Your Dream Day Wedding Planning Podcast with Kathy Piech-Lukas
Your Dream Day Wedding Planning Podcast with Kathy Piech-Lukas
Fashion, Fun, and Free Vegas Trips: Inside Belterra's Wedding Expo
The Kentucky Wedding Show at Belterra Casino in Indiana, offers engaged couples a comprehensive wedding planning experience with over 50 vendors and an exclusive fashion show featuring upcoming 2025-2026 styles. This special event includes opportunities to win trips to Vegas, meet vetted wedding professionals, and enjoy impressive food displays like giant charcuterie boards, all while receiving practical wedding planning guidance.
• Free entry for engaged couples with $15 admission for guests
• VIP experience available with champagne toast and preferred fashion show seating
• Fashion show featuring David's Bridal and Lloyd's with latest wedding attire trends
• Door prizes throughout the day including a trip to Vegas and bachelor/bachelorette party package
• All wedding vendors carefully vetted by Louisville Wedding Network
• Under-21 guests are permitted, making it family-friendly
• Easy to reach from both Louisville and Cincinnati via I-71
• Golf discount available for partners who prefer not to attend the show
Register at Louisville Wedding Network's website and consider making it a weekend getaway by booking a room at Belterra.
To listen to more episodes visit www.yourdreamday.com
We are making our own story as we go. Hi, this is Kathy Peach Lucas with your Dream Day and your Dream Day podcast. Today we are going behind the scenes of a wedding show that is happening here at Belterra Casino and Resort in Indiana from the LWN Louisville Wedding Group putting on a show here in Indiana. Yes, did I get all that right? You did.
Speaker 2:You did yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, so tell us a little bit more about the show. What can people expect?
Speaker 2:So the Kentucky Wedding Show is going to be here at Belterra this time, because Belterra has been gracious enough to help us plan an amazing fashion show. So not only will you be able to come in and see 50 other wedding professionals meet DJs, caterers, bartending services, officiants, other venues you will also be able to see a behind the scenes fashion show of some of the upcoming fashions that are coming for 2025 and 2026. Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:So who is providing the attire for the fashion show?
Speaker 3:David's Brattle Shop is providing it, and Sam Mars Is it Lloyd's? Lloyd's Lloyd's floors will be one of them, and Sophia's Brattle Wow.
Speaker 1:I got to tell y'all I love your accents. They're so cute. I grew up in upstate New York and I'll tell you it took me years to get rid of that accent because everybody, they almost talk through their nose a little bit and if I get near a relative for a couple of days it comes right back. Does it talk between our nose? I don't think so.
Speaker 3:No, no, I don't think we have an accent no, no no, no wait, do you think they have an?
Speaker 1:accent a little, but it reminds me of my family who's from western kentucky, so I love it so, nicole, tell us a little bit more about belterra, because belterra some people just think of as a casino, but you actually have a lot more going on here. You've got a golf course and rooms and banquet entertaining areas we have over 50,000 square feet of event space.
Speaker 4:Uh, we do concerts, golf outings, um, I book tons of bachelor parties who love to golf. Um, and we're really excited to host the little wedding Wedding Network show and I'm really excited to be giving away two trips at the show. During the fashion show, we will draw for a trip to Vegas and a bachelor and bachelor or a bachelorette party here at Belterra. So we're super excited about that.
Speaker 1:Can I just wear my engagement ring that day? Am I allowed to enter too? Yes, of course we won't tell my husband. We'll have to keep it a secret. Perfect. So what type of wedding vendors do you have lined up for the show? What categories can people expect?
Speaker 3:Well, I'm an officiant, so we have that number one, we have caterers, we have florists, we have DJs.
Speaker 2:We have caterers, we have florists, we have DJs, photo booths, wedding planners, venues Anything you can think of that you need for your day. We will have someone here that provides that service, oh fantastic.
Speaker 1:How much are tickets?
Speaker 2:So our engaged couples are free. All guests are $15 a piece. We do have a VIP experience that if you want to upgrade your experience, you can upgrade that, and that will include a champagne toast and preferred seating for our fashion show. So you will get to sit up front, right next to the stage to watch all of the models come out and show off their attire.
