5 tips from Lakeshore Bridal Expo 2014: Dress for personality, don't forget the food

Hundreds of people made the trip to the Muskegon Country Club Sunday to take part in Lakeshore Bridal Expo 2014.

The event, now in its fifth year of operations, provides prospective brides and grooms with direct connections to approximately 35 vendors including photographers, bakeries, food caterers, jewelry stores, honeymoon planners and music specialists, among others.

During the three-hour event, couples and their families were able to peruse the various vendor booths and make decisions regarding the direction of their big day. And few are better than some of Muskegon County's most prominent wedding service planners to assist in making decisions that affect the course of one of life's biggest occasions.

Looking for some wedding ideas to make that big day go smoothly?

Here are some thoughts for the perfect wedding from several vendors at Lakeshore Bridal Expo 2014:

1. Dress for your personality

Most people have an idea in their mind of how their wedding is supposed to look. And oftentimes, dressing the wedding party is a big part of that.

However, bridal consultant Stacey Hilton of Muskegon's Carol's Bridal & Tuxedo shop said it's important to dress comfortably and "dress for your personality" for your pending nuptials. Hilton recommends both the bride and groom work with the consultant on issues of color matching and style to build the perfect wedding look.

"Every bride has a different personality so kind of find a dress that fits and enhances that," she said. "Bring in pictures – that helps. It also helps your consultant to tell her what you do like and what you don't like on the dress."

2. 'Pictures are forever'

Every family has an example of a dated wedding photo. Whether it be in the hairstyles, the décor or the colors used during the ceremony, it's often easy to spot a wedding that went along with the trends of the time.

Chalet Floral & Events event specialist and wedding coordinator Jamie Stoner's advice to avoid a dated wedding photo is to err on the conservative side and go with a more classical look.

"Don't just be trendy, go classic because your pictures are forever," he said. "If you're thinking about the overall look for your wedding, especially from the décor end of it, keep it more classic."

3. Sign on the dotted line

Working with wedding vendors can be a difficult process and it's easy for business relationships to be lost in the shuffle.

Lakeshore Bridal Expo Director Nik Tong, who also owns MiPhotoBooth North, said it's important for couples to get the details of the business relationship in writing, so as to avoid any last minute disappointment.

"No matter which vendor they choose whether it's a DJ or a florist or whatever, make sure you have a contract," Tong said. "If you have a friend of a friend that's a photographer, make sure you have a contact with that person because there's always the horror stories of Joe's sister's wife was supposed to do my photography and, all of a sudden, she plans a trip to Traverse City and she's not gonna be able to do it."

4. Don't forget the food

This sort of goes without saying. But I'll say it anyway: food is important.

The Lakeshore Bridal Expo hosted a variety of food vendors on Sunday including The 750 Grille, Ryke's Bakery, Harris Hospitality and Desserts by Design. While people were browsing during the event, each of these vendor booths was full of people lingering and testing the range of foods offered.

Was it because the food was free? Maybe, and few could blame the food lingerers.

However, picking the right wedding spread says a lot about your wedding and each vendor was prepared Sunday with samples of their offerings to make that special day just a little bit sweeter.

5. Know your crowd

Every thoughtful wedding deserves an equally thought out wedding reception after the ceremony. But there are guidelines that can make it a more fulfilling process for all involved.

Digital Joe's owner Matt Nelson has worked his share of weddings and understands what works and what doesn't.

One thing of note? Know who's running the show and what their duties entail.

"Make sure you have a good master and mistress of ceremonies to work with all of your vendors to make sure your night goes smoothly and that the events happen on time," Nelson said. "That's the last thing a bride or a groom should have to worry about that night of their reception. Having that person is always a good thing."

Nelson also recommends being conscious of time, and knowing the type of crowd you're hosting on that special day.

"I actually have encouraged people to scale their event back," he said. "Because if it's 100 people and it's a buffet dinner and you're not doing all the special dances and you're not doing a lot of toasts and you're not doing a garter toss, it all of a sudden, if it's six hours, you have four or five hours that are just dance music."

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