Plenty of wedding tips at Marina Market Expo

GRACE PENNEY of Diamond Bridal, which is based on Maylor Street, is organising a number of fashion shows over the two-day Wedding Expo at the Marina Market, with the latest wedding trends being showcased at the sold-out event.

“There will be four shows, 1pm and 3pm on both days,” Grace explained.

“There will be bridal, bridesmaid, and groom wear on display along with accessories.”

Grace said different outlets will be providing the various clothing ranges and she is organising the entire catwalk show.

“We are not using agency models, we wanted a diverse range of models, all shapes and sizes, all ages, and all from Cork.”

Grace said what was in fashion for 2022, was classic elegance.

“Timeless looks with simple fabric, that is what is trending this year. For bridesmaids, greens are very popular, a deeper green suits all skin tones and matches the flowers. Sage green is very popular.”

The owner of Diamond Bridal said she has been crazy busy since reopening after the lockdowns.

“Ninety percent of 2020 brides are getting married now and then you have 2021/2022 brides as well.”

Grace said she also does in-house alterations and that has her very busy also.

“There is double the demand, but I am not complaining, it is a good thing.” Grace said she is looking forward to the event.

“It’s a fabulous venue and it’s very different to hotels where we usually hold these things.”

As well as wedding vendors, the Wedding Expo will have some high-profile guest speakers detailing their own weddings which took place recently.

On Saturday, influencer Lauren Arthur is taking to the main stage chatting about anything and everything to do with weddings.

Lauren, who is from Rochestown, was married just eight weeks ago to John from Whitechurch and said, as a recent bride, she is a great source of information with all the memories of her special day fresh in her mind.

Offering a tip to brides, Lauren said trust your vendor.

“I’m a bit of a control freak, I’m very organised and my biggest tip is trust your vendor. Give them a time and they will be there. They do this all the time, they will exceed your expectations.”

Another bit of advice Lauren has for engaged couples is don’t be afraid to mix things up and do what suits you both.

“We weren’t very traditional, we got married in November in a 2pm ceremony and it was dark by afternoon. We did a ‘first look’ where we saw each other before the ceremony and we got our pictures taken before the mass. It’s a big thing for Scandinavian and American couples and I loved it.”

Lauren said of the whole day, taking those pictures with John before the ceremony was a clear and special moment in a whirlwind of a day.

In terms of choosing a photographer, Lauren said to have a list of a number of images you really want and give that to the photographer so that whatever else is captured, you know you have the pictures you really want.

The recent bride said they had 120 guests at their wedding after asking guests outside of the bridal party to forgoe a plus one.

Lauren said this worked brilliantly to keep numbers low.

She also recommended a winter wedding.

“So many Irish couples go for spring/summer, but we had so much more choice of vendors and it was really lovely. I’m obsessed with winter anyway so it worked for me.”

Dale and Dawn from Gogglebox Ireland will be speaking tomorrow about getting married at Vienna Woods. The proud Cork women had their wedding pictures taken along the docklands and their wedding date was the Cork area code, 02 10 21 (021, 021).

Dale, who is from the city’s north side, and Dawn who is from Charleville said they love the Marina Market and are looking forward to taking part in the event.

Speaking to The Echo, Dale said they had planned their wedding during Covid and had to overcome and adapt to restrictions.

“Our original guestlist was 220 and we had 100 guests,” Dale said, but she said that they were serious about getting married and were committed to going ahead with the day even if it was just her and Dawn and their parents.

Offering advice to anyone getting married, Dale said prioritise what you want the most out of the day.

“We had a top three things to prioritise that we wouldn’t compromise on; food and drink, music, and flowers, that was a big one for me.”

Dale said her favourite memory from her day was seeing Dawn’s dress and said she always wanted to get married.

“I always knew one day I would be married.”