Recently in Bridal shows Category

Hopefully this is not too late for some military brides - Jobyna's Bridal & Tuxedo in Glendale is having a Military Bridal Celebration starting today, Nov. 9 to Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As part of that celebration, the shop will be giving away 50 wedding designer gowns to 50 military brides with participating brands such as Jazmine, Moonlight, Paloma Blanca, St. Pucci, Maggie Sottero, Monique Liu, Henry Roth, House of Bianca and more.

But if brides miss their chance at a free gown, Jobyna's will offer plenty of specially discounted gowns for military brides only.

To qualify for the giveaway, brides must be engaged, be on active duty in the military or a fiance on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan, and show identification, deployment papers or orders, or other qualifying proof.

For questions or information, call 626.248.0026 or visit www.jobynasbridal.com . Jobyna's is located at 805 E.Wilson in Glendale.

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A VH1 casting crew will be on hand at the Premier Bridal Show to be held this Sunday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Anaheim DoubleTree Hotel, 100 The City Drive, Orange.

The casting company will be looking for brides and wedding professionals to be a part of their upcoming new series, "Wedding Wars."

"Wedding Wars" is a new competition-elimination series where eager engaged couples vie against one another for a dream wedding. In each episode these passionate personalities will face a variety of wedding-themed challenges as they compete for the ultimate prize.

Sunday's bridal show will feature vendors and professionals to help any couple plan their dream wedding. With everything from make-up artists to photographers, and specialty linens to cake, brides can preview current trends, taste gourmet cake and cuisine, view the latest fashion, enjoy music and live entertainment, while taking advantage of discounts and giveaways.

Brides will receive swag bags filled with goodies from Crate & Barrel, wedding magazines, planning ideas, samples and more. Family, friends and fiance's are encouraged to attend.

For tickets and information, visit www.premierbridalshows.com .

The Casting Company will be looking for engaged couples and vendors interested in taking part in their upcoming show, "Celebrity Wedding Makeover," at the Wedding Expo bridal show to be held Sunday, April 25 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

The show looks to pit different Hollywood celebrity couples against each other as they try to create the perfect dream wedding for each couple using their upscale style and connections.

For more information on the bridal show and the casting call, visit www.PremierBridalExpos.com .

I haven't decided if I will hire a professional videographer for my wedding yet, it just doesn't seem to be in my budget. I was thinking I would just invest in a nice DVD camcorder and have a family or friend record the ceremony with a tripod and the reception may just be pictures or handheld camcorder action. I'm more interested in capturing the ceremony anyway.

While researching videographers for your event, be sure to ask what is included. For weddings for example, some couples may want a same-day edit, where the videographer will put together a quick edited version of the ceremony to play back for guests during the reception. This may be extra or see if a vendor can toss that in a package.

Be sure to give a videographer, the same as you would with a photographer, any specific moments you would like captured or be sure to express the kind of feel you would like your video to be, so that the end result is just what you imagined.

Some videographers may also be willing to work with those on a low budget by providing an unedited video of what they shot and the customer can return to them, when they can afford it, and have their raw footage edited more to their liking.

Check out this video shot by Impressive Creations at the Festival of Brides, the Upscale Bridal Show held at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena in February: http://vimeo.com/9410181

Coincidentally, a bridal show was set for the first weekend of January, soon after my engagement. It sounded like it would be fun and informative, so I rounded up my posse - mom, sister and best friend, aka. maid of honor (MOH)- and headed to the Great Bridal Expo at the Anaheim Hilton.

Although I registered in advance, the line just to get into the expo was about 20 minutes long, and the registration staff was a little confused as to how to direct the guests in. My MOH pointed out to me that they looked like models. As I looked at each of them, they did look unusually thin, all with a lot of makeup and their hair in similar updo's. When the bridal fashion show began later, it was confirmed, they were the same model-looking girls at the registration booth. What a way to save money.

  As soon as I stepped into the expo space, there were so many vendors but I tried taking my time to stop at each one to see what they had to offer. There was everything from bridal fashion to cake tasting and honeymoon ideas.

I soon learned my easy-does-it plan wasn't quite working out. My posse kept splitting up around me and I was being pulled from one booth to another so quick it was a blur. They were more excited than I was.

The vendors I did get a chance to talk to for a bit had a lot of information about their services and what they had to offer, but they weren't as eager to talk prices at the expo. Not very helpful for this budget-minded bride. Almost each of them had the same thing to say "We personalize our packages for each couple."

Although it was an overload of some necessary, and many unnecessary, information, it did help me get an idea of what I will be dealing with for the coming months as I work out all the wedding details. And it gave me insight into how much my family and friends want to be involved in the process as well.

I know many details will ultimately be my decision, I mean my fiance and mine's decision, but it's nice to know they feel vested in this too. I am not alone.

I have since been to two other bridal shows - mostly for business (visit the Rose blog for the Upscale Bridal Show at the Langham), but also for pleasure. They each had something unique to offer and I have enjoyed spending time with friends and family at each.

As you start attending bridal shows or registering at wedding sites, prepare for your inbox and mailbox to get inundated with offers and emails from many vendors. To stay more organized, consider creating a separate email account (ie. jackandjillwedding@....) for all the wedding related items.

As bridal or party planning shows come up in the San Gabriel Valley, I will try to post them here. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to email them to me at claudia.palma@sgvn.com.

Upcoming local shows:

Mountain Meadows Country Club Bridal Show, 1875 Fairplex Drive, Pomona - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 7. Hors d'oevres, champagne and door prizes. Free parking and admission. More information at 909-620-9037.

Bride World Expo, Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St. - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 14. Brides receive bridal magazines, shopping bag, coupons and a free wedding planner workbook. 125 wedding vendors and a honeymoon prize to be awarded. $10 admission. More information and pre-register online at www.brideworld.com or call 800-600-7080.

As I do research on the web and in magazines for my wedding, I know it can be overwhelming how many vendors there are in this industry and it can be overwhelming. You don't have to be a party or wedding planning expert, but you should still be a savvy and alert consumer.

Check this story out about hundreds of people and businesses getting duped out of thousands of dollars by scammers feeding on this particular industry:

"Fake bridal show in Boston defrauds thousands"

I know these were very good scam artists to fool so many people, but there is much one can do to prevent something like this. Always look for references or reviews for any shows or vendors you look into.

There are many blogs and sites out there with real brides sharing their experiences, don't be afraid to reach out.