Hotel Capstone hosted its second annual bridal show Sunday, showcasing an array of wedding vendors and ending with a bridal fashion show.
Ally Spencer, a 2012 UA graduate, met her fiancé, J Bruhn, a master’s student majoring in civil engineering, through a campus ministry. Until recently, she was planning her wedding and keeping up with her student life at the same time.
“It wasn’t too bad when I was a student because things were winding down for me as far as classes go,” Spencer said. “I had already taken my major campaigns class so that wasn’t too bad. Of course my mom is a humongous help; she’s just got it all together as far as that stuff goes.”
Spencer has the majority of her wedding planned, including her venue at Cyprus Inn, but came to the Capstone Hotel bridal show to tie up loose ends such as bridesmaids’ jewelry and limo services.
“Especially if you’re new starting out [planning], it really gets your feet wet and lets you see what’s out there,” Spencer said.
The event was packed with vendors, selling everything from wedding dresses and jewelry to catering options and floral design.
Jay Qualls, from TLC’s “The Next Great Baker,” did a live cake decorating demonstration and answered questions about planning.
“I love working with brides,” Qualls said. “The cake is not usually the first thing they book, it’s usually the fourth or fifth thing they book out of 30 categories and by that time they have some idea of what their aesthetic is. We listen to what she’s saying and we try to grasp the essence of her personality and capture it in the cake.”
Qualls recommends young brides educate themselves on the different vendors available and be realistic about their budget and what cakes should cost.
“You get what you pay for,” Qualls said. “TV has hindered that process. People have this perception on TV that it’s easy and quick and 42 minutes of cake drama and it’s not. It’s a three to four day process to design a cake. It’s a lot of work; it’s art.”
Mary Cesar of Mary’s Cakes and Pastries in downtown Northport knows the work that goes into a personalized wedding cake.
“I love being able to create a different cake every week,” Cesar said. “It’s about the bride; it’s not about us, so we do what they want.”
Cesar made cakes for local farm owners David Snow and Margaret Ann Toohey. She made a pig-shaped groom’s cake and pumpkin-shaped bride’s cake complete with beets and pumpkins from their own farm.
Olivia Godwin, UA alumna and sales manager at Hotel Capstone, was happy with the event’s turnout.
“We decided to re-do it because there was such a good turnout last year,” Godwin said. “It’s good to showcase what we can do, but also get all the businesses in Tuscaloosa together in one place and be able to showcase what they can do.”
Godwin said the show is a good place to get everything for your wedding done in one trip.
“Things flowed the way we wanted them to flow and I think next year we have a bigger and better show to improve on,” Godwin said.