Speaker 1:That is so much fun. Yes, I think for most brides-to-be, the fashion show is probably their favorite part of the wedding show, because more and more wedding shows are getting away from doing the fashion show. So when you have a fashion show, like you all will have at your um, at your event, it's just such a treat to see it and to see what some of the trends are. What are some of the trends that you're seeing as far as wedding dresses go?
Speaker 2:so obviously I'm not a specialist in wedding dresses, I am a specialist in venues. I manage four venues um in the louisville and new albany and surrounding areas. I think this time you kind of see a little bit of everything. I don't think there's like just one thing that you're like oh, that is the look for the year. All of our brides pick such different attire and color choices and styles that I think you can do anything you want.
Speaker 3:And also not only the brides but the grooms. Really it's very snazzy what they're picking. I mean they're getting into wild colors and not just ties but bow ties. And, matter of fact, I did a wedding the other day and the guy had a wooden bow tie and I kept looking at it and when it was over I said, is that a wooden tie? And he said a bow tie and he said yes, it is. So it just kind of fluctuates on whatever they want Short, long, colored, I mean white, black, I mean all colors.
Speaker 1:I think you hit the nose on the head is that people are personalizing their weddings more and more and it's those little fine minutiae details like I'm wearing a wooden bow tie, or I'm having a dress with this type of sleeve, or I'm having gloves or whatever it is. It really strikes their personality and that feel and that vibe they want on the wedding day. And because I like when I'm planning weddings and I as a planner because I also do content creation but when I have my planning brides, you know, I tell them that wedding dress is a person on the wedding day because it's you have to use the lavatory a little bit different because you've got to accommodate it. You have to account for another seat inside of the limousine because you have to accommodate the dress and sometimes you need somebody to pick it up and walk behind you with it. I mean it really is a person. But it also brings out the best in that bride. It's who she is and just it makes her shine and sparkle so much.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I totally agree with you. Well, being an officiant, of course I see all sorts of colors and styles and when I get done with the wedding I can usually say, oh my gosh, I mean that really fit that couple. I mean how they're dressed.
Speaker 1:Absolutely well, and I'm so glad that you're an officiant because I have some questions for you about how to get married in different states that maybe you can answer, because a lot of weddings I have are in Ohio. So if I'm an ordained minister in Ohio, how does it work in Kentucky?
Speaker 3:Well, in Kentucky, the first thing that you need to do is get your marriage license. The couple would need to go together, get your ID and the fee is $50. The license are good for up to 30 days. And then in Indiana it's a little bit different. They're good for up to 60 days and it's $45. Same thing, but now in Kentucky you'll need your marriage license, two witnesses, in Indiana, no witnesses. You just need the marriage license. So an officiant like me, people ask why I'm available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, whether I do a large venue, small venue, whether they come to my office or whether I would go to them. Some people pick a small restaurant park their home. So it's very simple. On getting the license, always people say wow, this was so simple to get the license. How about a divorce? I say park their home. So it's very simple. On getting the license, always people say wow, this was so simple to get the license, how about a divorce?
Speaker 1:I said well, we don't, we don't go there. No divorces. I mean, in theory, you could marry people at this wedding show if you really wanted to, and they came with a marriage license. Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Yep, we sure could.
Speaker 1:And we would do it. Absolutely we sure would, so maybe we'll add a ticket.
Speaker 2:Yes, For your license.
Speaker 1:For your marriage license.
Speaker 4:Yes, Wonderful so tell us a little bit about the rooms at Belterra that this show will be taking place in. Oh, so we will have the trade show part in our ballroom. So our ballroom is a little over 10,000 square feet, so we have plenty of space for all the vendors to set up their beautiful displays. And then, after, at around 315, the DJ will have everyone transition to center stage, which is where our concerts take place, and we will have a catwalk. I guess you'd call it, yes, a runway, A runway built out of the stage for the brides and the bridesmaids. We will have some flower girls, so we have a variety. So it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Now question Sometimes couples bring their entourage, but sometimes they bring their family entourage with them and maybe they're under the age of 18. Will they be allowed to go to this show? Yeah, Sorry.
