The Anxious Bride's Guide To Wedding Fayres
Wedding fayre season is upon us and while that may be really exciting for some, if you’re newly engaged or feeling a bit lost with wedding planning, the thought of attending a wedding fayre (however much you want to) might be a bit overwhelming.
So, in the spirit of a Reddit post I saw recently, I’ve put together a few tips to help you navigate wedding exhibitions with confidence, even if you don’t feel it inside.
I’ll explain where this idea came from: a few years ago, I met a bride at a wedding fayre.
It was her first wedding event and it was at her venue. Seeing the venue dressed to the nines coupled with a wall of suppliers made her feel overwhelmed and she said to me, “I didn’t know I had to think about all these different things.”
I was reminded of this recently when I came across the aforementioned Reddit post circling around social media. It was written by someone who suffered with anxiety and wanted to order a sandwich from Subway but didn’t know how.
Some kind soul wrote a step-by-step guide for them explaining what to do.
It was so thoughtful and took all the fear out of stepping into a place where you have lots of decisions to make under pressure.
First Bus did something similar on their website, with a guide for how to take the bus.
It sounds really basic, but, if you don’t need to take a bus much, it can be quite stressful to know what to do. Their guide covered everything from showing the driver you wanted to get on, to buying tickets, to getting off the bus.
So with that in mind, here’s a stripped back guide for how to navigate a wedding fayre as an anxious or overwhelmed human being, because, let’s face it, wedding planning takes a lot out of us.
I’ve broken it into three sections: Before you go, On the day and After the event, to guide you through the whole experience.
| You may also like this post: What to Expect From A Wedding Fayre |
Before you go
Finding an event
Have a look online and on social media to see where wedding shows are taking place near you. They may be called wedding fayres, fairs, exhibitions, shows or showcases but they’re all the same thing :)
Check if you need to book a ticket or time slot before you go.
Start small. If you’re easily overwhelmed, start with venues local to you. While the National and Regional shows are a great experience, you’ll find hundreds of exhibitors and hordes of people, while local venues tend to keep things more intimate.
As a guide, for example, the Big South West Wedding Fair sees around 800 people and the National Wedding Shows will see thousands, while smaller venues will see maybe a couple of hundred at most.
Starting with local venues gives you a chance to see what’s on offer. If you’ve already booked your venue, start with them as they will make sure you’re well looked after when you walk through their doors again.
Don’t forget to find out how to get there and where to park if driving - things like that always get me in a fluster when I’m going somewhere new!
What to wear
Anything you like, there’s no dress code.
If you fancy trying on some dresses, make sure you wear well-fitting and comfortable underwear as this will make you feel more confident when stepping into dresses.
If you’re tackling the big shows head on, wear comfortable shoes!
Who to take
Whoever you like! My advice is to start with your partner, or maybe a close friend as too many opinions can be overwhelming. If you have children, you can bring them along too - just remember to keep them close by as there’s bound to be lots of exciting things to do and cake to eat!
Our son still insists on eating samples of food and using the photo booths when he picks me up from events!
What to bring
Most wedding fayres give out a goodie bag, which is great for storing any business cards or leaflets you pick up while you’re there, but it’s always handy to take a reusable bag with you in case you decide to buy something on the day.
A notebook and pen is also handy if you want to make notes. Pack a few snacks if you’re tackling the big shows as hunger and overwhelm make the anxiety worse! Venues tend to have a bar or café open, especially at bigger events, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
Make a list
Your needs will be different depending on where you are in your wedding planning journey. If you have certain things booked, you won’t need to speak to those suppliers, but if you’re right at the start of your journey, it can be helpful to make a list of the things you’d like to find out more about as a priority.
This will help to keep you focused and help you to feel more in control.
On the day
You’ll be greeted by someone at the entrance to the wedding fayre or venue and they may ask you for a few details. They will ask if you’d like to be contacted by the exhibitors (you do not have to agree to this so don’t feel pressured to hand over your email address. Nobody will judge you if you say no) and will offer you a glass of bubbly or a non-alcoholic drink.
You may be given a show guide that shows you where all the stands are, or a goodie bag or wedding magazine.
As you go into the event, you may feel like a rabbit in headlights when you see all the stands set out.
Seeing life in a venue, especially if it’s the one you’ve booked, feels different to seeing it on a private walk around with someone from the venue so it may feel a bit strange.
Don’t worry. Take a deep breath and take one thing at a time. Take a minute to get your bearings and take in what you see around you. If something catches your eye, go take a look, or check your list and find one of the suppliers on there to start with.
As you approach stands, be prepared for suppliers to chat to you. Most people are interested in finding out more about you and your wedding plans. They might ask how you’re getting on with your wedding planning, whether you have a date or venue and what you have sorted already.
Be honest - nobody is going to be offended if you don’t need their services at this point.
There will be business cards and leaflets out on stands, so take what you need. You don’t have to ask if this is ok.
There may also be QR codes to scan rather than physical business cards, so have your phone ready!
Feel free to ask questions - suppliers will be happy to give advice and help where they can.
Some may have a sign up sheet. If you’d like that supplier to contact you, feel free to sign up, but don’t feel forced into giving away your details if you’re not interested.
Similarly, some businesses offer discounts if you purchase or book on the day, but again don’t feel the pressure to do so unless it’s a service or supplier you’d like to hear more from. You will likely see many suppliers at other events and you can always ask whether they’ll be attending more shows so you can take advantage of the offers when you’re ready.
Bigger events like the national or regional wedding shows will have things happening throughout the day, like catwalk shows and helpful talks where you can get inspiration and pick up some useful tips. These can be popular, so give yourself plenty of time to find a seat and beat the rush.
You can spend as much or as little time at the event as you like. Stay as long as you want and leave when you’re ready.
After the event
If you’ve requested details from the venue or any suppliers, expect an email within a few days.
If you’ve given the event organisers consent to share your details with suppliers, expect a flurry of emails over the coming weeks, usually just to introduce themselves and remind you of the services they offer.
Reply to any you’d like to work with and discard any you rule out.
Take your time to go through all the information you picked up and make appointments with anyone you’d like to work with or find out more about, then sit back knowing you’ve mastered the wedding fayre!
I hope that you’ve found this useful and it gives you the confidence to try out a few shows throughout your wedding planning journey.
They’re a great way to finalise details, get advice and see if you have a connection with suppliers, and with a bit of preparation, you can feel confident and enjoy the experience, even if you’re feeling a bit anxious or overwhelmed.