wedding showcase

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By Kevin Coss [email protected] W edding bells will ring in minds of Austinites later this month as dreams of their big day begin to take form in front of them. The third annual Austin Wedding Showcase runs from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Hormel Historic Home. The event brings together wedding service vendors and brides- and grooms-to- be to make preparing for their wedding something closer to a one-stop shop. “The goal of the showcase is just to allow brides planning a wedding to see all the different services available in Austin,” said Holly Johnson, executive director with the HHH. “Everything they would need they could probably find here.” For a $3 entry charge, guests will be able to tour what is expected to be nearly 30 vendors of wedding-related goods and services. The Historic Home brings in florists, photographers, disc jockeys and more, typically all from the Austin area. “We’re still getting people to sign up as our vendors,” Johnson said, adding the HHH has filled up on vendors both of the previous year of the event. One of the main attractions of the event is a fashion show, which brings female models in to present different styles of wedding dresses. Several Austin Bruins players join in to don tuxedos and walk with them, playing the role of groom. “There will be four of them this year that are modeling the tuxes,” Johnson said. Apart from the fashion show, there will also be food samples from local catering services and other entertainment, like live music. Both the home and the banquet area will be open for guests to tour. The Historic Home itself is a full-service wedding venue, Johnson said, and hosts 20-25 weddings a year. “We do a custom quote for every bride and groom that comes in,” she said. Wedding Coordinator Amanda Fett, who has been with the HHH for three years, knows how to walk people through planning their big day so that no detail is overlooked. She will be present at the at the event, too, where she will offer to set up planning appointments for couples and answer their questions, as well. One of the snags couples hit the most while planning is sorting out who will be invited. “I think the hardest part of a wedding is the guest list,” she said. “Every location has a limit on what number of guests you can have.” As a solution, many times Fett will recommend a smaller group of family and close friends for the dinner and ceremony, with a larger dance afterward that everyone else is invited to. “It also saves money on the dinner end, because then you’re not buying as much food,” she said. Fett said many people like the HHH for weddings because it offers guests an opportunity to tour the home during social hour and still has plenty of room separately for a banquet. “Every year we seem to get more and more weddings,” she said. Between 150 and 200 people show up for the Wedding Showcase, many of them engaged at the time with a wedding of their own on the horizon, or a parent or grandparent of someone engaged. But there are others who come just to see what’s available, catch the Austin Bruins there and have a look around the building. “It’s a great way for people to see the Historic Home, as well,” Johnson said. AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 • Easy to register - Stop by the Jewelry counter. • Easy to get the list and shop! • Nationwide HHH gears up for annual event Here comes the bridal showcase “The goal of the showcase is just to allow brides planning a wedding to see all the different services available in Austin.” -Holly Johnson, executive director at the HHH For decades the month of June held firm as the most popular month for weddings. But statistics now indicate that there may be shifting preferences in the time of year for marriages. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, July and August are now the most popular months for tying the knot in the United States. September and October have also gained momentum as premier months. Explanations for this shift vary, but it may have something to do with changing weather patterns and warmer weather now arriving later in the season than in the past. Also, getting married later in the year may make it easier for couples to secure their first choice of wedding venues. DID YOU KNOW?

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Wedding Showcase, Austin Daily Herald

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Page 1: Wedding Showcase

By Kevin [email protected]

Wedding bellswill ring inminds ofAustinites

later this month asdreams of their big daybegin to take form infront of them.

The third annualAustin WeddingShowcase runs fromnoon to 3 p.m. Jan. 27 atthe Hormel HistoricHome. The event bringstogether weddingservice vendors andbrides- and grooms-to-be to make preparingfor their weddingsomething closer to aone-stop shop.

“The goal of theshowcase is just toallow brides planning awedding to see all thedifferent servicesavailable in Austin,”said Holly Johnson,executive director withthe HHH. “Everythingthey would need theycould probably findhere.”

For a $3 entry charge,guests will be able totour what is expected tobe nearly 30 vendors ofwedding-related goodsand services. TheHistoric Home brings inflorists, photographers,disc jockeys and more,typically all from theAustin area.

“We’re still gettingpeople to sign up as ourvendors,” Johnson said,adding the HHH hasfilled up on vendors

both of the previousyear of the event.

One of the mainattractions of the eventis a fashion show, whichbrings female models into present differentstyles of weddingdresses. Several AustinBruins players join in todontuxedosand walkwith them,playing therole ofgroom.

“Therewill be fourof themthis yearthat aremodelingthe tuxes,”Johnsonsaid.

Apartfrom the fashion show,there will also be foodsamples from localcatering services andother entertainment,like live music. Both thehome and the banquetarea will be open forguests to tour.

The Historic Homeitself is a full-servicewedding venue, Johnsonsaid, and hosts 20-25weddings a year.

“We do a customquote for every brideand groom that comesin,” she said.

Wedding CoordinatorAmanda Fett, who hasbeen with the HHH forthree years, knows howto walk people throughplanning their big dayso that no detail is

overlooked. She will bepresent at the at theevent, too, where shewill offer to set upplanning appointmentsfor couples and answertheir questions, as well.One of the snagscouples hit the mostwhile planning is

sorting outwho will beinvited.

“I think thehardest part ofa wedding isthe guest list,”she said.“Everylocation has alimit on whatnumber ofguests you canhave.”

As asolution,many times

Fett will recommend asmaller group of familyand close friends for thedinner and ceremony,with a larger danceafterward that everyoneelse is invited to.

“It also saves moneyon the dinner end,because then you’re notbuying as much food,”she said.

Fett said manypeople like the HHH forweddings because itoffers guests anopportunity to tour thehome during socialhour and still hasplenty of roomseparately for abanquet.

“Every year we seemto get more and moreweddings,” she said.

Between 150 and 200people show up for theWedding Showcase,many of them engagedat the time with awedding of their ownon the horizon, or aparent or grandparentof someone engaged.But there are otherswho come just to seewhat’s available, catchthe Austin Bruins thereand have a look aroundthe building.

“It’s a great way forpeople to see theHistoric Home, as well,”Johnson said.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD • FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

•Easy toregister -Stop bythe Jewelrycounter.

•Easy toget the listand shop!

•Nationwide

HHH gears up for annual event

Here comesthe bridalshowcase

“The goal of theshowcase is justto allow brides

planning awedding to seeall the different

services availablein Austin.”

-Holly Johnson,executive director

at the HHH

For decades the month of June held firm asthe most popular month for weddings. Butstatistics now indicate that there may beshifting preferences in the time of year formarriages. According to the National Centerfor Health Statistics, July and August are nowthe most popular months for tying the knot inthe United States. September and Octoberhave also gained momentum as premiermonths. Explanations for this shift vary, but itmay have something to do with changingweather patterns and warmer weather nowarriving later in the season than in the past.Also, getting married later in the year maymake it easier for couples to secure their firstchoice of wedding venues.

DID YOU KNOW?