unpopular opinions - wedding fairs and supermarkets are remarkably alike

wedding fairs don't build weddings. teams do.

it's 8pm. you're sat on the sofa with a cup of tea, scrolling instagram, pinterest and reddit looking for wedding inspiration.

you save a reel. then another. then another.

you love the flowers in one, but not the venue. you love the venue in another, but not the styling. you love the tablescape in a third, but you'd never choose those colours. before long, everything starts to blur together.

it's exhausting.

and perhaps the biggest misconception of all is believing that the luxury weddings you see online are representative of the average wedding budget. they aren't.

social media gives couples access to an endless stream of inspiration, but very little guidance. eventually, the pressure starts to build. your wedding is getting closer, there are decisions to make, and you need suppliers.

fast.

so naturally, you book tickets to a wedding fair.

as wedding professionals, we've all done them. we arrive early, unload the van, set up our stand, grab a coffee and walk around to see who's exhibiting.

there are offers…

discounts. free upgrades. tasters. brochures. competitions.

and whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that, the entire environment feels remarkably similar to a supermarket.

every supplier is trying to communicate their value. every supplier is trying to stand out. every supplier wants to leave with bookings.

for couples, it can feel productive. you've spoken to twenty suppliers and collected twenty brochures.

but here's the problem.

weddings aren't built like supermarkets. they're built like teams.

a supermarket allows you to fill a trolley with ingredients. whether those ingredients work together is entirely up to you.

wedding fairs often encourage a similar mindset.

photographer? tick. florist? tick. stylist? tick. stationery? tick.

before long, you've built a checklist of suppliers.

but a checklist isn't the same thing as a team.

when suppliers are booked entirely in isolation, there's always the possibility that they've never worked together before. they all have different ways of communicating, different processes and different ideas about how things should be done.

does that mean there will be problems?

of course not.

but it does mean you're relying on a group of strangers to come together and deliver one of the most important days of your life.

the best weddings i've ever worked on have one thing in common.

strong supplier relationships.

the photographer knows the planner. the florist knows the stylist. the stylist knows the venue.

everyone understands their role. everyone trusts one another. everyone is working towards the same outcome.

that's why one of the best ways to find suppliers is often through the suppliers you've already booked.

ask your photographer which florist they'd recommend.

ask your florist which stylist they'd recommend.

ask your stylist which photographer they'd recommend.

listen carefully to their answers.

not because referral fees are involved; they aren't.

but because recommendations are a reflection of reputation.

suppliers recommend people they trust.

people they've worked alongside. people whose standards align with their own. people who make the day run smoothly.

when suppliers align in goal, something interesting happens.

communication becomes easier.

collaboration becomes easier.

the experience becomes better for the couple.

the experience becomes better for the venue.

the experience becomes better for the suppliers.

everybody wins.

so if you're planning your wedding, don't just focus on collecting suppliers.

focus on building a team.

because a great wedding isn't a collection of suppliers.

it's a collection of people working together towards the same vision.