Images in Light photgraphy by Glenn Bashaw (http://imagesinlight.com/) features the Virginia Beach Convention Center as one of his favorite places to shoot.

 

"One of my favorite parts of every wedding is the bridal session. I love the time I get to

spend with each bride. She is wearing her gown for the first time and the anticipation

of her special day is right around the corner. She is just radiant and beautiful.

 

Another love of mine is architectural photography.

Seeing a design within the buildings elements, capturing the right light and mood.

 

When Tamika told me she wanted her bridals taken at the Virginia Beach Convention Center,

I could not have been more thrilled. This building is inspiring with its glassand strong lines.

The light was just perfect- it was like photographing in a modern cathedral.

Here are some of my favorite images from her session."

 

 



Bridal Spotlight: Chris and Marijana Buckner

Wedding Date: July 20, 2013

Ceremony Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center
Reception Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center

Photographer: Chris Jackson

DJ: Asanti Wilson
What first drew you to the VBCC?

I loved how it looked.  The architecture was amazing, the set up was beautiful, and the colors and decorations were outstanding.  When I first walked in, the atmosphere was perfect, and immediately I knew that is where I wanted to get married.  On the plus side, it’s right next to the beach.  You can walk to anything and everything, and not worry about driving. James was very friendly and worked with me knowing that I was out of town.  Once I got to know Cassandra and Darcy, they were just amazing with everything.  So the all over experience was easy and I barely had to stress about anything. The staff is just outstanding.

What made you decide to book?

The beauty, atmosphere and the employees who I worked with.  It was also close to the beach, which is what I loved the most.

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?  

It was everything,  but mostly the decorations and the set up.  I had this picture in my head that I wanted, and the day of it was more than I imagined.  I felt like a Cinderella at a ball.

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding?

The only thing was the distance for me.  I live in Northern Virginia, so planning a wedding from far away was a little hard because I wanted to be there all the time, instead

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)?  

Seeing her walk down the aisle.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

Well I had two.  First one was when I received a letter from him right before the ceremony.  I just touched my heart so deep, and that made me realize how lucky I am to marry my best friend in 15 minutes.  Second one was seeing him stand at the alter waiting for me in tears.  It was so hard not to cry...

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception? OMG, It was the chicken... and the cake.

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day?

We only have silly ones, but this was taken right after the ceremony.  I love it.

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)?

To me it feels the same just like before, just now she is stuck with me forever. LOL!

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

 I have waited for this forever.  It feels the same, less stress now that the planning is over with.  The security and knowing he is the one I get to spend the rest of my life with.  But like he said, he is stuck with me forever as well. LOL!


Anything else you want to share?  

This day was more than I ever imagined.  Growing up I always said that I wanted a Cinderella wedding, well I for sure got one, and it was better.  I loved everything about it. It was stress free- everyone had a fantastic time- we danced our butts off, drank, and enjoyed every minute of the night. I will treasure it forever.  If it wasn't for my Friend and Wedding Planner Shannon Jennings, and the Staff at the VBCC, this dream would have never come true.




Thank You Chris and Marijana! We wish you the very best of forevers and hope we get to work together again for another event!!

Bridal Spotlight: Josh and Adrienne Rolon

Wedding Date: March 16, 2013

Ceremony Site: Shiloh Baptist Church  Norfolk, VA

 

Reception Site:  Virginia Beach Convention Center, Ballroom 3

Photographer: Lindsay Fauver Photography

DJ: DJ Seko of Positive Vibes
 

What first drew you to the VBCC?.

Josh and I went together to the 2012 VOW Bridal show and were completely amazed!!! We were so impressed by how everything was set up, and especially the VBCC booth. It was clear that the VBCC would be the place that we would be celebrating our union.

What made you decide to book?

Cassie, James, and Darcy were absolutely amazing! They answered all our questions and assured us that the reception would go perfectly. And it did!!

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding? 

I think probably exchanging emails back and forth with Cassie! She made the whole experience really fun and exciting and she had a lot of great ideas that really made our reception 10 times better. And most of all, she would always say something in the emails that really made me laugh. That definitely means a lot throughout all the stress of planning.

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding?

Probably deciding on cake flavors. Our cake baker, Emily from E & E Special Events was PHENOMENAL!! She had so many delicious flavor options that we just couldn't decide. We eventually came to a decision and boy was that cake delicious and beautiful!!