Speaker 4:Yes, they will. I'm sorry, I got choked up for sitting outside.
Speaker 1:She got choked up because they were having so much fun.
Speaker 4:Yes, under 21 will be permitted.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's actually a big deal because there is another casino in Ohio that does weddings and because the ballroom is in the pathway. I'm sorry, the casino is in the pathway to the ballroom. Kids aren't allowed, so you have to have. It's only 21 and older. So that was the reason why I asked that question. That's actually a big selling point for your property. Yeah, what is your favorite thing on the menu?
Speaker 4:Favorite menu item? Oh gosh. Well, I love making charcuterie boards, and our charcuterie board is like literally the size of a wooden table, wow. So I'm excited and we're actually going to have that at our show for everyone to enjoy. So that'll be fun, you know it's funny.
Speaker 1:I had a cake tasting a couple of weeks ago and the bakery had a chartreuterie cake dessert board, which I had never heard that term before. Because whenever, whenever you think charcuterie, you think cheese and grapes and crackers and things like that, they had every type of dessert you could think of. It had like macarons and it had sugar cookies and it had brownies and it had it had cake and this was the best part Everything was like strategically placed in a pool of buttercream. Dorothy Lane Market, you're getting a shout out because I loved that chartreuterie dessert board. So who knows, maybe we'll start seeing that down here. Well, wonderful, how can people get tickets to the event?
Speaker 2:So they can head over to the website. Um, and you can simply Google search Kentucky wedding show at Belterra and all of that information will pop up for you. Um, but you can go to Louisville wedding networkcom for information on the shows. Okay, great.
Speaker 1:And what are some tips that you would give to couples who plan to come to the show? What are some ways that they can conquer the wedding show and not leave overwhelmed?
Speaker 2:So one of my biggest tips is don't go to lunch before you come Right, or wear stretchy pants. Yes, wear stretchy pants. It is really nice when couples are going to boost, because when you're meeting all of these people at one time, it is very overwhelming, and a lot of times we ask for you to write down your name and email address so that we can personally reach out to you. And one of the things that I really like is when brides come in and they've already made like little mailing labels that have their name, address, email address and phone number on them. All they have to do is stick that sticker on there. If not, make sure you bring someone to hold your bag and your drink and your food that you're snacking on, so that you have free hands to fill out that information as you're walking through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And you know like your dream day will be handing out these little pink canvas bags at the door during the event, you know. But I tell people wear pockets because if there's a, if there's a wedding pro that you're talking to and you're like, I really like this person, I don't want to lose their information but that one in your pocket, put everything else in the bag and then that way, when you get home and you dump out the bag, you can remember who is who. Um, or you could even jot down some little reference on the back of the card, like bubbly blonde with glasses who wouldn't stop talking.
Speaker 1:You know, they'll obviously remember it was me hey are you talking about me? Hey, are you talking about me? But then that way at least people have a point of reference and they can say oh yes, that's who it was. I remember that person. Are there going to be any like giveaways at the booths that you're aware of? Absolutely.
Speaker 2:We do lots of door prizes, so of course Belterra is offering maybe the best by giving away a trip to Vegas. I mean, that would be a really good thing to walk away with. But we have lots of door prizes at all of our events and we do our door prizes a little bit differently. We don't draw all of them at one time, so we will be drawing throughout the day.
Speaker 3:And also a lot of the vendors have something that they want to give away at their table and of course the caterers are delicious also. But also I was going to say something for couples to do when they come Take their time, you know, and don't just take the brochure or the information from the vendor. If you've got a moment, just you know, kind of get to know them. I know it's a lot of vendors that's going to be here, but just kind of get to know them, because once you get home you'll say, oh, I wanted that cater, but wonder if she does this, wonder if she does that, and take a time just to talk with us.
Speaker 1:Can couples go on the website in advance to see which wedding professionals are going to be there?
Speaker 2:So we don't have the list of the wedding professionals that are signed up for this show. We do have the list on our website of all of our members. Louisville Wedding Network has been around for a really long time and we do a lot of investigating before you can become a member of Louisville Wedding Network. So they are all vendors that have been verified and we know that they're going to take care of you day of. The best way to see what vendors are going to be at this show is to register and attend.
