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Atlanta has no shortage of fantastic wedding vendors, from florists to DJs and everything in between. Finding the right one for a wedding can be the tricky part. On today’s Around Atlanta segment of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, Julie Ward and Jennifer Ammons from The Big Fake Wedding tell co-hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick how they connect brides with the perfect vendors for their special day.
It all started eight years ago when their founder, Callie Murray, was looking for a way to expand her wedding photography business. She decided to invite her vendor friends to host a fake wedding. “She thought it would be a one-time thing,” Ward says, but it was such a popular event, they’ve now grown to 25 to 27 events a year in most major American cities, from Boston to San Diego, though it began in Atlanta where it continues to thrive.
On August 13, anyone planning a wedding is invited. “It’s like crashing a wedding,” she says, where brides and their “bride tribes” dress up for a wedding. Doors open at 6:30 so guests can grab a drink. A real vow renewal ceremony starts at 7, because “ we want to support committed marriages,” and drive home the notion that planning a wedding is one thing, but a marriage goes well beyond that day.
Ammons says they typically have 25 to 25 vendors, including florists, the dress provider, bakers and musicians. They have had cotton candy makers and even a robot serving drinks at one wedding. The venue is also part of the party, as unusual venues use the Big Fake Wedding as a way to highlight how they can host a magical day. They have had weddings in a working brewery, the Space Needle and a bowling alley. “This is not your typical bridal show,” she says.
Tickets are available online for the August 13 wedding, with more fake weddings to be scheduled for 2018 and beyond. Listen to today’s segment to learn more. Check out their website to learn how to participate as a vendor or to see where events are planned.
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