Do you picture a whole room full of people pressuring you into putting a deposit down for a service that you don’t really need? Hundreds of over excited brides falling over each other to get to the chocolate fondue? Fashion shows full of dresses you can only dream about affording?

If this is the image you conjure up every time the wedding season begins and the mention of wedding fayres is everywhere, then you are not alone. Read on to find out what you can really expect and why they really are worth a few hours of your weekend.

‘Which one should I go to?’

More and more businesses are beginning to realise just how helpful and fun wedding fayres are. So, more and more are being held around the UK each year. The best way to select which fair would be right for you to visit is to find one that is being held in the area you are hoping to get married in. This way you know that the suppliers exhibiting there work in your area and extra mileage will not be added to your final bill. Fayres at local wedding venues are also a great way to have a good look around at all their rooms and arrange to go back for a more formal meeting if you decide you like the look of the place. As fayres are a big event to hold, attending one at the venue you are considering booking will show you how well they cope with large special events and may give you an insight on how well your wedding day will be run. Check the type of suppliers who will be there in the day by visiting the fair website and decide if there are any there that take your fancy or you know you are yet to organise a supplier for.

‘Only suppliers who cannot get enough work through recommendations attend wedding fayres.’

Wedding suppliers have to pay to attend these fayres. Therefore they are not going to waste their time showing goods and services that will be of no relevance to brides to be. Even extremely busy companies, with plenty of booking for this year will want to find brides for next year and beyond. Wedding fayres are also an ideal time for a company to launch a new product or service to a captive audience and offer discounts and incentives if you book on the day. Every New Year brings in new styles and tastes in everything from flowers to stationery and the best place to keep up with the ever changing fashions and trends is to attend wedding fayres. Also remember that good suppliers can be booked up to a year in advance so book them when you see them!

‘There will just be hundreds of the same type of suppliers there.’

If the wedding fair has been organised by a professional company this will never happen. Wedding fair organisers understand that a room of 20 photographers will not help a bride to be in her planning as much as 5 photographers of varying styles and hundreds of other, different suppliers. Competition is healthy and you should expect to see more than one type of each supplier to enable you to make an educated decision, but well organised fayres will never over book and will offer you a diverse range of companies to choose from. The best way to check that this isn’t the case is to contact the organisers or look on their website. They usually have a list of the names and types of suppliers that will be exhibiting there. This is also a good idea is you are looking to meet a specific supplier or are looking for a certain product or service.

‘Seeing what they are made of!’

What better way to ensure what you pay for is what you will get? It would not make sense for a business to attend a wedding fair without taking examples of their work with them. It is in effect a ‘show room’ for them to display what they are made of. This is particularly good for florists and cake makers. You can also expect to see free tastings, testimonials from past clients and a chance to gain some valuable advice from professionals. It is the perfect opportunity to meet your potential suppliers and to begin to build a rapport with them. The better you get to now them the more you will trust them and the more they will get to know you and offer you products that will suit your personality and personal style.

‘Fashion Shows – Skinny models and expensive dresses?’

This is not always the case! Wedding fair organisers are well aware that not every bride is a size 12 and try their best to accommodate everyone the best they can. As you will be aware there are hundreds of different styles, colours and designs of wedding dresses and as such there are just as many prices for them! Most shows contain a large number of different dresses all at different prices. Though admittedly some are more affordable than others! It is also a good place to take your bridesmaids and mother as fashion shows regularly have ‘scenes’ aimed at helping them chose an outfit too. Its unusual for there not to be a section on grooms wear too, so the other half has no excuse!

‘I will just end up with hundreds of leaflets I will never look at again!’

Many wedding fair admittance fees include a free bridal goodie bag which is full of leaflets, free gifts and the chance to enter the competitions. Most fayres have competitions that give you the chance to win wedding related items including tiaras, honeymoons, wedding shoes, stationery and even whole outfits for the bridal party. These bags are also very handy for storing any other leaflets you may pick up on the day from companies you really are interested in finding out more about. As for the rest, make sure you do take a look at all of the leaflets you are given as you never know what you may have overlooked. And if you do decide that they are of no use to you, just put them neatly in a recycling box and no harm will be done to you or the environment!

‘I have everything I need for my wedding day, booked already.’

You may be surprised! If you do happen to have a small bit of your wedding budget left after finding suppliers at other fayres and taking them up on their special offers, you may well discover something that would give your day that something a little extra. Have you considered a caricature to entertain you guests between the wedding breakfast and the evening celebrations? How about hiring an ‘on the day’ wedding coordinator to ensure your day runs without a hitch? A chocolate fountain? There are endless possibilities all waiting to be discovered at your local wedding fair!

So get on down to a few, you may well be surprised at what you might find! As for over excited brides heading for the chocolate fountain, if you can’t beat them, you may as well join them. “Chocolate covered strawberry anyone?!”