Bridal show features tips, vendors and other wedding planning resources
After 12 years, Weddings With Style Magazine’s Signature Bridal Show has indisputably become the area’s premier wedding fair. Held from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Bossier Civic Center, the Signature Bridal Show is an event designed to introduce brides and grooms to the region’s top wedding vendors and truly make wedding planning a one-stopshopping affair.
“A wedding is a celebration that will never change,” Lana Rosalee, publisher of Weddings With Style International Magazine and producer of the Signature Bridal Show, said. “The Signature Bridal Show has something for everyone, no matter how small, large or how unusual. It is our commitment to make your wedding day memorable for all the right reasons.”
In addition to the largest gathering of wedding professionals in the area, brides and grooms can preview the most current wedding fashions during the live runway fashion show, choreographed by Couture Cosmetics. Attendees will see designer wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses and a large selection of men’s formalwear. Master of ceremonies for the event will be Robert J. Wright of Townsquare Media.
Rosalee said grooms are more involved in wedding planning than ever before. “It has become trendy for grooms to come along with their bride-to-be and help in the decision-making process,” she said. “They show interest in seeing options for their own attire, choosing the music for the reception and tasting cakes and cuisine from caterers. As far as the honeymoon, grooms are very much involved in selecting the destination. These are some of the first big decisions that will be made together by the couple.”
Couples will also find helpful tips galore at the Signature Bridal Show along with the most leading-edge trends in hair and makeup, floral design, photography and even transportation. “It can be fun as the bride and groom to view their options on ideas and style and be able to make intelligent choices while making their plans. We want brides and grooms to feel confident with their choices, not overwhelmed and stressed. That’s why attending the show can be so helpful, knowing they have been able to find the right resources through our extensive lineup of some of the area’s most qualified professionals,” Rosalee said.
One such professional is Tanya Harville, owner of Tanya Harville Events, a weddingand event-planning firm. Harville has participated in the Signature Bridal Show for three years and finds the event helpful, not only in garnering new clients but also helping brides explore their options when it comes to other wedding professionals, such as photographers, videographers, DJs and florists. “It’s the only [show] where I can get together with my peers, meet local brides and get together with other vendors under one roof,” she said. “Lana does a very good job of curating the vendors who come in. We’ve all paid our dues, and it gives it a lot of credibility.”
Harville said today’s brides don’t just want to hire vendors who are good at what they do, they also want people with whom they enjoy working, and that’s a large part of the appeal of the Signature Bridal Show. “It’s helpful because brides get an idea of who they’re going to work well with and see their work first-hand. It’s things like that that brides really like. They want creativity, and they want personality.”
The Signature Bridal Show has high standards and strict requirements for the vendors who advertise in Weddings With Style Magazine and participate in the Signature Bridal Show, so couples can rest assured that even the relative “newcomers” are still highly experienced and respected professionals.
Olivia Lott, owner of Olivia Lott Photography, is participating in the Signature Bridal Show for the first time this year. “I was interested in advertising with Weddings with Style Magazine since I first dipped my toes in wedding photography. I knew I needed to put my name out there more, and I knew Weddings with Style Magazine and the bridal show would be the best forms of advertisement for me,” she said.
Lott is looking forward not only to the increased exposure that comes with participation in the Signature Bridal Show, but also to learning more about what couples want in a wedding professional. “I [want] to meet other vendors and get to know them on a business level. With this being my first show, I am using it as a learning experience. I am definitely hoping to walk away from this show with a better expectation of what brides are looking for,” she said.
And one of the things brides most look forward to at the Signature Bridal Show is the collection of door prizes. This year, the grand prizes include four vacations and an engagement ring from Bailey’s Jewelers.
– Kelly Powell
