A newly engaged couple may think they have been transported to heaven when they enter the doors of one of our Bridal Shows. The shows are jam-packed with the most spectacular vendors in a serpentine trail leading to seating for the fashion show which leaves even the most jaded brides talking for days about the unbelievable gowns they saw on the runway.
It is not heaven, it is Bridal Expo. A long time ago in a zip code not so far away, Bridal Expo began hosting weekly shows for vendors to meet with brides and showcase gowns on the runway. The formula has not changed much since then but, the dynamic is different and the stakes are high. The goal is for brides and grooms to be able to meet face to face with wedding professionals (photographers, bridal salons, tuxedo companies,etc) and save valuable time and money by attending one show. It would be physically, technically impossible to visit each of these vendors in one day without attending the show so, don’t try it.
Today’s engaged couples are smarter, more inventive and they want to be WOW-ed by the displays. You won’t see any blank-looking department store mannequins here, our salons bring uber-stylish dressmaker forms. Many of our vendors have laptops or large screen TV’s with power point presentations and videos. Most or all of them have examples of their product or service, many of the vendors bring product samples and some vendors bring items they can sell to you right there – on the spot. The hair product sample given by the Charles Ifergan Salon at the Sheraton Bridal Expo has drastically changed my life forever and given my previously unmanageable hair it’s very own Happily Ever After.
Which brings me to my original thought, at each and every Bridal Expo you will meet someone who could possibly change your life. I know that sounds lofty and presumptuous – let me explain. True Story: A close friend of mine hired a friend of a friend to do her wedding photography. She paid the deposit, the photographer came to the wedding where she paid the balance and never saw one photo from her wedding… ever. This was not a backyard BBQ wedding, either. This was a high-end, spare no expense, hand made wedding gown kind of event. She has one snapshot from one of her fittings – other than that not one picture. If she had come to Bridal Expo, she would have seen examples of work that would have blown her away. She wouldn’t have been able to resist booking her photographer almost on the spot and she would have a wedding album that would make anyone proud. This is not fiction, I will tell you her name if you ask.
There were five people at last Sunday’s Bridal Expo that have the potential to change your wedding and possibly your life. Was it the Party bus from Aries Charter? Did you get a mini-massage from Alliance Health and Wellness? Perhaps you were awed by the benefits of uplighting from Five Diamond Audio Visual? Maybe it was Shinto Japanese Steakhouse! They were all there…. and more. Who were your five?
-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago
