The registration desk at the Royal Glenora Club
On Friday afternoon, I made my way over to the Royal Glenora Club to attend Local Love‘s sixth Edmonton Wedding Experience. Unlike the massive fairs held at the likes of the Convention or EXPO centres, theirs is meant to be a much more intimate event with a curated selection of the city’s best vendors.
My Maid of Honor and one of my two other bridesmaids were able to join me. We arrived at the venue by 4:30pm (it started 30 minutes prior) to find a bit of a line at registration. It didn’t take too long to make our way to the front where they scanned our Eventbrite tickets and gave those who were of age (bring your IDs) wristbands, so we could be served alcohol samples. At the far end of the table was a draw for a gift basket and one of the other hosts was handing out swag bags.
Goodie bags were only available for the first 100 guests. But, they’re packed with a ton of information, discounts and treats (which I’ll go over later), so it is beneficial to make it there when the doors open as opposed to later in the evening (although, it’s understandable if you cannot as 4:00pm is somewhat early for a work day), if you hope to snag one.
Sweetness makes some great sugar cookies and pretty lollipops.
Once we were signed in, we walked up the stairs to find two of the Royal Glenora’s banquet spaces — available to be rented through to the end of 2019 before they undergo a massive renovation in 2020 — set up with stations. The Braemar room actually has the larger capacity, so they fit the majority of the participating businesses in there. However, I do think it would have been nice if they had spread them out a little bit more between that room and the Strathcona/Glenrose rooms because with four rows of booths, it was quite cramped whereas the latter was quite spacious in comparison.
To help with congestion further, I think a rearrangement of a couple of the vendors would have made a big difference. At the back of the Braemar hall was the Old Fashioned Mobile Bar (so cute!) and Elizabethan Catering. Both of them were preparing samples for attendees, leading to large groups hovering around the area as they worked. Separating those two would have alleviated the mass of people in the same small space. Lastly, it was just super hot in that first room. Opening a few of the patio doors to let in a breeze would have made it much more pleasant.
Look at this amazing chair displayed in the Strathcona/Glenrose room!
All of that aside, I did appreciate the mix of vendors that Local Love handpicked. There were a few entertainment options, including the more standard DJ as well as a live acoustic singer who was performing. And, while I don’t need to hire any planners or book any decor rentals, there were some amazingly talented creators and fun ideas for inspiration. Beautiful photographers and venues — we’ve already chosen to go with Jennie Lea Photography and Ampersand 27 — were sprinkled about the rooms, too. There were also a number of cake/dessert businesses handing out tasters. I found it was nice to see what they had to offer, not just in terms of the cake itself, but for party favours or cake alternatives (the tiered macarons from Sweetness!).
My fave finds:
- iDo Accessories – Nadia provides very reasonably priced jeweled belts, tiaras, headbands and hair combs out of her home studio. All of the pieces are handmade and so gorgeous. From what I could tell, items ranged from $15 for the smaller accessories to maybe a maximum of $100 for the larger ones. It’s wonderful to know that there’s someone out there who understands the need for more affordable accessories like this. The majority of other shops (aside from Claire’s Accessories; I cannot vouch for the quality) tend to charge $200 or more for similar pieces.
- More Than Gold (Fine Jewellery by Sonja Deklerk) – Such pretty jewellery ranging from more simple bands to vintage-style pieces that are likely to become family heirlooms.
- Art of Charcuterie – Seriously, Diana’s table was amazing! It was just a feast for the eyes and the palate. The way that she stacked and arranged all of the displays and the food on her charcuterie boards was incredible. It was absolutely a work of art that looked just as good when half eaten as it did when it was first laid out.
- Edmonton Wedding & Party Centre – This is actually a division of Special Event Rentals and I didn’t know they existed. Their booth had some unique guest “books” as well as many items that could be personalized for the bride/groom and wedding party.
- Special Event Rentals – Again, I don’t require their services. Yet, it was worth a stop at their booth since they were handing out complimentary copies of a wedding guide binder from “America’s #1 Wedding Planner” Beverly Clark. These normally retail for $25 USD each; a very nice bonus particularly if you’re just starting to figure out the details of your big day.
- What the Flowers – They’ll make fresh floral arrangements for bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages. Larger displays like arches or centerpieces can be made out of more cost effective high end silk flowers that still bring out the wow factor.
The three of us spent a little over an hour and a half there, leaving with our bags even fuller than when we’d started our exploration. It was a good amount of time and it didn’t feel too overwhelming. We had ample opportunity to chat with the vendors that we were interested in and we never felt rushed. Overall, it was worth the visit.
I believe a regular ticket would have cost $15, but we received a discount when we purchased ours during the early bird period. At just over $12 after fees and GST, it’s a phenomenal value, considering what we found in our swag bags: a scrunchie from Wild Theory Weddings (photographer), a beaded bracelet from Bridal Avenue, earrings from Urban Drawer (a sock company), a gift card for Buff Wax Spot, a bath bomb from Travel Beyond This City (travel agent), a frameable quote card as well as a $100 discount from Delica Bridal, offers for a free chocolate bar from The Violet Chocolate Co. and a free teeth whitening kit from Highmoor Dental, copies of Blush and Wedding Bells magazines, a brownie from Whisk Dessert Co., a sugar cookie and lollipop from Sweetness, a chocolate cake pyramid from Melt Confections, and a container from The Cotton Candy Shoppe, and a variety of other pamphlets with promos.
Local Love’s next Edmonton wedding experience probably won’t be until the fall, but I recommend that any brides, couples, or wedding parties who are looking for a completely manageable fair to gather ideas, deals, and enter contests keep an eye out (follow them on Instagram or Facebook). For a gal that didn’t even think it was necessary at this point in the planning stages of our late summer/early fall wedding, I can definitely say that I was pleasantly surprised by this event and walked away with at least a few new options and ideas that I hadn’t necessarily thought of before.
Fa(shion).Fi(lm).Fo(od).tography 