Ultimate celebrant guide to wedding fairs

Navigating the vibrant world of wedding fairs can be an exhilarating experience for any wedding celebrant. This comprehensive guide is your roadmap to attending these fairs and making a lasting impression. Whether you’re a seasoned celebrant or new to the scene, this celebrant guide to wedding fairs delves into the crucial aspects of showcasing your unique celebrant services at these bustling events. From setting up a stand that draws in couples to getting booked from a wedding fair, we cover it all.

Get ready to explore how these fairs can be a game-changer in elevating your wedding celebrant career.

Is it worth exhibiting at a wedding fair?

Absolutely! Wedding fairs are a great way to showcase your celebrancy services and build relationships with potential clients. As a wedding celebrant, you can offer couples something unique that other vendors cannot: a personalized ceremony tailored to the couple’s wishes. And what better way to show off your skills than at a wedding fair?

But it’s important to caveat that with the importance of finding the right wedding fairs for you. Do your research to find out which wedding fairs your ideal couples are likely to be attending and put the work in to give yourself the best chance of getting booked.

Getting bookings from wedding fairs

It’s important to remember that getting a booking at the wedding fair is rare (although we recommend taking a couple of contacts and booking forms with you, just in case). Most couples are there to gather information and meet prospective vendors.

You should view a wedding fair as a networking and lead generation opportunity and create a plan for capturing couple’s details and following up with them. We cover this in more detail in our Do’s and Don’ts but make sure you capture contact details and be sure to follow up.

Award-winning Celebrant Mentor Miranda Ash of Celebrations for All recommends always getting the couple to book a discovery call with you before they leave, so you can carry the conversation on in private.

“It’s also a good opportunity to network with local vendors who might refer you to couples in the future”. Tagging them in photos on social media is a great way to keep the conversation going after the event.

What should I take to a wedding fair?

If you have the opportunity to attend some fairs beforehand you might even be able to get some inspiration from other vendors, but here are some basic things you’ll need to take to a wedding fair:

• Business cards
• Branded Postcards or flyers
• Decorations for your stand – table cloth, backdrops, symbolic props, i.e. handfasting ribbons, sand ceremony kit, unity candle set, flowers etc.
• Banners or posters with your contact details 
• Photo frames with posters
• Something branded to hand out i.e. branded lollipops or cookies 
• Someone to help out on the day
• Portfolio folder or printed photobook – if you’ve got a selection of reviews, examples of personalised scripts etc, this can be a great way to showcase your work and expertise.
• A water bottle – you’ll want to keep hydrated throughout the day

Make a checklist before the day to ensure you don’t forget anything.

How to set up your Stand for success at a wedding fair?

Your stand should be eye-catching enough to catch people’s eye and entice them over. So you’ll need to dress your table or area;  remember to make it personal to you and your brand and appealing to your ideal couples.

• Make sure your name is visible, whether it’s on a banner, letter bunting, or a mounted poster on an Easel stand. 
• Have business cards and flyers available. 
• Remember to draw the eye in at eye level and create visual interest by using stands, backdrops, or even stacking boxes at different levels.
• Dress the space – depending on the size of the stand; you might want to bring in fresh or dried flowers, a plant, disco balls or even a bar table to talk around.
• Have images or videos of past ceremonies. 
• Symbolic props – Sand Ceremony Vase, Handfasting Ribbons, a Unity Candle set (check with the venue before lighting it).

Remember, less is more when it comes to symbolic elements on your stand, the key is to pique interest and spark conversations, not overwhelm.

Ideas to decorate your wedding fair stand or table 

There are endless possibilities when it comes to decorating your stand or table, here are just a few tried and tested decorations: 

• Decorate with a room divider backdrop 
• Easle stand with a branded Foamboard poster 
• Coloured tablecloth or fabric 
• Mounted photos of past ceremonies and couples
• disco balls or paper pompoms
• iPad stand with a video of you doing a ceremony
• Flowers & plants (dried or fake might be more practical for transport & set up)
• Pop-up banners & stands
• Letter bunting with your name on it

Decorative conversation starters for your stand/table

If you’re worried about sparking up conversations with prospective customers, it can be a good idea to have some strategically placed conversation starters on your stand that couples can ask you about.

