WEDDING FAIR SEASON – SUPPLIERS

I sit down to write this blog with a cup of tea and a biscuit at the end of the autumn wedding fair season.  Largely speaking wedding fairs tend to take place in Spring or Autumn the most recent one for me has been pretty busy with five fairs in total over about 3 weeks.  I LOVE wedding fairs.  By their very nature they are brim full of happiness and excitement.   It’s fantastic to get to visit lots of different venues, meet the people running them and see what they have on offer for excited couples.   And meeting other suppliers is always a hoot.

This season there seemed to be bit of a water theme – one venue is right next to the river and another in the middle of the river accessible only by boat.  Which in the driving, horizontal rain of a late October Sunday wasn’t the most fun.  Lots of different suppliers with all manner of materials to exhibit had to get on the little boat to travel the 30 second crossing from river bank to venue huddling together to escape the deluge.  Luckily for me my set up is fairly straightforward and compact so I can take it all in a little wheelie suitcase but others were not so fortunate in that regard. 

At this particular wedding fair I was placed next to a string quartet. We were strategically positioned near the entrance so that when prospective new clients entered, they were regaled with the beautiful, relaxing strains of classical music.  At the start of the day this was of course quite literally music to my ears.  Who wouldn’t their own personal music recital.   It was wonderful being serenaded by their music.  However after 3 hours and a repertoire that covered everything from Johann Bach to James Bond my ears needed a break and so I went off in search of other suppliers in other parts of the venue.

My wanderings led me to a fantastic dress maker whose work was absolutely stunning.  All hand made in her local studio she creates uniquely detailed dresses for brides and bridesmaids that are bespoke and eye catching.   And a lovely lady to boot.  I also met another musician – a solo singer who takes bookings for weddings as well as corporate events.  When she’s not performing she teaches vocals and does a lot of volunteer work within the local community – supporting people manage their mental help through the power of song.  Incredibly amazing stuff and a big hearted lass with a cheeky sense of humour.   I also met an independent travel agent whose glossy brochures splashed with photos of golden beaches and turquoise seas made me want to jump on a plane immediately but then I spied a caterer – perhaps some of my favourite suppliers on the fair circuit – and tucked into her delicious lemon drizzle cake with perhaps too much gusto.  I thanked her, wiped the crumbs off my lapels and headed back to my string instrument chums for a medley of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme tunes.   

My next wedding fair took me to a beautiful pub venue that was once a working water mill. It is set in a beautiful village on the river and from almost every room you could get a really decent view of the water – it’s a peaceful and serene view.  At this venue I was placed next to a magician.  To be honest I thought close-up magicians were a distant memory and, if I’m blunt, a little cheesy.   So I was somewhat surprised to see him there.   Of course, with magicians the patter is everything and I’ll admit I was a little skeptical to start with.  But when he got into his stride and I’d relaxed a bit his magic tricks were absolutely brilliant and he had a really great  way with people – making them feel at ease and comfortable.  I can totally appreciate how having a magician at your wedding would be a wonderful addition to help guest relax and have a bit of a laugh.  

After the show I took a wander around and I performed a bit of magic myself as I managed to make several of the most moist and flavoursome cupcakes from another exhibitor disappear in a matter of minutes.   Now that’s magic.   

The music on this day was supplied by another singer, a lovely young lady with a wonderful voice.  She was singing along to a backing track as our would-be clients filed in.   I also met a really funny and talented wedding photographer who taught me a few social media hacks (which I’m afraid to admit I’ve yet to deploy) and with whom the race was on to make it to the donut cake tower in time for some freebies.  

What always strikes me at these events is how genuinely LOVELY everyone is.  There’s no sense of competition against one another just a legitimate interest in one another’s niches.  I have met other celebrants exhibiting at these wedding fairs and you’d be forgiven for thinking there could be competition between us.  But we are all so distinct and offer different skills and approaches from one another that there’s no comparison.  And as such we support and encourage and share useful information or contacts.  For a lot of us suppliers we also have other day jobs in different fields which means that the time and attention we carve out and create to build our wedding supplier trades means that we are truly passionate about them.  

We turn up early to set up and stay late to pack down and spend the day getting to know new couples and one another.   I’ve met so many wonderful people at wedding fairs who are so good at and passionate about their services who come from a whole range of different backgrounds.  It’s really invigorating to be part of that.  If you’re interested in getting the details of any of my supplier buds please do contact me at hello@nicthecelebrant.com. Though this season has finished for me I absolutely cant wait for the next one – hopefully I’ll see you there!