Naper Settlement offers Bridal Showcase
Eileen Barlow wanted to have her cake and eat it too.
At least that's what she decided after attending the 2006 Naper Settlement Bridal Showcase.
After only a few bites of the vendors' flavorful wedding cakes, she knew hers had to both look appealing and tempt the taste buds.
“It struck me: I wanted a dessert,” Barlow said. “I wanted it to taste good, not just look good.”
The Naperville resident says the showcase helped her discover just what she wanted on her special day.
And Naper Settlement officials are hoping this year's showcase, which opens today and runs through Saturday, will provide inspiration for other brides-to-be, too.
More than 200 people are expected to learn “what's in” this wedding season while visiting with a wide variety of vendors from 5:30 to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Pre-Emption House and the Century Memorial Chapel on the settlement grounds at 523 S. Webster St., Naperville.
Everything that brides and grooms would ever need to plan for their wedding day is within reach, said Donna DeFalco, marketing coordinator for Naper Settlement. Photography, flower, catering and formal wear vendors from throughout the region will be there to help calm couples' nerves as they plan their wedding.
“They make it very comfortable to talk with them during a very stressful time in a bride's life,” DeFalco said.
She said the showcase is held just after the holidays because many couples are newly engaged. She knows that once the ring is on the bride's finger, couples are eager to start planning their dream wedding.
The vendors love the intimate atmosphere, too, said Vince Marrone, owner of Lorenzo's Formal Wear in Lisle. He is able to have an actual conversation with the happy couples — a luxury people don't always get at larger showcases. He said he doesn't even try to push couples to take a business flier because he knows their conversation will do the talking when it comes time to hiring someone.
“When you have a big show, it's like a herd of cattle coming down the aisles, and you hope they take a flier,” he said.
Barlow agreed, saying that special attention is exactly what brides-to-be need. With it taking months to plan a wedding, the showcase can help people save time and even a little bit of money.
“You could do your one-stop shopping there,” she said.
For more information, visit Napersettlement.org.
If you go
What: Naper Settlement Bridal Showcase
Where: Pre-Emption House and Century Memorial Chapter, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
When: 5:30-9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8
Cost: Free
Info: Napersettlement.org