Hello hello, everyone! Last Wednesday was another great week of Vacation Bridal School, as you all know. We had a wonderful turn out! We had Spotz Gelato, Geno’s, PaperHeartBlooms, The Thoroughbred Center and Willie Wilson Photography give us all the details about sweets, suites, flowers, pictures and more!

So first up talking to us about venues and the importance of marrying practicality with the venue you love, we had Amy from The Thoroughbred Center! Amy showed us their new and improved venue since making some major renovations, and we were blown away.  If you’re really wanting an outdoor wedding, The Thoroughbred Center can accommodate for bad weather with the inclusion of a large tent in your wedding package. Her best tip, I think, I could probably tattoo on my hand to remember about anything in life was – “If you want cheap and good, it won’t be fast. If you want fast and good, it won’t be cheap. If you want cheap and fast, it won’t be good!” Pick two!

Next up we had Ashley from PaperHeartBlooms stun us with some beautiful samples of her work. Funny story – when I first saw the flowers (made of paper) sitting on the main table in the studio, I went up to smell them. They are so realistic! Ashley enlightened us on the benefits of paper flowers vs. live flowers. One important one being, you can keep them! She also gave us fun tips like giving away center pieces to family so they can have a sweet momento from your big day. Another idea she gave us (all grooms listen up!) was to recreate your fresh flower bouquet from your wedding day one year later out of paper for your anniversary!

I know everyone was extremely eager for our next vendor, Beth from Spotz Gelato, but we learned a lot about them before we got to taste how good they really are. Something you probably wouldn’t have known is they have their own farm and use a lot of their own products, or try to get it locally if it’s available! They also offer extremely customizable flavor options for your big day, such as dairy-free or swirling 2 favorite flavors together. After much anticipation, we got free samples (it was totally worth the wait). I had never had it before, and if you never have either, I strongly encourage you to branch out and give gelato a chance!

After our sweet tooth was satisfied, we had two store managers from Geno’s Formal Affair talk all things fancy. If you’re having a hard time finding suites or tuxes for your bridal party, look no further! We got the inside scoop on why Geno’s has been so successful for so long. Geno’s has 2 locations in Lexington and a warehouse you can find just about anything you need, complete with alterations accommodations. If you are having a rough time matching your groomsman’s suites with your groom’s suite, Geno’s offers almost any color you could think of. They also encourage bridesmaids to check out their stores! You can rent or buy for anyone in your party, they’ll make it happen!

Last but not least we had Willie Wilson Photography talk to us about the pros and cons of a “first look” and other photography topics you would need to know for your big day. Willie answered all our questions  about the “first look” like, “how many couples do it”? It is becoming a more popular trend for the bride and groom to look at each other before the ceremony for many reasons. About 60% of couples choose to do it. “It tends to calm the nerves a little bit as well as being able to capture the perfect, intimate moment.” There is also no pressure on the photographer’s end whether you choose to do a first look with your groom or not. From the photos I saw, he does an incredible job of capturing the perfect, intimate moment anywhere!

This Wednesday will be our last Bridal School until January and we have another awesome line up, can’t wait to see you!