Say Yes to “CMC Bridal Gala 2015”

Winter is almost over and wedding season is right around the corner. All can agree that
wedding planning can be a hassle and takes up a good amount of time and effort. With the help
of the right event planner and wedding planning professionals, any dream wedding is attainable.
That is the mission of Bridal Gala, to help customize brides’ dream weddings to their specific
wants and needs.
The Bridal Gala is an annual collaboration of Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton, West
Virginia with Julie Rapp Lockhart, certified event planner and owner of Locked Hearts Wedding
and Events. The gala will feature top wedding vendors while showcasing a beautiful venue for
all wedding needs, from the engagement party to the I Do's, to the 50th Anniversary and
beyond. With a runway full of trendy, timeless designer gowns from Bridal Central in Princeton
and Serendipity in Parkersburg, delicious wedding cakes, cookies, cupcakes and bubbling
champagne, the Bridal Gala is an event that can only be described as a stunning displays from
the best team of wedding professionals in Southern West Virginia and Virginia. The gorgeous
location and the theatrical appearance make Chuck Mathena Center a perfect place for the
stunning bridal gala.
Lockhart came up with her business name, Locked Hearts, as a playoff of her last name,
“hoping people will remember [her business].”
She said romance “runs through my veins, always has and always will,” and it brings
inspiration to her own marriage and her passions of wedding planning. “I remember about 11
years ago before my business was a twinkle in my eye, that my best friend was getting married
and she asked me to be the gift table attendant,” Lockhart shared. “Never seeing the color of the
dresses or even a swatch of the fabric, I showed up wearing the exact color of blue that her girls
were wearing. I remember my best friend looking at me and saying, “How did you know to wear
that?”"
 Lockhart knew at that moment it was a sign of things to come and the future of a
booming business. Two years ago, after being asked to help plan another friend’s wedding,
Lockhart decided to find a way to turn her passion into a business. She enrolled in a wedding
consultant certificate program and applied for her business license. Within days, Locked Hearts Wedding and Events Planning was born and she had booked her first wedding as a professional.
The Bridal Gala limits the vendors to 36 because Lockhart wants to utilize the space, not
maximize it, and as a result the gala is very selective on the professionals that showcase their            
services and products during the Gala. This year, the Gala managed to sell all 80 tickets to
VIBs, or Very Important Brides.
Since the Gala had to be rescheduled due to weather, Lockhart hopes she can add on
about 20 tickets to bring it to 100 VIB attendees. The Bridal Gala is a one-stop shop when it
comes to a bride’s planning process. It takes approximately 240 hours for a bride to plan a
wedding on her own, but attending a Bridal Gala can bring that down to 60 hours because all the
wedding professionals are all under one roof for the day.
Last year, Lockhart paid close attention to what brides in the area are looking for and
used this valuable information to create this year’s Gala schedule of events. “We, as women and
brides, love fashions and are always looking for budget friendly ideas when it comes to planning
a wedding, which can be one of the most expensive events in one’s life, that is why we included
a bridal fashion show and our planning classes last year,” she added.
Wedding professionals such as hair stylists, makeup artist, caterers, and videographers
will be on site to give consultations to potential brides. The theme of this year’s Gala channels
classic “Coco Chanel” and the Chuck Mathena Center will be decorated in black, white and
blush pink with gold accents. Exclusively this year, the Gala will include the Great Wedding
Cake bake off, which is the largest cake tasting in Southern West Virginia. This is an opportunity
to taste five different cakes from local bakers and designers in one setting, where this same task
would have taken five different appointments outside the Gala, saving time, energy, and money.
The Bridal Gala will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for
the private Very Important Bride portion and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the public portion, which
will be free and open to everyone. The Chuck Mathena Center is located at 2 Stafford Commons,
Princeton. For more information and updates, visit Chuck Mathena Center website at
www.chuckmathenacenter.org or the Chuck Mathena Center Bridal Gala event page on
Facebook. 

Photos Courtesy of Julie Lockhart.