Vendors vendors everywhere, and not a-one to book

I think I've mentioned a few hundred times how the distance and our long engagement complicated our planning process.  Well just in case you're not sick of my whining yet, here's another example.

As you can imagine, going eight months without a wedding date was beyond frustrating.  I bore it pretty well for the first few months, what with the excitement of the holidays and the new blang-blang on my finger and all, but after the novelty of the engagement wore off I started getting antsy.  I wanted to start PLANNING!  Unfortunately, literally every major decision hinged on that wedding date.

In January (of 2010, mind you), I thought I had found a way to scratch that wedding planning itch and registered to attend a local bridal show, certain that the event would cheer me up.  Boy was I wrong.  If you've never been to a bridal show before, let me set the scene for you:

Hundreds of brides, with their posses in tow, determined to be first in line and win various door prizes:  

Aisles upon aisles of vendors, all clamoring for your business:

  

{Photo source}

Prizes and giveaways to sign up for at every booth:

 

{Source for the above photos unless otherwise noted}

It's a fantastic idea in theory, a one-stop-shop for all your wedding planning needs.  However, when you're attending one and don't have a wedding date...well, let's just say I got a lot of eager introductions, poorly-concealed disappointment, and then a fistful of brochures before I was sent on my way.

I came home from the show with my head spinning, an enormous Men's Wearhouse bag full of flyers to sort through, and spent the next few weeks or so ignoring calls from a particularly pushy vendor who wouldn't take no for an answer.  I've been to several bridal shows since that first one, and things were much more pleasant at those (owing partly to the fact that we had a date and partly to my mental preparedness), but I'll admit, the initial impression left a sour taste in my mouth.

Have you attended a bridal show (or five)?  What's your take on that whole scene?