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February 28, 2007

A new twist on ‘The Wedding March’

By LEE NOBLE

Brides-to-be will soon discover that the wedding march is more than just a nuptial hymn that signals the onset of their long-awaited walk down the aisle.

The Wedding March, the so-titled bridal show at the Paramount Theatre Centre’s Hardacre Ballroom, will bring one-stop shopping for all matrimonial needs Sunday. Anyone — brides, grooms, family included — who wants a peek at the latest the area has to make a wedding day a great day is going to find it.

“We’re going to have all kinds of different vendors,” said Marta King, florist and organizer of the event. “A wide variety of anything that pertains to a wedding.”

Jewelers, designers, photographers, cake samples, travel agents, limousine services, tasting samples from Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria catering, music — and of course wedding gowns — will fill the ballroom.

“It’s something new, and that’s why I thought long and hard about a unique name for it,” said King, who has been involved in bridal shows before but is organizing her first this time. “I hope that name The Wedding March becomes well known, and I hope everybody looks forward it.”

King said that with the array of expertise the vendors she’s recruited bring to the show, anyone getting ready to do any kind of event — a reception for newlyweds who’ve gotten married out of state or even a retirement party — will find ideas for their event.

“It’ll be a really neat atmosphere. We’re going to have models wearing wedding gowns strolling throughout the event so people can see what the dresses look like on,” she said. “We’re even going to pass out roses that are being flown in Thursday from Ecuador.”

King took her part-time floral business full-time after Guide Corporation announced its closing last year. She said she’s been asked to do bridal shows before, but didn’t have time because of full-time work at Guide.

She’s been enjoying running her own business and has been hard at work planning The Wedding March since September.

“It’s fun, I enjoy it, so when they asked this time I decided it was time,” she said. “I thought this was perfect timing, so I jumped in on it.”

She chose the late winter season to take advantage of the timing of many engagements.

“Everybody gets engaged around Christmas, New Year’s or Valentine’s Day, so this is great timing,” King said.

And she’s got just about everything covered. There will even be door prizes, free valet parking and a vendor with information about horse and carriage rides.

“With the weather the way it is, I wouldn’t count on the horse and carriage being outside though,” she said, and laughed.

As for the expected turnout, she said history’s on her side.

“There was a small bridal show in Anderson a few years ago and they had 75 people — brides — come through the door, so if I can double that I’ll be ecstatic,” she said.



If you go...

What: “The Wedding March” — bridal exhibition

Who: Brides- and grooms-to-be, or anyone who wants to browse

Where: The Paramount Theatre Centre’s Hardacre Ballroom

When: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

How much: $5 to attend, includes valet service

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