Here Come the Brides

With June just around the corner, Your Big Day Event & Party Planning company hosted the Village Bridal Showcase Thursday with just about every vendor you might need to pull off a wedding — with most from Essex County.

“You can plan your whole wedding right here.” said Ingrid M. Williams, who grew up in South Orange and owns Your Big Day Event & Party Planning.

And she was right. At the event there were photographers, lighting professionals, a destination wedding travel agency, music, food, jewelry, limos, gifts, dry cleaners (think wedding gowns) and a make up artist. And of course, there was the venue itself, the Maplewood Country Club.

They even had a celebrity: Samantha Goldberg, an event designer to the stars.

Couples attending the event could sample red velvet cupcakes from Veronica Mitchell's Vee's Sweet Treats. Need a bridal shower registry? The Pampered Chef cookware and Lia Sophia jewelry both have bridal 'em. Party favors and table décor were on display from Marada Designs. Owner Paula Torres can do everything from favors and flowers to bags and baskets. Flowers are the passion of Barsin Sadighi from Special Day Bouquet. Her favorite flower? Calla Lilies, which she artfully worked into a splendid centerpiece on display at her table.

Looking for that extra touch on the wedding day? David Reynolds from The Lighting Guy makes ordinary rooms look spectacular. He once had to turn a gym into a sophisticated space for an evening reception. By using drape and lighting, he even made the basketball backboard look liked it belonged at the party.

And as the saying goes, "getting there is half the fun." Action Limousine, owned by the Garrabrant family, had two of their many vehicles for prospective brides to tour. The first was a stretch SUV and the second was a party bus complete with LED lights and poles. But sometimes vendors in the wedding industry need to be ready for anything. They have come to the rescue of many a bride. Like the time the organist didn't show for a wedding. John Garrabrant pulled the limo up the curb, opened all the doors and cranked his iPod up with the wedding march so that the bride could walk down the aisle.

Some of the vendors there were more than happy to offer tips to the couples. Here's their top five:

1. From Pauline Nobles, make up artist in how to look your best on your big day. “Water. Drink water. Dry skin soaks up make up like a sponge.”
2. From Donna Serino from Hallak Cleaners. “Get your wedding dress cleaned within a month of the wedding. Sugar (from frosting to champaign) is what causes those yellow stains years later.”
3. From Nicole Grasso of Simply Stylish Events says “Organization is key when working with a planner. We're here to execute your day the way you want it.”
4. Veronica Mitchell recommends brides bring in some examples of the cakes they like from magazines. With Cake Boss and other extreme cake shows, there's quite a bit to choose from.

5. Finally Mou Mukherjee, of PhotosMadeEz, says just one thing, “Enjoy!”

“I did this because I wanted to show off what was in our own backyard,” said Williams. “I want to put SOMA on the wedding map!”