choosing the perfect wedding dress

Wedding dress shopping is an exciting yet potentially stressful experience. Here are some ideas to help you make your decision while trying to make the experience more joyful and less stressful.

FIRST THING….Set a Budget: Decide how much you can spend on your dress. This will help narrow down your options and avoid overspending.

1. Start Early: Begin your search several months ahead of your wedding date. This allows time for fittings, alterations, and potential delays which tend to take longer than you think.

2. Research Styles: Look through bridal magazines, websites, and social media for inspiration. Create a mood board or collection of styles you love.

3. Know Your Body Type: Understand what styles flatter your shape. When trying on dresses look for one that fits your body type best.

4. Consider the Venue and Theme: Your dress should complement the setting and overall theme of your wedding Sparks Museum and Event Center is a retro space and choosing a retro or vintage dress fits the theme perfectly.

5. Choose Comfort: Make sure you feel comfortable moving in the dress. Consider fabrics, weight, and fit—remember you'll be wearing it for many hours!

6. Less is more: Too many opinions can be overwhelming. Bring along a few trusted friends or family members who understand your style.

7. Try On Different Styles: Be open to trying styles you didn't think you'd like. You might be surprised by what looks great on you. Prichett Bridal in Orem,Ut is a great choice when trying on wedding dresses.

8. Don’t decide day one; If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a break. Step away, enjoy a meal, or go for a walk to clear your mind.

9. Trust Your Instincts: If you feel amazing in a dress, that's what matters most. Don’t overanalyze; trust how you feel.

and if you get stressed:

• Deep Breathing: Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or mindfulness, to help keep calm.

• Stay Hydrated and Nourished: Remember to drink water and eat healthy snacks to keep your energy up or throw in some milk duds sugar is always helpful in stress:)

• Talk About It: Share your feelings with someone. Sometimes just talking it out can reduce stress and provide clarity.

• Visualize the Day: Imagine how beautiful you will feel walking down the aisle in dress; this can create excitement rather than anxiety.

• Keep Perspective: Remember that this is just one part of your wedding day. Focus on the love and commitment that it symbolizes.

5 things to make your party unforgettable

When hosting a party for that loved one, significant other, friend, or co worker here are a list of 5 things to make it unforgettable.

1. Choose the right venue. Venues make all the difference and can make your night simpler or harder depending on what they offer you. Sparks Museum and Event Center is an example of a space that makes your night seamless as you do not have to decorate a things. Choosing a venue that has it all done takes the stress out of “what to do for the wow effect”.

2. Choose a venue that has the tables and chairs and will set them up for you such as Sparks Museum and Event Center. Having a space that you just tell how you want your set up and you show up with it all done saves you both time and money leaving you time to spend on other things.

3. Choose a venue that has an AV system such as Sparks Museum and Event Center. If they have this in place you can simple tie into the bluetooth and play your favorite chanel.

4. Choose a venue that has enough parking. No one wants to arrive and not have a place to park. Sparks Museum and Event Center has plenty.This may seem like a small detail but its the first thing you do when you arrive to the party and people remember if there is no place to park.

5. Choose a venue with plenty of bathrooms. Waiting in line for a bathroom is annoying and doesn't go over well after a period of time. Make sure your venue has enough bathrooms that you won’t see a line creeping up and worry about . Sparks Museum and Event Center has 13 to choose from.

These are just 5 ways you can make your party unforgettable. With these in place now you can focus on food, and fun and making it all about the person you threw it for!

It took 4 years to get here and this is how I did it…

Thinking back on 2019 I remember I had contacted Provo, City about putting a building on a lot we had in Provo that currently had long term RV parking on it. We had acquired a steel building and were curious about putting it up on the empty portion of the lot. Because my father, Sparky is a collector of all things great… mostly Porcelain gas signs, gas pumps and antique cars I thought it a great idea to “house his collection”inside this building. We however were told NO by the city that they had no sewer available connecting to the lot and would not have for years to come. Because I am my fathers daughter and I don’t take NO for an answer I continued asking HOW it could be done. I continued going from person to person in hopes a creative mind could help me. I was told no repeatedly. Eventually, a year or so later we came up with an agreement that would work and the city agreed which would allow us to build bathrooms. What is a lot good for if you are unable to have a bathroom on it???? We had to raise the ground many feet, build our bathrooms up 4 more feet, get water, electricity and dig our own lift station that takes our sewage and lifts it to the Cities sewer line more than a mile up the road. We made it happen and up the structure went. Our bathrooms creatively built inside semi trailers for a unique and retro look. We purchase bus lifts for handicap access to the bathrooms since they are all off the ground. These are just a few fun features of the wedding event space located in Provo that houses our Petroliana museum.

corporate events love 0ur utah county space

We love hosting corporate events. Our vintage vibe allows for all kinds of options in the Corporate Event Planning. We are perfect for Christmas parties, employee of the month celebrations, lunch events, and so much more. We are the most unique space in Utah , located in Provo right by the airport we would make a great place for anyone flying in who wants to host a party. You may need a place for a speaking engagment, an auction, a charity event, a car show. Our retro space is build for Corporate events although we would make a beautiful backdrop for a wedding too. They sky is the limit here in Provo, Utah .

Fast Cars in our Retro Space right in Provo, utah

Cars parked outside Sparks Museum and Event Center

Beautiful Cars on display for our Charity Auction held for CIRF (Children’s International RescueFoundation) was a huge success. Everyone loved looking at these beautiful cars under the lights of Sparks Museum in Provo , Utah. This foundation does amazing works to rescue children who have been trafficked. We are so grateful for the team who does work to save these children.

