On Sunday, March 8, 404 registered brides out of nearly 1,900 total attendees met with over 100 wedding businesses. The show was a huge success and allowed for companies to book business on-site as well as gather quality leads to follow up on throughout the year. Remember to continue contacting each bride you meet at a bridal show! She'll feel honored and special that you remembered her.

Congratulations to the following winners of our famous Coupon Contest. These exhibiting wedding companies brought in the most brides with dollar off coupons. Prizes will be applied to the next Plano Bridal Show on September 13, 2009.

• First Place: (FREE 10 x 10 booth!) Perfect Wedding Guide
• Second Place: ($300 off booth price) Memory Maker Travel
• Third Place: *TIE* ($150 off booth price) Matana's Gifts, and ($150 off booth price) Designs by Delissa

The Plano Bridal Show is very limited on space and always fills quickly. We are already over 50% booked for the September 13th show! If you have not already reserved your space, call your Account Executive today to see if your category is still available.

The photos from last month's Fort Worth Bridal Show were not ready in time for the February newsletter, so we hope you enjoy revisiting the successful Tarrant county show by taking a look at some pictures from the event.

The Spring 2009 bridal shows had an added touch of elegance with the help of Quest Drape. Noel Pearce of Quest Drape created beautiful masterpieces on the fashion show stage at the Dallas Bridal Show, January 24-25, the Fort Worth Bridal Show, February 21-22, and the Plano Bridal Show, March 8. The creativity and professionalism of Quest Drape really took all stage events to the next level and created a memorable experience for all the brides in attendance.

The picture on the right shows the design from the Dallas Bridal Show (top and middle) (with gowns from Distinct Elegance) and the Plano Bridal Show (bottom).

Noel Pearce, National Events Manager/ Design and Marketing, appeared on a feature of Quest Drape on the Lifetime Network TV show, Get Married, and will be featured again with Colin Cowie in an upcoming full episode. (To see the episode with Quest Drape on GetMarried.com, click on "Search for Videos" and type "Quest")

Quest Drape is a national company with regional offices in Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix and San Diego. Visit their website at www.questdrape.com and their new site dedicated to creating dream weddings at www.questdreamweddings.com.

It was an honor to have Steve Kemble, America's Sassiest Lifestyle Guru, as our guest at the Plano Bridal Show!

Steve has cemented his place as America's favorite wedding planner by starring on WE tv's "Wedding Central," "Bling on the Bride," "Married by the In-Laws" and "Platinum Weddings." Additionally, Steve has showcased his event planning expertise by leading the "I Do Crew" in ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition" where a remarkable couple was granted a wedding of their dreams, as well as helping couples make their weddings a reality on the Style Network's "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway" and "Married Away."

Thank you, Steve, for being a part of the show!

What standards or values do you have that you stick to, no matter what? Each of us were raised differently and may have certain values based on how we were raised. As adults, we are responsible for our decisions, and those decisions determine our outcome.

Take a stand for what is right and be a leader for having integrity. Be honest and do what you say you are going to do.

Do the right things and do those things right. In the book, "Commitment to Quality," written and compiled by Harold R. McAlindon, one of the sayings in the book is "The difference in failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing a thing exactly right."

According to Martha Stout, Ph.D., in her book "The Sociopath Next Door," one in 25 ordinary Americans secretly has no conscience and can do anything at all without feeling guilty. That means some people do not care anything about ethics because they do not have a conscience. Those that do have a conscience have a responsibility to stand up to those that do not have a conscience, and try to make sure things are done right.

Take notice of people and attitudes around you. What do you see? What do you see yourself thinking and acting on? Speak up when you see unethical behavior. It just might save someone else later.

Steve Harper, in "The Ripple Effect," states "At a fundamental level, just doing business with integrity, fairness and honesty will create positive ripples."

If a person, or company, or group has policies and standards, these standards should be adhered to and not ignored. This shows credibility, and provides trust and security. Commit to a higher standard of professionalism.

"If we take care in the beginning, the end will take care of itself," according to Kenneth Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale, in their book "The Power of Ethical Management."

Another quote in "Leadership 101," by John C. Maxwell, is "Present choices determine future consequences."

If there is a question about what to do, ask yourself, "What is the right and ethical thing to do?"

After exhibiting in the Dallas Bridal show along with the Ft. Worth Bridal show, my sales increased significantly in spite of the economic challenges. Weddings I booked from contacts made at the show were above and beyond what I normally book, and I am continuing to receive calls.

~Kathy Womble
Kathy's Floral and Event Design

The Bridal Shows, Inc. family celebrated two employee anniversaries this month!

Tracy Kopinski: 6 years!! -- Handling the bulk of administrative opperations including inputing contracts and payments, Tracy keeps the Bridal Show machine running smoothly. She also is a part-time Account Executive, helping numerous clients participate in bridal shows. After 6 years, Tracy is very knowledgeable and helpful to Bridal Show's Inc.'s success.

Betty Yankee: 3 years!! -- As our receptionist, Betty greets each phone call with positive energy. She does so much more than transfer phone calls though! Helping out with several projects, Betty has become an invaluable part of the Bridal Shows, Inc. team.