f Shirley Richardson and Rehanna Palumbo have their way, Sunday, March 14 will be a day that future newlyweds will have a hard time forgetting. After a whirlwind two-month planning process, the two are set to launch the 2004 Bridal Fair and Expo. Through their companies, Trimingham?s Smith?s and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Bermuda, this dynamic duo teamed up to create a bridal fair different from any other ever held on the Island.

Although they knew they wanted to strengthen the business relationship between their companies, the concept of hosting a bridal fair almost fell out of the blue in January.

?Shirley and I met to have lunch with regards to initiatives that we could do here at the hotel?Her daughter is getting married next year and you know how one conversation leads to another, that?s basically what happened to us.

?We started talking about her daughter getting married and we began reflecting on a bridal fair that Smith?s had done in the past and from there it just took off,? said Mrs. Palumbo, who is the corporate group sales manager.

She added that since the Fairmont Hamilton continues to be a popular venue for weddings and receptions, the hotel welcomed the idea of working with Trimingham?s Smith?s, who has a strong subscription of registered brides.

?In addition to our overseas clientele, we are also heavily marketing our local couples. We are trying to focus on more weddings here at the property.

Mrs. Richardson, who is the manager of new business development at Trimingham?s Smith?s, said she was excited about the task they had undertaken: ?My job is to expand sales and bring new business to the company and because I took over the responsibility of what Smith?s had done in the past, I felt I had an obligation to enlarge that.?

Although the fair is on Sunday, several events had already taken place leading up to the event. Last night, a Parents of the Bride and Groom workshop was held. Topics included in the two-hour workshop included where should a step parent be seated the reception and how to deal with a stressed out bride.

?These can sometimes be difficult situations to deal with and we wanted the parents to be included. At times, we often forget that this isn?t just an important day for the intended couple but for their parents as well,? Mrs. Richardson told . ?It should always be remembered that a wedding is a total family event. It?s not just about the bride and the groom, but also the merger of two different groups of people for a lifetime. We?re trying to work with that.?

The duo have also orchestrated a mock bridal shower and bachelor party to give the intended a chance to sample what their big night would be like.

onsultants will also be on hand to offer any planning advice which they may need.

?Because the grooms have always been left out and everything is focusing on the bride, Shirley?s great idea was to have somewhere for the groomsmen, Grooms? World, to seek advice,? Mrs. Palumbo said. ?In this area there will be different events geared specifically to the men. The bank will be giving advice, a hotel representative will be there to give information on events ranging from honeymoon destinations to who should be giving the toasts at the reception.?

When asked how the two came up with such an eclectic array of events, they both laughed before they replied: ?We?re very creative.?

?When an idea came to us, we took it and nourished it, then moved on to the next one. We should have never walked through the hotel because every time we stopped at one spot, our concept just grew. Shirley would have an idea and I would just tag on and then it would keep leading to something else and then it grew,? added Mrs. Palumbo.

With over 50 vendors participating in this weekend?s event, every aspect of the newlyweds? needs will be met, the duo promised.

?There?s a lot of vendors who are in our community that people are not aware of because a lot of times names of businesses are passed around via word of mouth.

?Some of them who approached us to participate, we didn?t even know their names or what they did and they all cater to the wedding market. When I got married 15 years ago, I wish I had choices like these because all I had were two options what I knew from the (phone) book, but here we are having everything,? Mrs. Palumbo said. Mrs. Richardson elaborated on the advantage of a bride registering with Trimingham?s Smith?s: ?The brides who are interested in getting married on the Island will learn that our show coincides with the time of the year where they would do a site visit. Trimingham?s Smith?s has a wonderful bridal registry. And even for the woman marrying abroad, she can still shop here and have her gifts shipped abroad for less than what she would have paid there because we have no sales tax, so it?s great for local and visiting brides alike.?

As the duo are winding down and eagerly anticipating a successful event on Sunday, they reflected on how they overcame the challenges they endured along the way.

?The greatest thing about Shirley and I is that she handled the aspect of the bridal fair that she knew best and I did the same. When we encountered any problems, we consulted each other extensively. We called each other all day long and at the end of every evening, we would call each other to confer again,? said Mrs. Palumbo. ?It was a partnership that worked. We endured bumps along the way, but we kept going.?

Already, they are looking forward to next year. ?I?m ready for Bridal Fair and Expo 2005,? said Mrs. Richardson.

?I agree,? Mrs. Palumbo said. ?In fact, we?ve already started planning it. This time we are looking forward to a year of preparation, not just two months.?

Entrance to this weekend?s bridal fair is $15 per person. It will be held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess from noon to 6 p.m.