You’re engaged! Congratulations! Now what? Welcome to the world of endless to-do lists, clustered Pinterest boards, people telling you what to do, and what not to do, not to mention the number of appointments that will appear on your calendar.

Frazzled yet? Don’t worry, there is light (your beautiful day!) and the planning and build up doesn’t have to be too painful!

There is so much to consider in the lead up to your wedding, and one thing that we would consider a must, is visiting at least 2/3 wedding fayres. Why? They can be a perfect way to help you make some key decisions. They provide great opportunities for you to gather inspiration and meet suppliers/venues that you might want to work with.

They can also be extremely overwhelming, and if you don’t approach them properly, you will come away feeling fatigued, frazzled, and downright fraught!

In this entry, we aim to give you some top tips on how to get the most out of attending.

There are many different wedding fayres around the country and not all will be suitable for you.

To make sure you choose the right ones, start to look at wedding magazines, follow wedding venues such as Hop Farm and That Amazing Place, who write really handy blogs all about weddings, and various suppliers i.e., florists like the wonderful Simply Stunning Flowers, and photographers such as Picture and Petals, on social media.

Before you decide on attending look at where the fayre is being held and look to see who’s exhibiting. See if it’s worth the visit and if the suppliers are offering something on the day i.e., a caterer maybe offering sample food, a makeup artist maybe showing practical classes and a mobile bar could be offering sample drinks or cocktails.

Always ask yourself before deciding to go to a fayre, are these suppliers suitable for you? Will they travel to your wedding venue?

To narrow down your list further think about the following;

• What time of year are you getting married?

• Where are you getting married?

• What is your wedding theme/style?

• What suppliers are you looking for? For example, are you looking for a mobile bar like Beyond Bar Hire, or entertainment such as a photobooth that you can hire from Smiles Better Entertainment.

Once you have considered all the above, you’ll be much more confident that you’ll get the most out of the fayre you’re attending.

Now you know the wedding fayres you’ll be attending make sure you are prepared to use these to your advantage and get as much out of them as possible.

Be prepared, start by making a list of what you want to achieve and stick to it. Decide on a some aims, and objectives then set out to achieve them i.e., find a cake maker, decide on flower choice, photographer etc…

It can be tempting to make it a day out with your mum, bridesmaids, groomsmen, friends etc. However, you are going to be making BIG decisions about your wedding day and these decisions need to be made together as a couple. Think of it like house buying, you would generally go as a couple to house viewings, wouldn’t you?

This is EXTREMELY important. A wedding fayre IS NOT the event to don a lovely pair of Dior heels! Flats, flats, flats all the way. Amara Bridal say, ‘Take a pair of heels if you are considering trying on dresses, but definitely don’t wear them!’

Suitable clothing is also a must when attending the fayres; go comfy - leggings T-shirt, anything you won’t feel too hot and sweaty in.

Pack a BIG bag to carry all of the leaflets, samples etc. you will be picking up. One of the big ones you can get from most supermarkets, would be suitable.

Suitable clothing is also a must when attending the fayres; go comfy - leggings T-shirt, anything you won’t feel too hot and sweaty in.

Pack a BIG bag to carry all of the leaflets, samples etc. you will be picking up. One of the big ones you can get from most supermarkets, would be suitable.

Take both cash and a credit / debit card. More often than not, vendors will be ok with card, but some will require cash, so take both just in case.

Don’t forget your diary/calendar! You’ll be choosing suppliers who will want to set up a meeting with you so it’s important you have this with you so you can schedule appointments there and then.

You’re prepared, you’re ready, your armed with a plan now all there’s left to do is enjoy and take it all in!

Try not to get too overwhelmed, and if you do feel frazzled, take that free glass of fizz when offered, eat those sample cakes, and taste those yummy chocolates!

Rest when you feel like it and try not to forget to soak in the experience of walking around together, looking for the ideal components for your dream day.

For more advice and inspiration to help make your wedding day a unique and memorable occasion, make sure you’re following the Infinite Wedding Co blog.

Debbie and Becca x