CENTERBURG — Blowing snow and slippery sidewalks didn’t deter a crowd from attending the first Heart of Ohio Bridal Show at the Table Rock Golf Course clubhouse near Centerburg on Sunday afternoon.
Centerburg and area merchants, offering products and services ranging from photography and flowers to disc jockeys and life insurance, came together to show their wares to prospective brides and grooms, and their relatives and friends.
Courtney Shaver of Courtney Shaver Designs, Centerburg, displayed handmade invitations and menus, colorful candy favors, decorated placecards and even printed fans for brides who want to add a creative and unusual touch to their weddings.
Patti and Wayne Smith of All Occasion Carriage and Pony Ride, LLC, St. Louisville, brought a decorated white carriage for display, but left their draft horses at home. They have taken many just-married couples and families on carriage rides during their six years in business. They also have a sleigh with wheels for city streets and runners for snow-covered roads.
Patti Smith wears a black tuxedo and top hat for bridal occasions, and decorates the carriage with flowers in the colors of the bride’s theme.
“I try to make it as elegant as I can,” she said. “I try to make it a very special day for them.”
The Smiths are working on adding a Cinderella-style coach to their offerings, and told how they sprinkle their horses with glitter for special effect on night-time rides.
Becky Walpole, hair stylist at the Scissor Shack, Centerburg, demonstrated special hairstyles for formal occasions, and SueEllyn Wiggand of Pathway of Elegance, Centerburg, explained gown options and helped prospective brides and their mothers try on dresses.
Kristi Layton of Kristi’s Bakery, Centerburg, who helped organize the event, displayed wedding cakes and handed out samples.
She said the stream of visitors had been steady since opening at noon.
“We’re trying to showcase everybody,” she said. “Centerburg is a small town, and people like that one-on-one touch.”
She explained that at a big-city bridal show, shoppers often feel they are “just a number.”
“When you do business here, in a small town,” she said, “you connect with the person.”
No one made a profit by hosting or organizing the show, Layton explained, and no vendor fees were charged. Instead, vendors shared the cost of the advertising and cleaning the carpeting.
“I know how everything costs money,” Layton said, “and the last thing I wanted to do was charge people. None of us are huge companies. There is no need to make money on organizing this. And, in the end, you prosper better by doing it that way.”
