This morning, by many accounts, the line to get into the Wonderful World of Weddings has never been longer. And when our beauty blogger, Amanda, and I got inside, it was easy to see why. There really is something for couples of every style in this two-day show at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Expo Center.
Sure, the line was long, but if you get claustrophobic, don’t worry. Six aisles lined with exhibition booths ensured that there was plenty of space to browse and time to talk with wedding pros. I don’t even think I ran into anyone while I was fiddling with my camera—well, not physically, anyway. It was wonderful to run into the photographers, florists, DJs, boutique owners and planners with whom I’d been keeping in touch and hearing about for so long. It was fun to watch that type of meeting between brides and exhibitors, too. If someone can be star-struck by local wedding industry pros, this was the time. And we were excited to meet many new ones, as well.
Checking out the myriad booths took a good portion of our day, but Amanda and I got to sit back and take in the 12:30 fashion show (it runs twice daily). What an event! It’s professionally choreographed, expertly lit, and the models—women, men and kids—look amazing, but what I was most struck by was that so many local businesses were involved! It truly is a collaboration between a wide range of bridal boutiques, menswear shops and florists, and the results, showcasing the year’s top trends, are stunning.
If you’re planning a wedding in Southeastern Wisconsin, I hope you have a chance to check this out tomorrow. It’s a fantastic way to mark a ton of things off your to-do list. But if you’re looking to sign pros for your wedding (lots of them offer wedding show deals), get there early—when we left today, many exhibitors were almost fully booked for this year, and into next. Tomorrow, the show goes from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Oh, and just one other suggestion: Comfy shoes are a must. Once you arrive, time will fly!
Photos, from top to bottom: Locker’s Florist, Dennis Felber Photography, Brookfield Wedding Cakes, Zilli Hospitality Group, Crowne Plaza Milwaukee West, CookiesFromScratch.com, Coqui Design, Relics Vintage Rentals and the fashion show
By the end of high school, Ellie Martin Cliffe was completely enamored of journalism, so she chose the most logical college major possible: anthropology. Disappointed by the minimal emphasis on writing and editing, she changed tracks and earned a comm degree from Carroll College. Ellie has since tackled many facets of the field including books, magazines and the Web at places like The Knot and Reader's Digest. She now works full time in book publishing, and is thrilled to get her wedding fix with WedInMilwaukee.com. When she isn’t wielding her (red) pen, Ellie can be found in the garden, at any concert that showcases a fiddle, playing pub trivia or in the kitchen. She and her husband live in Riverwest with their hedgehog, Guinness, and grapefruit tree, Sprout.
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