Image from our stand at Godwick Great Barn wedding fair 2014 taken by DK Photography.

Dragging to fiancee round endless dull wedding stands for a day sounds like hell right? Well, yes that sounds awful. But doing a little bit of research on alternative fairs in the area could be the most fun you’ve had wedding planning.

We love The Most Curious Wedding Fair in Norwich, Godwick Great Barn’s unusual fair and KL Wedding Fest in Kings Lynn for local fairs that pack some personality into the proceedings. You’ll find a set of local wedding suppliers that you are excited about and want to actually talk to all in one place. Beats hours on google. These fairs really have an amazing buzz and are all part of the ‘Bride and Groom Experience’. If you don’t go for anything else, there is always free cake!

Image from our stand at Godwick Great Barn wedding fair 2014 taken by DK Photography.

Here’s just a few reasons to pop for a mooch round your local fairs :

Meeting and talking to local suppliers face to face can really help you learn about the way they communicate and how their business works. You can see the product they offer off the computer screen but also see if they ‘get you’ as a couple.

Finding exciting suppliers online can be really time-consuming and some of the coolest companies are often smaller and won’t be on the first page of google, but doesn’t mean they aren’t brilliant.

Florists and Cake makers are great to find locally because being near to your venue means the products aren’t travelling for miles and will look much fresher for your day.

You might see an incredible set up or display idea on the stands, companies often showcase their newest products and ideas at fairs that may not yet be on their sites.

Local suppliers won’t charge you a fortune for travel or delivery and collection, and companies from further afield can bump up the price by a third to drop off their goods.

Suppliers and Venues will have beautiful pictures and albums on display of what brides and grooms have done before and worked, giving you realistic and affordable inspiration at your finger tips.

Some companies will offer discounts if bookings are made on the day – this is a great way to save money if you are a decisive pair. But we would say don’t rush into bookings, its best to think about it together over a brew and look at your budgets for each part of the wedding.

Competitions from companies are often just for on the day fair attendees, enter them all – You’ve got to be in it to win it! We often have competitions to win some of our decor on our stands.

You can compare suppliers, take away a price list which may not always on websites. You could negotiate with a supplier face-to-face if you’re ordering a substantial amount or see if there is anything else they can offer you. It’s always worth asking.

We hope to see you at a fair soon, we’ll always post where we’re exhibiting on our Facebook page.

Happy planning,
The Little Lending Co. x