Planning a wedding and trying to avoid becoming “Bridezilla?” Genesee County brides have it a bit easier these days, thanks to an alliance of businesses known as the Genesee County Bridal Alliance. Formed in 2011, GCBA helps connect couples planning weddings with local service professionals who can make their special day both beautiful and stress-free. Founded on the premise that its members will support and educate each other in a friendly and open atmosphere, the locally based non-profit organization of professionals cooperates to benefit brides and grooms, as well as businesses, in Genesee County. “There are so many talented people in our area,” says Jessica Brown, Vice President of the GCBA and owner of Centennial Image Photography. “Local couples can arrange everything they need for an exceptional wedding right here!” she exclaimed.
It all began when a small group of business owners got together in 2011 to discuss the lack of resources for wedding service vendors in Genesee County. There are multiple online resources for businesses in other regions but not in Genesee County, explained Jessica. So the group’s main goal was to create an online resource, and they did: gcbaweddings.com. “This website makes our workday a whole lot easier,” laughs Jessica. The GCBA Board of Directors began recruiting businesses in March of 2011 and today their membership is nearing 40 vendors. Now heading into its third year, the Alliance has been well received, Jessica reports. “We promote shopping locally and our events are very well attended.”
The stated objective of the organization includes providing brides with convenient access to a network of reliable wedding vendors. Every GCBA member abides by a code of ethics to ensure they provide a high standard of customer service with professionalism. They also rely on each other: over the past two years, the GCBA has hosted networking meetings every other month to discuss topics ranging from marketing, advertising, social media and health care for small companies.
The GCBA will host its third Annual Wedding Marketplace at the Captain’s Club at Woodfield on January 26, 2014. “The quality of the local wedding vendors and their dedication to cooperation make the Wedding Marketplace the premier show for couples and vendors alike,” said Jessica, “and you don’t want to miss the fashion show!”
The GCBA is proud of its list of top notch local businesses, including: Atlas Valley Country Club, Special Occasions Linens, Tasty Layers Custom Cakes, Captain’s Club at Woodfield, Sloan*Longway, Black Tie Productions, Davison Bridal, Flint Institute of Arts, American Laser Skin Care, and many more.
Diane Wojciechowski, Marketing Director at IMA Brookwood, says that she also appreciates the GCBA educational seminars. “The networking between the businesses has been extremely helpful,” she says, adding that the members refer clients to each other. “We are providing Genesee County with a very valuable and needed service.”
