention from the other 1000 people that are NOT brides!! I've done them in the past too with my other company - we had offered an actual bridal shower/show... here's what I have found:
The brides for the most part can be rushing to get stamps if there is a prize, visit everyone and then they sometimes can be scattered and just a frenzy! LOL I try to slow them down with great displays and talking - ASK about their wedding - they usually LOVE talking about that! Once you get them to slow down and just stay you can talk about your product and what you have to offer. I have found you might NOT want to offer a "party" or "show" -- in THEIR minds that will be too much! They can't possibly do that with a wedding to plan!! LOL Soooo.... offer a "personal shopping night"... you will come over and meet with them and their bridal party - they can bring their dresses and any other clothes they have and can try on jewelry for the wedding of course AND the rehearsal dinner, the bridal shower, the honeymoon, etc. And tell her because she is the BRIDE she'll get free and 1/2 off jewelry as your special gift to her! (It also depends how she is working bridal jewelry - I was in one wedding where the bride bought it all for us as our gift, another wedding where we all bought our own and could pick out a couple different things - themed but not exact match and then she got us something else for a gift). You could even offer to do a one on one with her to pick out bridal jewelry etc. and come to her house - (she'll be more relaxed and focused then!)
For recruiting - unless the wedding is a WAYS off and she is worried how to pay for it she may not be interested NOW - I have seen many brides that are just so focused on the wedding that they can't even think of anything else. Make notes of the wedding date - maybe send a wedding card? Then a couple weeks AFTER - when things settle down follow up again with a letter and talk about do they have outstanding wedding bills (most go over budget!!), do they want to buy a house? furnish a house? have a baby? and then do your plug about your company and how you can help them achieve all that and MORE!
For the rest of the people I do a drawing for some door prize/gift certificate - ask basic questions are they the bride? do they want to earn a free shopping spree? are they interested in extra money? etc. maybe run some type of booking special. I REALLY focus on the OTHERS there... like I said the brides can be scattered, overwhelmed, etc. and in general the bridal market is really competitive - still "work" them of course but the people WITH them are GREAT leads! Her sister may have no desire to be there or bored - she sees you and is like oh this is cool! LOVE this! And instead of fussing over the bride like EVERYONE does you give her some attention, talk to her, etc. she may very well book right then since she doesn't have a wedding to plan and just knows her friends, co-workers and neighbors would LOVE this! And it would be such FUN! Focus on the fun girls nights out!! For recruiting THEM - they may be looking for extra $$ because now not only do they more than likey have holiday bills but they are in this relative/friends wedding and I know being IN a wedding can be $$$ - you have the dress, shoes, an outfit for rehearsal dinner, gifts, showers, bachelorette parties..that all adds up when you are in a wedding!! Jan is a GREAT recruiting month because alot of people make resolutions to get out of debt, save for ___, get finances in order AND many, many overspend during the holidays!!
Hope that helps!(sorry so long!) Good Luck!!!