It was a one-stop for weddings and special occasions.
And with more than 47 booths offering related products and services, the Nation’s Forever I Do Experience for 2014 offered endless possibilities.
The event is in its 13th year, and Head of Marketing and Communication at the NATION Publishing Co. Limited, Valerie Hope, said it was decided to expand the focus of the seminars from just weddings to love and relationships and special events and this was reflected in the exhibitors drawn from the “A to Z” in weddings and special occasions family.
Hope said the idea to include other special occasions was one of the suggestions from some of the people who have been attending the Forever I Do Experience for many years.
In addition to tips and ideas for invitations, make-up, hair, wardrobe, venues, catering and photography, the many patrons passing through the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St Michael, yesterday got tips on things like etiquette and how to handle socially awkward moments, the different personalities and sex and the modern relationships from various presenters.
Appearance is everything on celebratory occasions and there were live demonstrations on hair and make-up, as well as fashion shows featuring the work of some of the top local designers and retailers.
Among couples looking for tips for their big day was Joseé King and Barry Farnum, who will be tying the knot in November.
“We’re here just to get a couple more ideas. We kinda have everything already, but additional ideas are always good,” King said.
Another couple, who did not want to be identified, used the opportunity to get additional ideas for their October wedding.
They caught a bit of the presentation from Bishop Derrick Ward on relationships, and they said even though the presentation was entertaining, they picked up some key things about body language and tone of voice which “you don’t pay attention to”.
The announcement of this year’s winners of the Forever I Do put the icing on the proverbial cake last night. Five couples made it to the finals this year and Hope said all the finalists were going to walk away with a prize that would go towards their wedding.
Hope said there were a record number of votes from the Facebook component of the judging, which was introduced last year. She said two couples received more than 20 000 each, via that medium. Voting was also done via text and newspaper ballots in addition to the scores from the six judges.
“This year, as always, we’ve divided the ratio of judges voting and public voting. What we’ve always felt with Forever I Do is we didn’t want the winner to be a popularity contest.
“We’ve always wanted to make sure that the winners we select really deserve this opportunity and people that would have a more lasting relationship,” Hope said, while boasting that all the Forever I Do winners are still together.
