Weddings in the Social-Media Age

CEBU, Philippines - With a stellar roster of more than 20 of the metro's top wedding suppliers, the flagship run of the Cebu City Marriott Hotel's "Love @ First Like" wedding fair was a smashing success.

Held in the hotel's Sampaguita ballroom of the hotel on February 25, brides-to-be and their betrothed mingled with the fair's participating designers, florists, photographers, videographers, caterers, car rental service providers and more - who shared what they can do to make dream weddings come true by showing their portfolios and through mini-exhibitions.

But beyond making the road to the pronouncement of a marriage less stressful for to-be-wed couples, the fair also lent a helping hand for the participating suppliers to strengthen their presence online, by hosting a string of workshops and lectures on the best practices of online marketing. This particular aspect of "Love @ First Like" distinguished it from other bridal fairs - since its to-be-wed attendees were not the only ones who learned something new, but its participating wedding suppliers as well.

The fair also infused something novel in not opting for a bridal wear fashion show as a highlight. Instead, what took the place of this "bridal fair standard" took shape in models in bridal wear garb interacting with the fair's attendees - which essentially gave them an up-close look of the latest bridal wear collections by Cebu's top couturiers.

All in all, there was a lot to love and like in Marriott's "Love @ First Like." (FREEMAN)