New small scale options among the offerings at Wichita’s largest bridal fair

With customized mini-me wedding figurines and 2-foot paper dolls, two vendors at Wichita’s largest annual bridal fair are offering some small-scale options when it comes to wedding and event planning.

Buhler-based Gregory Inc., a longtime manufacturing business that recently started offering 3D figurine printing, and the Wichita-based Vanya Designs, which offers couture-style and customized bridal wear, will be among the 200 or so booths in Century II’s Convention and Exhibition halls to showcase items and services for planning a special event.

The March 20 and 21 Wichita Bridal Expo marks the 26th year for the bridal fair. Traditionally promoter Cindy Uholo of Alpha Promotions stages her company’s largest bridal expo in January, but pandemic precautions pushed the event to March this year. Another smaller expo is scheduled for late July. This weekend’s expo will include fashion shows, special demonstrations, tastings and major prize giveaways, as well as a “man cave” area with TV monitors set to NCAA tournament games.

Both Gregory’s “Mini Me in 3D” photorealistic figurine products and Vanya Designs’ paper dolls where brides can design a customized look are new to this year’s expo.

Last year, Gregory — a 65-year-old company that has specialized in creating parts and other products for manufactures — acquired the technology to offer its customized 3D figurines direct to consumers, according to Robin West, Gregory’s sales manager.

It takes just seconds to scan a person in its booth, West said. It takes the company about one to two weeks to process and build the final figurines that can be used as wedding toppers or displays at a special event, like a wedding, birthday party or quinceanera.

The figures are available in three sizes: 4, 5 or 6 inches tall with single figure prices ranging from $175 to $225 and two figurines from $325 to $400. The company also rents its scanning booth for events. Gregory is offering special discounts during the bridal expo.

With her hopes of breaking into the national bridal wear industry last year put on hold, Alicia Ybarra, the owner and fashion designer with Vanya Designs, is also focused on offering her collections direct to consumers.

Working with Flamingo Inc. in Wichita, she created 2-foot-tall magnetic paper dolls that will make their debut at the bridal fair.

With the dolls attached to a whiteboard, brides can take small-scale magnetic versions of various pieces from Ybarra’s Convertible Couture collection — tops, bottoms, capes and other accessories —and design their customized look. Several pieces from Ybarra’s collections will also be modeled during the expo fashion shows.

Visitors to the bridal expo can download a special app (my.yapp.us/BRIDAL) this year that provides a map to all the vendor booths, the schedule of events and announcements of prize winners, said Uholo, the expo organizer.

Prizes this year include various venue rental packages, spa packages, photography packages and a $10,000 grand prize for various wedding services plus a cruise.

Wichita Bridal Expo

Where: Century II Convention and Exhibition hall, 225 W. Douglas

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 20, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, March 21

Admission: $13 for one-day admission, $15 for two-day admission, free for ages 11 and under. Purchase through wichitatix.com or at the Wichita Tix box office in Century II. Masks required. Special incentives for brides who register for the event online by 9 p.m. Friday, March 19.

More information: wichitabridalshow.com