Wednesday, June 3, 2020

All the Fun of The (Wedding) Fair




Wedding fairs look like they will be reopening soon – with special measures in place of course – which means that potential brides and grooms and get back to the serious business of wedding planning.  For some people they will go to the next in a series of wedding fairs, for others it will be their very first.

How do you make the most of a visit to a wedding fair?

Go to as many as you can/as many as you like
There are dozens of wedding fairs in all areas.  Some are put on by big organisers, some by the venues, some by suppliers.  Some will be huge, some quite small.  Maybe there is a specific supplier you want to see, maybe it’s the venue you want to see, maybe it is just convenient for you. There are no rights and wrongs of which to go to.  At the early stages of wedding planning it can be just a nice day out! It isn’t costing you anything (or rather, it shouldn’t be!)

Talk to everyone. 
Don’t think that it is just about selecting an actual supplier – a wedding fair is just as much about getting ideas.  Unless you talk to the suppliers exhibiting, you may miss out on services or ideas that you didn’t know about, or hadn’t thought of.  Generally, suppliers are wedding professionals and love nothing more than to talk about weddings! Pick up leaflets, make notes – carry a notebook (we call it “The Book Of Power”)

But if you are looking for suppliers

Consider the person behind the services
The wedding fair is your chance to meet the individual who may be helping with your special day.  For some suppliers you need to get on with them on a personal level – photographer, wedding planner, DJ etc.  Gauge their passion, and whether you can be on the same page as each other.  Ask if the person you are meeting will actually be the one at your wedding – find out if you are in fact dealing with a large company or an agency rather than an independent, personal professional

Be Honest
A plea from an exhibitor!  We totally understand that you may be just browsing, recently engaged – but we may talk to you in a slightly different way.  In my case that means I am way more relaxed because it is just a chat, not an attempt at “a sale” – while I love what I do, please remember I am also there to try to get bookings!  If you don’t want any follow up, please say so – it is quite frustrating when people give incorrect email addresses – I honestly don’t mind if you don’t want me to approach you, but please just say so!

Be Prepared
Every exhibitor wants to talk to you! (Ok, some will just sit behind their table and wait for you to come to them.  Make up your own mind about their passion!)  Please be prepared to be asked who the bride is, when your wedding is, where it will be… yes, you will answer the same questions at every stand, but please be ready and willing!

I asked expert wedding fair organisers Diva Wedding Fayres for their one killer tip
Take your time looking around, talk through ideas and enjoy the day!
The more we talk, the more we can find out, discover and learn – and that works both ways!



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