Brides and grooms attend Downtown Bridal Show

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Bride-to-be Ashley Strange, center, watches as her sister, Lisa Holmes, and niece, Chelsea Slocum, check out the chocolate fountain Sunday at the Traverse City Downtown Bridal Show. Special to the Record-Eagle/Carol South

January 10, 2011

By CAROL SOUTH Special to the Record-Eagle The Record Eagle Mon Jan 10, 2011, 04:02 PM EST

TRAVERSE CITY — Blending their two families, Margaret Harding and William Brower had a modest to-do list.

The Cadillac couple trekked to Traverse City's Downtown Bridal Show on Sunday to check out cakes, disc jockeys and bridesmaid dresses. An active groom-to-be, Brower has helped plan their May 28 wedding over the past year.

Instead of quailing at a packed event catering to brides, their wedding parties and family members, Brower enjoyed it — as he has the whole process.

"Our likes and dislikes are very similar — we observe something and are really actually very similar in our thoughts about it," he said.

Harding added that his participation has helped fill a void: "My mother's been gone since 1995."

The 17th annual Downtown Bridal Show has become a January tradition, anchoring local wedding vendors as they launch another season. College Pavelgio, the marketing director for the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, estimates attendance meeting recent numbers of 250-350 brides and a total of 800-1,000 people.

Vendors showcased everything from clothing, food and desserts to photographers, venues and flowers.

Big news this year was the venue change to the City Opera House plus an upgraded program to help brides track gowns during the popular fashion show.

This means that participating gown vendors — Bay Bridal Boutique and To Have and To Hold Bridal Boutique — no longer have to play sleuth after the show.

"We would get phone calls or girls coming in, and they would literally be (saying), 'You know, it was white, and it had lace,'" said Toni Liles, co-owner of To Have and To Hold. "Or they'd say it was the first dress in the show, and we'd show it to them, and they'd go, 'No, that wasn't it.'"

The fashion show is a huge draw, and Bridal Show attendees staked out territory early to get a good seat.

Mandy Grissom, of Traverse City, and her mom snagged a third-row seat on an aisle, ready to scope out potential bridesmaid dresses for her June 17 wedding. With most of the wedding already planned, Grissom tackled this final hurdle while attending her first wedding show.

"I need to get ideas because both my bridesmaids are different body types, so I'm not sure. I might have to have two different dresses the same color," she said.

Still firming up a date and location for her summer wedding, Ashley Strange attended the Bridal Show with a to-do list including a cake, photographer and disc jockey. Having her mom, sister and niece along provided welcome help and support for a complex process.

"Planning a wedding is fun but stressful," she said. "I think the toughest part is finding a venue and a date, and then everything will flow from there."

Future brides also checked out hair and makeup styles showcased on models from the bridal boutiques.

Pavlova Salon once again provided all the hairstyling and makeup services. Noting that the salon works with about 150 brides a year, Manager Lisa Baker emphasized that brides should make sure they know what works with their dress, wedding and personality.

Some brides at the Bridal Show know exactly what they want while others ask for guidance. Test driving hair and makeup really can help these latter brides, who might not do their hair and makeup every day.

"There's also the bride that doesn't have any idea of what she wants to do. Hair and makeup is not a priority," Baker said. "A trial can make her feel more comfortable."