Visions in white: Enchanting Bridal Show prepares for post-COVID wedding season
Amy Kovaleva models a bridal gown at the Enchanting Bridal Show. The gowns are from Cocomelody via Enchanting Gowns Bridal Boutique in Moses Lake.
Joel Martin/Columbia Basin Herald
Kellsi Foster prepares Amy Kovaleva’s makeup for the fashion show at the Enchanting Bridal Show Saturday.
Attendees browse the offerings at the Enchanting Bridal Show at the Grant County Fairgrounds Saturday.
From left: John Lopez, Gary Candela, Jose Chavez and Isaiah Patero wait their turn to show off formal wear in the fashion show at the Enchanting Bridal Show Saturday.
Megan Washburn shows off a Cocomelody bridal gown at the Enchanting Bridal Show Saturday at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
Megan Washburn, left, and Elizabeth Maden take their turns on the runway at the Enchanting Bridal Show fashion show Saturday.
MOSES LAKE — The snow wasn’t quite melted outside, but in the Commercial Building at the Grant County Fairgrounds Saturday, it was a bright spring day, perfect for a wedding.
Between 200 and 250 people were in attendance for the Enchanting Bridal Show, more than 100 of them brides-to-be, according to organizer Sandy Hanson. The prospective brides were given bags and buttons to identify them to the 28 vendors who came to offer cakes, hair styling, makeup, catering and a host of other necessities for the perfect wedding.
The show was the first of what Hanson, who owns Jamison’s Event Center and Enchanting Gowns Bridal Boutique, expects to be a tradition.
“We know there had been big expos in Moses Lake in years past, but it’s been a while,” she said. “We normally do our small one every spring, so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can do a big one.’”
“We’ve been getting some great feedback,” said Dasha Hernandez, a student at Sage Academy of Massage and Bodyworks who was staffing the school’s booth. “It gets us a connection with the community.”
“We had JBH salon, out of Ephrata, and they’re the ones who did all of the models’ hair, and they just did amazing,” said Hanson. “And we had Kellsi Foster do the makeup. They were out there at their booths doing the hair and makeup during the expo so people could see, and then the girls would go up and do the fashion show.”
There were actually three fashion shows during the eight-hour expo, highlighting bridal gowns from Enchanting Gowns, as well as tuxedos for the gents, from Jim’s Formal Wear. Nine women took part in the fashion show, as well as five gentlemen.
“Some of them we had to pay,” said Hanson, “but with the girls, they just loved doing it. They’ve modeled for us before, some of them have, and they just love playing with the dresses.”
The fashion show was coordinated by Jamison’s sole employee, Samantha Candela, who married her husband Gary two years ago at the event center. Hanson and her daughter Ashley Meadows bought Jamison’s in May 2019, and opened Enchanting Gowns in November 2021.
Hanson said her plans for next year include shortening the hours a bit and doing just one, bigger, fashion show. Meanwhile, Jamison’s is already booking weddings much more quickly than in past years, in a thriving post-COVID-19 climate.
“In the wedding industry, everybody we’ve heard from is predicting this year will be one of the biggest years in like 30 years for weddings,” she said. “So we’re anticipating a very, very busy season.”
These businesses were represented at the Enchanting Bridal Show:
Enchanting Gowns Bridal Boutique
Honey Cakes
the SPA Experience
Forever Flawless Permanent Cosmetics
Paparazzi
Bees Photobooth
Color Street Nails
Grandma’s Sunshine Crafts and Creations
Mary Kay – Beelievers
Simply Just Little
Rockstarr Entertainment
Aloette Beauty Consultant
Door to Door
Erich Sonnabend – real estate
Pure Romance by Amy Jo
