Wedding exhibitions and bridal shows are a chance for you to meet a multitude of quality and reputable wedding suppliers under one roof; an invaluable opportunity to compare their products and services, assess the people who might be helping to make dreams of your perfect day a reality and last but not least avail of special discounts for booking these suppliers' services well in advance.

For the young Asian professional, such exhibitions are not only a convenience, they are almost a necessity when time is scarce and they need things organised efficiently and in a hurry. By following our pointers below you'll make the most out of any wedding exhibitions you choose to visit, saving yourselves considerable time and money in the process.

With so much to see, do, discover and try out it's worth spending a bit of time planning your day in advance so that you make the very most of your precious time at such a valuable event.

Make a checklist before going of all the products and services that you are looking for and the budget, which you have allotted to each. You should also have thought about the questions you are going to ask each type of service provider (photographer, caterer, florist etc), to help you compare competing companies as well as satisfying yourself that you are getting the best possible service and value for your money.

If possible obtain a list of companies who will be participating from the exhibition organisers so you can visit their websites and find out a bit more about them. Not only will this help you ask them pertinent questions and clarify small print, it will help you prioritise who to visit on the day. Remember to take a pen and note pad with you so you can jot down information and thoughts, which you are likely to forgotten afterwards.

Most exhibitions start by about 11.00 am so get there as early as you can to avoid crowds. The most productive time to talk to exhibitors is when they are relaxed and can give you their full attention and this is likely to be early on in the day.

By getting there early you will build in plenty of time to talk to exhibitors - your visit really is an amazing opportunity to get everything on your checklist sorted out, make the most of it. The later you get there, you'll find you have to spend time queuing to talk to exhibitors and wont get their full attention.

If you don't make it early another good time to get to talk to exhibitors at leisure is when fashion shows are taking place. Most of the crowd will be gathered around the catwalk, use your time to your advantage!

First off, when you arrive get your bearings! Get a copy of the show guide and check out the floor plan so you don't waste time trying to work out what's where! It may help to use a highlighter to mark off companies you are interested in or take a quick walk around the exhibition hall to get you bearings and draw up a schedule, rather than walking aimlessly from one stall to another.

If there are any exhibiting companies in particular that you want to see, and make sure you don't leave without doing so - it's easy to get distracted so stay focussed!

Make effective use of your time whilst you are there. It may be an idea for you and your fiancés to split up to make preliminary enquiries. Once you have a shortlist you can go together and chat to companies in more depth. Remember that you want the exhibitors undivided attention, so if they are talking to someone when you approach their stand, move on and come back later.

Wedding exhibitions are a fantastic opportunity to view comparable service providers offerings all under one roof, so start out looking at one product/service category at a time (e.g. photographers) and compare like for like and pitch them against each other. This will really help you to make informed purchase decisions and ensure that you are getting value for money. Once you've finished viewing a certain product category, take a break and a bite to eat, before moving on to the next. This will give some structure and organisation to your visit and ensure that you remain focussed.