Ravaging beasts flooded the room grabbing everything in site. If you weren’t one of them, you’d better stay out of their way. They were bloodthirsty. They were ruthless. They were Bridezillas.

Its not everyday you go to a bridal show. It’s really a once or twice in a lifetime event for ladies, and that’s if they choose to do so. Most women who come to these shows know exactly what they are looking for. If you don’t know what to expect, you better be ready for an experience to remember.

To take full advantage of all of the wonderful festivities, be prepared to go early and perhaps even stay for the entire time. Parking is tough; even when I arrived right at the start of the event, the main parking lot was already full. Although you may believe you are one of the few brides in the area getting married, you will soon see that you are among hundreds.

As a bride, you are the star of the show. You are the target for every brochure, flyer, free sample, and contest available (which is at every one of the booths). Your arms will be weighed down and strained, and carrying everything yourself will be very difficult. My suggestion? Bring bridesmaids, and as many of them as you can. This will help them feel loved and included, and you have people to carry everything for you. Besides, this is the one time in your life where you can act like a diva and get away with it.

When you begin your journey through the maze of vendors, remember that you have the right to say no, and most free things are not free. At this event, I was given a form to have all of the booths sign in order to be entered into the final contest. Since you need their signature, you are slightly obligated (or at least you feel that way) to a spiel of who they are and what they are about. If you have no interest in them, feel free to say thank you and walk away. Otherwise you will end up like me-giving my address and cell phone number to people I never cared to hear from again. There are also tons of drawings for honeymoons, hundreds of dollars in discounts, free gift baskets, and free consultations. If you sign up for one of these drawings, you will probably start receiving email from them regardless of if you are a winner.

A few poor grooms were dragged to the event at the mercy of their bride-to-be, even forfeiting their only chance to watch the AFC Championship game for this year. Those men must really love their women. Spare your man the embarrassing and boring day, and leave him at home.

Check the schedule for the bridal fashion show. You can tell if it’s about time when the chairs surrounding the raised stage fill up. And they will fill up. Ladies will be lined up with their cameras at the foot of the stage to snap photos of their favorite dresses and what they want to use in their wedding.

Make sure you dress comfortably and ready to stampede. If you are one of the lucky ten to be chosen for the “Battle of the Brides”, you will be immersed, elbows deep, into a sea of cake and frosting. At this show, the brides competed for $200 prizes that would hopefully add to their wonderful array of paperwork from the other vendors.

As I walked through the parking lot to my car about five blocks away, I realized that about thirty companies had my direct contact information. It was a definite convenience considering I left with five scheduled appointments, a full stomach, and new ideas. Sure, your wedding is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime fairytale event, but these days it’s hard to tell what your future may hold with divorces as common as a trip to the doctor’s office. Just remember: use this bridal shows for what they are: tools to make your wedding easier and more enjoyable. As they say, as long as the bride is happy, nothing else matters.