How to Get the Most from a Wedding Fair
At wedding fairs I bring along a fresh bridal bouquet so you can have a go at holding one. They're surprisingly heavy! Photo by Sophie Carefull
Wedding fairs are a hubbub of creativity, floral design, magnificent cakes, fresh inspiration and new wedding ideas. They can also be a tad overwhelming, especially if you’re asked 'when are you getting married?' about 20 times!
To help you navigate your way around the next wedding fair you visit, I’ve written a guide to mastering the art of wedding fair browsing. To make sure you get double the knowledge I spoke to Claire from The Fairytale Fair, who runs the beautiful and craft filled Happily Ever After Creative Wedding Fair. She's got a wealth of knowledge on all things wedding fairs and craft fairs having run these types of events since 2012. I've collated all of the know-how from the both of us, so on your next wedding fair trip you don’t miss your dream wedding supplier because you’re in a rush to get back to the carpark.
Scope out the suppliers before you get there
Wedding fairs will usually release a list of all the suppliers who’ll be at their fair. If a photographer or cake maker catches your eye, even before you’ve got to the fair, then you know who’s stand you’ll be heading straight over to once you get there. There'll also be parts of the day you don't want to miss, as Claire points out; "Read up before you go. Make a note of the schedule if there is one and make sure you arrive a little early for any workshops or events at the fair you'd like to attend."
Bring a bag with room to spare
You’ll be given lots of freebies, sweets, business cards and special offer fliers. Chuck these in your bag, then you can enjoy taking in the whole day and then look through all the flyers and cards once you’ve get home and put your feet up. You never know, someone might be offering 20% off a trip to your dream honeymoon destination.
Make a note of your favourite suppliers
...and don't hesitate to send them your questions, as Claire mentions here: " If you forgot to ask anything on the day don't be afraid to email the exhibitor after the day - they don't mind questions and will look forward to hearing from you." You can also leave your email address with suppliers you're really interested in. To save you time and energy (always a fan of that!) they'll send you over their portfolio, pricelist or inspiration for your big day. I always like to send over floral ideas and flower names so you can get an idea of what's in season when you're getting married.
Try all of the cakes (probably don’t need to tell you this one twice!)
It's by far the most enjoyable way to discover who makes the dream sponge. From my wedding fair experience, the cake suppliers give their cake tasters away at the end of the day so you’re doing them a favour when you eat their samples. As well as enjoying all of the cake, it's also a great idea to take in all the other bonuses the day has to offer, Claire's advice is: "stick around to hear any live performances, try food samples, touch the flowers, try the dresses, meet the makers behind the brands - none of this can be done online or over the phone so its your one opportunity to do this and really get a feel for the products, brands and people too." A wedding fair is an amazing time to connect with the wedding suppliers who have a certain something about them. Some of the suppliers, like makeup, hair and flowers, will even see you on the morning of your wedding, so choosing someone you get on really well with, will add so much more to your big day.
Do more than one lap of the room.
Claire's a fan of taking the event in slowly and says, "Make a day of it - Trying to do too much in a rush can make things stressful. You may not have time to speak to any of the makers and take in all there is to see. If you can allow time to browse, pick up cards, have a break for lunch then come back to those you are most drawn to." I completely agree, take the whole room in by first wondering round to see which wedding suppliers you’re drawn to and then visit them for a chat on your second lap. There’s so much to take in that it’s better to properly visit stalls a second time round after a mini pit-stop tea break. Making sure you speak to suppliers who really catch your eye and capture the look you love will save you time and energy.
I hope you’re now raring to go on your next wedding fair visit! If you have any questions then head over to my contact page. I’ll be exhibiting at The Happily Ever After Creative Wedding Fair at the Brighton Racecourse on the 9th of September where I'll also be running a flower crown workshop from 12-12:45. If you're unable to attend the wedding fair this year, you can follow me on Instagram for wedding flower inspiration, just click here.
Have a great week!
Alex
Once you're home you can put all your favourite wedding supplier business cards up on your wedding notice board. Photo by Sophie Carefull
Would you love to learn how to make your own wedding flowers?
You can find out how to make a handtie bouquet, learning florist skills along the way, in my online flower workshop.