Being married for over a decade, I forgot everything possible to create an unforgettable magnificent wedding. The Ultimate Bridal Event produced by Ann McCright Agency was the place for any bride or bride hopeful. WOWZER is all I can say to put the excitement of the day into one word.
I can officially check this off my personal bucket list and you should too. The bridal event takes place twice a year, with the next Ultimate Bridal Event on January 8, 2012. Click here to purchase your tickets or register www.ultimatebridalevent.com the event has accommodated more than 8,000 brides in a year! That’s ultimate in Bakersfield.
The event occurred in a trade show format, but very upscale. It’s was a first-rate extravagance of wedding vendors, in many categories, all hand-selected because of their high standards and dedication to offering the avant-garde Bride the very best. It was not cheesy by any stretch of the imagination, it was superlative. One could feel the elegance and expectation of nothing but the finest from the vendors for the brides. I left believing anything was truly possible to etch that day in your memory forever.
Vendors for all budgets were available. The creativity and artistry of many of the bakeries displays were inspiring. The photographers work exhibited ranged from life size art to produced movies in print. There were also bridal registries, food caterers, numerous ceremony & reception sites, disc jockeys, lighting designs, one ~ Free Style Event Services gave away $1000.00 in lighting to a bride and a free lighting monogram to another, there were favors, gowns & formal apparel, invitations, limousines, and videographers, who would not just film your wedding video, but produce it, making your wedding into a movie where you really are the star of the show. There were also wedding consultants and the florist, with floral arrangements that were breathtakingly gorgeous; all the stunning flowers made me want to renew my wedding vows in an elaborate ceremony again. There were photo booths, teeth whitening, weight loss and much more! One bride told me, I have so many options, I just didn’t think I really could have my dream wedding here in Bakersfield.
The prizes were aaammmzing (in my Oprah voice), one bride won her perfect honeymoon, a 8 day, 7 night to any destination of her choice anywhere in the world! Another lucky Bride won a $10,000 mystery wedding trunk. Vendors also gave away thousand of dollars in prizes. Many vendors offered “today only” promotions, however; I didn’t experience a single pushy vendor, most vendors made a fuss over the bride, which is what she really wants anyways. The catch: you must be in attendance to win, so the place was full till the very end! The Brides had to stay to play or go away.
Men, this was like your day to shine like the King you are. You would please your bride by attending the bridal event with her, but you’ll have your own man cave get away. McCright got it right, with a grooms lounge. I was in love with it, it had seven flat screen TV's with more football than you could care for, ice cold beverages, a black jack table and man snacks.
As if that wasn’t enough, celebrity status was in the house. Bravo TV's Gretchen Christine Rossi's of “The Real Housewives of Orange County”, which has been seen by more than 320 Million people worldwide, from England to South Africa, Dubai, Australia and parts of Mexico and the Orient, was up close and personal emceeing the main event of the day, the fashion show. Gretchen was energetic and fun, obviously into all the glamour of the fashion show which featured the latest wedding fashions for everyone in the bridal party like designer wedding gowns, astute tuxedos, bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride wear, and flower girl outfits. The Bra Shoppe was a hit; they covered it all from risqué to conservative, giving the married to be couples many essential options. The accessories, hairstyles and make-up made the model brides glow. Brides were able to get a good visual. I was in love with the entertainment options, the harpist and the lounge singer, who is a must for your wedding or any event.
Whoever did the marketing for this event is sheer genius; you know any about-to-be-married bride and groom that is planning on attending is going to drag all her bridesmaids, all her family and friends who are involved in the wedding planning process to the event along with her. It takes a long time to plan a wedding, but brides-to-be who attended the Ultimate Bridal Event got a good start and a bunch of freebies, some useful information, and a stomach full of free food. Hodels had the food down to a science; it NEVER ran out of food, even with thousand of people in attendance.
Ann McCright and her production team are very in touch with weddings these days. I don’t think anything was missing, you didn’t see anyone running around panicky, and it was a very organized well ran production. I didn’t see a single hiccup; all the vendors were in place, not pushy, just sharing.
One thing, I would have love to see, a better cultural representation, maybe an Indian bride, an African American bride or groom, maybe some color gowns would have been refreshing as well. A couple full figure brides to mix it up a little more.
The Ultimate Bridal event offered to be married families exquisite rather than cheap and cheerful. The vendors offered them opportunities to make a statement. After all, a bride really wants her day to be perfect and unforgettable.
Like my father, Willie J. Frink always says, “You don’t marry someone you can live with; you marry the only person you cannot live without.”
Til death do you part,
Writer for Bakersfield Neighborhood Examiner
Author of ~369 Things A Woman Must Enjoy Before She Dies
CONTACT THE ULTIMATE BRIDE EVENT
Phone: (661) 835-1305
Info@theultimatebridalevent.com
www.theultimatebridalevent.com
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I welcome your comments and suggestions. To offer inputs send an email to Arleana@ArleanaWaller.com. Please be sure to include your phone number so I can call you if I need more information.
P.S. ~ I will post all the pictures I took real soon.
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