The Wedding Salon - Manhattan

I attended The Wedding Salon this week at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event looked fantastic on paper. Ice bars doling out champagne, Colin Cowie, Sylvia Weinstock, gorgeous gowns, a lingerie lounge by Victoria Secret. However, when I arrived, the line was twisting through the second floor of the hotel straight down to the entrance. As I got closer to the front of the line, it was apparent to me that the disorganization had created a bridezilla environment. People were searing, frustrated, and more. When I signed in I was told there were no more gift bags - understandable since I arrived several hours after the event had started. However, I had to reflect on how easy it would be to simply create a registration cap for the event and avoid all of this drama. In today's economy, even the wedding shows created for the high-end bride end up looking like a bargain basement sale...

That being said, there were some gorgeous designs in the Roosevelt Hotel ballroom. Talented event designers and florists set tables to show exquisite spring wedding possibilities (see pictures). I was also able to talk wit hSylvia Weinstock and sample some of her cakes - not only is she amazingly gifted in the art of sugar flowers (I swear I couldn't tell if they were real or fake), but her cakes taste second to none. I had the same conversation with Ron Ben-Israel a few months ago. He said that this year they were really focusing on quality and taste of his cakes, as well as new amazing designs.

It seems that everyone has had a return to basics and even the high-end vendors have to supply 100% quality. In the wedding world, things are no longer about a name, but about quality and value.

See more photos from The Wedding Salon on March 23, 2009 in this slide show: