| Informing, Inspiring Brides
by Sherry Slater, The Journal Gazette - June 20, 2007
Area group plans ‘out-of-the-box' concept for expo Finding that one perfect person to spend the rest of your life with might actually be the easy part. The true challenge comes when it’s time to choose between the overwhelming options available for weddings and receptions. When Dawn Quick started selling wedding gowns 27 years ago, brides could refer to two primary resources: Brides magazine and Modern Bride. Now, 15 wedding-themed magazines crowd the newsstands, and brides can spend hundreds of hours surfing the Internet. “They have more choices, so it’s easier to get overwhelmed,” said Quick, owner of The Wedding Place. That’s why some local wedding professionals are organizing Brides Night Out, a fresh take on the bridal expo experience. The event is 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Scottish Rite Center. The organizers aren’t sure how many to expect but are planning for 300 to 400. The typical bridal expo is a wintertime event that includes rows of booths filled with wedding professionals who focus on selling their individual products or services, said Sara Keltsch, owner of The Monogram Shoppe. It’s up to the bride – and her posse of relatives and bridesmaids – to wander from one booth to the next and visualize how all those separate pieces might fit together. But at Brides Night Out, vendors will work together to create a cohesive presentation in themed settings. Vignettes will include wedding gowns, table displays and invitations with themes including “Flavors of Latte” with brown tones; “Delectable Delights” with black, white and citrus-colored accents; and “Allure of the Sea” with a travel theme. The styles will range from simple to sophisticated. “It’s an interesting way to give brides ideas, inspirations, rather than the typical bridal show,” said Cheryl Brockmann, who owns A Party Apart. “It’s definitely a softer sell.” Quick is providing bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses for the fashion show. “A girly bonding event is what it is, not your hard sell in the basement of (Memorial) Coliseum,” she said. The event is sponsored by The Wedding Connection, a five-year-old group of local businesses that do wedding-related work. They sell flowers, food, photos and more. They rent tuxes, limos and reception halls. They have to be in business at least two years before they can qualify for membership. And they must be referred by an existing member to be accepted. “We’re sort of the best of the best,” Keltsch said of the membership. Her store, The Monogram Shoppe, sells invitations. This is the group’s third event but the first with the new style. “Nothing’s been done like this in Fort Wayne,” said Quick. Typical bridal expos encourage visitors to come and go as they wish. But the organizers of Brides Night Out have activities planned for specific times through the evening. They encourage brides, their friends and their mothers to plan to come at 5 p.m. and stay until 9 p.m. Brides can slip on wedding gowns and be photographed with their wedding party for a Fort Wayne Woman magazine cover. Appetizers and drinks will be available, including the event’s signature cocktail, a Wedding Cake Martini. Cakes will be on display and available to sample. Bouquets will also be displayed. Brides can get a mini-makeover. The Answer Bank will provide live music. The evening will conclude with a runway fashion show. June Hoffman, a DJ with Megasound, will be master of ceremonies for the fashion show. She said the evening gives brides a chance to see the new trends, colors and concepts available. “It’s a very outside-of-the-box kind of concept,” she said. Brockmann attended a similar event in Texas, but entrance was limited to those working in the wedding industry. “It’s just an experience,” she said. “We want you to touch, see, feel and taste what it could be like at your reception.” The organizers enthusiastically support the non-traditional approach. “It’s going to be so different from anything that’s usually done,” Keltsch said, “I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to be there.”
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