The right wedding show can be a great environment for inspiring your wedding and finding your team of amazing wedding suppliers who will transform your big day, however, turn up without being in the right frame of mind or going to a wedding show that doesn’t suit your style can send you running to the hills to hide under a pile of wedding magazines and a box of Hotel Chocolat!
Our top 7 wedding show tips:
- First and foremost, comfortable shoes are a must, especially if you’re attending a large wedding show as you’ll do a lot of walking around exhibits and stands. I’m not saying come in your slippers (although I’m certainly not going to judge if you do) but wear whatever won’t give you blisters after a full day of wearing (this actually also goes for your wedding shoes!) If that’s your favourite pair of Jimmy Choos then that’s great and we would love to see them!
- Along the same lines of comfort, empty your handbag of unnecessary weight, bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated and a little tote bag for all the leaflets and brochures you’ll collect on your way round. If you’re a VIP remember you will be collecting your VIP goody bag, either collect at the end to avoid carrying the extra weight, or sacrifice the extra weight for the bag space!
- The National Wedding Show have three feature stages full of helpful talks and workshops with experts. Take some time before the show to find out which are a priority to you. Ensure that you leave enough time between stages and catwalk to fully explore the show, nothing worse than leaving wishing you had had more time!
- Have a look at the vendor list prior to the wedding show and have a think of who you would like to visit, even better if there is a floor plan available for you to see where they will all be. If you’re not sure of exactly who you want to see, then have a think of what part of your wedding planning you want to tick off next. Have you yet to find your dress, need to sort your cake or you haven’t booked your photographer? Then go with that focus in mind….And if you’re planning on trying on wedding dresses whilst you’re there, have a think of what underwear you’ll wear too!
- The catwalk area can get very busy, especially during peak time. Take a look at the timetable and decide which one catwalk slot works best for you. If you have to time to catch the first or last catwalk then do, these tend to be more relaxed and you can get a really great position to take in all the bridalwear trends!
- At the very least, have a simple idea of your style of wedding in mind. Are you going for a light and airy modern feel, something vintage and rustic or are you going for a twist on a classic? Keeping your style in mind will help not only find supplier but will help you discount some too. Think about the time of year your wedding will be, you venue and your personalities and tastes. You want your wedding to represent you as a couple so you need suppliers that are aligned with you and your vision. Feel free to bring along pictures, mood boards and brochures of suppliers you’ve already booked (if any!). Suppliers want to work with you to achieve your vision and every little helps!
- Last but by no means least, think about who you want to go to the wedding show with. Whether you go with your entire bridal party or it’s just you and your hubby to be, think about what you want to achieve that day and the support your fellow wedding show goers can bring to that, as well as how much enjoyment they will get out of the day too! But whoever you go with, if there is a bar at the wedding show then start the day with a little glass of champagne and enjoy the day in style, after all everything is fun with bubbles!
To see our current exhibitor list click here.
Join us in Autumn for more wedding planning fun! Tickets for our autumn shows are now on sale, we always recommend booking them in advance to save on the door price.
Autumn 2019 dates:
Olympia London 20-22nd September
NEC Birmingham 27-29 September
ExCeL London 12-13 October
Manchester Central 26-27 October