Date & Weather – Sunday 14th January – 20 Degrees
Expo hours – 9:30am – 4pm
Location – Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens – Handicap Access, Portable air conditioning in some areas.
Parking – Next Door at the Museum Car Park, and the Melbourne Museum undercover $17 flat rate.
Public Transport – Yes – tram
Ticket Cost – $25 online, $35 at the door (a high door fee for an average show!)
Advertising – Saw the advertisements on Facebook, heard on the radio and saw it in the Herald Sun
Prizes – Advertised online, over $65k in prizes
Giveaways – Not much in the way of actual giveaways, a bag with the directory, an entry form for prizes, a privilege card to get discounts with selected companies
Features List – Bridal fashion parade, Vera Wang’s new collection, and not much else
Layout – Winding layout from the entry to the fashion parade and go back the way you came to get out. It’s difficult to change route once you’ve entered the winding layout.
Queue to Get In – No Queue
Quantity of Exhibitors – 185 – Good quality, although because the hall had very few visitors, the exhibitors all come at you at once – a little intimidating
| Bonbonniere | 2 |
| Bridal Fashion | 20 |
| Cakes | 7 |
| Cars | 4 |
| Celebrants | 8 |
| Dance | 2 |
| Décor Hire | 11 |
| Dental | 3 |
| Entertainment | 7 |
| Jewellery | 8 |
| Flowers | 8 |
| Gift Registry | 1 |
| Health & Fitness | 2 |
| Hens/Bucks | 5 |
| Honeymoon destinations | 14 |
| Intimate Apparel | 1 |
| Invitations & Stationery | 6 |
| Magazines & Wedding Directories | 2 |
| Makeup and hair | 7 |
| Menswear | 6 |
| Mother | of |
| the bride | 2 |
| Photo booths | 6 |
| Photography | 13 |
| Venues | 28 |
| Shoes | 1 |
| Video | 8 |
| Wedding planners | 3 |
Overall Star Rating – 2.5/5
Overall Impression – There was a lot of hype about The Ultimate Bridal Event prior to the show. It was advertised well on Facebook, broadcasted generously on the radio, and it even featured in the Herald Sun. Unfortunately, the experience was somewhat different and wasn’t quite what it was made out to be. This event has amazing potential, with some of the best the Melbourne bridal fashion industry has to offer all under one roof. However, with such a high price point for entry and parking, it is important that the event shone for all the brides-to-be and their entourages. It should have also offered great returns in the way of ideas, enjoyment, and general wedding buzz!
Sadly, our reviewing party was underwhelmed by the lack of pizzazz. Combined with a layout that didn’t lend itself to relaxed browsing, and a small number of attendees, the potential of The Ultimate Bridal Event was lost in a haze of average organisation. The show advertised Vera Wang’s latest collection in the Herald Sun, however on the day, there was no crowd around whatsoever to share the excitement. Had we not seen the ad, we would have been none the wiser.
On the positive side, the expo featured a large number of high-end bridal fashion suppliers. The fashion parade was also beautifully done, and showcased a range of stunning dresses. The parade was well choreographed and went on for a decent amount of time.
As it was, due to a minimal number of attendees and claustrophobic layout, the exhibitors approached the public more assertively and our bride-to-be in the field found it somewhat overwhelming, and at times even intimidating. There were a few giveaways, but we expected more for the price of entry. Overall, The Ultimate Bridal Event would be a wonderful addition to a wedding party’s calendar, if the organisers overcome these hiccups with the next one.