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)?

Seeing Adrienne for the first time. She was absolutely gorgeous. I completely lost it.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

Walking down the aisle and seeing Josh crying tears of joy when he saw me. That made me immediately break down in tears, especially when he grabbed my hand and said, "You look so beautiful." Best moment ever.

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception?

Bride: I had a little bit of everything and EVERYTHING was incredibly delicious. That Jambalaya was sooooo delicious!! We didn't get to eat much but the flavor of that stuck out to me the most.

Groom: The Pernil was perfect! Half of my family is Puerto Rican so we all really appreciated how delicious it was. All of my family said that it was the best Pernil we've EVER had!!

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day? 

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)?

Getting to spend more time with my wife. She's my best friend and we have so much fun together.

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

Knowing that I get to spend the life with my best friend in the entire world! Every day is a brand new adventure. And what better ways to share that adventure than with my best friend and now husband, Josh.

 

Anything else you want to share?

The whole crew at the Virginia Beach Convention Center was absolutely phenomenal! We were completely amazed from start to finish how their service, food, staff, building, and everything else in between, was incredible! If any bride is on the fence about where their wedding reception should be held, this is the end of your search, because Virginia Beach Convention Center will take the best care of you and make sure your wedding is not only fabulous, but that it reflects your love and the love of your friends and family. Thank you so much Virginia Beach Convention Center!! Our wedding was so fantastic, and we truly credit that to you guys and all you have done for us!

Thank you Josh and Adrienne for choosing us to host your wedding reception! We appreciate your kind words and can't wait to get started on the anniversary parties!!

Bridal Spotlight: Anthony and Nicole Zukowski

Name: Anthony Zukowski II & Nicole Zukowski

Wedding Date:  November 10, 2012

Ceremony Site: Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Reception Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center Suite 5

Photographer: Macon Photography

DJ: Johnny Sparxx

What first drew you to the VBCC?

The look and location- we had our prom and high school graduation there. I've also had cheerleading competitions there, too. Previously, I'd seen pictures of other weddings there and I loved them!

 

What made you decide to book?

Lots of reasons: friendliness of the staff, ease of picking out a menu, location, etc.

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding? 

Trying on wedding dresses! Anthony would probably say cake tasting.

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding?

Picking a rehearsal dinner location.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

Our first kiss.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Groom)?

Seeing Nicole come around the corner with her dress on; my knees started shaking a little bit.

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception:

Bride- the nachos!!!!! duh!

Groom- the fried ravioli

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day? 

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

saying 'husband' at the end of every sentence. :)

What is your favorite part of being married (Groom)?

Being able to sleep next to my wife every night.

Anything else you want to share?

You guys did such a fabulous job on decorating the room! It was way more than I expected and I LOVED every bit of it. Thank you and your staff for all of your hard work. :)

Anthony and Nicole- we had the best time getting to know the two of you and we so apprecaite you sharing your day with us! Thank You!

VOW- What a FABULOUS event!!

We'd like to thank all of the brides for coming to visit our booth at the VOW Bridal Event on Sunday!  We had an amazing time meeting all of you!

In case you missed it, here are some photos:

The Distinctive Gourmet Staff did a remarkable job decorating our booth!

Come sit and chat about your wedding!

Sabrina, DG Catering Sales Manager; James, Virginia Beach Convention Center Sales Manager; and Cassie, DG Catering Sales Manager: Ready and Excited to Meet the Brides!

VOW Bridal Event

Our exclusive caterer, Distinctive Gourmet is providing breaksfast for all of the fabulous brides attending the "Pros in the Know" Event prior to the VOW Bridal Event. Register Now!

The Virginia Beach Convention Center proudly sponors the VOW Bridal Event!

Come see us at booth #54!!

Bridal Spotlight: David and Mackenzie Towell

David and Mackenzie Towell

Wedding Date: 9/22/2012

Ceremony Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center

Reception Site: Virginia Beach Convention Center

Photographer: Keith Bernstien

What first drew you to the VBCC? 

The building is so versitile and open. The location is great for out-of-town guests  because it is right by the beach and it is one of the main buildings in the Hampton Roads area so it is easy to find. The ballroom was my dream room becuase with out any decoration it is gorgeous. This creates a great blank canvas to build what ever wedding you can think of.

