Hollister
– For brides-to-be in Hollister, there was no better place to
spend your Saturday then downtown at the second annual Bridal
Tour.
Hollister – For brides-to-be in Hollister, there was no better place to spend your Saturday then downtown at the second annual Bridal Tour.
The Hollister Downtown Association sponsored its second annual Bridal Tour on Saturday from 10am to 3pm, attracting the attention of brides and grooms-to-be, and even some young people with no rings on their fingers.
Melissa Dassel, 24, of Hollister, said she attended the event even though she is not yet engaged simply because she wanted ideas for the future.
“I honestly went because one day I plan on getting married and I want ideas for my wedding,” said Dassel.
The tour attracted 48 people, although some may not have signed in or attended the tour in its entirety, said Brenda Weatherly, executive director of the Hollister Downtown Association. This was a slightly smaller turnout then last year, which saw between 50 and 100 people in attendance.
“We’re pleased with the turnout overall,” said Weatherly. She said organizers had planned on around 50 couples. “Had we had a lot more, we would have been happy, but we wouldn’t have had all the supplies.”
Nearly 30 local businesses took part in the event. Most of the participating stores were marked with white balloons.
Several dad displays or special events going on at their stores. For those stores without a downtown location, couples were invited to wander vendor booths that were set up at three downtown restaurants: the Vault, Las Palmas and Broken Wing.
Don Alvarez, owner of the Elegant Touch, said he was happy with the turnout at the event.
“I think it was a pretty good success,” said Alvarez. “It got people out, we saw people downtown, and that was the most encouraging thing.”
Alvarez said he hopes to continue to take part in the Bridal Tour in the future and continue to promote his business and its wedding cakes. Alvarez noted that customers were particularly engaged by the wedding cake tasting he provided.
Dassel mentioned that the cake tasting as well as the champagne tasting, which was provided at Broken Wing and featured sparkling wines from local vineyards, were the highlights of the event for her. She said they helped her realize how many great products were available in Hollister.
“I don’t go downtown as much as I should, so it was a nice day to walk around and go in and out of the stores that I pass by on a weekly basis,” said Dassel.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at (831) 637-5566 ext. 336 or at
aj**@fr***********.com
.
