As Portland continues to buckle under the weight of a downtrodden economy and increased joblessness, it’s comforting to know that there are still small pockets of people forking over money for ritzy events and expensive receptions. The Art of Weddings, a conglomeration of florists, dress retailers, chefs, and wedding planners scheduled to descend upon Luxe Autohaus on Jan. 8, claims to be “a swankier kind of bridal show” and appears to be catering to high society clientele.
The event is being hosted by Social Enterprises, an event planning and marketing company that runs CRAVE Party Portland. Erica Dickey, owner and president of Social Enterprises, admitted that the company doesn’t typically do bridal events. But this year they teamed up with Jasmine Photography to host the 3rd annual bridal show and are determined to “pack the event full of value.” Dickey indicated that they changed the ticket pricing this year, and at $20 for two people, the event is surprisingly economical. “A lot of brides are bringing their fiancé, or their mother, or a bridesmaid,” says Dickey. With her rattling off a long list of free samples and discounted services, including chocolate tasting, cake sampling, swag bags, and hair and makeup ideas, I started to think that the huge fairy tale wedding could almost be affordable. Almost.
Looking at the blog created for The Art of Weddings, christened Simply Chic Weddings and touting itself as “creative resources for the stylish bride,” someone from another city would never guess that Portlanders had ever heard the word “recession.” There are discussions about comparing the purchase of a pre-owned wedding gown to buying a used car, which is an apt simile since the gown they advertise costs as much as my first car. As for Jasmine Photography, their website claims wedding packages range from $2,100 to $5,900, but with all of the experienced freelance photographers in this city, certainly it can’t be too hard to find a worthy artist willing to capture your big day for far less.
This should not dissuade you from attending the event, if only to eat lots of free samples and see how the upper crust entertain their friends. But as your sugar high wears off and the handstitched couture dress loses its luster next to the hefty price tag, bear in mind that sometimes what a bride needs to have the perfect day within her budget is not swag and coupons, but rather creativity and help from good friends.
Just sayin’.
It would seem that you are bitter on love. People choose to spend what they want and if going to a swanker bridal show to get those ideas for oneself well then more power to them.