By Caroline Stocking – Wellies and Weddings
This is the blog you’ve all been waiting for, the blog you didn’t know you needed to see and the blog telling you all about an AMAZING wedding EXTRAVAGANZA on 1st of September 2019! Buckle up!
Wedding Fairs;
Love them or hate them……Give it a go!
Top Tips for Married Couples to be…
Love them, or hate them, Wedding Fairs are a long running institution in the wedding planning world.
From classic hotel fairs, full of organza chair sashes, traditional wedding cars and pretty centre pieces, to alternative, unique fairs offering glitter tattoo’s and black wedding cakes. The wedding industry is evolving, and fairs are having to keep up.
I am well aware that even the words ‘Wedding Fair’ send a pang of dread through some people, but I urge all married couples to be, to experience the bubble just once.
It can open your eyes to everything you do, or in fact do not want!
So many couples have a vision of what they think they would like at their wedding. And honestly a lot of the time, that vision is in fact what they think ‘everyone’ else will want!
When it comes to planning ‘your’ wedding…. Plan it for you! Not your guests!
This is your day, and it should incorporate everything you’ve ever dreamt of, or imagined.
So, when it comes to visiting wedding fairs..think the same way!
Only go to the one’s that suit you, and cater for your style.
Here are my top tips to you, to ensure you get the best out of your wedding fair experience.
- Only go to the fairs that suit your style. There is no point dragging yourself and others around a hotel with frills and white linen, when what you really want is a tipi and hay bales!
- Have a Budget in mind. Suppliers will appreciate it far more if you are honest with them from the start. Having a budget also means suppliers will not offer you a product or service you can’t afford. Instead they will work with you and offer you the best possible product for your budget.
- Make a List. Go with an idea of what you are looking for. But be prepared to change your mind! Just because you have written it down, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to it.
- Start early. If you really don’t know where to even start with your planning, then get going early. Take the stress out of the planning, and give yourself time. Explore a few different fairs. Investigate what is available, and what you like.
- Travel. Don’t be scared to travel further afield. Some of the most incredible fairs can be miles away from your home, but go for it! Make a weekend of it! Take your bride tribe, or husband/wife to be, and have a few days away. Make an occasion out of it. Wedding planning is an exciting time, so enjoy it!
- Go Big! Don’t be put off by the big national exhibition shows. They showcase a vast range of suppliers…You never know what you might come across.
- Relax. Grab yourself a glass of bubbles, take your time, and have fun. It shouldn’t be a chore planning your big day, so just embrace it.
- Ask Questions. Be Brave! You don’t know unless you ask!
- Be polite. Suppliers are giving up their valuable time to showcase to you, so even if you are not interested in their service, be thankful for their time and information.
- Be open minded! You’ll be amazed at what’s out there!
- Have Fun!! You’re planning the best day of your life….enjoy it!!
As a Wedding Photographer, I am often asked if I would like to attend fairs. And I have to admit, 9 times out of 10, I find myself saying NO. The reason?…. Well, I can never find one that captures me, and my style. I love the alternative, I love the unique, and I find myself underwhelmed by what’s available.
That’s not to say there isn’t any…because there is, and the ones out there are amazing! But you have to search for them.
After saying No far too many times, it occurred to me, that maybe I wasn’t alone. Maybe there was a whole bunch of suppliers in the south east who felt the same.
So, there was only one thing for it….Create my own!!
And that’s when Wellies & Weddings was born!
I wanted to create a platform where couples could come and source their perfect suppliers, and where like mind suppliers could come to network.
Wellies & Weddings is a planning and hiring service for all you lovers of the alternative, and we love nothing more than showcasing unique and independent businesses to the world.
So, with this in mind we have created the first ever Wellies & Weddings Extravaganza! A festival themed Wedding fair with a whole host of alternative, unique and independent suppliers.
No offence to traditional wedding fairs, but this certainly won’t be traditional! We’re aiming big, we’re aiming beautiful and we’re aiming at all those things the discerning alternative bride can’t always find at a traditional fair!
This is a rural event, set in a beautiful 8 acre field location. Come and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with Food & Drink stalls, Live Music, Wedding Suppliers and a Fashion Show.Tickets are £4 and can be bought here!
This is a cash only event and tickets can also be bought on the gate.
Come by and say Hi. We would love to see you!
(Sensible footwear advised!)