Wedding Fairs – The Hidden Preparations!

Wedding fairs are the core ingredient for engaged couples preparing for their special day, where a venue hosts top class suppliers, showcasing everything from wedding favours to chocolate fountains!

The fairs are an excellent starting point for couples who aren’t sure where to begin planning a wedding as all exhibitors and wedding coordinators are on-hand for a chat or to answer any questions couples might have. They are a buzzing haven of information on the necessities for modern weddings, the one-stop-shop for meeting staff and suppliers, discovering a wealth of advice from photography prices to tailored package deals to the delicious taste of red velvet cake.

However, it is forgivable when overcome with anticipation and enthusiasm upon entering the venue, to overlook the effort and time that goes into organising a wedding fair, from the venue’s marketing campaigns and ballroom preparations to the individual supplier travelling and setting up their stall to exhibit and showcase their unique service.

Many venues spend lots of time and energy on advertising and preparing for an upcoming wedding fair, which they usually host twice in the year.  It is an important opportunity to show off the ballroom and service to couples at its absolute best from general decor,fresh flowers and mood lighting to the staff and bridal suites.

Simultaneously, the exhibitors are also seeking to show off their unique services on the day and Timeless Bridalwear are no exception!

In preparation for a wedding fair, the groundwork for us typically starts a week to ten days prior to the show.  We market our attendance to the fairs widely on social media and ensure to follow up on any queries.

Over the past two years we have mastered the ideal layout of our stands, depending on the table size and location in the ballroom.  A small bit of subtle visual merchandising is key to attracting couples to a stall! We also run competitions including vouchers and freebies, which we has proved very popular!

Our Table at a Recent Wedding Fair

Care and thought is put into the stand and table layout in order for it to attractively allow brides to see our great service!

Our table holds all information on what we offer brides – leaflets, business cards, competition forms for exciting prizes and completed with soft candle lit lanterns and scattered stars for that extra sparkle.

We never tire of meeting new brides and they are genuinely in awe of the value we provide and the savings they can make, there’s no need for a sales pitch!

A fashion show is an extremely interesting addition at a wedding fair and we have been fortunate enough to partake in many over the last two years. Sometimes the venue will hire models for the fashion show and other times we supply our own experienced models.

Assets Model Lisa showing off one of our stunning Paloma Blanca dresses at
The Headfort Arms Fashion Show

We hold one or two meetings in the boutique to ensure our dresses fit the models perfectly and if not, which dresses require a nip/tuck here and there! We aim to choose a variety of styles and sizes and to give each dress a chance to get its day in the limelight. Once the dresses are finalised (which can take hours!!) each one is devotedly described in order of appearance they partake in the show.

The details are sent to the compère in advance of the show in order for them to familiarise with and liaise with us on any issues.

On wedding fair day, set up begins around two hours before kick-off, with all suppliers busily setting up their attractive stands before resting with a cuppa prior to opening.

With minutes to go to the fashion show, the models are secure in their first set of dresses, ready to show them off their to best potential.  An air of excitement coupled with the adrenaline keeps everyone pumped! Once the first run is complete, the pressure is on the models to undress and hurry into the next gown, not forgetting a veil or headpiece, but this is all part of the fast paced nature of a fashion show!

Precision and Care taken to lace-up a beautiful Sophia Tolli gown.

Modelling Mori Lee, Paloma Blanca & Justin Alexander gowns,
The models work the red carpet at
The Headfort Arms Wedding Fair

Couples attending one of our shows can expect to see an array of beautiful gowns, typically ten to twelve dresses will feature. It’s certainly an invaluable opportunity to see dresses come to life; they are so much prettier than sitting on a hanger!

The enormous effort from all suppliers to organise a wedding fair ensures that couples can gather all the important aspects of the big day under one roof.  They can gain fresh ideas and make informed decisions about their big day.  This makes it all worthwhile! 5pm comes too fast – time to pack up in anticipation of the next wedding fair – all in a day’s work!

 Upcoming  Wedding Fairs: 

The Station House, Kilmessan, Co. Meath –  August 2^nd 2015

Westgrove Hotel, Clane, Co.Kildare  – August 23^rd 2015

Newgrange & Ardboyne Hotel, Navan, Co.Meath – September 6^th 2015

Westgrove Hotel, Clane, Co.Kildare  – Fashion Show October 4th

Look forward to seeing you all there!

Lizzelle and Adele x