THE inaugural Berbice Wedding Exposition allows the expectant bride and groom to have an opportunity to walk through the aisles of the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus, where the county’s best wedding products and services will be on display in one convenient location.

Scheduled to be held on December 7, the event was birthed by New Amsterdam Businessman Ryan Alexander and is as a result of the arising needs of his customers, who would often seek assistance in meeting the needs for parties and weddings.

“The idea was born after persons from as far as Suriname had repeatedly visited the family-run business, ‘Party Plus’, at New Street, New Amsterdam, seeking services, especially in the wedding industry.

“A lot of people come to us looking for persons who make cakes, do catering, sewing, etc,” he recounted. As a result, the young entrepreneur observed, over the past years, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has conducted about 117 courses and programmes that are aimed at equipping persons to become economically viable.

“We figure that the time has come to showcase these persons, such as the cosmetologists, tailors and seamstresses; caterers, cake decorators who are underutilised. A wedding expo is a good way to have such persons showcase their talents,” he emphasized.

Additionally, Alexander and his team aim to market Berbice as a prominent wedding and tourist destination, as that county has conjured images of Dutch architecture amongst the availability of other ancient and antique artifacts.

Meanwhile, in his feature address, Regional Chairman David Armogan congratulated the pioneer of the local venture for his bold undertakings, while noting that an activity of such a magnitude is good for Berbice, and can be used as a new form of tourist attraction.

Besides, it would also give opportunities to different sectors in the business environment, and has the potential to open up new avenues to the business sector,”
he said as he noted that planning a wedding is very demanding and time consuming, and observed that “these days” people are extremely busy with their work and other daily chores. As such, persons with required skills and expertise can be hired to do it all, he said.

However, whilst praising Alexander for his initiative, Armogan, who incidentally is a successful businessman, noted that entrepreneurs need to be more innovative when setting up businesses.

“Many persons would prefer to venture into business areas which are traditional, areas which we know about; but Alexander has chosen to do it differently. The fact that he has chosen to launch into something outside of the box means that he is a businessman with great ideas,” Armogan posited.

Meanwhile, Senior Product Development and Marketing Officer of the Guyana Tourism Authority (TAG), Annarie Shiwram, who, while signalling her organisation’s commitment, noted that the initiative would create a marketplace where buyers and sellers of goods and services associated with weddings would meet, and eventually the small businesses would expand.

“We know that weddings are an integral part of our society and a striving business, and Guyana is making efforts to become a wedding destination among our counterparts in the Caribbean.” Shiwram added.

At the Berbice Wedding Exposition, persons would discover about fifty various services, which will save countless hours of seeking out those amenities that can be found in different locations in the East Berbice/Corentyne district.
Instead of looking through the telephone directory or on-line at pictures of wedding cakes or floral arrangements or vehicles, one would be able to taste the cake, hold the bouquets of flowers in the hand, and sit in the multiple styled vehicles as participating vendors create lavish exhibit displays showcasing their products so that one can easily see everything that would be offered for the memorable wedding.

Wedding Expo is also the place to find one-of-a-kind show specials. Many of the exhibitors will offer booking incentives and special discounts not found anywhere else. Whether the wedding is large or small, persons would find a wide range of wedding merchants eager to please a variety of tastes and budgets.

There is much to discover at the Berbice Wedding Expo, as one could literally plan an entire wedding in one day!

On exhibition would be photographers, car rentals, cake makers, event planners, florists, venue providers, beauty salons, makeup artists, wedding decorators, dressmakers, hoteliers, and boutique owners.

In addition, a number of organisations have already indicated their support. They are Citizens Bank, Banks DIH Limited, Fly Jamaica, Pan American Motor Inc., A. Ally and Sons, Hand-in Hand, Homeline Furnishing, Furniture World, Guyana Tourism Authority, Impressive Signs and Graphics, Little Rock Hotel, Guy Gas, Scotia Bank, CIDI, Outar Jewellery, J’s Printery, First Impressions Hotel and Party Plus among others.

(By Jeune Bailey-Vankeric)