Durham

 

A celebrity bridal consultant will be the featured speaker at an upcoming bridal show sponsored by the East Mississippi Business and Development Corporation.

TV celebrity Monte Durham, co-host and fashion director of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” will appear at the premiere event set for Feb. 10, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the MSU Riley Center.

“We just felt the need to have a premiere bridal show for our area’s brides-to-be, and we reached out to Monte Durham of ‘Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta’ to helps us out. Who knows more about bridal than Monte?” EMBDC Events Coordinator Casey Holladay said.

The bridal show will feature numerous vendor booths, including photographers, florists, bakers, hair stylists, lighting, music, invitations, caterers and more. The event also will feature a bridal fashion show.

“It will be one-stop shopping whether you’re a bride-to-be, a member of the wedding party, the mother of the bride or just someone who enjoys all the excitement that goes along with weddings,” Holladay said.

Bridal show attendees will have the opportunity to hear Durham talk about his career as a bridal image consultant during two presentations, at 11 a.m. at 1 p.m. Durham is fashion director at Bridals by Lori, the South’s premier bridal salon featured on “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.”

The small-town West Virginia native describes his ascension from a one-room schoolhouse to the fashion industry as “an unlikely story,” in a press release. Before finding his way to bridal, Durham worked in fashion merchandising and hair styling, and then made a name for himself as a Washington, D.C.-based bridal image consultant. His work has appeared in the pages of The Washingtonian, Martha Stewart Living, Brides Magazine, and several other publications. His no-nonsense fashion commentary and naughty sense of humor have made him a favorite and regular guest on CNN and Fox, according to the release.

Durham’s current project is building the M.O.N.T.E. brand, a line of hair care he launched in fall 2012. This collection of five essential hair products simplifies styling so women can achieve salon-quality results at home.

In addition to TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta,” Durham also hosts the network’s Say Yes To The Prom Initiative, which, according to the press release, makes prom more accessible for girls across the country with mentorship, dresses, makeup and accessories; dedicated to providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Durham resides in Alexandria, Va., where he devotes his free time to Capital Caring, a hospice organization, and The Welsh Terrier Cares Rescue Organization.

Booth space is still available to the EMBDC bridal show. For applications or more information, call the EMBDC office at 601-693-1306 or visit the website embdc.org