Women listened as Jackie Mischker of Durango Mountain Resort told them to get two pairs of shoes for an outdoor wedding: one for the ceremony, one for the reception.

"Feet are not attractive after wearing open-toed shoes at an outdoor site," Mischker said.

She made the comments at one of several seminars held at the Durango Wedding Expo, which attracted local brides and grooms looking for wedding ideas. The event featured 45 vendors who worked to persuade young lovers to enter matrimony with the help of their products or services. The vendors ranged from the traditional to the unexpected.

For outdoor weddings, Bob's Johns offered a heated trailer where up to three people can do their business in comfort. The deluxe trailer has a compact-disc stereo system, embossed toilet tissue and locking door stalls.

Mischker recommended portable toilets for large home weddings as well.

"If you've got 150 or 200 people at your house, your toilet is going to take a beating," she said.

In the exhibit hall's northwest corner, pianist Lawrence Nass played, hoping to attract appreciative brides. He said the annual expo helps bring in business.

"I did it last year, and I got several jobs from it," he said.

Another vendor offered an unusual service for before the big day. Kristin Hoff, owner of a local franchise called A Pole Lot Fun, teaches women pole dancing.

She said the service, which costs $300, is popular for bachelorette parties, divorcée parties, birthday parties and "just because" parties.

Her goal, Hoff said, is "to empower women, one woman at a time."

Brides and grooms roamed the exhibits wearing nametags with the labels "bride" and "groom." Lindsay Adcock of Durango looked for a photographer for her October wedding in Denver. She brought along her bridesmaids, but not the groom.

"The groom wouldn't like something like this," said Adcock, 21.

But other grooms, such as Jeremy Smallcanyon, did come.

"When I heard about this, I was like, 'Oh man, I need to go there,'" Smallcanyon said. "I had no idea about any of this stuff, so I had to go see what's out there. So far it's been pretty exciting."

A fashion show displayed bridal dresses, that most important of wedding items. Connie Sutton, owner of C.S. Bridal Studio in Durango, directed the show after recruiting local models.

"Some girls walked into the store, and I said, 'Would you like to model?'" Sutton explained.

Organizers offered several desirable prizes in a drawing, including a two-night getaway to Lightner Creek Inn, a free wedding cake from Cake Plus and a free pole party - for women only - from A Pole Lot of Fun.

An estimated 400-500 people wandered through the exhibits, according to Debbie Devereaux, organizer of the expo and editor and publisher of Western Colorado Wedding Guide. The expo previously had been held at swankier locations, including Tamarron Resort and the DoubleTree Hotel. But the expo outgrew the hotel, and Devereaux wanted a Durango location.

"We definitely try to provide a wide variety," Devereaux said. "Nobody wants to have the same wedding as somebody else."

cslothower@durangoherald.com