Nicola and I have been going to the NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW for over 10 years !!!!
There is very little that we have not seen at the show over the years. We thought we would share our top tips on how to get the most out of your time, find inspirational ideas and save money too hopefully!
- COMFY SHOES – boring I know, but you will thank us at the end of the day! The floors, although carpeted, are hard underfoot and trust us, after a day on your feet, you will be so glad if you wear your comfortable clothes and trainers. It gets hot too in the hall so take advantage of the cloakroom at the entrance to the show and leave heavy bags or things you don’t need.
- MAKE A LIST – If there are key things you want to sort out at the show, make a note of the suppliers and look them up on the National Wedding Show guide online and work out a route and stick to it. Tick those companies off your list first to make sure you have covered the essentials. However, don’t be blinkered to new ideas – there are lots of inspirational things out there you might not have considered.
- BAGS –– this is so important. You can always spot a ‘show pro’ as they come armed with a bag on wheels like cabin crew! It’s a great idea to bring a good-sized bag for collecting information – there will be plenty of leaflets and brochures on offer.
![bag ladies]()
- BE METHODICAL – there is lots to see and the size of the hall can appear quite daunting, it’s also very easy to get side-tracked. Try to start at one side of the hall and work your way up and down the aisles, that way you won’t miss whole sections of the show.
- COMPETITIONS– There will no doubt be some great prizes worth winning, so get your name in the hat! However, we recommend you set up a separate wedding e-mail account before you visit the show so your main e-mail doesn’t get bombarded by wedding ideas and products. This way you can look through them at your wedding planning leisure. Some competitions have a tick box to complete if you don’t want to be contacted after the prize has been announced, but this might mean you miss out on some good offers down the line.
- FREE TICKETS– If you share foto-fusion Facebook page and then e-mail sales@foto-fusion.co.uk we will send you a link to your code to allow you a pair of FREE tickets worth £40.
- PACK A PICNIC – the show gets very busy at weekend and you don’t want to spend valuable time queuing for food. The food has really improved the last few years but it is not cheap. There are a few places to sit around the hall but why not eat your picnic whilst watching the catwalk, check the times of the shows and get your seats 15mins before the start.
![Show photo catwalk]()
- FREE GOODY BAGS – the show has goodie bags which are often worth looking through with free samples usually there is an energy or snack bar and each visitor gets a bag. Don’t forget any stuff you want to look at later put in your bag on wheels.
- TOILETS– Showing my age now discussing toilets! There are normally two main toilets within the hall look for signs overhead but they can get busy. If you go out of the hall, there are normally toilets at the entrance and these are often not quite as mad busy. Normally you can show your ticket and come in and out of the hall easily check with security.
- HAVE FUN – the first time you ever go to a trade show can be quite daunting so many companies with so may great ideas. But remember often the people on the stands are the owners of the company and its great to have their undivided attention. You can find out a lot by ask them questions and they are often know a lot about the industry it worth having a chat they do want to help.
