Within the three Broadway rooms on the other side of the alcove held various vendors ranging from travel agencies and transportation companies to boutiques and the Brown Hotel’s own gift shop, Shop at The Brown. One vendor that caught Louisville.com’s attention was the United States Postal Service, who had recently reissued a 66-cent 2-ounce “wedding cake” postage stamp in Louisville. “A lot of folks are glad we’re here. I’ve got a couple of brides-to-be tell me that it was a good reminder on the passport information, ‘cause a lot of folks might have [a] honeymoon out of the country. The response has been great,” noted station manager Vincent Burke on the turnout to his booth.
In the alcove, a couple of vendors were on hand to help brides plan their weddings. One such vendor was Carol Gristanti, who, like Fox, has been a part of every Bridal Experience from the beginning. “Ellen Fox is a friend of mine; I did parts of her wedding years ago. When she decided to produce the show, she was asking some of the people that she already knew in the business. So, I’ve been doing it from the very first year; this is my eighth year.” When asked about how the previous shows compared to the 2013 version, Gristani said, “I think it’s good. It’s about the same. The caliber of the brides is very good, and it’s one of a kind. It’s very elegant. It’s not your cookie-cutter style wedding show.”
Speaking of the brides, Louisville.com was able to catch up to a bride for her thoughts on the experience before the show’s end. Summer Blizzard (yes, that is her real name) a health care trainer from Louisville via Chattanooga, Tenn., knew there were other bridal shows occurring at the same time as the one at the hotel, but chose to attend the Bridal Experience based on the photography from vendor Amy Shepherd Photography used to promote the event with her fiancé. “We like it a lot. I mean, we have just been here for about 20 minutes or so, but so far, we love it. It’s great. A lot of really great vendors, new vendors that we haven’t seen at the other shows.”
Photos: Louisville.com/Cameron Miquelon.
