Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Wedding Showcase 2020 from Suffolk News-Herald on Vimeo.

Soon-to-be brides and grooms and their families were able to get ideas and check out all kinds of vendors for their weddings at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts’ first wedding showcase last weekend.

Engaged couples could view one Suffolk Center gallery set up for a wedding ceremony, another gallery set up for a cocktail hour and the ballroom set up for a grand reception. They also could meet other vendors and taste cakes, hear local musicians available for hire, view wedding fashions, learn about wedding photography and honeymoon trends and more.

“We’ve been wanting to do a showcase for at least six years,” said Darlene Keyt, special events coordinator for the Suffolk Center. “We started with our partner, Big Top Entertainment, then we started building. We’re trying to bring the best of the best of wedding vendors here so newly engaged couples could see it all come together at the Suffolk Center.”

Keyt said the SCCA hosts an average of two weddings a month. They were pleased to surpass their expectations for attendance at the wedding showcase.

Quinnisa Doles, who lives in Virginia Beach, attended the showcase to get ideas for her wedding. She and her fiancé are planning to get married in August 2021.

“I want to get an idea, have it stick in my head and then I can go from there,” she said as she browsed centerpieces and table settings by The Main Event by Emily in Smithfield. “This is a good place to get some great ideas.”

Many of the vendors praised the idea of having a wedding showcase in Suffolk, as most in the area are in Virginia Beach or Norfolk.

Emily Norton, of The Main Event by Emily, said she recently coordinated a wedding that took place at the Suffolk Center.

“It’s a beautiful venue, and I love reaching out further than Smithfield,” she said. “I consider anything within 45 minutes or so of Smithfield local.”

Amanda Carson of Avenir Bridal Boutique in Chesapeake brought bridal gowns and a flower girl dress to show off to potential clients.

“We wanted to make sure the Suffolk brides knew we were so close,” she said.

Allyn Brown, who owns The Pinner House venue and O’Neal’s photography studio, said he appreciated the nearby showcase.

“It would be a great thing to do every year,” he said.