KATARINA WEX PHOTO

WALPER HOTEL HOSTS ANNUAL WEDDING SHOW

The Walper Wedding Show brought a ray of spring and sunshine on Feb. 26, as the Walper hotel hosted a magnificent array of local wedding vendors.  

Prospective newlyweds were able to meet and greet over 15 hand-picked wedding partners of the Walper.   

Christin Lafazanos is a life-cycle celebrant and wedding officiant. Her service, Woven Threads, helps people create meaningful non-religious ceremonies.  

She was able to help many couples get married throughout the pandemic.   

“My hope is that the pandemic in the wedding industry has taught people that a wedding can look like so many different things,” Lafazanos said.   

The Crystal Ballroom was home to many talented small businesses like The Cake Room and Joee & Tyler Photography.  

“Delivering the product and seeing the look on people’s faces? So, they get to re-live their entire day. And walking into a customer’s house and seeing that our work is on their walls. Being a part of the biggest day of people’s lives is amazing,” Joee said.  

While being able to chat with vendors on a one-on-one basis, excited participants were also able to try Walper’s own Chef Nate’s passed canapes.   

Folks took photos with Talula Fields’ bespoke wedding bouquet and wedding room. Chrisy Skelton, co-owner of Talula Fields, appreciated the opportunity to promote their vision of sustainability.   

“We’ve met a lot of great community members, people who already have their weddings, booked people who are just searching for ideas and inspiration. It’s been a really nice opportunity to promote that we care a lot about sustainability and the environment,” Skelton said.  

Since the pandemic started, many people have rethought what it means to have a wedding or elopement ceremony. The importance of having a day with loved ones to celebrate love is evident, but couples are also considering how they are run and how sustainable they can be.  

“It’s really important for us when we meet with potential clients that we discuss what’s in season, what’s available locally, and we’re trying to incorporate things that grow really well here into modern design or at least our design aesthetic,” Jaime Cooper, co-owner of Talula Fields, said.  

The experience-first expo completely immersed patrons and helped them feel the Walper wedding vibe.  

“I like seeing the reception part of it come together like the final look of everything set up and you know, candles lit in the flowers in the room. Yeah. So that’s kind of the first look of when they see it,” Afzia Shareef of Style and Elegance wedding and events said.  

Alongside being educated on important aspects of weddings and elopements, people were entered into a draw to win the “Ultimate Walper Wedding Prize,” which includes an overnight stay and a gift basket of incredible items from all the vendors.