Speaker 1:Makes perfect sense and you bring up a good point because you have a fabulous Facebook group.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, we do, we do.
Speaker 1:And with you vetting the couples or not vetting the couples, vetting the vendors, is actually a really, really good thing, because it's been happening more and more where you get people from out of state who are posting things for neon, the neon light, yep, the signs, or something small, and then they'll ask the bride for something like 40 bucks and then the next thing you know that bride has no idea what happened to her, her order, but her money's certainly gone. And you know, I think the fact that you take that extra step to vet the vendors that are in there is such amazing. It's such a service to these engaged couples because this is their first rodeo, whereas we've done do we want to say how many rodeos? We've done A lot of rodeos, a lot of rodeos.
Speaker 3:And with our network. We meet monthly and we have a lunch well, a dinner like and we get to know these vendors and we. You know, we don't just go in, we stick around, talk to people, we know who to recommend, and that makes it nice.
Speaker 1:It makes a big difference. And when you're dealing with something that is your first rodeo, you know you look to the professionals and be like who do you recommend who? Who would you put as a florist if you had to choose? Because you've worked with these people and you know these people and that's the other thing. At a wedding show, like you said, get to know the vendor.
Speaker 1:You may go on their website and you may see their work and you may really like their pictures, but when you meet them in person their personality might just give you like goosebumps or shivers or make you smile. You just don't know. But it's a great opportunity because under normal circumstances you would go on their website, book an appointment, drive to the appointment, spend an hour in the appointment, drive home from the appointment and then when you get home realize I did not like that person and there's three hours of your day gone, whereas if they come to a wedding show like this, they in theory could book every vendor they need in under an hour, and we will have vendors here as well that are not in the Louisville Wedding Network.
Speaker 2:So as you're walking through the room, we have signs on our booths that say proud member of Louisville Wedding Network. We have an open vendor policy for this show so that we can allow vendors that aren't in our network to still have the experience of attending a great wedding show and having a booth at a great wedding show.
Speaker 3:And most of them that usually end up joining our group after they've done a show with us.
Speaker 1:I can see why. I can see why. So how do people get to Belterra for this wedding show?
Speaker 4:The easiest way for most people from Louisville or Cincinnati is going to be to come on 71. So 71 north from Louisville it's a very easy drive Once you get off the exit. I mean, all of us use our phones to navigate, but it's maybe 10 minutes once you get off the exit. So it's a pretty easy drive.
Speaker 1:It was very easy for me to get here. I came in from Cincinnati today and it was just an hour and you know it took 71 and got off the the Indiana exit off of Kentucky 71. So wait, ohio, kentucky, indiana.
Speaker 3:I've got three states in one day.
Speaker 1:There you go, there you go. Well, wonderful, any last minute things you ladies would like to add about the show.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, just come out and enjoy the day a lot. Enough time to walk through and see everybody so that you're not rushed and just have a good time. Don't stress about it. Dress up, yes, dress fun.
Speaker 1:Yes, I've seen brides wearing sashes and maids of honors wearing sashes, brides wearing tiaras. Sometimes there's a groom sitting room because they're like, all I want to do is eat cake and food and watch the game, but I don't know what game would be on this time of year.
Speaker 2:Well, they could. Also, you could send your guys out to golf while you're at the wedding show, right?
Speaker 4:Yes, we are offering a golf discount that day, so, um, check it out. It's on the our the little wedding network website. So, um, if you do want to golf, uh, it'll tell you, give you instructions on how to do that I might want to be one of the golf cart drivers and I would say just make it a fun weekend a getaway.
Speaker 3:You know, rent a room, spend the day. I would say just make it a fun weekend a getaway. You know, rent a room, spend the day and just in the night and just enjoy it. There's so much to take in.
Speaker 1:That's a great idea. Wonderful Ladies, thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for tuning in. Be sure to check out this wedding show and we will be back next week with another episode. This is Kathy Peach Lucas with your dream day. Happy planning.
