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For many people, Feb. 19, 2011 will be an ordinary winter Saturday, passing without fanfare. Claudia Carbajal, on the other hand, expects it will be one she’ll remember for the rest of her life as it’s her wedding day.
With her walk down the aisle less than a year away, the bride-to-be from 11th Street and Washington Avenue has a lot of important decisions to make. Sunday, she was one of more than 100 guests who attended the Review’s first annual Bride’s Day Out expo at Penn’s Landing Caterers, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd.
It featured about 25 vendors for anything a bride could need, including photographers, florists, formal wear and entertainment. Brides and their guests enjoyed light fare supplied by Penns Landing Caterers and a discounted beverage bar. Tables draped in blue and white lined the walls of the venue, which was cheerfully bedecked with pink and white balloon clusters.
After taking a sip of her rose wine, Carbajal said the event helped her feel more confident about the process.
“It puts me at ease, I think,” she said. “I already have an appointment with David’s Bridal and I can get an idea of prices for everything,”
Photographer Mike Moffa, who has been in the picture-taking business for more than four decades, knows something about capturing memories of the big day. He offers an outdoor “love story” composed of casual romantic photos taken in a scenic location.
“I ask, what do you envision your wedding to be?” Moffa, based at 241 McClellan St., said.
While the trend of wedding cupcakes may be in the past, a new one has emerged. Customized cakes a la the a popular Food Network show “Ace of Cakes” are very popular.
For the all-important cake selection process, Cristina Benigno, co-owner of Potito’s Bakery, 1614 Ritner St., recommends placing an order three to six months in advance so decorators can finish the “intricate details.”
And she noted there is a growing demand for groom cakes.
“They have themes like sports or race cars, often with a different flavors from the traditional cake, like red velvet.”
For Amy Linder, of 20th and Tasker streets, Sunday’s event was just one of the perks that comes with being a bride as she is tying the knot May 22. She said it has been her job to do the bulk of the planning, but now only “labels and small stuff” remain. At this point, she has seen both sides of the wedding planning story.
“The best part is getting to come to things like this, like Bride’s Day Out,” Linder said.
The worst part of wedding planning —“People giving me a hard time about it, like bridesmaids,” she said with a laugh.
To see more pictures, visit the Bride’s Day Out slideshow.
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