Here Comes The Bride Show

If you are planning to take a walk down the aisle, do drop by here for a while.

The Bride Show Dubai 2007 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre has everything that you need for a dream wedding. There is trousseaux and travel tips, glamour and style, wedding photography and film stars, everything under one roof.

On offer are a plethora of options such as wedding gowns, haute couture fashion, home decor, beauty treatments and hair styling.

From wedding planners to venues and honeymoon destinations, every aspect of wedding preparations is tied into the package of the show. There is even a honeymoon package to be won by one winner at daily competitions.

The four-day show opened with the celebrity Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra's bridal and couture collection. The line was modelled by Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar while another star, Arjun Rampal, provided the surprise element in the show.

“It means a lot for me to get such acceptance in this part of the world. I am constantly trying to mix Indian culture and the Arabic world. I use brocades, georgettes, and a lot of embroidery, which India is known for, and adapt it to the Arabic style,'' said Malhotra.

Speaking about Manish's collection, Urmila said, “Manish's collection at the show was chic, stylised and classy. These elements make bridal costumes look even better.''

Visitors turned out at the show in large numbers. While most enjoyed the show, some complained that Dh4 for a bottle of water at the venue was unreasonable as was Dh5 per hour for parking.

Story-Telling Photography

If you are planning to get married, make sure you visit stand 6E50 at the Bride Show.

Dubai based Swani Gulshan will show you how he has taken wedding photography to another level. Gone are the days of cardboard and plastic bound albums. If you want to capture your memories for a lifetime, the thing to consider is ‘story-telling wedding albums'.

The Londoner, who only does wedding photography on weekends, clicks pictures throughout the wedding day and presents them in the form of a story book.

These albums are handbound, range from 30 to 200 pages and come in three different sizes – A4, A4+ and A3. He launched a new size at the bridal show called landscape. The album covers are made of metal. A 60-page, A3 size album on display weighed about 8kg. With a price range of Dh15,000 to Dh23,000 they are not exactly light on the pocket either. Each album takes about eight to 12 weeks to complete.

A Lifestyle Photo Session is another new service he has brought to the show. Claimed as the first of its kind in Dubai, this involves two hours of photography at various outdoor locations.

For details: Call 050-785 0367 or log on to www.swani.com

Dubai-Based Design Duo

Imagine a wedding gown costing Dh40,000. It is the most expensive gown at stand 6E40 where a mother-daughter duo is displaying their bridal collection. This sparkling white, hand-made gown is made of satin taffeta and is embellished with Swarovski stones.

Ekaterina & Maria Fashion has a range of 500 bridal gowns made of pure silk, chiffon, organza, taffeta and satin, designed by Russian Ekaterina Zakharova, 41, and her 21-year-old daughter Maria Zakharova.

A graphic design student at the American University of Dubai, Maria not only designs these gowns and cocktail dresses but also models them. She began designing at the age of nine and soon started helping her mother with her business. Maria claims her designs are heavily inspired by her trips to different parts of the world.

The stand is also running a draw wherein visitors can drop their cards and on the final day of the show a winner will be picked, who will walk away with a Dh1,500 wedding gown.

For details: Call 04-334 1070/343 8423 or e-mail: ekaterina.maria@gmail.com

SHOW DETAILS