Three days after Christmas, and you may be sitting back and congratulating yourself on getting through another hectic holiday - however much fun and frolic you enjoyed with family and friends.

But a leisurely look back at Christmas 2008 is not on Sally Samuelsen-Wharton's list, nor has it been for most of the past 30 holiday seasons. That's because she is the organizer for the Bridal and Prom Showcase, set this year for Jan. 3. That gives her exactly one week to finish getting 74 businesses ready to greet more than 1,000 excited participants at the state's biggest specialty retail event.

In 1978, Samuelsen-Wharton was a young buyer for Blumenthal's, a women's specialty store in downtown Rapid City, when her boss, Ben Blumenthal, had the idea to put together a group of local retailers and create an event where brides could come and plan their weddings.

"At that time, we had about eight sponsors - one bridal shop, a travel agency, one hotel," Samuelsen-Wharton recalls. "About 200 people came to the first show."

Not too many years later, Blumenthal retired, but the show was successful enough that local retailers wanted it to continue - and they wanted Samuelsen-Wharton to lead the effort. She took them up on their offer, and over the years, that opportunity has led to a career as a fashion consultant and marketer.

"I think I am the only person in the state that does this," she said. "Through the years, I've worked with pageants, organized special shows, made commercials, put together marketing plans and produced fashion shows. Really, there isn't any part of retail that I haven't been involved in."

These days, Samuelsen-Wharton has trimmed her work commitments back from years past.

"I have really just retained a few select jobs, and this bridal show is one of them," she said.

That's could be because the bridal show holds a special place in Samuelsen-Wharton's heart.

"I've enjoyed this event, because every year it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with business people who have become my friends over the years," she said. "And it's a fun event, because people are coming to get married."

Samuelsen-Wharton also enjoys learning about other people's businesses and helping them become successful. And the bridal show has proved to be a big part of the success of many of the participating businesses, she said.

I've had businesses who tell me this is their main business avenue all year. It has been very rewarding to see the growth in their business and to visit with the public who attends the event," she said.

Even so, isn't it a little burdensome to hold the showcase so close to the holidays?

"The word would be busy beyond belief," Samuelsen-Wharton said, but there's a good reason for it. Although the first few shows weren't scheduled until about the third week of January, she soon discovered that the earlier date was much more consumer-friendly.

"What happened every year is the public would come up to me after the fashion show and say, 'I just feel so bad my daughter wasn't able to be here. She lives in Rapid City but she goes to college in Vermillion.' It suddenly occurred to me that I needed to make myself available to what works for them," she said.

Scheduling the event for the first Saturday after New Year's means that young people planning to get married are home for the holidays and can attend the show.

Samuelsen-Wharton has nothing but praise for the retailers who keep up a heavy schedule right on through to the bridal showcase.

"I always hope that people really appreciate the hard work the retailers put into this event, because holidays are their busiest time, also. They are putting in tremendous hours during the holiday season, and they don't have a letdown until after the show," she said.

Of course, Samuelsen-Wharton herself is in the running for hardest worker of the holidays.

"I have four boys. And very honestly, I don't think I have ever finished wrapping presents for my family until 2 a.m. Christmas Eve," she said. "In the month of December, I will work until midnight every night very regularly. A person in their right mind would give up baking. But I always told my kids that on my tombstone, it's going to say, 'She never missed anything.'"

On the other hand, her four boys can point to their own contributions to the show's success.

"All my boys have modeled in the show," Samuelsen-Wharton said. "They started as ring bearers, then they were junior groomsmen, then the groom and the prom show. Every one of those boys has modeled."

In fact, each year, up to 100 local people model in the two fashion shows that are important elements of the event - a noon bridal show and a bridal and prom show at 3 p.m. As many as 120 outfits are presented at each show, taking the art of perfect timing to a whole new level.

"When you show that much clothing in 60 minutes, you are really moving," she said. "We have everything from flower bearers and ring bearers to the mother of the bride. So it's real logistics. It's probably comparable to people who work in the airport booths. Gowns aren't something you just throw off in a couple of minutes."

The fashion shows are just part of what makes the showcase such a vital part of special-occasion planning for attendees.

"When people attend, they see an awful lot of merchandise," Samuelsen-Wharton said, adding that people underestimate the amount of merchandise available in Rapid City. Businesses that regularly exhibit at the show include bridal stores, photographers, travel agencies, fitness trainers and exercise centers, flower shops, printing firms, entertainers and disc jockeys, caterers and more - in fact, every type of business needed to plan a wedding or other special occasion.

But you needn't be planning anything particular to come and enjoy the show, Samuelsen-Wharton said.

"Some people like to come because everything is so beautiful. They can come into a beautifully decorated room, sample food, visit with people and look and learn about new businesses," she said.

Special prizes and giveaways at this year's event include four $1,000 bridal packages, a KitchenAid mixer from Someone's in the Kitchen, a diamond pendant from Riddle's Jewelry and a number of prom prizes for girls and guys.

And all the businesses will be at the show, eager to provide information, answer questions and make sure people have a good time.

"They have such an opportunity with such an affordable cost to reach their targeted audience," Samuelsen-Wharton said." You are going to meet them, shake their hand, let them sample your food, see your work and create a positive impression. To have that personal contact is absolutely invaluable to the retailer."

Trend: More grooms

attending show

With such a long history with the Bridal and Prom Showcase, Sally Samuelsen-Wharton has seen many trends come and go over the years. Here are some of her observations:

y Here comes the groom: It is becoming much more common for men to attend the show along with their intended. In fact, at this year's show, Sound Pro is giving away at 23-inch Sony flat-screen, high-definition TV, and you have to be a groom to register for the prize. "I would not have had a sponsor do that 10 years ago," Samuelsen-Wharton said. "Every year, I've seen more men attending this show - which is wonderful because it is two people's wedding, not just one."

y Where to wed: Destination weddings, which take place somewhere other than where you reside, are one of the biggest changes in recent years. "That industry has just skyrocketed," Samuelsen-Wharton said. "I have more travel agencies who are involved in the bridal show than I had 30 years ago."

y Not your parents' prom: Prom night is a really big, special event for today's high school students, with couples eating out at a fancy restaurant, traveling in a group by limousine and spending much more on their outfits. "And if we look back on our prom photos, we can see how much the tuxedo industry has changed," Samuelsen-Wharton said.

y Looking good: Young women pay much more attention to their appearance for their special day, according to Samuelsen-Wharton, who says bridal show exhibitors include a Pilates business, a personal fitness trainer, a plastic surgery office and makeup consultants. "This is new in the last three to four years," she said. "It's a whole category that did not exist."

If you go

What: Bridal and Prom Showcase

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3

Where: Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, off Interstate 90 at La Crosse Street exit, Rapid City

Cost: $5

Contact Laura Tonkyn at 394-8405 or laura.tonkyn@rapidcityjournal.com.