The 2020 prom and bridal expo was put on by the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Sunday at Center Lake Pavilion.
Stephanie Schaefer, administrate assistant for the parks and recreation department, said this was the second year the park’s department has put on a prom and bridal expo and last year’s event was a week earlier.
Sheila Wieringa, recreation director of the Warsaw parks department, said the purpose of the expo is “to connect potential brides or people going to prom with vendors who have items that they need for those times in their lives.
“Between Stephanie and I, we were trying to think of community events to get people into the parks and we didn’t know of anyone in this area who were doing (the expo) and we thought it was a great idea to bring to the community – to put local people in touch with local vendors.”
She said Schaefer starting working on Sunday’s event in the fall doing floor plans and bringing vendors together. Over the past few months, the work detailed contacting several people involved.
The Parks Department tries to keep vendors as local as possible.
“Sometimes, with like, let’s say, prom dresses, wedding dresses, you can’t get those in town, so we have some places just outside Kosciusko County for that, but we do try to keep it as local as possible,” Wieringa said.
Vendors did have to pay a fee to attend the expo, but the parks department tried to keep it low “so we didn’t price anyone out.” There was no admission fee for community members who wanted to attend the expo, Wieringa said.
During the event, the parks department raffled a gift basket.
“Anyone that comes through the door and fills out an evaluation form to let us know their opinion about the event, we let them” put the evaluation in a box and will draw a winner today. Vendors had given things in order to make the basket, Wieringa said.
Last year, the evaluations were all positive and the parks department implemented some of the suggestions. “We take the evaluations very seriously,” Wieringa said, looking to improve every year. “Because we are here to serve the community as the parks department.”
Some vendors spoke about the event.
Kim Crothers, owner of Pretty Petals Weddings, said Sunday was the first year her business that was at the expo. Her business is a floral shop that specializes in weddings.
She wanted to be at the expo “just because it’s a smaller venue and I’m based in Syracuse, but I have friends that are in Warsaw.”
Feedback for her has been positive, saying local people shopping locally “makes a world of difference.” She hopes to get a little more exposure from the expo, especially in the Warsaw area.
Blake McBryer, florist and customer representative at Anderson Florist, Warsaw, said the floral company has been at the expo before.
“I think it’s important for us to be here because we provide a nice and personal relationship with brides with flowers. Flowers are pretty important, they allow for color, they allow for some fun and we try to stay involved and do whatever a bride wants for it,” she said. “We want to let brides know there is an option here in town, to let them know we want to be there for them.”
The expo also allows brides to realize there’s more to planning a wedding than the preacher and the dress,” she said.
Sarah Baier, with Baier Life Photography, said this is her second year at the expo and she “absolutely loves it.”
She said feedback so far was great and she received a referral from last year’s event and that person booked her.
“Anything to get my name out there,” she said. “Connections with people in the area is the big thing.”
Kaylynn Hamstra, owner of Kaylyn Hamstra Photography & Photobooth, also came for a second year to the expo. “Last year, we came for the small sense of a bridal expo and we had a great time getting to know people and we had a few brides book us last year. And I like to work with local people here in Warsaw.”
She said she had a great experience last year and has received great feedback.
She said she hopes people who attend the expo get a sampling of local businesses and “I want people to fall in love with my booth and have fun.”
She’s a starting-up photographer and the reason she wanted to be at the expo was to connect with local people.
Sixteen vendors were at Sunday’s event. They were Affairs to Remember, Middlebury; Anderson Florist, Warsaw; Ashlynn Herendeen & Katie Walcott at Cosmo & Company, Warsaw; Baier Life Photography, Leesburg, The Beaded Peacock, Winona Lake; Blacktie Catering, Warsaw; The Cake Lady, Warsaw; Creighton’s Crazy Egg Cafe and The Roost, Warsaw; Ellen’s Bridal & Dress Boutique, Wabash; Expressions Salon and Day Spa, Warsaw; Kaylyn Hamstra Photography & Photobooth, Warsaw; Male Fashions Co., Warsaw; Ohh My Cakes, Wabash; Pretty Petals Weddings, Syracuse; The Rove, Kosciusko County; Warsaw Parks Department, Warsaw; and Warsaw Party Rental, Warsaw.