What made you decide to book?

Cassie and Darcy made me so confident and excited to have my wedding there. I was completely confident that they would do whatever they could to make me happy and make my day happen. I trusted them so much and I didn't want to go any where else after our first meeting.

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?

THE FOOD TASTING!! Cassie was awesome about explaing all of the food options and helping me make decisions about my package. When it came to the day of the tasting, I felt like a celebrity. It was sooo fun and stress free. I felt like it was one of the most painless parts of the process with the help of Cassie and Distinctive Gourment.

What was the most challenging part of planning your wedding ?

Keeping my sanity. There is no one thing I remember agonizing over, but everything together was tough. I had lists and notes every where in my house, trying to keep everything straight. Communicating with every one was a challenge as well, all I can say is thank goodness for e-mail and Facebook.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day (Bride)?

When I walked down the aisle to my groom. The look on his face when he saw me for the first time in my dress was so sweet. The thing I will always remember is when I walked to him and grabbed his hand, he looked me right in the eyes, his eyes a little watery, and said "You look beautiful"

What was your favorite thing you ate at your wedding reception?

EVERYTHING!! I love food and I had been waiting to pig out for months. The chicken dinner we picked was amazing and I love love loved the hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour.

What is your favorite photo from your wedding day?

What is your favorite part of being married (Bride)?

Having my best friend with me all the time :) and knowing that he always wants to be with me.

Thank you so much for picking us David and Mackenzie! The VBCC was proud to host your special day! What a beautiful night!

Neighbor Spotlight: The Best Body Co. Salon & Spa

Located just a block from the VBCC, The Best Body Co. Salon & Spa offers brides any services needed to look and feel their best on the big day!

We recently had a chat with Best Body Co. Salon & Spa's Jenny and here is what she had to share:

What makes your salon unique?  The Best Body Co. is an AVEDA Concept Salon and Spa.  We believe in and support the philosophy of Aveda, and carry the full line of Aveda products.

What services do you provide?  We provide hair, nails, and make-up services at our salon. We also do massages, facials, waxing, and other body treatments in our spa using all of the Aveda products. 

Bridal?  For brides and their bridal parties, we have 4 salon chairs and all of our stylists have the talent to create exquisite hair styles.  We also have an on site make-up artist with experience in bridal make-up. 

How many people can we accommodate at one time?  We can accommodate up to 6-10 people.  However, we have had bridal parties who booked the entire salon to have nails, make-up, hair, and other spa services done.  They are allowed to bring their own refreshments and set up in our salon.

Favorite bride or salon memory?  We have many good memories with our bridal and regular guests who come to our salon and spa.  A lot of our guests refers to us as their “happy place” and that is what we strive for.  Back in May of 2012 we did have a bridal party of 26 guests who came in all at one time.  We transformed the salon to their beauty central and provided chair massages, hair up-do’s, make-up and nails to all the girls.  It was a beautiful experience and our bride really enjoyed everything.

Any other information you’d like to include?  As said before, we provide an exquisite amount of services to all of our guest.  We take pride in making sure that everyone feels comfortable while receiving a service from.  There are some reviews that are posted on our Facebook, Yelp, and Website if you would like to read some of them.

For More Information: Visit their Website!

 

Before you say “I Do”, do something special for yourself and those you love with an aromatic AVEDA experience at The Best Body Spa & Salon. For your wedding day, we offer a variety of services from hair to make-up, skin and body.  Each service is a ceremony within itself.  Our focus is to create a nurturing environment where you can relax and enjoy your special day. Choose one of our Bridal services for yourself, your husband to be or invite your entire wedding party to celebrate  and prepare for your big event.    Upon scheduling, consider a practice Formal Style and Make-up application. Our couples' room may also be available, upon request.  You may even bring your own refreshments.  We are one block away from the VA Beach Convention Center on 19Th ST.

Special Announcement: We're a Preferred Vendor of The Bridal Dish!

The VBCC is thrilled to announce that we are now a
Preferred Vendor (Venue) of The Bridal Dish!

This is very exciting news!

The Bridal Dish is a one-stop-shop for all things wedding where you can get free information and assistance in planning your big day!

Check out the site here:

Happy Planning!