Getting married? Ashland University, in Ohio, wanted to help engaged couples visualize what their wedding celebration could be like, and at the same time promote campus and local wedding services, including those provided by dining services. So Ashland invited couples to an interactive Bridal Showcase this past spring semester. Nearly 400 attendees were shepherded from location to location, beginning with a mock wedding at the campus chapel, complete with a mock bridal party. Couples moved from venue to venue, just as they would at their own event. At each location, campus and local vendors displayed their products and answered guests’ questions. From cocktails to cake and bridal attire to limousine services, attendees were able to experience the options available to them within the university’s venues.
“This event was to give couples a chance to explore what Ashland University has to offer them for their wedding,” says Carrie Grough, catering service manager. “It is a chance to see decoration and floral arrangements and taste the food as if it were their own wedding. They are able to open their creative side and can personally visualize their wedding with all the amenities at Ashland University.”
Couples were also able to win giveaways from vendors and reserve their date and venues with the university. Grough says the high attendance, coupled with more than 30 vendors from 14 categories made this first-time event a success. “We didn’t expect it to be as big as it was,” she says. “We will do it again.”