How to make the most out of a Wedding Fair or Venue Showcase, and what questions to ask.
You're engaged! Congratulations! You've shown the ring off, you've already started attracting advice from everyone you meet from Aunt Sally to the Friday chippy... but why not cut through the advice and tap into the incredible professional world of weddings, and talk about your day with those who work in this beautiful industry day in day out, deal with hundreds of different weddings and know ALL the answers to your questions?
Before I offer my advice on how to walk the walk and talk the talk - WHILST HAVING FUN - at your next wedding fair here is a little breakdown of the different types of wedding fair;
What is a Wedding Fair? A wedding fair is a curated event in a public event space where vendors and suppliers will (usually) have paid for a space to showcase their work. Often there is a catwalk showcasing bridal looks and new collections, and a good range of suppliers from photographers to cake designers, planners to celebrants, venues, florists, bridal boutiques, suits, jewellers, stationer's, MUAs and all the other suppliers involved in the wedding industry. The vibe can be much more generic with each supplier showcaseing their own work singularly without an overall combined theme. However there has been a huge increase in wedding fairs which concentrate on alternative themes, same sex marriages, non traditional celebrations and celebrating specific religions and beliefs. These larger fairs can be an excellent place to gather inspiration, pick up on trends and simply see whats possible in the world of weddings.
What is a Venue Showcase? Wedding venues also curate exceptional wedding showcases which are HIGHLY recommended. These take place at a venue where weddings are held and are usually managed by that venues wedding coordinators or marketing teams. For these the venue usually invites their recommended suppliers to attend to showcase their work meaning that a much more tailored event takes place. Often suppliers come together to create styled layouts, ceremony rooms are decorated to represent a real wedding set up and there is often catering teams showcasing their canapes, wine or food. You can get a true sense of a venue, explore the rooms and talk on a more one to one basis with suppliers. Often these are attended by couples who are considering that specific venue for their wedding, but even if you are getting married elsewhere you can meet some seriously great suppliers and learn how allowing your suppliers to collaborate together for your day can enhance the final results to no ends.
When do wedding fairs and showcases usually happen?
The larger national wedding fairs tend to happen out of the traditional wedding season, hosting dates often in the Spring or the Autumn. In the wedding industry it is typically accepted that more couples tend to get engaged over Christmas, New Years Eve and then Valentines day, so the spring fairs are often the most well attended fairs with the Autumn fairs looking forwards to the upcoming engagement season and the following years trends.
Venue showcases tend to follow this trend, with a larger Spring and Autumn date. However smaller wedding fairs tend to happen throughout the year, these might be in a town hall, racecourse or be organised by organisations such as Guides for Brides who offer spaces to their members. These will have less suppliers and will be less curated.
I've been exhibiting at wedding fairs and venue showcases for over 15 years now and, if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that they can be a little overwhelming. The amount of (grooms specifically) or mother of the brides, or just attendees in general who get to my stand looking like deer in headlights and flop down on the comfy sofa unable to take any more in is higher than you might think.
You walk in intending to have a sensible chat with a florist and suddenly you're holding three tote bags, eating a tiny piece of wedding cake, someone has handed you a glass of fizz and you can't remember the name of the photographer you loved 20 minutes ago.
So, rather than simply wandering around collecting leaflets, what should you actually look for at a wedding fair - and what questions should you ask wedding suppliers before booking them?
Here are the questions i'd be asking:
1. Don't just ask: “How much does it cost?”
Obviously, budget matters. But price on its own doesn't tell you very much - two wedding suppliers selling seemingly the same thing can give you two very different quotes - but don't jump to the wrong conclusion. When you look at the small print they might actually be offering very different things, so you need to be more specific with your question.
Instead, ask:
“What does that price include?”
Does your florist's quote include installation and collection?
Does your stationer's invitation price include envelopes, stamps, printing and assembly?
Does your photographer's package include a second photographer, travel or an album, what time will they leave?
Does the venue price include furniture, crockery, linen, staff and VAT?
And are there likely to be additional costs later?
You don't need to interrogate every supplier you meet, but understanding what's actually included makes it far easier to compare like with like.
2. Ask: “What would you do?”
This might be one of the best questions I get asked at wedding fairs. I've seen SO MANY weddings and have a million little notebooks with ideas jotted down, inspiration saved and trend awareness like no other.
Some of the best wedding stationery suites I have designed have been created when my couples trust and appreciate my input, experience and knowledge.
Tell them your venue, your date, the number of guests you're expecting and a little about what you're planning. The best bit, simply tell them about you.
Then ask “What would you suggest?”
This is where you'll start to discover the difference between choosing a product and choosing a creative supplier.
Personally, this is my favourite part of meeting couples. You might arrive at my stand thinking you need an invitation with a drawing of your venue on it. Twenty minutes later we've discussed how you met, your favourite cocktails, your floral vision and your grandmother's garden.
Those conversations are where the really good ideas start.
3. Ask to look, touch, hear the REAL thing.
One of the biggest reasons to visit a wedding fair or wedding showcase is the opportunity to actually see things in real life.
We're all so used to choosing things from screens now that it's easy to forget how different something can feel in person. ~ Sit on the chairs.
~ Smell the flowers.
~ Taste the cake.
~ Ask the band to play your favourite song.
And please – pick up the stationery!
Beautiful wedding stationery is particularly difficult to appreciate through a phone screen.
Feel the weight of the paper, run your fingers over letterpress, look at how foil catches the light, open the envelope, turn the invitation over, look closely at the tiny details, TALK to the supplier about the options available.
If you're investing in physical pieces for your wedding, a wedding showcase is your opportunity to understand the difference that materials, craftsmanship and print finishes can make.
4. "What are my options?" Ask about customisation.
