The Queen Mary Bridal Show - August 13, 2006

Like all good bridal expos, there are a variety of services and products to aid a bride-to-be in her quest for the perfect wedding.  Reporter Aaron Park took the rare opportunity to peruse the Queen Mary Bridal Fair last August, and through the eyes of a non-wedding-planning spectator, interviewed some of the interesting exhibitors which ranged from personalized greeting card companies to clay cake toppers.

Aaron spoke with Sophia from A Time For Elegance. This is a full service Bridal Salon, offering everything for the Bride and the entire Bridal Party with over 500 top designer bridal gowns in stock, the largest selection of bridal gowns in stock, and the largest selection of bridesmaids' dresses in Southern California.   They boast having over 300 in stock.

I'm Sophia Gwenfil.  I'm with A Time for Elegance in Los Alamitos, CA, a bridal and formalwear salon.  We do the bridal gowns, bridesmaids, flower girls, moms, invitations, shoes, and all the accessories.  We also do a referral network.  We have Wedding World at a Time for Elegance.  We can help the bride, from planning the wedding to getting dressed to completion.

So you do more than just provide the clothes?  Where do your clothes come from?

We have manufactured gowns, and carry most of the designers you see in the magazines:  Maggie Sottero, Alfred Angelo, Jordan, Mori Lee, etc.  We have a custom designer who can create a gown from start to finish.  We also carry a great line that also does their regular manufactured gown and their own exclusive line for us that we are able to sell as our exclusives.

What makes you unique?

We've been around for 10 years.  We are a family-owned business.  It's a very personalized business.  When you start with someone you finish with them.  You get the same person usually every time you come in.  Everyone knows you when you come in.  We do have a lot of the vendors who we've worked with for so long that when you're looking for something special, and you have a gown on and you're starting to say, the colors, what kind of florists. We can tell you which florist can match your colors perfectly.  If you're looking for a specialty photographer and you're doing a pose in your gown, we can refer you.  We are also even planning where to go, what colors to match; we coordinate your party; we work with all budgets and styles; we do a lot of cultural and ethnic weddings where we have worked with a lot of specialty themes.  

You guys did put together the fashion shows here.  So you do know how to put on an event.  

We do out-of-state consulting as well.  Especially if you have a bridesmaid in North Dakota or Guatemala—we can help all the girls wherever they are.

To learn more about A Time for Elegance, visit www.atimeforelegance.com.

Gurrlie Girl, Inc.

Aaron interviewed Gurrlie Girl, Inc ., consultant Stacey.

We are consultants, and have been around four years. It was started in May 2002.

Jewelry?

Jewelry, home shows, bridal shows, special events, and fundraisers.

What type of jewelry?

Fashion. The quality and the fact that it is a faith-based company.  We have Christians, scripture bracelets. That's how the company started—great consultants, and good quality. We do what we can to make the customer happy. It's very similar to a lot of companies out there. You are basically owning your own business, and doing your own thing, but you work for the corporation as an independent consultant.

As a consultant, if I were to come in looking for jewelry, what would you do?

We would help you pair up, or match a dress, etc .

What is faith-based jewelry?

Scripture bracelets, crosses, Christian jewelry.   Gurrlie Girl is based in Riverside, CA, but all of the consultants are based all over the place.   They're looking to go nationwide at the end of the year.

What is your popular item?

The bracelets are well priced, affordable.  They tend to sell quickly. Some have stones, crystals, etc.

One and Only Figures - Custom Cake Toppers

One and Only Figures offers custom design clay figures for all occasions.    They take a month to craft. These figures can be used as a cake top, business card display, picture frame, or even a memo stand. The figures are sculpted by designer Alesi and a team of sculptors that makes each figure unique.

Aaron interviewed Kenny with One and Only Figures.

Our products are made out of poly clay. Our customers email us their photos and we customize their heads for them. The bodies are pre-molded. Go on our website, and select the body you want. Aside from weddings, we also do different parties and themes (motorcycles, kids, Japanese style, anything you can think of).  We also fully customize from head to toe. If you have something in mind you want us to create, just give us the photo. Prices range from $100.00- $200.00 per figure. They are handmade, so it takes a month to craft.

They look like action figures you buy at a store.

A lot of customers like it because they are so different.

How long have you been around, because I have never seen this before.

We've been around for just over a year.

(Talking to the owner) How did you get the idea to start this business?

I got married two years ago. When I tried to find something different for a cake topper I searched online and didn't find anything that was affordable. I thought about making unique cake toppers that were affordable, and that's how the business got started.

Do your cake toppers differ from the ones that cost $3,000?

All the bodies are pre-molded.  We only customize the head.

Contact One and Only Figures, located in Alhambra, CA 626-823-1841. www.claymyfigure.com.

"One day captured forever in your memory and on film. Terry creates her images with sensitivity and humor, achieving a professional, stress-free, fun experience for you and your family."

Los Angeles Wedding Photographer Terry Lynn Moore

Moore Photo

Are you based in LA?

I am located in Torrance, but I travel to anywhere in the world.  You can find me on my website amoorephoto.com.

I specialize in wedding photography—I shoot film and digital.  The film can be any combination of color and/or black and white.  The client receives his photographs in an album.  The digital is placed on a DVD, set to the music of their choice.

Is there anything else that makes you unique, such as themes or ideas?

I usually sit down with the clients after the wedding, showing them their digital photographs with choices of the images turning or fading to black, etc. They can choose any music of their choice, set it to the DVD slide shows. We have specials going on, so if you see the story in the magazine, I'll be happy to give you a 10-20% discount off any package.

Cynthia - Greeting Cards Representative

You custom design the greeting cards with your own thoughts in your own handwriting.  You tell the computer what you want it to say, you click a button and it will print it, stuff it, and send it.  It's not an e-card, and it's done through the mail. You can download a picture from your camera and send it out, too, like a wedding picture, or family photo from a Christmas card.  You can also include a gift card like a Starbucks card.  It costs one-fifth the amount of buying a card at the store.  It's been around since 1996--it's really just starting to become popular.  The beauty is the computer reminds you of the dates of people who you have input a week before their birthday, anniversary, etc.  

You can go in as a retail person for as little as $25.00 a year.  After you run out, purchase more.  If you do a wholesale account, it's 35% off per card, and now it's just $.65 per card and $.39 for a stamp.  You can do it as a business and sell it to people like that, and you can make money.

The way it works is you set up a campaign kind of like Christmas, or any holiday campaign, hit a button and everybody whose name you input gets the card.

For more information, visit www.sendoutcards.com

Interviews by Aaron Park

See the gallery of additional exhibitors at the Queen Mary August 13, 2006

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