After months of brainstorming and technical research, you could definitely say we had been eagerly anticipating the Make My Day Wedding Expo! After all, it was only our second bridal expo since Black Tie & Co started in 2013. This year’s MMD expo was held at The Museum and Gardens in Jacksonville.

This show appealed to us because it was going to be different than your average bridal show. Fewer vendors and visitors meant that we could spend quality time getting to know potential brides, grooms, moms & best friends! We were also really looking forward to the VIP party after the show.

Our Booth

Because our goal is always to get to know a couple personally before we ever snap a photo, we arranged our booth to feel like we were having you over in our living room! A few all time favorite photos were on display and some of our highlight videos were looping on the tv. We even got to display our brand new albums! So many brides loved flipping through them and pointing out things they planned to do on their big day. Some were even planning to use venues we had already been to-and they appreciated seeing what their day could look like.

Our booth was next to the ladies of Glam Brush & Blush, Relish Catering, and Coastal Occasions. In between guests, we had such a nice time talking with fellow wedding professionals, and we definitely loved sampling the steak Relish was serving up. The smell lured several brides down to our section, so we are grateful to them nearby! With so much build up, the event felt like it was over in a flash.

The VIP Party

Arguably the part we were most looking forward to was the VIP party! The special guest of the event was Desiree Hartstock, former star of ABC’s The Bachelorette, Author and Gown designer! The VIP party included a special fashion show featuring Desiree’s Dreamcatcher collection of wedding dresses.

Sitting under the oak trees, drinking our cocktails from The Perfect Pour, and being mesmerized by the beautiful gowns was the perfect way to relax after working so hard before and during the event.

We wanted to meet Desiree so badly. Funnily, we had the perfect opportunity before the expo began to go up and introduce ourselves, but we chickened out. After the fashion show, we finally mustered up some boldness to chat with her. (A little liquid courage never hurts!) Desiree is so sweet and we were impressed by her humility. We were able to snap a quick photo together, and gush over her dresses. We loved the Eva dress the most! (Secretly calling it the Elsa dress…)

Overall, we had a great time participating in the Make My Day Wedding Expo, and we can’t wait till next year! A big thank you to Tatum for putting everything together and to all of the brides and other vendors who made our day so much fun!