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Find the best advice when attending your first wedding fair
You’ve probably thought about attending a Wedding Fayre at something point and have potentially asked the question ‘Where do I start?’. I’ve created my exclusive ‘Top 10 tips for attending Wedding Fayres in Sussex’ to help you get the most out of the events ready to help you create your very special day.
First of all, what is a Wedding Fayre?
A Wedding Fayre is an exclusive event that is open to the general public which allows companies to come together, be it local or national suppliers of wedding industry based services, to showcase their products to prospective clients - YOU. They provide couples with a unique opportunity to be able to meet and engage with a wide variety of wedding suppliers; from wedding venues and wedding dresses, to table displays and flower arrangements. It allows couples to be able to think outside the box and to visualise their day more by seeing a selection of different wedding suppliers that they might not have necessarily thought about or heard of. It also offers couples the chance to engage with companies face to face about what they can provide and how their product could be suitable for your big day.
When do Wedding Fayres take place?
Wedding Fayres can happen all year round, but do tend to normally take place on Sunday afternoons or occasionally weekday evenings. There are peak times in the year where you will tend to see Wedding Fayres take place more often, such as January, February, October and November. This is because they are less likely to have Weddings booked and taking place at that particular venue. Wedding venues often advertise their Wedding Fayres on their social media pages, on their website and on banners outside of the venue.
Attending a Wedding Fayre
Now, you’ve probably thought about attending a Wedding Fayre but you might feel like you don’t really know what to expect or how to plan for the event so, get your pen and paper ready and, together, we’ll go through some of my ‘Top 10 tips for attending Wedding Fayres in Sussex’ to help you achieve the magical wedding day of your dreams!
1 Decide on a budget
Now, this is always my very first tip. Why? Because, it’s one of the most important believe it or not. As we know, planning a wedding can get quite expensive, so it’s good to be clear from the start about what you can and can’t afford.
Set yourself a realist budget and try to stick to it.
It’s easy to go off track sometimes but it’s important to remember that it’s not about having the most expensive day, it’s about creating a magical wedding day experience that you’ll remember!
After all, a wedding doesn’t have to cost the earth - It can also be achieved on a smaller budget!
Also, think about how you will be paying for your wedding:
Do you have the money upfront and will you be able to pay for products outright?
Will you be using a credit card to pay for wedding suppliers?
Or, perhaps you’re thinking of taking a loan out and paying it off over the next few years?
Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer.
It’s about what works best for YOU!
2 Wedding insurance
Believe it or not, this is also one of the most important items you can purchase when organising and creating your wedding day. Why? Well, normally, a good wedding insurance policy tends to offers couples the peace of mind they need that, should an issue arise or something were to happen (eg, a wedding supplier goes bust or you need to move your wedding date due to a sick relative) your wedding and your financial outlay will be protected. Most wedding insurance policies normally protect your wedding ceremony and reception. This is the broadest form of protection and will cover your financial losses for nearly every aspect of a wedding if you are forced to cancel or postpone.
PLEASE NOTE: Please be sure to read your terms and conditions thoroughly and be sure you know exactly what you’ll be covered for BEFORE purchase as after all, all insurance companies are different. Planning a wedding already requires a lot of focus, attention and organising. At times it can feel pretty stressful and overwhelming too, therefore, it makes sense to ensure that all of your time, effort and financial outlay is protected.
3 Make a plan
It’s always best to sit down with your partner and work out what it is you both want from your special day. Some couples love the idea of having a really big and extravagant wedding with no expense spared whilst others prefer the thought of a much more intimate and secluded ceremony on a much smaller budget.
Again, there’s no right or wrong answer.
It’s about deciding what YOU both want from YOUR special day.
It’s always best to try and get a rough idea of the items or wedding suppliers you DO want to use for your big day. This helps you to narrow things down and get a better idea of what to look for when you actually DO attend a Wedding Fayre.
4 Wedding date
Wedding venues tend to get booked up months in advance so it’s always good to have a rough idea in mind, before you attend, of when you’re hoping to have your wedding day. Some couples find they have to book a year or two in advance in order to guarantee the wedding venue of their dreams; especially if it is during the summer months (peak wedding season).
