By Brooke Curley
THATCHER – It’s rarely a time where you can have your cake and eat it too but that was not a problem at the annual bridal fair.
Local brides-to-be are constantly on the search for wedding supplies, planners, photographers, and chefs. Torey Cranford, bridal fair event organizer and owner of Cakes with TLC, told Gila Valley Central that this was the second bridal fair she has done. Cranford said this year’s fair doubled in size from the last, and the main idea behind the event is to keep local brides working with local businesses.
“We did the first one last year, and we started out with 12 vendors at the Women’s Club,” Cranford said. “I kind of got the idea and threw it together in about 20 days. The idea behind it came from every time I met with a bride about her cake and she would say, ‘Do you know a DJ? Do you know a photographer?’ A lot of these people are my friends because it’s a small community, so it was easy to refer but there are more people out there. So, collectively, we get together and work together. We can keep all the local business local.”
Raffles kept everyone guessing throughout the event, and multiple vendors gave out samples to entice onlookers to look closer. Crawford and Stacie McBride gave a presentation on proper cake cutting.
“Get a helper,” Cranford said. “I hate to say it, but when you’re cutting your cake it gets very stressful.”
Kendra Foster, a local seamstress, and dressmaker told Gila Valley Central that this year was her first participating in the fair but that it had gone well so far. Foster works out of her home and said she wants to help give the locals of the Gila Valley the option of a personalized dress.
“This is my first time,” she said. “It’s good my booth has been more popular than what I planned on. I’m excited to have lots of potential work. From living here my whole life, there’s not many options for dresses here. I want to give people the option to have dresses here or have alterations here, especially with the new temple that’s here. There are not very many options.”