I attended my first “big league” con a couple of weekends ago. Denver Comic  Con became the home for thousands of individuals ranging in different interests being it anime, gaming, comics, and more! I learned so much and wanted to share it with you. Basically, learn from my mistakes:

1. Test out your shoes. Figure out what shoes you want to wear with your cosplay and walk a mile in those shoes. Find it uncomfortable? Insert insoles and try again. Trust me, tired feet are no fun especially for 3 days.
2. Test out your makeup. Why didn’t I think of this before?! Luckily my Maya cosplay had a trial run at a previous con, but my Domino was brand new. Turns out, white face paint doesn’t always look so great! So I had to take it all off, and reapply with my normal foundation (luckily I’m porcelain).
3. Bring water and snacks. Cons have a wide array of food to pick from if you’re willing to drop $40.00. Personally, I’d much rather spend this money on something fun like an autograph or other goodies. Try to either incorporate a backpack into your cosplay or have someone in your group take on the “burden”. Trust me, being dehydrated and hangry isn’t fun for anyone – especially if you have kids.
4. Plan out events you want to attend. Here is my biggest regret – not planning out panels. Because I didn’t think about what time each panel was, I missed out on several I wanted to see. I missed the Weasley Brothers, Stranger Things, and Captain Janeway/Red. Thankfully we stumbled across Felicia Day (who is an absolute delight) and planned Nathan Fillion.
5. Stay at a hotel! I can’t repeat that enough. Yes, it’ll cost you some dollars but driving to and from the con, dealing with traffic, finding/paying for parking, and having to get up insanely early to get ready is just not worth the stress. Con is supposed to be fun!
6. Do you really want to cosplay 3 days? I thought I did but looking back, I’d maybe opt for 2 days cosplay and 1 day comfortable clothes. That way you can really get a look at other people’s cosplay and take some pictures. Next year, I’m definitely going this route so stay posted on how well that works out!
7. Speaking of cosplay, plan ahead! Maybe don’t create 3 days’ worth of cosplay in 2 months. It’s stressful, expensive, and time consuming. Learn from my mistake! If you know what you want to be start planning now – that way you have plenty of time to fix mistakes (because we’re human and all make them), get material over time, and not spend a mass amount of money in a short amount of time. Your sanity and bank account will thank me later.
8. Also, for all cosplayers… Share what works and doesn’t work for you. I was lucky enough to be creating cosplays with friends who pointed me in the right direction with several aspects. I tried reaching out to other cosplayers for advice and (I’m not even joking) only received one response. One. I’m also very thankful for the DCC Cosplay Group so we could all ask questions and get help! We cosplayers need to work together not against each other.