April has seen me prepare for and attend my first Wedding Fair as an exhibitor and here I offer top tips to others in the same boat and to those visiting as clients. Firstly to exhibitors - I suggest attending a few Fairs as a guest ahead of taking the plunge. Meet as many suppliers as you can whilst you are there - everyone I met ahead of my first exhibition was friendly, supportive and full of top tips. The connections you make within the industry will prove invaluable; already Nikki of Tickled Pink has helped me with stationery for my first fair and I was able to recommend an alternative wedding book to a couple online thanks to Dragon’s Knight Design having connected at an earlier event.
Give yourself plenty of time to prepare - think about how you want your stand to look, what props you can make, anything you need to buy and make sure you have business cards and /or information leaflets to give to potential clients. How do you plan to record the details of those with whom you connect? Don’t forget you have GDPR responsibilities regarding people’s information. If you can take someone with you, it’s a great help - to run any technology, supply you with tea & coffee or just let you nip to the bathrooms! Most importantly - wear comfy shoes! All the advice is not to sit behind your stall but rather stand to the side, ready to engage couples. Be careful not to pre-judge who the couples might be - plenty of older couples visit fairs and some couples go together more obviously than others!
If you’re visiting as part of a wedding party, remember you are the VIP; all the exhibitors are there to attract your business. It can feel overwhelming but take your time, don’t be pushed into anything and try to enjoy the experience! If you have a list of services you are interested in before you go, this will help you avoid being talked into loads of extras, all at a cost of course. Make sure you talk to the person who will actually be delivering the service on your big day - you might really connect with the owner / stall holder but if they won’t be doing your actual event that might prove irrelevant. Usually it is best to collect information from a number of suppliers and then follow up with emails / zoom calls etc. to make final decisions about which of the many possibilities suit you best.
Above all, remember what is important to you and your partner - did you set out to have a formal wedding with 15 bridesmaids, a piper, a dove release, a mini orchestra and a rock band?! If you did then brilliant, but if you wanted a simple event and were just looking to mark the occasion with some nice photos then stick to your guns. The best weddings in my opinion are those that are truly authentic to the couple. I am lucky enough to hold my own up there as a favourite - and we had Christmas trees instead of flowers…at Easter?!
I thoroughly enjoyed my first Wedding Fair, had some wonderful conversations and heard of some glorious plans for forthcoming nuptials; I very much hope to hear from people again in the coming weeks and months.
By Catrina Young, Leicestershire Heart-led celebrant, Marking Life’s Moments.
© Hardingstone Ceremonies. April, 2024
Thanks for the lovely mention for us (Tickled Pink) and great to be mentioned in such great company as Georgie from Dragons Knight and Angelic. Great to meet you at the fairs Catrina and here's to a successful Summer season for all the happy couples planning their big day and all the wedding businesses involved in making it beautiful