3 Good reasons for visiting wedding fayres
Wedding fayres are still one of my favourite things to do because I love chatting to brides and hearing about their wedding plans.
I know, though, that they can be daunting to brides and grooms who are at the early stages of wedding planning. I see lots of brides walking through the door and feeling completely overwhelmed by the amount of things on offer.
If you’re not sure about what to expect from a wedding fayre, take a look at this post because it’ll give you a better idea.
“ Looking for vintage? There’s a fayre for that. Alternative weddings? Got that covered too!”
These days, wedding fayres have come a long way since the days of what I fondly refer to as “wedding by numbers” - the expectation that things need to be a certain way and you can’t deviate from tradition. A quick search on Google will quickly reveal events happening near you. Looking for vintage? There’s a fayre for that. Alternative weddings? Got that covered too!
My favourite fayres though take place in wedding venues. That’s not to say that conference centres aren’t an ideal place to go to a wedding fayre; there’s just something really nice about being in a venue and getting to see it filled with people and decorated for a wedding.
Which brings me to reason number 1:
Wedding fayres give you a chance to view a venue in all its glory
You’ll find tables set out in the main function rooms, decorations you could use to adorn the features and there will be an atmosphere thanks to the other people being there. It’s completely different to being there on your own for a meeting with your wedding coordinator and it will give you a better sense of how the space can be used.
Often you’ll find a number of events on in your local area on the same day. This will give you a chance to do a tour of multiple venues and make a direct comparison, helping you to narrow down your favourites. It will also help you to meet more suppliers and get lots of inspiration for your big day. Which brings me to reason number 2…
You get the chance to meet suppliers and try before you buy in many cases
Wedding fayres are great for picking up inspiration and seeing what’s available. They also give you a chance to interact with suppliers and get a feel for their personality. Are they people you feel comfortable putting your trust in for your big day? A quick chat will tell you all you need to know.
Now, if you’re like me, you may be worried about suppliers doing the hard sell. In my experience, a lot of them don’t, but if they do and you’re not comfortable, simply thank them for their time and move on.
It can become a bit overwhelming as you walk around; I’ve had a lot of brides say to me at events that they didn’t know they needed so much for their wedding or they hadn’t considered X, Y and Z and now are worried about fitting it in to their budget.
Remember that just because something’s there, doesn’t mean you have to have it. Instead, pick up leaflets and decide between you what really stood out and would make your day that little bit more special and use that as a starting point.
The other bonus to meeting suppliers is that we often have free samples to try or little gifts for you to keep, which brings us on to our third reason for braving a wedding fayre:
You get great offers
Most suppliers will have a special event-only discount, which you may want to take advantage of. This could be a discount in return for your contact details or if you book an appointment. Sign up for things that you are generally interested in but don’t waste your time with things that you know are not going to work for your special day.
There’s a chance you could save a little money, or get an added extra to your package, for example a free buttonhole when you order a bouquet or a professional print or pre-wedding photoshoot when you book in with a photographer.
And finally, a few helpful tips to help you get the most from a wedding fayre…
I couldn’t leave without sharing a couple of tips with you about how to be prepared for your next wedding fayre; I hope you find them useful!
Agree beforehand with your partner what you need to book or find out more about. This will help you to stay focused and guide you towards the suppliers you need.
Don’t sign up unless you’re interested in what a supplier is offereing. You’ll save yourself time in the long run for not having to wade through your inbox and deleting sales emails!
Ask questions about the venue and see if you can look in the bedrooms, etc, if they’re available
Try samples where they are available to help you decided if the product is right for you.
Walk around the whole event and see what’s available, then go back round and focus on the stands that stood out to you.
Take a notebook and pen to make notes and a small tote or carrier bag to keep information you collect together, ready for when you have time to look through it properly.
Hope you found this helpful! Let me know your top tips for attending wedding fayres in the comments below :)