Wedding fairs: plan for success and fun! Vikki Richman wedding planner

Published 16 October 2024

Are you planning to attend a wedding fair or two this month?

Do you know how to get the best out of your visit?

Do you know if the suppliers you need will be there? 

A little bit of planning before you go can make all the difference to your wedding fair experience. Here are a few top tips for this wedding fair season.

1) If you’ve seen an organiser’s advert on social media, have a look at their event page. Work out if it will be worth the trip by seeing who they’ve tagged as being there.

2) Mix it up! Some events organised by the same people will have a lot of the same suppliers. Going to events organised by different people should offer a fresh range of suppliers to meet and ideas to consider.

3) Know why you’re going. Are you looking for specific suppliers for final details or just getting ideas? If it’s ideas, be open-minded and take the time to try every stand.

4) Hidden gems! If you’re going with the purpose of seeing the venue for the first time, know that many of its best bits could be hidden by suppliers’ stands. To see the venue at its best, make an appointment for a full visit and tour.

5) If you’ve booked a supplier, keep an eye on their event page to see when they’re at wedding fairs. Pop along for a visit –  you can chat with them and pick up some inspiration.

6) A lot of suppliers and fair organisers will promote offers and/or competitions. These involve providing your contact details. If you don’t want to be contacted, don’t enter any competitions!

7) Have a look at each stand and see what’s available, even if you think you don’t need what they’re offering. They might have useful contacts, and you never know … they may surprise you!

8) Allow yourself time for browsing and chatting. If you rush your visit or need to get away, you may miss something. If you plan to attend two wedding fairs in a single day, go to one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

9) Take your team. A lot of fairs are in fab locations so why not take your bridal gang and enjoy lunch too? They might pick up information you missed, ask the questions you’re afraid to, and offer fab ideas!

10) Review the bumf. When you get home, take a look at everything you’ve been given and make notes about who and what was of interest. If you leave it a few days, you might forget something.

If you plan ahead, you should only go to the best wedding fairs for what you need and avoid wasting time. Most importantly, have fun chatting about your big day! X