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Brides, grooms and families flocked to a hotel conference centre to uncover the delights and choices available for their big days.
Glamorous gowns, magnificent cakes, richly-propped stages and elaborately set dinner tables were all on display.
Under the patronage of Bahrain Women’s Society, Crowne Plaza Bahrain held a two-day wedding exhibition last weekend to showcase local companies involved in the business of tying-the-knot.
The boutique wedding event also featured fashion shows by Malikan Bridal, White Jewel and a Moroccan-style bridal experience for attendees to enjoy. Each of the shows was accompanied by talented pianist, Saleh Isa.
Visitors were also entertained with live wedding cake decorating sessions and kept in the groove with the music of DJ Om Fahd.
Ladies received hijab tips by La Belle femme salon and creative Lebanese hair and make-up tutorials from Rania Abdulkader.
Each evening featured raffle draws with a range of prizes placed on offer from the event sponsors and participants. Exhibitors were lined-up along the main hallway.
Ahlam Yousif Janahi, president of Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society, said: “This show proved touching for both men and women and was staged to a very high standard, in my opinion.
“It was an excellent opportunity for new designers, event planners and cake decorators to have a chance to show off their talents. I am a big believer in the entrepreneur and feel Bahrain is ready to develop and show what it has to offer on the world stage.”
Cake Boutique highlighted an amazing ‘upside-down’ tiered cake and displayed samples of fillings and icing for guests to ‘try before buying’. This proved particularly popular with the many sweet-toothed visitors.
Al Kabak displayed a selection of caftans, decorative thobes and cufflink/pen sets and LaLa Al Arousa showcased a multiple selection of joyous jalabiyas too. It even had a stunning caftan with a family name embroidered onto the delicate chiffon to add to the ‘wow’ factor. The luxurious fabrics and intricate embroideries made for rich traditional wedding attire fit for royalty, many observers suggested.
Daskalides Chocolatier featured a stall as well as showcasing its popular treats in beautiful gift box sets and covered in ribbons. Handmade wedding gifts were on show with ornate paintings on glasses and clay with special metallic engravings for ‘his & her’ sets.
Cupcakes never seem to go out of fashion at local and expat celebrations. There were several small bakery shops dedicated to showcasing their itsty-bitsy creations and American-born mother, Lani Price, was amongst them. She launched her own bake-shop during the event called ‘Royal Icing’. Lani has lived in Bahrain for more than four years and decided to start her business to occupy herself during the day time.
She said: “I started to get a bit antsy at home and started baking for my husband and then realised I had a gift for making them. I specialise in royal icing cookies and really enjoy making ‘doll’ cakes too that are ready to be prepared for baby showers and weddings.”
An Egyptian company called Troufa Bread and Chocolates made its debut at the wedding event which included a special performance by a talented pastry chef who demonstrated supreme cake-decorating skills.
In the main hall, Red Carpet Events took centre stage literally with its superior stage and table settings. Owner Ahmed Al Abbasi said: “I have been doing this for more than 17 years although this was my first wedding show in a long time. I was very excited to be involved.”
The interior and event planner displayed elaborate candle and crystal settings with gorgeous flower bouquets reflecting off glass centrepieces placed on crisp, bright white table-linens.
The event attracted hundreds of families and, who knows, the next stop on the journey after the wedding planning could be an event focusing on baby showers!
