How to make the most of wedding fairs
How to make the most of wedding fairs
Provided by Sophie Wilcockson, independent celebrant
www.swceremonies.co.uk
For many brides and grooms, one of the most enjoyable parts of getting married is looking round wedding fairs. It’s a chance to meet wedding vendors, compare different products and services and start visualising your big day. It’s definitely exciting, but it can also be a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been to a wedding fair before. Who to speak to, what questions to ask, who to take with you and, most importantly, will there be freebies? (Spoiler: there usually is!)
As a wedding celebrant, I’ve exhibited at a lot of wedding fairs and spoken to hundreds of couples about their wedding hopes and dreams. Back in the day, I also went to a lot of fairs as a nervous bride-to-be, so it’s fair to say I’ve got a little bit of experience from both sides of the table.
Exhibiting at wedding fairs is the second best part of my job (no prizes for guessing the best part!), so I’ve put together a few thoughts and suggestions to help you get the most out of your visit, whether you’re a total newbie or a seasoned regular.
1. Talk to people
I know it sounds obvious but, in our technology-led world of social media and apps for everything, talking to our fellow humans face-to-face is something we do less and less of. Most of us would much rather send a text these days than speak to someone in person, even if we know them well, but at wedding fairs you have to chat.
If the thought of striking up a conversation with a stranger makes you want to hide in a cupboard until your wedding day, the good news is, you generally won’t have to make the first move. Wedding vendors are friendly, outgoing people in the main and will be falling over themselves to talk to you. That’s what we’re there for, after all.
And don’t underestimate how useful those conversations can be. You can learn far more about a person in five minutes of chatting than you can from scrolling through their Instagram feed. As a wedding celebrant, for example, I’m not just there to explain what a celebrant does (although I do that about 20 times at every fair!), I want to hear about you, your relationship, what you’re planning and what you want your ceremony to feel like. Those little conversations can tell you whether you’ve found someone who really gets you.
It’s also vital that you actually like the people who will be working with you on the day. A photographer might have a great website and loads of five-star reviews, but you need to have some kind of rapport to create the best photos on the day. The same goes for your florist, your photographer, your cake maker, your entertainment… anyone who is going to be part of your wedding day.
So, be brave and get chatting to as many people as possible.
2. Ask questions
If you’ve never been married before, there is a lot to take in, so make the most of the knowledgeable people at wedding fairs. Most vendors and organisers will be more than happy to answer any queries. And there are no stupid questions – or at least none that someone hasn’t already asked, so you never need to feel silly.
If you’re not sure what you should be asking, just tell the vendor that! A good wedding professional should be able to guide you through the things you might not have thought about. Ask about prices, availability, what’s included, how the process works and what happens next.
If you’re talking to a celebrant, for example, ask them what makes a celebrant ceremony different, how much input you can have, whether you can write your own vows and how they get to know their couples.
Most importantly, ask yourself: Do I like this person?
3. Take notes
Again, this sounds obvious but, if you like a vendor, make a note of their name and contact details. You can use the notes app on your phone or, if you’re old school like me, bring an actual pen and notebook!
You might think you’ll remember your favourites but I guarantee, in a few months after a conveyor belt of wedding fairs that all start to blend into one, you definitely won’t. When you come to make a decision, you don’t want to be saying to your partner, “You know, that guy we met at, oh, where was it? You remember, the one that was next to that woman!”
Taking notes is particularly useful if you meet several similar suppliers. A random business card you find in a pocket in six months time will give you an email address but it won’t tell you what that person was like when you met them. A quick note saying “blonde celebrant in polka dot dress, really funny, suggested sand blending ceremony, liked my shoes” is much more likely to jog the memory. Believe me, your future self will thank you.
4. Go with a friend or family member
Your nearest and dearest make great wedding fair buddies, helping you make decisions, pointing out things you might not have thought of and generally making the day 100% more fun!
They can also be useful when you’re faced with approximately 47 different shades of ivory and find yourself earnestly debating the difference between cream and off-white. A friend can gently steer you away from the frocks and back towards sanity.
Never forget it’s your day though. If you want that silver tuxedo with the emu feathers, you go for it and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
The same applies when choosing your suppliers. Your mum might take to a particular photographer, your best friend might love a certain venue and your sister might have strong opinions about cake (who doesn’t?), but ultimately you’re the ones getting married. Don’t be pushed into making decisions that will please other people but just don’t feel like you.
And finally…
5. Bring a dog
No, really. If the venue allows it, your dog will make an excellent companion. Not only are pooches a brilliant icebreaker, but all the vendors will remember you.
“Olivia and Tom? I met six Olivia and Toms! Oh, the ones with the gorgeous chocolate lab? Got it!”
Your relationship with a vendor is already off the blocks.
Obviously, if your dog hates crowds, is aggressive or likely to wee on wedding dresses or scoff all the cake samples, probably best to leave them at home. You don’t want to be remembered for all the wrong reasons!
And if you’re planning to have your dog at the actual wedding, it can also be a great opportunity to chat to suppliers about how they feel about furry friends at a wedding. Some celebrants absolutely love including dogs in ceremonies (I certainly do!), whether they’re walking someone down the aisle, delivering the rings or simply being part of the wedding party. Some wedding car hire companies, on the other hand, might not welcome paw prints all over their sparkling upholstery.
Ultimately, wedding fairs aren’t just about collecting business cards, eating cake samples and coming home with a carrier bag full of leaflets (although that will eventually become a normal weekend for you!).
They’re about making connections. And that’s so important because you’re not just buying a product or a service – you’re inviting someone to be part of your wedding day, whether they’re photographing it, making your cake, providing the music or standing up in front of your family and friends to tell your story. The right supplier won’t just tick a box on your wedding to-do list, they’ll add something special to your day.
So chat, ask questions, trust your instincts and, most importantly, enjoy yourself.
Sophie Wilcockson Ceremonies
Tel: 07894 560206
Email: sophie@swceremonies.co.uk
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