Melissa Massie bags a set of homemade Nutella-flavored macarons for a customer at the Lima News bridal expo Saturday. Massie’s home bakery, Savors, specializes in macarons, gourmet cookies and truffles.
Mackenzi Klemann | The Lima News
LIMA — Brides-to-be visited the Howard Johnson hotel Saturday for the Lima News Bridal Expo, which showcased dozens of locally owned wedding venues, DJs, limo rentals and other businesses catering to couples for their wedding day.
The free bridal expo returned Saturday for the first time since 2017 to “connect the community with businesses that can help them plan their special day,” Lima News Publisher Todd Benz said.
Couples met with vendors as varied as florists, travel agents, bakers and party bus rental companies like Advantage Limo & Coach, which regularly transports wedding parties and guests between their wedding, reception and hotel.
The limo and party bus service will even deliver lunch to the salon while bridal parties get their hair done, said Eric Geise, who owns Advantage Limo and J&J Limo service with his wife, Beth.
“It’s a nice way to keep everybody together and on time,” Geise said.
The shuttle service brings peace of mind to many parents too, as guests are less likely to drink and drive, Beth Geise said.
Couples looking for entertainment could meet with Motteriffic Music & Photo Booth or Radioactive Events Group, which both specialize in photo and video booth rentals as well as lighting and DJ service.
The photo booths have become popular with wedding parties in the last decade, so much so that Matthew Neely, owner of Radioactive Events, crafts custom props for clients, like the bride and groom who recently ordered cut-out props of their faces and a custom hashtag for guests to pose with at their wedding.
Further down guests could meet with baker Melissa Massie, who decorated her booth with homemade macarons, truffles and gourmet cookies, which she personally delivers as far away as Xenia through her home bakery Savory.
“A lot of people are steering towards dessert bars instead of just cakes,” Massie said.
Massie specializes in macarons, a colorful French dessert which comes in 75 gluten-free flavors, as well as an assortment of cookies, brownies and truffles she individually wraps as party favors.
“Basically, whatever the bride wants, she can have it,” Massie said.
