The Sunday News
Peter Matika Senior Leisure Reporter
THE third edition of the Green Gardens Wedding Expo, held in Bulawayo last weekend, was not only successful, in the eyes of the organisers, but also gave people an insight into the latest trends in weddings. Not only was it an insightful event but it also attracted the attention of visiting South Africans, who have since pledged to partner with the expo in 2016.
Running under the theme, Bridal Affair, the one day expo was held on 21 February this year.
The expo was patronised by a multi-racial crowd, a feature the director of the venue — Molly Mpofu — said was essential in assisting in the gathering of different perspectives on weddings from Zimbabwe’s diverse cultures.
“This year’s event was interesting. The exhibitors were much more professional as compared to other years. The attendance was excellent. We managed to attract a multi-racial crowd, something we have always wanted so as to share ideas,” she said.
She said she was particularly fascinated by the professionalism shown by the exhibitors, a feature she said many players in the industry lacked.
“The exhibitors were professional this year, as compared to other years, perhaps because of experience. Their products and services are much more qualitative than previous years. This is proof that the industry is growing. We also had exhibitors from Harare who shared the same sentiments. We are now working towards reaching international standards,” she said.
Mpofu added that since they would be working towards partnering with international exhibitors in the future they would be holding workshops with relevant players.
“This is not an easy task. This is a huge task and needs lots of input. Next year we plan on inviting exhibitors on the eve of the expo, so that we are able to share ideas, which will ultimately see to our development. We want this expo to be known as the best in the city and maybe one day the best in the country,” she added.
Tracking from the success of its debut showcase in 2013, Green Gardens continued its trend of innovation by providing those planning on getting married with a large collection of different services all under one roof.
Another organiser and partner to Green Gardens, Nqobile Mpofu from Nqo Video Productions, also said he was happy with the maturity of the expo and the attendance.
“We had exhibitors coming from as far as Harare and the attendance was superb. The expo was pretty much vibrant as compared to other years from its inception,” he said.
What the exhibitors said:
Some exhibitors at the venue said they were glad to have been part of the expo, as they had found a platform to share ideas and market their business without having to constantly advertise.
“This was a great platform for us to market ourselves and we owe it much to Green Gardens for coming up with such innovative ideas,” said Sarah Mazibuko, who runs Charlet Lime Wedding Dress Collection.
Mazibuko noted that it was her first time exhibiting at the event and the response as a first time exhibitor was overwhelming.
“This was exciting and the response we got was overwhelming. We focus on making original handmade dresses, which we hire out. As we are first timers in the industry we plan on introducing a men’s section to cater for both sexes,” she said.
Another exhibitor, Dumisani Moyo a co-director at Toni’s Car Hire who own a set of vintage vehicles, which are a synonymous feature in weddings, echoed the same sentiments, adding that through the expo employment would be created.
“We plan on broadening our fleet of vintage vehicles. At present we own two 1964 Wolseley vintage cars. We do special events and weddings, these vehicles are very popular in weddings,” he said.
Other businesspeople that were present at the event were the likes of Iyasa and Harsh Touch, who have become household names and permanent features at weddings, as they provide entertainment to the audience.
This year three lucky brides won various packages for their wedding dates, where they get to use Green gardens as a venue free of charge.
Wedding Expos have been providing a great source of information for brides and grooms for years and the trend has become very popular in Zimbabwe.
