BAM! A Brooklyn Bridal Show Revealed

To 2E's dismay, I was in the company of hundreds of women this afternoon on the second floor of the BAM space in Brooklyn. BAM!

In truth, I was expecting worse. I thought I'd see millions of crazed Brooklyn brides packed into a poor excuse for a hallway, fighting over free samples of layer cake and mini-cupcakes. (Well, I was right about the mini cupcakes.) What I found was a relatively low-key event with some very cool industry individuals -- many of whom I've been chatting with via Twitter from across the country.

Here are three highlights:

Love Jenna Calligraphy
Jenna spotted a lost, lone groom in the crowd and introduced herself and her calligraphy company. She quickly won me over -- not only with her impressive 20-lb cardstock (seriously, it's painfully thick), but with her calm, collected demeanor and one-woman show attitude. Oh, right -- and the beautiful display of sample scripts. We'll definitely be thinking of Jenna when it comes time for invite envelopes. 

Edible Manhattan
I thought I'd share a fantastic idea that I picked up at the show: Edible Manhattan (and, soon enough, Edible Brooklyn) provides a complimentary food mag by the same name that celebrates "local food culture, season by season." And the publication acts as a great complimentary gift for your out-of-town guests. Flip to the back of the book for a list of Edible-approved restaurants, wine shops, wineries, coffee shops, bakeries, organic resources, etc. Contact Edible directly and ask how you can get a box of their most recent issues shipped directly to your door.

UPDATE 6/16/2010: Due to a large demand for publications, there is now a $2 charge for issues of Edible Brooklyn.

Just About Married
I was pleased as a masculine cup of punch to meet Anna Leath, who heads up Just About Married's day-of coordination and consulting services. Working under the umbrella of Xochitl Gonzalez's boutique wedding planning firm, Always A Bridesmaid, Anna does just about everything you might expect a wedding coordinator to do ... and a bunch of things you would NEVER expect. Like ... the things you would normally forget. Make a smart move and inquire about Anna's day-of and hourly services and her reasonable prices.

Thanks to Great Performances for hosting a very chic, impressive event. The free glass-o-champagne was a nice touch. Only -- next time -- you may want to have something on tap. We grooms tend to be more appreciative when it comes out of a spout.