Grays and silvers combined with neutral colors are predicted to be this year's popular wedding colors, according to Shae Sandritter, manager/designer at Touch of Love Florist.
Sandritter was one of the several vendors in attendance of the fourth annual Royal Gorge Region Bridal Expo on Sunday at the Abbey Events Center. The event was co-hosted by the Abbey and Sweet Cheeks Cakery.
Touch of Love offers an unlimited variety of flowers to complement any couple's traditional or unique wedding.
"We have such a wide selection of flowers to work with," Sandritter said. "Right now, a lot of people are liking orchids — calla lilies, lilies, stargazing lilies — depending on the bride, some people really like carnations."
Decorated arches, store decor, vases and other items also may be rented from Touch of Love, Sandritter said.
"We do a lot to try to help the bride keep costs down," she said.
Also popular right now are small, pre-lit trees with hanging floral balls.
"We try to stay up-to-date, and we do a lot of research on the colors of the year and what is in and what to expect for the year," Sandritter said. "Then we custom make it to fit what the bride wants."
Brides should contact a florist as early as possible, ensuring plenty of time to place orders and make finalizations before their big day.
"The sooner the better because if you are wanting something that is pretty unique and hard to get that we are going to try to get for you, we want you to come sooner," Sandritter said. "We also offer free consultations and we have three different (floral) options."
Staff can take care of the entire floral order, making it stress-free for the bride; they can help brides create and design their flowers, or they can order in bulk for brides who want to create their own floral pieces and arrangements.
Sunday's event also featured short prom dresses uk and wedding party attire, cakes, venues, photography, hair and nail services and more.
Pamela Simmons of SOS Accessories Dreamstar Designs offers custom-designed jewelry and accessories for brides, members of the wedding party and guests of bridal showers.
"If they want six identical pieces of jewelry for the bridesmaids, I can do that, or if they want six pieces that match, but are radically different to match the bridesmaids' personalities, I can do that," she said.
She also offers bridal shower kits where guests make their own piece of jewelry using the bride's wedding colors.
"Then I put the finishing touches on it and everybody goes home with a piece of jewelry that reminds them of the wedding," Simmons said. "Really, it's limited by their own imagination."
An average of 70 brides visit the expo each year.
"I am really happy to have so many local area vendors who are willing to come out and share their wares, and so many brides are taking advantage of seeing what's available locally," said Brenda McKay, director of sales and marketing at the Abbey. "The vendors are able to talk with each bride, which I think is beneficial for the vendor, as well as the bride because they are able to gather a lot of information in one easy stop."
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