We’ve gotten a few calls this week asking where we were at the Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show last weekend. We’re flattered that you missed us, but we’d like to add that we were in fact there. Didn’t see us? Well, to be honest we didn’t have a booth. Two shows a year is plenty for us at this point. We just stopped by to say high to a few friends and to check out what was going on. What we didn’t expect is that we’d make a few new friends in the process.

If you haven’t been to a bridal show you are missing out. It’s no normal trade show. A bridal show is a room packed with thousands of brides and moms looking for just the perfect photographer, florist, dj, etc… In short, it’s a zoo. I think that Mary over at Blue Window Creative described it best. She said it’s “kind of like walking through the perfume and make-up section at a busy department store. By the end you smell like three different things, one of them being men’s cologne, and you’re sporting a set of fake eyelashes.”

Anyway, we always have a great time at our shows but by the end of the day we are exhausted. I got to say it was great to just walk around and not to have to worry about the booth. We ran into a few interesting folks while we were there, and I’d love to tell you about them.

Els VanderMei of Dutch Flowers

Els runs a great flower shop in the City Market called Dutch Flowers. This was her first show, and it was my first time to meet her. She was instantly likable and very gracious. She stood their posing with flowers for a good long time while I fumbled with the camera and I didn’t hear one complaint.

I’m hoping to have the chance to sit down with Els in the near future and write a more detailed blog post on who she is and how she came to be a Kansas City florist. For now though, you’ll just have to check out her site or visit her shop at 400 Grand.

Brad and Leslie Selfridge of Cedar Creek Photography

We met Brad and Leslie about a year and a half ago at a vendor party thrown by the Knot. Since then we’ve gotten to know Brad and Leslie a bit. We’ve seen them at bridal shows and even worked with them at a wedding or two. Like Els, Brad and Leslie are both highly likable people. I didn’t bother to warn Brad that I was going to put his picture on the site, but he gave me a grin just the same.

If you are looking for a good photographer with a good personality, years of experience and very reasonable rates, Cedar Creek might be for you. If you haven’t already met them, check out their website or call them up to visit their studio in Olathe.

Jeremy Lawson of JLawson Photography

Jeremy runs a very successful photography studio in Springfield called JLawson Photography and a sister studio called Big Smile Photography. His business model is most interesting to me: He shoots weddings personally for a relatively high, but still reasonable, fee; while the photographers he trained to staff Big Smile shoot at an even more manageable rate. His work is impressive and certainly worth a look or two. As of late, he’s been picking up a lot of weddings in the Kansas City area, so he decided to expand this direction and participate in the PWG show. Check out his website at jlawsonphotography and his blog at jeremylawsonphoto.blogspot.com

Evergreen Events and Emily Hart

A couple weeks ago I met with Emily Miller to talk about floral design for her wedding in August. What I didn’t realize at the time is that Emily owns Emily Hart’s (formerly Sandy’s Bridal) in Paola Kansas and her mother Julie owns Evergreen Events just next door. It’s always flattering to have the opportunity to do a wedding for a fellow wedding vendor. Emily and Julie put in a great showing at the bridal fair, in fact Emily provided many of the gowns for the run way show. Make sure you check them out at Sandysbridal.com and anevergreenevent.com

Alexander & Company

The first time we walked by this booth, we thought, “What is it?” Two guys with a bunch of posters: What were they doing at a bridal show. Eventually I was snagged by the quality of design. The posters were very well-executed early 20th century-inspired wedding promos. There’s nothing quite like seeing your own name and wedding date on a poster that you could swear was designed by Toulouse-Lautrec. Alexander and Company also does invitations and save the date cards. Check them out at www.customalexander.com.

Blue Window Creative

Sometimes another wedding vendor catches you off guard. Such was the case with Blue Window Creative. To be honest, I had not even heard of them before I walked by their booth at the show. It’s always strange when you go from never having heard of someone to being a big fan all in a few minutes. Blue Window Creative is Joel and Mary Schroeder, and they do some great photography and custom design. They are exceptionally talented, extremely personable and sure to make a big splash on the Kansas City Wedding scene. So… catch them while you can. Their rates are fairly low at the moment, but if I’m any guess that won’t last long. I bet they will be overwhelmed with weddings before too long and they’ll have to take up their rates just to control the workload. So, check them out via their website and their blog Remember, I told you first.

Ornamental Petal

We met Bridget Kelly of Ornamental Petal in the Blue Window Creative booth (I guess creative people like to congregate in creative places). Though we had heard of Ornamental Petal before, we’d never met the girl behind the flowers. Bridget, like Joel and Mary, is extremely talented and a joy to be around. You should check out her site too, and her blog. Also, there’s a new Ornamental Petal website in the works, I’ve seen the preview. Mary Schroeder of Blue Window Creative is designing it, and it’s going to be a humdinger.

So, there’s the highlights from the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal show. See you later!