When planning a wedding, many things must be considered. From caterers to dresses and, of course, the cake, planning a wedding can be a daunting task.

Luckily for area brides, the Ever After Bridal Expo had all the makings a bride could need Sunday at The Pavilion in Marion.

The expo is the largest in southern Illinois where brides-to-be connect with vendors who offer everything from dresses to diet pills.

Sponsors of the event included River Radio, Mr. Tuxedo and Bridal in Carterville, A Special Occasion in West Frankfort and Flowers by Dave in Benton.

Roughly 70 to 80 vendors had displays, over half of which had attended in the past.

It also included several other activities including a fashion show for the best dresses and tuxedos and a cake-eating contest for a chance to win a diamond ring.

Mr. Tuxedo in Carterville, as well as its owner and operator Teresa Hubbs, have been a part of Ever After and a main sponsor for the event since it started six years ago.

“We’ve been with the show since it began and I’ve been with Mr. Tuxedo for 25 years,” she said, as she stood in front of a model in a black, floor-length bridesmaid gown for the fashion show.

Photographers are also usually at the top of the list of who to hire for a wedding, some of which display a more unique kind of photography.

Jenn Fortune, the owner and operator of J. Fortune Photography in Herrin, said she offers a more intimate type of boudoir wedding photographs for couples.

“Every woman deserves to feel beautiful,” she said. “These photos can be given as gifts to their fiancé or just as something to make the woman feel sexy. This used to be a popular thing to do and now it’s making a comeback.”

Kayla Brown, a bride-to-be from Marion who has been to previous expos, said vendors like J. Fortune Photography are helpful for future brides.

“You can talk to them more freely,” she said. “There are a lot more booths this year and all are different from each other.”

Brown said she plans on using J. Fortune because they offered something different from the more traditional wedding photographers.

For those who were unable to attend or forgot which caterer had better barbeque or who carried the perfect dress, there is still hope. Anna Marie Cook, the coordinator of the event, said the expo provides a database for brides in need.

“The new digital database on Facebook can tell you what you saw and how to find it again,” she said.

Cook said the database covers details of each exhibit including who the vendors were, what they sold and a video of their display.

Visit the database at www.facebook. com/pages/The-Pavilion-of-the-City-of-Marion for more information.

Adie Applegate can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @adisonapple or at 536-3311 ext. 268.