Bridal Showcase helps couples plan their weddings
It may be tough to envision a sunny June afternoon or a warm September evening during the chill of January, but that's exactly what more than 50 vendors hope to help visitors do at Naper Settlement's 14th annual Bridal Showcase.
Photographers, florists, pastry chefs, caterers, formal wear specialists, banquet hall managers and wedding planners will be on hand from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, to offer brides and grooms a look at their wedding services.
"The vendors we have are bridal experts, top-rated professionals," said Donna DeFalco, the settlement's public relations and social media coordinator.
The free showcase debuted in 2003 and has grown in scope and size.
"Last year, we had 365 people attend. That included brides, grooms, the wedding entourages, parents," DeFalco said.
Vendors set up their booths and information stations inside the Pre-Emption House welcome center and Century Memorial Chapel on the museum village's campus. Showcase vendors serve both Naperville weddings and weddings held outside the city, she said.
"The Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau have what they call a Naperville pavilion. They'll have the hotels and restaurants and they'll be in one area," DeFalco said.
The visitors bureau offers some free services for Naperville weddings, such as help with hotel bookings, she said.
Other vendors will be located throughout the two buildings.
Visitors can learn about renting the 175-seat chapel for wedding ceremonies.
"One of the reasons we have the showcase is so we can highlight the chapel," DeFalco said. "It's nondenominational, so couples can personalize their wedding ceremony."
Built in 1864, the chapel has stained glass windows, a piano and an organ, and a recently remodeled lower-level dressing room, DeFalco said.
The settlement also hosts rehearsal dinners and offers tented receptions on the grounds, she said.
DeFalco said visitors are encouraged to chat with each of the vendors at the showcase.
"We have a passport this year. If you get all 50 vendors checked off, you'll be entered into a raffle," she said.
A guitarist will perform for chapel visitors while a harpist will play inside the Pre-Emption house, said Amanda Martinelli, a settlement guest services representative.
Personal, on-the-spot consultations with wedding professionals provide an advantage over phone or web-based research, she said.
"It's a great place to get that face-to-face interaction with a vendor," she said.
Martinelli said about half the vendors in attendance this year have participated in the showcase in the past.
"Some of our vendors have been with us since the beginning," said DeFalco.
The event is a boon for brides, she said, because it introduces a measure of efficiency into the process.
"They can meet all these vendors without making an appointment," DeFalco said. "This is one of the biggest investments a couple will make, aside from buying a house. It gives them a good starting point for making decisions."
If you go
What: 2016 Bridal Showcase
When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9
Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
Admission: Free
Info: (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.org