Cecilio has work on Sundays, but luckily his boss was able to give him yesterday off, and there happened to be a wedding show so we decided to check it out. I figured, 2016 is the year when our wedding planning is going full swing, so why not check out some cool stuff, meet with vendors, and possibly look for discounts? That's exactly what a wedding show is for.
Luxury Wedding Shows hosts wedding shows (expos) across the Northern California Region. If you have been a bride, are about to be, or wish you were, wedding shows are a chance to get you to meet with vendors (photographers, videographers, catering, etc.), sample food, cake, and wine, and even score discounts on those vendors! The unique thing about Luxury Wedding shows is that they are a "mock" wedding: their highlight is the fashion show, where brides and grooms decked in tuxes and princess gowns strut from the back and go on the stage, and "mock" their vows to a real officiant.
Most brides brought their mom, maid of honor, and/or bridesmaids. Cecilio was one of the few grooms their, but he teasingly complained about being there and kept checking his phone for the Oakland Raiders score. He did enjoy the experience though!
The show took place at Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, a ballroom attached to the Sacramento Public Library. I went there for my high school Senior Ball 9 years ago with my ex-boyfriend as my date. Now I went back with my future husband! Check out some of the pictures:
A wedding dress from House of Fashion, a Sacramento bridal salon boutique
Where the fashion show took place.
For those who live in the US know that David's Bridal is the most well-known bridal store (though now they have some stores in the UK), since it's a national chain. I have been drooling over specific dresses from them, and they had a booth there! So I chatted with the employees and scheduled to try on dresses this week, even though I am not ready to buy yet. I actually have an appointment on May 28, but I've been itching to try dresses for a while. So I have an appointment this Thursday, and my older sister Trixie (also my matron of honor) wants to come, so I might reschedule for this Wednesday to see her availability.
In the US, David's Bridal is mostly looked down upon by upper middle class brides in favor of the boutique designer salons that carry the couture designer gowns like Maggie Sottero or Pronovias. They say it's the "Walmart" of wedding dresses. I'm here to tell you that that is not true at all. Maybe because they have dresses for brides on a budget ($500 or less), but they also have more upscale collections such as White by Vera Wang and Zac Posen if that's what you're looking for. I don't care what others say, David's Bridal offers a WIDE range of styles and prices for brides (of all body types too!), whether you are swooning for sheath, wanting to sway in a mermaid, or feel like a princess in a ballgown or A-line.
We scoped out videographers since we don't really have one in mind (I know the photographer I would like to have though), but most of them were out of our price range and also came with a photographer. We even took pictures from a photo booth (but we lost our photo strips!) since we would like to have that for our wedding, but that particular booth was out of our budget as well.
A cake bakery, Jaynee's Cakes handed out mini cakes with frostings (Cookies N Cream, Chocolate Raspberry, Peanut Butter Buttercream, and Espresso) in little cups for free tasting. It was delicious! I probably won't book them for our cake because her husband is a photographer and the only way you get a 25% off discount is if you book him. Plus, they don't have a website :/
Here's the big highlight of the show and the one thing all brides our looking forward to: The fashion show! I and the whole crowd of brides keep wondering what dress will we say yes to? House of Fashion, one of Sacramento's bridal boutiques, hosted the show with the gowns they carried. The models (flower girls, junior bridesmaids, bridesmaids, brides and grooms) came from the back to the stage. The purpose was to create a "mock" wedding ceremony experience. Here's what I mean!
The grande finale of all the models donning the dresses carried in House of Fashion.
Selfie before the fashion show.
I was able to get some goodies too, like a free tote bag (which will be useful when I do meet with wedding vendors and haul my binder with me):
Some catalogs and magazines I got. I almost bought that Sacramento Bride & Groom magazine at a bookstore, but I'm glad I went to the show and was able to get it for free!
Some dresses from the David's Bridal Spring 2016 Collection.
A gorgeous dress from the White One Barcelona catalog. White One is a collection from Pronovias, a luxury brand with flagship stores in NYC and Barcelona. Their dresses are to die for, and I love them but my wallet doesn't.
I did enjoy this show, though I wasn't able to find the vendors I really wanted. I was mainly looking for a videographer, florist, cake baker, and transportation services. Though they did have videographers and a photo booth, they were too expensive for us, and there was no florist that I could scope out. I enjoyed the free cake and magazines, and of course the fashion show. I was also happy to be able to schedule an appointment with David's Bridal...who gave me a $50 off coupon for attending the show, but it expires sometime in February...so I have to make a hard decision...do I buy the dress now or wait until May or June so I could lose a bit more weight? Either way, I would have to deal with alterations, but if I did buy now and lose more weight, I would hate to deal with bigger alterations and run the risk of changing the dress's look.
I would have to say that I've been inspired to plan the wedding again after attending this show, and plan for our futures (homes, jobs, etc.) I've been feeling very "blah" lately. This may be what I needed to kick off 2016 with a fresh new start and goals. And no matter what dress I wear, how our decor will look like, how our engagement pictures will turn out, I am just so so excited and enthusiastic to be marrying my best friend!
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