The Sunday Mail
Mercy Bofu
The much-anticipated two-day Sunday Mail bridal expo which was held on Friday and Saturday last week at the Rainbow Towers Gardens came alive as scores of people thronged the venue to have a glimpse of new trends in weddings.
The expo gave prospective young couples an opportunity to meet with the retailers and dealers of wedding accessories, wedding co-ordinators, travel agents, florists, wedding cake designers, wedding dresses and tuxedos and caterers.
Most exhibitors interviewed said they had not expected much business on the first day since it was Friday but to their surprise people came in their numbers.
Talusha De-Santana, the events co-ordinator of Events Guru, said they were thrilled by the response from the public during the two-day expo as they received a lot of inquires and some exhibitors even made bookings.
“The response has been overwhelming as we have been busy since the start of the expo. People are coming in large numbers, others have already made bookings for their weddings,” she said.
The venue was described by many as fitting the profile of their clientele as it attracted the right crowd. The exhibitors felt they reached their targeted market and they experienced value for their money as the venue was spacious to showcase their wedding products.
Miss Eue Mukandatsama, the marketing executive of Buxton Farm, a function venue which is a traditional exhibitor at The Sunday Mail Bridal Expo, said at this year’s exhibition, there were many stands as compared to last year’s, which was held at Africa Unity Square.
“This year there are many stands, people have upped their game and this expo helps a lot as we now understand the competition we are now facing and it helps us establish where we stand in the market,” she said.
The expo gave prospective brides and grooms a rare opportunity to view the latest trends in wedding preparations under one roof.
Among them was an excited couple to be married soon, Tafadzwa Tsiga and Tafadzwa Mujaji, who said this year’s expo has been upgraded a lot as compared to that of last year.
“People usually think that Diaspora is the best in terms of wedding products but we were surprised that here we have products of quality standards which can suit a classic wedding. The prices are high, though,” said Tsiga.
Another regular visitor to the expo, Yvonne Chiremba, in the company of her friend Christine Mungenge, said though they are yet to be married they come for the expo every year to see different styles and new designs.
