Written by: Jenni Liu, Sales & Events Coordinator

Aloha everyone! How was your July? Here at Tiki’s, we finished out the month with a whirlwind weekend of wedding mania, a.k.a. Hawaii Bridal Expo hosted by Brad Buckles BridesClub!* This premier trade show is a celebration and education of all things wedding, and vendor booths included venues & caterers (like Tiki’s!), photographers and videographers, cakes, florists and stylists, specialty linens and rentals, DJs and photo booths, coordinators, wedding gowns, tuxes, and makeup artists, just to name a few. There were also some wedding-adjacent vendors like gyms (gotta get in shape for the big day!), spas to pamper yourself or your bridal party, and even a dance studio offering lessons for the First Dance. Whew!

We’ve taken part in a Hawaii Bridal Expo show once a year, every year, since 2006, and it’s always a fun time getting our awesome Tiki’s ohana staff members to connect with brides & grooms (and their families and friends, too!).

Did we see you at the Expo? Give us a shout out!

If you’ve ever been to any sort of trade show, wedding related or otherwise, you know just how crazy it can all be! You’re walking down aisle after aisle with flyers being handed to you, food and drink samples being offered (actually, that part I like), and just so many colors, sounds, and deals, that you think to yourself, “How do I keep sane with all of this information overload?!”

Yes, I used this gif in last month’s Events post, but it’s just too perfect here! We all feel like Phoebe sometimes.

Luckily, the Oahu Wedding Association had just the answer to those questions, with a handy flyer titled “How to Survive the Wedding Expo.” Tiki’s Grill & Bar has been a proud member of the OWA for over 8 years, and we’re lucky to be in the company of vetted wedding professionals on Oahu.** Some helpful hints from the flyer included: “ORGANIZE,” which noted the importance of highlighting which vendor categories were priorities, and working through one category at a time; “DO YOUR RESEARCH,” which recommended for couples to check up on vendor reviews and websites, and even cross-compare companies offering deals for the best rates; and “FOLLOW UP,” which encouraged couples to check in our their favorite vendors soon, especially those who may have been offering “expo prices” and special deals. See, don’t you feel better now? I know I do!

Now that you’ve had some time to take a beat and decide what your priorities are, where do you go from here? Organize all your information! Binders, notebooks, Pinterest boards, and real life cork boards (remember those?) are great options. Reach out to your fave bookmarked vendors, if you haven’t already! Get in touch with some coordinators (remember: fairy godmothers) if you’re feeling stuck. And then: take a break! Reassess! Get your world in order and RELAX.

Aloha! We’ll see you next month for another Events-related blog post.
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*You can find more information about Hawaii Bridal Expo and view their January 2020 site by clicking HERE.

**You can find more information about by the Oahu Wedding Association and its amazing members by clicking HERE.

***A huge MAHALO to the following vendors who graciously donated their time and products to make our booth absolutely incredible!

A Cake Life (Tiki’s partner)
Elegance with Grace (Tiki’s partner)
Handwritten Aloha
FlashLab Photo Booth Hawaii
Ambient Rentals