With bridal vendors vying for customers’ attention, Bloomingdale’s at Aventura held a wedding party and brought brides from all over South Florida together to see the variety of options open to wives-to-be.

Allison Bass, Bloomingdale’s director of public relations, said the event gave brides the opportunity to mingle with wedding vendors from their area.

‘It’s an interactive way to learn about vendors and Bloomingdales’ registry program,” Bass said.

Sponsored by InStyle magazine, The Wedding Party began with vendors putting on impressive displays for the customers. Chefs representing Cuisinart laid out their ideas in food while representatives of companies such as Baccarat and Orrefors explained the unique features of their crystal and blown glass vases.

Mary Dann, one of the hosts of Whose Wedding is it, Anyway? on the Style Network, was the guest speaker of the night. Dann, a California wedding planner, mingled with the crowd and gave advice on how to plan the perfect wedding.

For her first visit to South Florida, Dann consulted with more than 20 planners from throughout the state to get a feel for the market.

”A lot of people go it alone,” Dann said. “In California, 60 percent of the brides hire a planner. Only 12 percent of brides hire one here.”

According to Dann, a wedding planner should balance the concerns of all those involved and take a problem-solving approach.

”Don’t think you need to go it alone just because you haven’t hired a planner from the beginning,” Dann said. “Everyone is my client; my job is to make sure everyone is working together and happy doing it.”

Beach weddings are popular and easy to organize if brides prepare.

”You need a great planner for a beach wedding,” Dann said. “They make sure the flowers and rented equipment arrive on time and are immediately picked up once the wedding is over.”

For a beach wedding, it is crucial that space on the beach be reserved for hours before the ceremony, Dann said. Leaving it up to family members isn’t always a good idea.

”Although relations have good intentions, they might get sidetracked and aren’t always on top of things,” Dann said.

To host a beach wedding without a hitch, brides should take this advice: ”Don’t make the guests walk too far to get to the wedding, just because you’d like to be near the water,” Dann said. “Keep wet and dry towels at the wedding so guests can wipe their feet.”

The weather, Dann said, seems to be a special problem: “There are so many limitations on outdoor and creative spaces.”

For women like Alfandary, however, looking for a planner wasn’t necessary.

Alfandary, whose wedding will be in January, has finished her planning and is only waiting for the big day.

”We came for the advice and presents,” Alfandary said of the store’s event.

Dann, who is also a marriage and family therapist, takes a holistic approach when consulting with her customers. She uses four approaches to prepare couples for the event: emotional, physical, spiritual and mental.

One of Dann’s responsibilities as a planner is to prepare her couples to register.

According to Barbra Broidy, an Orrefors representative and former registry manager for Bloomingdales, the best thing a couple can do is contact a store’s registry manager and discuss what they are looking for.

”Couples take in too much external advice and don’t think about what they need and what’s going on in their lives,” Broidy said. “It’s best to come in to talk to a consultant and find out what [the couple] wants.”

To Broidy, couples choose too much of what they don’t really need and too little of what is necessary. ”Bath towels,” Broidy said. “Couples don’t register for enough bath towels. In some instances, couples receive 10 or 12 vases and they really don’t need that.”

While Dann spoke, models showcased bridesmaid and bridal gowns designed by Ivonne de la Vega. Dann gave tips on how to incorporate the dresses’ design with the decorations of the wedding.

De la Vega, who has been designing gowns for 21 years, advises brides to bring only one person with them when shopping for a dress.

”Brides should bring one person they trust to help with the decision. Brides need to take in their personal reflections of how they want to look on their wedding,” de la Vega said.

Ultimately, the event was to give insight to engaged couples and to lessen the stress of the planning process.

The planning of a wedding may take months, and for brides, this brings on stress. Grooms should be prepared for the stressful months and show their support to their fiancés.

”This is the most pressure a young bride will be under” Dann said. “Grooms should remember to be supportive and not take it personally if their brides don’t take their ideas into account.”