Krystal Grant / www.kkgphoto.com
Lauren Kingstro knows all about the excitement leading up to the wedding day. She married Paul Kingstro on Aug. 18 last year. The reception was held at The Davenport on Trade Street. Krystal Grant provided GreerToday.com with the wedding photo of Lauren.
Krystal Grant / www.kkgphoto.com
Krystal Grant / www.kkgphoto.com
Krystal Grant / www.kkgphoto.com
Guests will attend interactive events – ceremony, cocktails and reception – with vendors showcasing their talents and services. A bride and groom will be featured with guests invited to follow them through the ceremony, cocktails and reception venues or visit the hall in any sequence. All staff will be dressed in formal attire.
The unique bridal show differs from others in that vendors will be interacting with the activity going on and guests will be invited to enjoy the atmosphere and food and beverages served in formal settings.
Girlfriends and moms usually accompany the brides or brides-to-be. "Sometimes just the moms come to get a feel or ideas," said Christine Faust, a wedding planner who will host the reception venue.
Pre-wedding services featuring a Photographers Ally and the Pampered Palace will encourage guests to enjoy the demonstrations that will be showcased throughout the event.
Mary Watson, owner of U Design and booking agent at Grace Hall, is a wedding planner who is hosting the reception hall. "The wedding will be recreated every hour," Jackson said. "This show gives the brides an actual view of the ceremony and parties surrounding the wedding."
"I've always wanted to do a mock wedding. This provides real-life demonstrations (hair, makeup and nails) with the hosts dressed in wedding attire," Faust said.
Faust said the interactive show gives vendors a chance to demonstrate signature products of their services. "I make a cocktail, 'Liquidtail' that is my signature 'mocktail,'" Faust said. "We'll have all the vendors and their products you normally see in a bridal cocktail hour."
The reception will have music provided by a deejay, a dance floor and the traditional "first dance" performed by the staff.
The Bridal Show was first held last year. The Davenport, City Hall, Grace Hall and Greer's "Restaurant Row" provide other venues for guests to visit during their stay in Greer.
Jackson and Faust said the interactive bridal show has proven to produce more business than wedding shows at larger venues. "We spend a lot of time and money at those big shows and we don't hardly anything out of them," Faust said. She said she did not participate in the bigger shows this year. "Most of my business comes from referrals."
The wedding planners said the challenge to showcase their expertise is daunting and this provides as near a reality preview than any. "It also provides an opportunity for people behind the scenes to show their services," Faust said.
Guests won't need to be concerned with collecting business cards Saturday. A program will identify each vendor with names, addresses, services and contact information.