By Kate Beavis. Are you wanting a wedding with a difference? Something a little more creative than the normal traditional day, with an injection of boho, vintage, festival or indeed anything a bit different? There is so much wedding inspiration out there for you, from Pinterest and Instagram, to magazines and blogs, but what about going along to a wedding fair, to touch and feel the products and speak to the talented suppliers who can help you create your perfect vision?
The Magpie Wedding Show can do just that and is back in London this weekend! It launched in February 2010, 8 years ago this month as The Vintage Wedding Fair; it was the first of its kind and paved the way for so many alternative wedding fairs across the UK. Its focus was on all things vintage, and soon became the National Vintage Wedding Fair as it took its events to multiple cities. Rebranded in 2017, to incorporate the boho and festival trends, and indeed any fashion that impacts the wedding industry, Magpie Wedding embraces all things creative for your wedding day; from the flowers to the dress, from the photography to the styling.
The Magpie Wedding Show is a great place to find wedding inspiration
By creative we mean design led – so whatever the latest trend is, they are there. They want artisan, unique brides and grooms to enjoy discovering new styles for their day, in a relaxed environment – be it on their blog, the wedding show or the directory. For the vintage lovers out there – fear not, they still are the place to find true vintage and antique dresses and accessories – they will never stop promoting this ethical and stylish way.
Each show has fabulous suppliers, a craft DIY workshop or two, a fashion “show and tell” parade, live music, cake and a cuppa, the opportunity to go VIP and above all, an ethos that celebrates you! So, no teeth whitening, no weight loss, nothing that makes you feel anything less than beautiful.
The owner, Kate Beavis, shares with us her top 3 pieces of advice for creative couples to get the day they want, and how her shows can help with that.
It is your day, so try not to get swept into designing a day based around what everyone else wants. Magazines, your friends and family will all have an opinion on what you should or should not do, and we feel strongly here at Magpie Wedding, that you should do what you want. So, if you don’t want speeches, then don’t have them. If you want to wear a blue dress, then wear it! It is your day and should reflect the two of you; your style, and what is important to you.
Weddings can cost a lot, but we all have different budgets so there is no right or wrong amount to spend. If you want to inject some of your creative touches, why not add some DIY elements into the day which can help you save some money too. You could make some of the decorations, create your own button holes, or like at my wedding, add quirky details such as handing out flowers to everyone on arrival, so they can create their own button holes or add them to their hair. These small details help to create a unique day that people will remember.
Get to know your wedding suppliers and share your vision with them in the form of Pinterest boards or even a scrap book. They are so passionate about what they do and are eager to help create the perfect day for you. They also have so many ideas that you maybe have not thought of or discredited as you thought they were not feasible; but they can help shape your ideas and make them a reality. At our shows, all our suppliers are hand picked to make sure they have great products, impeccable service and tonnes of creative ideas.
The Magpie Wedding Show is in Chiswick Town Hall, London on February 25th and Manchester’s Victoria Baths on March 18th. The latter show also features a Fake Wedding, where you are invited to watch our bride and groom get married. It is a chance to see their exhibitors at work – eat the cake, drink the fizz, catch the bouquet, see the photographer at work and much more. Tickets are on sale here or simply pay on the door.
Image credit: Kate McCarthy Photography
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