• Unity Candle Set
• Handfasting ribbons
• Gin blending or wine blending set – Gin blending is popular at the moment and most couples don’t know they can incorporate rituals with alcohol in their ceremony, so it’s a fun conversation starter.
• Branded goodies – lollipops, cupcakes, sweet bags or cookies – our celebrant crush, Miranda Ash, took branded lollies one step further and had her face and logo printed on hers! She hands them to prospective couples with her business card, talk about memorable!
• If you’re an award winning celebrant, consider getting your award badge blown up and mounted so that it’s visible on your stand.

You can find some other Creative backdrop suggestions here over at our sister site, The Celebrant Directory.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Exhibiting at Wedding Fairs

Do’s:

• Do clearly display your business name and contact details
• Do wear comfortable shoes – expect to be standing most of the day
• Do give yourself plenty of time to plan and get everything ordered in good time i.e. business cards, banners, flyers etc.
• Do be engaging with couples, making sure you listen carefully and take notes.
• Do dress for the occasion, first impressions matter, so wear something professional and “on brand”
• Do capture contact details so that you can follow up with couples after the event and book potential couples in for a discovery call before they leave
• Do follow up promptly with leads; it’s best to contact people within 24 hours to keep you fresh in their minds, even just a quick email to say, “it was great to meet you at the wedding fair today, looking forward to chatting on the [insert call date]”, will go a long way
• Do Network with other vendors whilst you’re there. This is a great opportunity to make connections with photographers, florists, venues, wedding planners and more.
• Do consider enlisting help for the day, it can be helpful to have someone else available to collect details or hand out flyers, especially if you’re busy talking to a couple. 
• Do have your website or social media in place so people can get in touch with you afterwards
• Choose a low-cost wedding fair to get started and find your feet, or do your research and visit a few before diving in yourself.

Don’t

• Don’t turn up at a Wedding Fair without doing your research. Make sure your ideal couple is likely to be there before you sign up and pay for anything.
• Don’t sit down if you can avoid it- you want to be approachable and engaging, sitting down gives the wrong impression.
• Don’t Pack up early – make sure you can stay the whole day
• Don’t eat at your stand. It looks unprofessional. Ask a helper to watch the stand for you or put a “back in 15 minutes” sign up.
• Don’t go with the standard White table cloth & table set up. This is an opportunity to stand out, choose a tablecloth or covering that matches your brand or do away with the table altogether and create a decorative backdrop from balloons, flowers or even a beautiful room divider.

Where can I find a Wedding Fair near Me?

Finding a Wedding Fair near you can be a great way to connect with potential clients and reach out to the local wedding industry. With so many local wedding fairs popping up nationwide, it’s easy to find one that fits your needs.

• Use Google and Search for ‘Wedding Fairs [your location]’
• Check local social media groups
• Research popular wedding venues & see if they have any fairs planned
• Find relevant wedding forums and search there
• Ask your wedding network contacts which fairs they attend (and avoid)
• Ask your Celebrant community 

Making Wedding fairs work for you 

Attending wedding fairs is more than just an opportunity; it’s a strategic move in the celebrant’s journey to success. As we’ve explored, it’s about making connections, presenting your brand effectively, and most importantly, understanding and catering to the needs of prospective clients. Remember, your presence at these fairs is not just about immediate bookings but about planting seeds for future success. Armed with these insights and tips, you can turn every wedding fair into a stepping stone towards a flourishing celebrant career. Embrace these experiences, for they are valuable chapters in your ongoing story as a dedicated and passionate celebrant.

If you need help marketing your Celebrant business, check out our Celebrant training & CPD courses.