Every week, suppliers and venues attend and host wedding showcases across the country. But what’s all the fuss about and should you attend a wedding showcase? If you do, what can you expect to experience and how can you get the most out of your time? We’re covering it all in this week’s episode!
A BIG thank you to Raina from The Johnstown Estate for sharing expert advice in this week’s episode!
For the purposes of this episode, this is what we mean when we talk about a wedding showcase:
- A wedding venue showcase, where the venue opens its doors to couples. They will often set up the venue as if they are hosting a wedding and they often have other wedding suppliers on site.
- A wedding fair or expo, where hundreds of wedding suppliers have a stand or display. You can walk through the stands and catch glimpses of different types of suppliers.
We’ll use the term ‘wedding showcase’ to talk about these events interchangeably, but it is important to note that there are different types of showcases, expos and fairs. Always look at the event description before attending an event like this to get an understanding of exactly what you will be experiencing.
Episode breakdown
Here’s why you should attend a wedding showcase:
- You’ll have fun – Freebies, samples, discounts, competitions, entertainers, cake tasting and bubbly… and just the buzz of being surrounded by wedding suppliers and engaged couples!
- You’ll find suppliers – A great reason to attend a wedding fair is to connect with suppliers, see their work, ask questions and make some bookings.
- You’ll get inspiration – Looking at inspiration online is one thing, but nothing compares to seeing decor, dresses, venues and other wedding things in real life.
- You’ll get discounts and freebies – Lots of suppliers offer discounts for making a booking with them at, or just after, a wedding showcase. Make the most of this!
- You’ll be able to ask questions – Whether you are attending a wedding venue showcase or a wedding fair with several categories of suppliers, you’ll meet people and ask them all the questions you have about their services.
- You’ll find out what you don’t want – Similar to finding inspiration, being able to see things in real life will help to understand things you love and don’t love.
What are the pros and cons of a private site visit compared to an open wedding showcase?
With the above in mind, you may be wondering if you should attend a wedding showcase or just visit your dream venues for private site visits.
Raina from The Johnstown Estate says:
One to one:
- A personalised experience at a wedding venue
- At a time that suits you
- You’ll get undivided attention of the coordinator
- Distraction-free and in a quiet environment
- The venue may not be exactly set up for a wedding (it might be set up for a conference or a private gathering, so you’d need to use your imagination) – just ask for photos!
Showcase:
- The venue would be fully set up for a wedding (decor, lighting, table settings, menus, etc)
- Lots of trusted suppliers in attendance showcasing their services (candy carts, entertainers, photographers and so on) so you could tick off all your boxes
- Venue coordinator may not be able to devote a full amount of attention to you on a showcase day, it’s a busy day with lots going on
If this voice note and advice sounds very familiar, it’s because Raina actually answered this question for us in episode 116 of the podcast. That episode was all about wedding venue site visits. So if you’re wondering what types of questions to ask when you attend a site visit or wedding venue showcase, how many site visits you need, what to do if you can’t visit your venue in person (and so much more) then take a listen to the episode:
How To Make The Most Of A Wedding Showcase Experience
Of course, simply booking a ticket and attending a wedding showcase is great, but if you want to get the most out of the experience, you need to be prepared. Here are some top tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes – If you plan on trying dresses, bring your heels in a bag. Your feet will thank you.
- Choose your company wisely – Whether you take your partner, mother, sister or best friend, make sure they actually want to be there. You want someone with the stamina to explore all the suppliers and chit-chat, the samples and tasting as well as watching wedding gown fashion shows.
- Eat before you go – You want to have energy! So eat before you go and bring a bottle of water with you. This won’t deter you from sampling the food and cakes.
- Know what you want – Arrive with an idea of which suppliers you want to prioritise. If you are after a photographer, you’ll be able to make a bee-line for them and you’ll have purpose.
- Take notes – Keep a note on your phone of which suppliers you’ve met and connected with. Jot down what you loved about them, because you’ll forget.
- Take photos – Same reason as above. If you don’t document it, you’ll forget. In this instance, you could take photos of business cards instead of collecting flyers.
- Ask questions – Have a list of questions you want to ask – anything from vegan catering options to naked flame policy and how many weddings a venue hosts per day. Ask it all!
Every week, we share a list of wedding showcases, fairs, and events that take place across the country. If you follow @weddingsonline on Instagram, you can join our Exclusive Offers broadcast list, where we’ll share these details weekly (along with competitions, special offers and other exclusive wedding things).
