All the Fun of the Fayre: A Guide to Wedding Fairs & Events

The answer at this point is probably no because, well you’ve been engaged for all of 5 minutes and probably haven’t even thought about a venue yet – but if you’re ready to start then you might want to start here! 

Venue hunting aside, we understand that the magazines, blog features and social media streams can sometimes all feel a little overwhelming, which is why almost every couple during wedding planning is drawn to their first wedding fayre.

Getting out there and speaking to real-life suppliers is a great idea, and the helpful bunch at BMA House are here with their top tips for attending wedding fairs and open events.

In theory a wedding fayre is a great place to talk to wedding suppliers and experts (in person!) – those are the people who can help shape your theme and your day. However, in reality there are good and bad fayres; there are traditional fayres, vintage fayres, themed fayres, destination fayres, creative fayres… the list goes on and on. When deciding which ones to attend we would recommend doing some research first and seeing which ones align with your style and vision for your day.

You could start local, but if you really don’t have a clue, start with the more traditional or national events. Although this may not have everything you’re looking for it’s a great place to gather some initial ideas and narrow your options for the future.

Before you go…

• Decide who you are taking – is this an initial research trip with your partner to get some ideas? Are you taking your parents or friends for a day out? The company you go with can dramatically impact what you do whilst there and where you focus your attention.
• Ask yourself whether you are going for research and ideas, or to make decisions and purchases. It is very easy for a research trip to become expensive, particularly if you get pulled into making a decision you might later regret.
• Think about who you want to talk to on the day, have a look at who is going to be there and who fits what you have in mind. Focus on those people and try to avoid the butterfly effect by getting pulled in the wrong direction.
• Thoroughly review the fayre’s website and schedule. There might be showcases, talks or catwalk shows from particular suppliers that you want to see, so having your timings right is really important.

At The Fayre…

• Be open and talk to the suppliers about your thoughts and ideas. The more you tell them, the more they can draw on your personality to ignite and inspire their own creativity.
• Make sure you collect business cards and contact details for the suppliers that interest you most. There is nothing worse than getting home and realising you cannot remember the name of that perfect venue or dream wedding caterer.
• Be open minded – look at things that are outside of your initial ideas and comfort zone – they might inspire you in different ways.
• Try and sample everything to find out what it is that you truly want – though be wary of signing or agreeing to anything after sampling the complimentary fizz… just in case.

Afterwards…

Hopefully you will leave excited and inspired. Take some time to reflect and think through what you have seen, follow up with those suppliers of interest and where appropriate get the date in the diary for those you truly love.