Couples took to the EY Centre Sunday at the bi-annual Ottawa Wedding Show to find the best deals, advice and inspiration before walking down the aisle. Bride-to-be Chanelle Lalonde is getting married in August 2027 and was getting ahead of all the planning for the big day. “I’m trying to be a little less overwhelmed. Truthfully, there’s so much to think about when it comes to your wedding. I’m looking for flowers. I’m looking for food. I’m looking for things that are just going to make my wedding an exciting event to be at,” Lalonde said. “I don’t know where to look but I feel like all the vendors have just been so sweet.” There were about 160 vendors with a wide range of bridal-themed options, featuring fashion, photographers, decorations and venues as well as travel ideas for destination weddings or honeymoons. Lalonde is attending the show with her bride crew. “I’m just so grateful I have the best support system around me. My mother-in-law, my best friend who’s my maid of honor. I couldn’t do it without them here. I feel like it’s going to be successful today,” says Lalonde. Mother-in-law Lori Hickling couldn’t be happier to attend the wedding show. “Exciting. I’m going to get teary-eyed. I love every moment of it. I’m so privileged to be included in this day,” says Hickling. “She’s in my life for good now. I am blessed.” Smaller weddings a growing trend, organizer says Organizers say smaller weddings are growing. “We’re seeing more and more of interest from the vendor side in terms of rural-type barn weddings that are becoming very, very popular. People certainly are doing more smaller weddings, even backyard weddings in some cases. That’s what I see the most,” says Ian Forsyth, show director for the Ottawa Wedding Show. The show also featured presentations tastings, samples and chances to win great prizes. Brides Gloria Yu and Cynthia Clowes are from Montreal but will celebrate their big day in the nation’s capital and knew this was the place to finalize their plans. “We wanted to do some research on the local vendors. We need a videographer. We need a makeup and hair artist. We have no idea who’s going to make her cake. We do have our venue and our photographer, but we wanted to come here and do as much as we could,” says Yu. Yu says it was intimidating at first but attending the show has eased the nerves. “It’s super exciting. We even tried on our first wedding dresses for the first time here after the fashion show. That was really exciting and cool. Never thought you’d see me in a dress. Yes, a wedding dress,” says Yu.
