Walk down aisle after aisle at the Seattle Wedding Show

On Jan. 5 and 6, a bevy of brides-to-be will descend on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center for the annual Seattle Wedding Show. The largest bridal show on the West Coast, the Seattle Wedding Show presents all manner of wedding-related services and products, from affordable Safeway cakes and David's Bridal gowns to high-end Luly Yang couture and custom invitations from local designer Ilee.

The two-day show features exhibitors from every possible wedding category (gowns, invitations, florists, favors and many more), plus a few unique services, such as home financing, ice sculptures and dance lessons. Both days, models will sashay down the runway in gowns for both brides and bridesmaids, as well as a few tuxes for grooms. During the runway shows, guest speaker Jorge Perez, special events director for Waterford Crystal, will take the stage to provide tips and tricks for tabletop design.

Tickets are $16 each and are available at the event. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda's Club Seattle, a cancer-support organization. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, with tickets on sale at 9:30 a.m. and fashion shows scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, ticket sales start at 10 a.m., the show runs from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and runway shows take place at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

To avoid being completely overwhelmed by this huge show, we recommend that you focus on the three or four categories of service providers that you are most interested in meeting in person, such as wedding cake designers and florists, and spend quality time asking questions of your favorite vendors in those categories. Other types of vendors, such as photographers and disc jockeys, are easier to research online, so talking with them at the wedding show may not be as important. For more information about the show, visit www.weddingshow.com.

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