When Jazmyne Gilbert, a youthful, spirited bride-to-be with a big smile and genuine passion, became engaged to her military man Joshua Harris this January, all her dreams began to gracefully fall into place.
“We’ve been together for five years, and this was finally just one of those things where we’re like, ‘You know what? It’s time to just go for it,’” Jazmyne said of her engagement.
As a modern bride, Jazmyne then participated in choosing her engagement ring—a beautiful, white gold band with a princess-cut stone. But while this couple took a modern turn for their engagement, Jazmyne is just like many traditional brides who have been planning their ideal weddings since they were little girls.
“I’ve been picturing it since I was a little kid,” Jazmyne said at the most recent Bridal Spectacular bridal show.
Since she’d come to the bridal show with ideas, she didn’t expect to find much. But even with years of planning, Jazmyne discovered a whole wealth of information and inspiration for her wedding on April 22, 2013.
“I thought I knew everything I wanted. I thought I had it all planned out,” Jazmyne said. “But I walked through the doors [of the Bridal Spectacular], and I was like, ‘Oh my god. They just opened my ideas up ten times more than I could have imagined.’ It was fantastic to actually see it all put together.”
Gathering Inspiration:
Accompanied by her good friend, Jazmyne gleaned wedding décor ideas from Bridal Spectacular’s Inspiration Avenue and its newest feature, The Mock Wedding ceremony and reception area.
“I walked through the Mock Bridal Set-Up, and the whole wedding was there,” Jazmyne said. “And I could actually envision: ‘Well, if I change this just a little bit or I change this color, it would fit my wedding perfectly.’ That’s exactly what I was looking for. Someone to take what I was thinking in my head since I was a little girl and put it in real life.”
Meeting Vendors Face-to-Face:
With a tangible vision that echoed her dreams, Jazmyne found her ideal wedding décor and even discovered the vendors who could transform her vision into reality.
“You get to really know the people you’re going to be working with versus calling on the phone,” Jazmyne said of vendor shopping at the bridal show. “You can really just go, ‘That’s what I want’ and ‘That’s what I want.’ Now that we have two vendors, let’s marry them together and make it work.”
While she found vendors who fit her personality, she also realized the immense amount of variety available through the bridal show’s selection.
“I definitely get to go home, lay it out, and go, ‘These people were really nice,’ ‘These people were really warm and open,’ and ‘These people fit me perfectly,” Jazmyne said.
Gaining Confidence for her Gown:
As she found vendors to further consider, Jazmyne also found additional options for her bridal gown.
“I’m one of those picky people who never knows what she wants exactly, but I have more ideas and more expectations that are a little more realistic” she said.
While she’s still deciding on the perfect dress, Jazmyne loved her experience as an audience member at the fashion show.
“Oh my gosh! The fashion show was so much fun,” Jazmyne said with a smile. “The dance, the new dresses! It gives you an idea of the silhouettes, how they actually look on someone versus just sitting on a mannequin. “
Now that she’s seen the show, Jazmyne feels more confident and more prepared than ever before to step into a bridal salon.
“It gives you an idea before you walk into the bridal salon,” she said. “You go, ‘I want to look like that, and this is what’s going to do that for me.’”
Sharing her Advice to Brides:
With dress silhouettes, décor, and design in mind, Jazmyne credited the Bridal Spectacular bridal show with showing her how a modern wedding with traditional, fairytale inspiration can be accomplished for any bride.
“I suggest every bride come to this show because even if you know exactly what you want, to see it put in perspective and to actually see someone else with the same vision, it really encourages you. It really sets the tone for how you feel about your wedding,” she said.
With a heart filled with love, a mind filled with ideas, and hands filled with resources, the soon-to-be Mrs. Jazmyne Harris found exactly what she needed to plan her Las Vegas wedding.
“I came in here excited about my wedding,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong. I was so excited! But I’m leaving twice as excited, and I just want to go home and plan the whole wedding tonight if I could.”
Jazmyne, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! But most of all, best wishes as you live your fairytale with your very own Prince Charming!
Las Vegas brides, if you’d like to experience a bridal show like this as you plan your Las Vegas weddings, then please make plans to attend our next event: Veils, Tails, and Cocktails on March 16, 2012 at ARIA Resort and Casino. Buy tickets online with promo code “Ally” to receive a discount, and visit Bridal Spectacular’s website for more information.
Author: Allyson Siwajian © 2012
Photographs: Allyson Siwajian