Union 76

This 8 foot porcelain sign is kind of a fluke. A picker / collector in Salem Oregon had this sign. I was headed to visit my sister in Oregon and knew about this picker and planned to stop and visit him and his collection. We had been up the coast through Northern California and then into Oregon. When visiting this picker I had bought some glass cylinders from him when he asked if I wanted to buy the Union 76 sign. I didn’t have the room for this but we made room. It sat at home for lots of years and then when we built the Event Center Museum we had the perfect place to hang it. So happy I bought it way back when as it is a beauty and perfect addition to the wall.

The 1957 Nash metropolitan

Sparky’s father bought a brand new Nash Metropolitan for his wife in 1957. Making this a memorable car . When he saw this car he could not pass it up and had the vision of putting in up on a sign pole. He got it from a friend in Woodscross, Utah who has a huge collection of antique cars. We actually have two of these. The second one came from New Jersey and we had it shipped here to Utah. Neither are on poles at this point but someday they may be…

the sparks sign

This sign was made in 1965 to go on a 48 unit apartment building in Provo that Sparky and his father built. This sign was on there along with the name Roman Gardens. When the building was sold they kept the Sparks sign and hung it in the garage. We, of course had to add the sign (since it is our name) to the collection.

Western Auto

This sign also came from Gary Phillips who got it from an auction. This is the first company that started a franchise. They sold auto parts and sold them to others to sell. They were the supplier and years ahead of there time in the franchise idea. This also came from Indianola, Iowa.

amoco

This sign came from Indianola , Iowa from a Picker named Gary. Amoco was a Standard Oil company where they went from Standard to American to Amaco. They bought out UTOCO. All gas and oil is connected somewhere as it started with ONE and branched and sold and sold again which is why we get to have so many brands and beautiful signs displaying in our Musuem.

IMPERIAL

This sign came from Ozark , Missiouri which is about an hour from Joplin. We were driving through after buying signs in other areas and found this sign from picker named Chris Walters. He always has great signs and we have purchase many from him. We love the shape of this sign. It should have prices under the sign which we have but we like the look without so left it as is.

WhIPPET AND WILLYS-KNIGHT

This is an original sign we purchased of f of Ebay. We have had it many years and found the perfect space to place it in the museum. We like almost anything old and that has something to do oikWhippet and Willys Knight was and Antique car that was made in the 20s and 30s. We just liked the sign so bought it.

Chrysler Pymouth

Plymouth sign came from our friend and picker Chuck Dudley. It was a rough sign that we needed because of the colors and look. Again it is a sign we just like:)

A & W Rootbeer

In 1919 a young veteran named Roy Allen began a Root Beer stand in Lodi California. In 1922 he brought in a friend named Frank Wright and they opened another stand in Lodi. soon they leased their stands to others to operate and trademarked the new name of A & W from their names and went to Sacramento and began franchising A & W Restaurants. They pioneered restaurant franchising . Our A & W sign came from Helper Utah and is a reminder what a good idea plus hard work and ambition can do. The International franchise is huge!

the Hays gas Pump

We bought this from a friend in Joplin, Missouri who had it and couldn’t resist since we have never seen one in Utah before. We love this pump that stands out in front of our Steam Tractor collections.

pegasus Collection

Our Pegasus that stand tall on the East entrance came from Texas and is custom made especially for us. Sparky knew how he wanted it and what he wanted and had him make it for us. Another Pegasus that hangs inside the museum came from a guy that came by our Storage Park and asked if we would be interested in some of his Father In Laws collection who had passed away. He had a cookie cutter Pegasus that we could not pass up along with our 7 up Machine, shell Globe and a few other globes.

Our

Marilyn Monroe, elvis and the rat pack

A friend in Gillette Wyoming , named Jeff Wonder had acquired the collection of our famous people who changed the world in one way or another. Elvis through Rock and Roll, Marilyn Monroe with not only her beauty but what the world doesn’t know is she had an IQ higher than Einstein. She was the sexiest most impacting Movie star in the World taking the industry by storm.

The Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis JR) came together and became the gang that played in movies together as well as just ran around together. Individually each having their own sound, singing songs that are timeless.

The Blues Brothers are a more contemporary group. In 1980 they stared in the Movie The Blues Brothers and many went on to star in Saturday Night Live.

steam tractor collection

When Sparky was a young guy he remembered seeing someone with an old steam tractor that he fell in love with. Years later he saw a collector selling his collection in Oregon and thought ,”I will bid on those since Oregon is close to Utah” he bid on many different tractors winning the bids on 6 of them. The oldest being a 1907 Minneapolis Moline. The steam tractor revolutionized farming in America. Not only could they pull huge plows but they could run combines and other ancillary equipment in farming. Going from the horse and plow to the Steam tractor. It 1917 Henry Ford came out with the Fordson Tractor which was a gas operated tractor. They build factories all over the world making it affordable for farmers to buy .

Big Boy

Our Big Boy came from Joplin, Missouri from a friend named Chuck. He purchased it at a swap meat called Dixie Gas in Sevierville, Tenesee put on by Chip Floe . It is the largest gas show in the Southeast. Chuck knows we are always looking for cool stuff so bought it and held it for us. Big Boy has always been a favorite from when they started in Los Angelas. Great memories eating the french toast and blueberry syrup.

How do we set our signs

Since we are in the business of “growing” signs we have it down to a science. First we pick the place that we want to “plant” the footing:) We then dig it and pour the cement and put in the rebar so our sign is nice and secure ! We don’t like shallow rooted signs, they need to withstand the stormy weather. Next we pick our pole, either one that has been collected or one that we have custom built (yes we do that too) Then the ring on top. Which ring for which sign. Pick the sign and ring and set the pole on the footing. Just like that our beautiful new sign on a pole has been grown into what we like to call our field of signs.