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Visitors to the Wedding Capital of Texas Showcase on Sunday got a hint of the unique experience ahead of them when they were greeted at the doors by Taxi, a Sicilian miniature donkey, and her handler, Erika.
Taxi is a party donkey, and one of the servers for a company called Canyonwood Minis. She was outfitted with two baskets for carrying items such as party favors or beverages, and some decorative flowers and greenery. She was snacking on pretzels and definitely stealing the show in her wedding finery. The wedding showcase was sponsored by Destination Dripping Springs, the city’s visitor’s bureau, and it was hosted by Allegro, a local wedding & events venue. The event took place in the main reception barn.
“We were a little nervous about the weather, but all things considered we've had a great turnout,” Riley Waight, Allegro’s venue manager, said.
Caleb Cervenka, who grew up in Driftwood, came to the event with his brideto- be, Bella Valdez.
“We have a wedding that we need to begin planning,” Valdez said. “We have nothing set, so we came out here to get some ideas.'
Cervenka said they’d been struggling to fit in time to visit different venues, and to keep track of what they had seen.
“I think it's a good thing just to see different vendors all in the same place, and you get it done all in a day,” Cervenka said.
The couple currently lives in New Braunfels, and they have been considering the area for their wedding.
“I think Dripping Springs has the most venues compared to other towns in the Hill Country,” Cervenka said.
Indeed, Dripping Springs has over 35 wedding venues within a 15-mile radius, from elegant to rustic. The city also has its share of wedding planners, florists, bakers, photographers and caterers. It’s estimated that over 1000 weddings a year are held in the area, earning it the official designation from the Texas Legislature as 'Wedding Capital of Texas.'
Janetha and Patrick Lampkin were at the event to support their daughter, who is looking for a DJ and a photographer for her upcoming nuptials.
“Our daughter is a chiropractor, and she's here today as a vendor, but she's also getting married in November,” Janetha Lampkin said. “So we had an interest in meeting some vendors. Everyone has been extremely nice to us. We’re just happy to be among good people.”
Showcase attendees also got to sample foods and desserts from several local caterers and bakers. One of those was cookie artist Betsy Herrington, of Baker Betsy.
“I do cookie art for any occasion,” Herrington said. “Right now what we're looking at are dress rehearsals, wedding showers, bachelorette parties, welcome baskets, things like that. We've had a good flow of people come through, and a lot of people have taken our flyers and scanned our QR code and taken samples. It's been really awesome.”
Pam King, tourism manager for Destination Dripping Springs, said the showcase came about as a way to help vendors, those who provide services for weddings, connect with people who are getting married.
“We thought this would be a great marriage of those two,” King said. “The networking that happens here with the vendors is equally as valuable as the opportunity that our potential brides and grooms have, because they're all learning together. The collaboration among the vendors is really fun to watch.”
To learn more about The Wedding Capital of Texas, visit www. destinationdrippingsprings. com.
