Why There Are No "Groomal" Shows

One weekend in January, Kristy, Kristy’s mother, my mother and sister and I went to a bridal show at Shopko Hall. To say the least it was an interesting and incredibly eye-opening experience for a rookie such as me to endure.

You walk into the lobby and just beyond the turnstiles counting the entrants, there are a countless number of people, mostly women, milling about looking at various booths. Immediately thoughts of, “There is no way this many people are getting married in Green Bay anytime soon,” and the natural, “Wow, this may take longer than I ever would have imagined.” Immediately upon entering the Great Hall, the first pre-perception was dashed, while the second one was…reinforced.

Taking a step into the carnival of weddings, somebody stuck a sticker on Kristy that said “Bride-to-be” in excellent calligraphy. Another person handed each one of us a map and list of vendors. Scanning the list, nothing immediately popped out as a “must-see” to me. The first vendor handed each of us a plastic bag for all of the free stuff that we would be getting from random booths. Hmmm… Free things are always good.

Walking down the first aisle of vendors, Kristy spotted a photographer that she fell in love with at once. The actual photographer was not there, but her husband was and gave us his pitch. Fair enough, and the pictures were very unique and beautiful, almost like a magazine spread of real life.

After that, it was my mission to seek out and test all of the bakery vendors and try each one of their cakes. This position was self-appointed, but essential to the overall success of the day. While Kristy stopped and talked with different vendors, I would be a few booths away at the closest baker, trying the cakes and grabbing their information. On top of that, I had to try to get all of the free things I could and sign up for all the contests. Another self-appointed position, but I ask you, “Who else would be capable of actually writing down our contact information line by line?” My expertise in writing legibly was needed and I stepped up.

After scouting out all of the vendors, the fashion show began. What is there to say, besides that it was a show of fashion. Generally focused on gowns and a few tuxedos, many too flashy for my tastes, but I am sure they fit some people’s style. The fashion show took up four pages on the program, but lasted for about a half an hour. It wasn’t too bad, I took pictures of dresses that Kristy told me too and persevered through it.

Overall, the bridal show was interesting. I was a little out of place at times, but I had a good time and learned a lot about what goes into a wedding. There are so many things to consider, and I will be more prepared for next year’s show. I have already begun practicing writing my name and information repeatedly. I say, bring it on!