Business Guidance
So, you’ve signed up to exhibit at a wedding fayre… now what? We are often asked by suppliers how they can make the most of their experience at a wedding show, so we felt inspired to create a series of blog posts containing our top tips to help inspire you and give you the best possible chances of succeeding. We’ll help you ensure every box is ticked to give you the best possible chance of securing those all important bookings.
This second post in the series is focused on the crucial dos and don’ts of exhibiting at a Wedding Fayre.
You’ll appear much more welcoming and approachable to couples if you are standing. Additionally if space allows, try to stand to the side or in front of your stall.
Having an incentive in viewing distance of the visitor like a sweet treat, or special offer will encourage brides to take advantage of this and engage in conversation.
Collecting couples details is very important because it will enable you to contact them after the show. It’s often the case that wedding shows are very busy with continuous fresh faces passing your stall. If you engage in a long conversation with a particular bride, it’s likely that you’ll miss potential customers that pass by. Therefore, it’s best to speak to brides but encourage them to write down their details so you can chat to them further after the fayre.
If you don’t quite manage to capture as many details as you would have liked, we always have all the bridal data available to purchase following a show.
It should be super clear who you are and what you can do. First impressions are everything. You don’t want to mislead brides or leave them confused as this could detract from potential business.
I’ve seen multiple suppliers feature tatty banners on their stand that look like they’ve been around for about 10 years. It’s so important not just to keep banners fresh, but to update the artwork and wording to keep everything current.
There’s a very high chance that you’ll spend the majority of your time speaking to multiple couples, and there may be times where you’re in such high demand with a line of people wishing to speak to you about your services. Try to bring a helping hand with you on the day. Preferably someone that knows a little about your business and can therefore pass the right information on to brides.
Being active on social media is not just to help promote the fayre, but it’s to promote yourselves. We’re always hot on social media at our events, so it’s likely that anything you post will be shared on our platforms, allowing our brides and suppliers to connect with you.
There are lots of ways to become involved on social media. Live videos are a fantastic way of giving your followers a taste of the wedding fayre.
I know this may seem odd as we offer a 6ft trestle table, plain white table cloth and chairs as standard across our shows, but not using this and creating your own unique set up sets you aside from the average stall and will make you stand out. Even switching the table cloth to one of your own can help. Around 90 – 95% of suppliers use the standard set up, so don’t be scared to be different. It can really pay off!
Not only does leaving early look unprofessional, but you may miss potential business. It isn’t unusual for us to get a number of brides entering the show just before closing, and they may just be the ones that make a booking.
I feel like this one is a little obvious, but we do see a lot of exhibitors sitting down and eating their lunch at their stall. This can be incredibly distracting for visitors and detract them from approaching you. This is another reason why you should have someone else attend the fayre with you on the day. It’s important that you take a well deserved break at a show.
I met a lot of my contacts by attending wedding shows in my spare time, and it’s always lovely to chat to fellow suppliers. Why not head over to some stalls and follow them on social media – It’s likely they’ll return the favour.
We like to upload photographs of exhibitor stalls on our Instagram story during the show, and we always like to tag the supplier so make sure you’re on Instagram and return the favour by sharing the story to yours, and follow the tagged suppliers. This just makes connecting suppliers super easy.
I hope that’s helped you understand the crucial dos and don’ts of exhibiting at a Wedding Fayre.
Read Part 1: How To Prepare for a Wedding Fayre
Read Part 3: The Impact of Social Media at a Wedding Fayre and How To Use it to Your Benefit!
Photo credit: Viola Jay Photography
Bouquet & Bells / The Magazine is the ultimate paper guide for stylish & fun loving couples. Each and every issue is full-to-bursting with the latest innovative fresh content & hottest trends.
with CLAIRE BOON and SARAH MACKLIN of Bouquet & Bells
You know that old saying “new year, new me”? Well, ahead of the fast approaching 2025, we’ve decided to switch some things up around here and add a dash more sparkle into Bouquet and Bells.
This shoot was inspired wholly by the vastness and beauty of the venue as well as the unitarians inspiring ethos: Ullet Road Unitarian Church. We chose a beautiful day for the shoot, meaning the light flooding into the building and outside of the building was beautiful. We had a selection of dresses to change into for different parts of the church, and we utilised the late in different rooms and at different windows, as well as the doors for the iconic confetti shots.
Your wedding is a magical day which will stay with you forever. However, it’s unquestionable that with a tag like that, there’s also going to be an element of pressure you need to manage. 84% of brides report feeling some sort of stress about their big day. And while a lot of this comes hand-in-hand with planning a large event, it’s unquestionable that standing in front of anyone as the “star of the show” is going to get the nerves jangling.
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