Brides & Weddings Magazine
By Amy Falkofske
Sponsored by Monroe Bay Winery
Monroe Bay Winery is hosting the very first bridal show to take place in Colonial Beach, a favorite spot for destination weddings. The Colonial Beach Bridal Show at Monroe Bay Winery will take place on Sunday, Nov. 7 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
“We’re excited to showcase Colonial Beach as both a destination spot and an opportunity to showcase some of the vendors in the area, and our swap sale will allow past weddings to resell items they no longer need like dresses, signs and centerpieces,” said Kiki Apple, Owner of Monroe Bay Winery.
An Impressive List of Vendors
Monroe Bay is still adding to its list of vendors, but it has an impressive lineup already. Riverview Inn, a Colonial Beach hotel with 1950s flair, will be in attendance. If you’re looking for a photographer, Mary Wenz Photography will have a booth. Still need an officiant? McFamily Weddings, Gifts and Mobile Notary Services will be happy to talk to you. No reception is complete without a DJ. DJ Vamp will be in attendance.
Are you a wedding vendor? You can still sign up for a booth. The cost is $25.
Something Unique: Swap Sale Resale Booths
Here’s something you don’t normally find at a bridal show – Swap Sale Resale Booths. It’s like Facebook Marketplace all in on location and in person to get basement bargain prices for barely used unique wedding items. Past brides will be on hand selling items from their wedding such as dresses, centerpieces, vases, table-seating charts and other wedding items that you can use for your wedding. It will also be an opportunity to talk to brides who’ve already gotten married and get some inexpensive DIY ideas for your own wedding, according to Kiki.
If you are interested in hosting your own Swap Sale Resale Booth, the cost is $10. Do you have items you no longer need but are not able to attend the bridal show? You can drop your items off and Monroe Bay Winery will sell them for you and send you the money.
“While there are some bridal shows in Frederick, there’s none in Colonial Beach and no one does the Swap Sale Resale Booths part of it, and that’s something we’re hoping will be interesting to people,” said Kiki.
Free Admission
If you are interested in attending the Colonial Beach Bridal Show, tickets are available online. Admission is free.
Monroe Bay: The Perfect Wedding Venue
Still looking for a venue? Monroe Bay Winery sits on 10 beautiful acres of land right on the water, making it the perfect location for an outdoor wedding. The winery has a professionally landscaped lawn with a sprinkler system to keep it lush.
If you prefer an indoor wedding, the winery has a newly constructed, environmentally friendly building that is truly unique in its design. It’s constructed of straw bales and recycled wine bottles. The wine bottles give the walls a stained-glass look. On one wall, the wine bottles spell out the word “LOVE” and catch the sun perfectly when it sets in the evening.
Monroe Bay’s location is like no other. You are less than a mile from town, yet you have lots of rural farmland space. Its only two neighbors are James Monroe’s birthplace and a Moose lodge, so you really feel like you’re in the country, even though hotels and restaurants are just a couple of minutes away. Kiki calls the location a trifecta, which includes the town of Colonial Beach, the waterfront the Monroe Bay sits on, and the beautiful countryside.
A Convenient Location with a Destination Feel
Colonial Beach is located only 30 minutes from Fredericksburg and around an hour from D.C. or Richmond. According to Kiki, it’s a “cute, quaint, Mayberry” type of town and a golf cart community. It’s the second longest beach in Virginia after Virginia Beach and sits on the Potomac River.
Kiki hopes to make the Colonial Beach Bridal Show with Swap Sale a biannual event. Monroe Bay Winery is located at 4786 James Monroe Highway in Colonial Beach.