5 Set up a wedding email address
When attending a Wedding Fayre, you’ll find a lot of wedding suppliers will ask you to sign up to their newsletter or their website. Some even invite you to enter special competitions. A lot of wedding suppliers tend to deal with their clients by email and find Wedding Fayres are a great way to boost their online exposure. It’ll give you the chance to see more of their work and what they have to offer whilst also being able to see any of their latest offers. It’s also a great way of being able to communicate with companies and being able to keep all of your wedding communications all organised and in one place.
6 Engage with suppliers
When attending a Wedding Fayre, it’s always great to try and engage with the suppliers that are there. Most wedding suppliers will tend to ask you a few basic questions to try and get a feel of what sort of wedding day you’d like to have. They’ll also show you what they have to offer and will discuss how their products could fit into your day.
REMEMBER: - communication can play a vital role in how you feel about a company and their products, so it’s the perfect opportunity to break the ice and get to know each other a bit more. If the supplier is polite, engaging and welcoming it can go a long way when it comes to whether or not you feel comfortable booking them for your wedding. The last thing you want is tension or someone who doesn’t appear to listen to what you have to say.
Also, don’t be scared to say NO!
Wedding suppliers totally understand that their product might not be suitable for everyone. It’s always best to be open and upfront if it’s not what you want or need for your big day.
They will NOT be offended.
7 Goodie bags
A lot of Wedding Fayres tend to offer couples the chance to go home with a goodie bag. Normally, these contain brochures or leaflets from wedding suppliers who attended on the day and from those who are within the local area. They can also be a great way of being able to follow up with a company after attending a Wedding Fayre. Normally their brochures or leaflets will include either a website, telephone number or an email address. Some even include exclusive discount codes that are not available anywhere else.
8 Book appointments with potential wedding suppliers
At a Wedding Fayre, you might find a supplier who you feel is perfect for your big day. If that is the case, then why not book a follow up appointment? This would give you both the chance to discuss things in a little bit more detail but also somewhere that is a bit more private. Wedding Fayres are fantastic for meeting wedding suppliers but at times, they can also be quite limited in how much time can potentially spend with each client as they can get very busy. I recommend booking a follow up appointment with them so that you can discuss things further and hopefully get them booked in for your wedding day. This will offer you both as a couple the chance to go away and talk together about what you both want to raise at the meeting. Be sure to write things down too so you don’t forget. Suppliers are used to people arriving with a list of questions so don’t be afraid to ask.
9 Follow/Research suppliers on social media
Nowadays, a lot of wedding suppliers have their own social media channels to showcase their products and what they do. This can be a great way to see more of their work in the comfort of your own home and at a time that suits you. Most companies tend to post a few times a week so it’ll be regularly updated. A lot of companies also show how their products have been used at previous weddings so again, this can be a great way to get a feel of what they can do and also help you to get some ideas of what could work for you. Occasionally, there will be some customer reviews displayed too. These can be great to hear feedback from a clients perspective. You can hear how their day went and how the overall process of dealing with a supplier went too.
10 The more Wedding Fayres, the merrier!
There’s honestly no limit on how many Wedding Fayres you can attend. As the saying goes ‘The more, the merrier!’ Also, no two Wedding Fayres are ever the same so you’ll be sure to see a variety of companies are each one making it the ideal opportunity to get a broad range of supplier information and to see what could work for you.
I really hope that this has helped you to get some idea of what to expect from a Wedding Fayre.
Upcoming Wedding Fayre for your diary
Sunday 26th February 2023 at Field Place Manor House and Barns
Here is the website for the Field Place Manor House and Barns:
If you would like to speak in a bit more detail, then please feel free to send me an email to info@darrengrittonphotography.com or give me a text on 07538 135722.
I look forward to capturing your magical day!
If you like this post, you can check out a couple of my other blog posts
Sussex Venue | Long Furlong Barn
5 ways to make your wedding planning journey a memorable experience
