I just got back from a trip to St. Kitt’s where a good friend of mine got married. It was the first destination wedding I’ve ever been to and it was awesome…for the guests anyway. For my friend, the bride, however, it was close to a nightmare. Her wedding planner was horrible from start to finish. She finalized where her ceremony would take place the day before the wedding, the day of the rehearsal she was given a new preacher without even being informed prior to, the flower colors were not what she had requested…and the list goes on.

I’m sure every bride goes through some hiccups here and there during the wedding planning stages. I mean, there is a lot to plan: the invitations, dresses, tuxes, flowers, ceremony, reception, music, wedding favors, decor, dinner menu, seating arrangements, cake, etc…I’m not married and I know all of these so I can’t imagine what other items need to be planned that I don’t even know about.

I used to think it was a piece of cake, but the more weddings I’ve been to/in, I’ve realized it’s some serious work and the more time you have to plan, the better! So believe me when I say that if you are recently or soon-to-be engaged or are in the beginning planning stages of your wedding, there is one event you must check out: The Wedding Show At America’s Center. As they say on their website: In just one afternoon you will see more wedding businesses than you could visit in a month on your own. We bring you a face-to-face sampling of virtually everything you’ll need to make your wedding day perfect with over 200 wedding exhibits.

I really can’t think of anything better than a one-stop wedding shop. There’s even a Wedding Show App-STL Wedding Show-which you can download before the event to review all of the exhibitors, the layout of the show and create an agenda for yourself to organize the day to guarantee you get everything accomplished.

Not only can you get everything you need in one day, you can also get 25% discounts on specific vendors, and they’ll be giving away prizes every 5 minutes. A little bit of saving can go a long way when it comes to wedding costs. So just check it out:

The Wedding Show

Presented by St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine

Saturday, January 5th and Sunday January 6th

11:00am-4:00pm

America’s Center: 701 Convention Plaza

$8 registration at the door (visit the website for a $2 off coupon)

And if for some reason you can’t make this event, the Gateway Center in Collinsville, IL will be hosting their annual Gateway Bridal Show on Thursday, January 24th from 5-9pm.  The show is free for brides, $5 for guests, there will be prizes for brides who pre-register and swag bags for the first 400 brides. This event is a bit smaller, but will still offer everything you need and more, including a runway fashion show and samples of food, cake and drinks.

 

Brought to you by Mills Properties