This is particularly important if you keep seeing the word “bespoke.”
Bespoke can mean very different things from one wedding supplier to another. For one business, it may mean changing the colours and wording of an existing design. For another, it means starting with a completely blank page.
Neither approach is wrong – you just need to know what you're buying.
So if personalisation is important to you, ask: “How much can we actually change?” or "What options are available to me"
For my bespoke stationery couples at Deabill & Quince, we're not starting with a catalogue of invitation templates. We're starting with your wedding. Your venue, flowers, story, colours, food, location, personalities and all those strange little details that make your wedding yours.
That's why I'd always encourage couples to tell suppliers what they're imagining rather than simply asking what packages they sell. And PLEASE dont send us Chat GPT images! There is so much REAL inspiration out there that is actually physically possible. We will create the concepts based on whats actually possible.
5. "Have you worked at my venue before?"
This isn't a deal-breaker, a brilliant supplier doesn't suddenly become less brilliant because they haven't worked at your venue, but if they have, use their knowledge. If I have worked at a venue regularly generally I will know the team, I know how the day runs, I know how the table plan will be moved, where it needs to be positioned, where things get stored before and after your wedding day.
Ask:
“Have you worked here before - and if so is there anything you'd recommend, or can I see an example?”
You might get some extremely useful advice.
6. "What do couples usually forget?"
(Write this one down) Every experienced wedding supplier has something they find themselves reminding couples about again and again. For me, funnily enough it's often that you dont need an invitation per guests, it's per couple or family. For a florist it might be that some florals on your pinterest are actually out of season on your wedding date but X makes a perfect alternative without compromising the look.
So ask them:
“What's the thing couples always forget to think about?”
You may save yourself a last-minute panic later.
7. "What does your process actually look like?"
You've found someone whose work you love. You like them. Their price is within budget.
Brilliant.
Now ask: “What happens next if we book you?”
This is particularly important with suppliers you'll be working with over several months or even years.
When are payment instalments due, how many revisions will I get, how and when can I contact you...
You don't need to know the entire process from signature to delivery at the wedding fair, but knowing in general whether there is a deposit system or payment is required in full upfront can be really useful for your planning journey.
Sometimes I can work with couples over the course of two years, but often I will only be liaising with them for a few months at a time as we work on their save the dates, invites a year in advance and day-of stationery a few months before.
If you are someone who likes to plan things out on a calendar getting the feel for whether a supplier is professionally organised or slightly haphazard in their process can be a real deal breaker.
8. Timing
One of the benefits of attending wedding fairs as soon as you are engaged is that you can start conversations well before you desperately need anything.
Ask suppliers: “When would we need to book you?” The answer will be different for everyone.
Some suppliers only take on one wedding per date, while others can work with several couples. Bespoke products may also require considerably more design or production time than off-the-shelf alternatives.
And don't assume that because you don't need your invitations until next year, you can't speak to your stationer yet. The longer we have to work with you sometimes the better the outcome - as creatives when a new brief comes in we cant help but get the gears in motion, even if we aren't physically working on your stationery its already in the back of our minds.
9. Remember you don't need to book anything there and then!
Remember, you don't need to book or order anything at the wedding fair. You just need to explore the possibilities - more indepth conversations can happen later when you have your supplier one on one.
You may come across wedding fair offers or incentives to book there and then, sometimes they're genuinely useful but don't let a discount turn the wrong supplier into the right one.
Take their details. Ask how long the offer lasts - ask if they would genuinely honour the offer if you decided to book within the week.
Go home.
Get your feet up (they'll be aching by the end of the day!)
Look through their work again.
Read their reviews.
Check the quote properly.
Then decide.
Your wedding suppliers are going to be part of something very personal, and in some cases you'll be communicating with them for a year or more.
Which brings me to possibly the most important question…
10. Do you actually LIKE them?
Seriously.
You can ask all the sensible questions in the world, but sometimes meeting someone tells you more than their brochure ever could.
Do they listen?
Are they interested in your wedding or mainly telling you about themselves?
Did you feel comfortable asking questions?
Do they understand what you're trying to create?
Do they seem excited by your ideas?
You don't need your wedding suppliers to become your new best friends.
But you should feel that they're people you trust to be involved in your wedding.
Sometimes you'll know that within five minutes of meeting them.
So, there you go! I hope these leading questions will give you a far greater result than just asking every supplier "How much do you charge."
Most importantly enjoy yourselves. Wedding fairs are there to be inspirational not overwhelming. Use them as such and if you happen to come across an amazing supplier who fits your vibe then its win win.
Finally, here's my top 4 things to take with you... go forth, enjoy and I hope to see you on the Autumn showcase circuit!
What to take to a wedding fair?
Honestly, not much... you want to be able to move easily through crowds, have use of your hands and be comfortable.
Wear comfortable shoes! There can be a lot of walking, standing and waiting.
A bag. You will be handed a million fliers, samples, brochures etc.. and there is nothing more annoying than trying to pick up a stationery suite, or test a bouquet out with a handful of paper. Take a bag you can shove everything in and go through when you get home.
Water / a snack. There could well be canapes circulating and food on offer but if you are attending a larger fair they can be draining. Take something to keep you going and give you a little pick me up when you've just spoken to your tenth photographer!
A notebook, or a notes section of your phone that you can easily jot down details.
Pop on the front page a list of questions and any suppliers you want to look for.
If you would like to discuss your wedding stationery with me I do offer some in person consultations where you can come to my Oxfordshire studio and see physical stationery samples. Otherwise I do attend various wedding showcases throughout the year, get in touch to see when you can see me at my next showcase.
How to make the most of a wedding fair and what questions to ask the suppliers.
#weddingshowcase #weddingfair #weddingplanning #weddingshow #weddingsuppliers
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