2015 NWI Bridal Expo Brought the Wedding Bells and Whistles to the People

 Click here to see more photos of the 2015 NWI Bridal Expo!

The Porter County Expo Center was packed to the brim on Sunday as it hosted the 2015 Northwest Indiana Bridal Expo. Sponsored by Louie's Tux Shop, the Northwest Indiana Bridal Expo is unique in that there is no cost! Brides had the opportunity to bring however many people they wished to have with them to the expo as, well, free of charge.

With free admission, complimentary tote bags, over 120 booths, three separate runways, door prizes throughout the day, a cash bar and beverage service, and food samples, anything and everything a bride could possibly need was there. 2015 was the eighth year Louie's Tux Shop hosted the event, and Vice President of Louie's Tom Buczynski could not have been more thrilled to be there.

"We do all of this for the brides, the vendors, and just the overall camaraderie. We bring a lot of people together for one massive event, it's a lot of fun! We're here to get ourselves in front of a lot of brides, and this is the best way to do that," Buczynski said.

Dresses and tuxes were not the only things guests had the pleasure of looking through. Scattered throughout the entirety of the expo center were cupcakes to be tasted, DJ booths where all the dancing could be found, photo booths for memorable pictures, limos and buses guests could climb into for the full experience, and much more. It was evident that the experience was enjoyable not only for the guests, but for the vendors as well. Cathy Brown of Catherine's Bridal Boutique in downtown Valpo, was very happy to be back for her seventh year as a vendor at the expo.

"This is an easy way for everyone to come to one place and see what we have to offer! We can show them how we can help them and find what they're looking for, and with everyone in one place it's nice to be able to really spread our message to people," she said.

Guests could even book appointments at the store right from the expo!

Even with all of the amazing vendors, none of the expo would be possible without the fantastic location of the Porter County Expo Center. With its large, accessible space and easy parking (just to name a couple of its perks), the Expo Center is absolutely ideal for events like the bridal expo, as well as for other varieties of events! Debbie Garner, Assistant Director and Event Manager at the Expo Center, was excited to be able to host the Bridal Expo once again this year.

"The exposure to all of the brides is awesome! A lot of the brides are coming in and will say, 'I didn't know you do weddings too!' which we do and is really fun for us," Garner said.

The incredible versatility of the Expo Center is just another one of its phenomenal features, as Garner explained, "We've had two garage sales this year, car shows, proms, weddings, trade shows... Anything you can think of, we can have it here! The locality is what makes this place so great, we're probably the biggest facility in Porter County and we're right here, easy to get to!"

Besides its location and accessibility, the Expo Center also can boast of great acoustics, a great environment, and of course, beautiful and clean facilities all around. Whether you're looking to rent a booth at one of their sales, or rent the entire center for a larger event, you can be certain that the Expo Center is the place that will meet your needs and give you your best possible experience. They will soon be hosting their first Super Spring Sale on April 11, so mark your calendars now!