Looking for some serious inspiration for your big day? We’ve rounded up some of the best wedding fairs, shows and exhibitions in the UK to visit in 2023.
If you’re in major wedding planning mode, then you just have to visit a wedding fair, show or exhibition.
These unmissable events are jam-packed with all of the tips and inspiration that a married couple-to-be could possibly need, including professional catwalk shows that showcase some of the most stunning bridal wear of the season.
Wedding Fairs Near Me to Visit in 2023
We’ve rounded up some of the best wedding fairs and shows in the UK in stunning wedding venues and huge exhibition centres that you just have to visit this year.
Wedding Fairs in London
The National Wedding Show, ExCel London
The National Wedding Show has established itself over more than 25 years as the ultimate destination for wedding planning, with thousands of couples visiting the shows every season.
This year, watch models on the catwalk show off stunning bridal collections from top designers, visit the WedTalk stage to get top tips from industry experts and the popular Viktor & Rolf Champagne Bar. Plus, exhibitors include Six Stories, Monica Vinader, Hope & Ivy, Phase Eight as well as lots of travel, beauty and food and drink stands.
When: 1-2 April 2023
Where: ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL
Signature Wedding Show, Wembley Stadium
Coming to one of London’s most iconic venues, the Signature Wedding Show will be heading to Wembley Stadium in October, showcasing a huge number of wedding specialists on hand including bridal boutiques, wedding venues, florists, photographers and many others.
In addition there will be fashion shows, demonstration areas and entertainment plus all couples attending on the day will be given a goody bag, including a show guide. There will be competitions and luxury giveaways for attendees.
When: 8 October 2023
Where: Wembley Stadium, South Way, London, HA9 0WS
Morden Hall Wedding Show, Morden
Every year, the stunning Georgian Manor wedding venue Morden Hall hosts it’s own wedding fair where you will be able to meet the fantastic team who run it plus more than 25 wedding specialists to help make your wedding day that extra special.
When: 19 March 2023
Where: Morden Hall Road, Morden, Greater London, SM4 5JD Sutton
The National Asian Wedding Show, Heathrow
The National Asian Wedding Show is Europe’s largest Asian wedding show and this year it returns to West London’s the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow.
With over 100 exhibitors and world class catwalk shows, the National Asian Wedding Show provides you with ideas and inspiration for your big day. Witness the leading wedding service suppliers and watch stunning catwalk shows featuring the seasons latest trends.
When: 5 March 2023
Where: Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow, 140 Bath Road, Harlington, UB3 5AW
Wedding Fairs in the South East
Signature Wedding Show, Mercedes-Benz World
There will be a huge number of wedding specialists on hand including bridal boutiques, wedding venues, florists, photographers and many others all under one roof at this year’s Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World.
Located next to the Mercedes-Benz race track with viewing platform, simulators, exhibitions and children’s play area, as well as cafes for refreshments, the venue is certainly a wedding show like no other!
All those attending on the day will be given a goody bag, including a show guide plus every couple attending is given the opportunity to enter a competition to win a luxury honeymoon!
When: 16 April 2023
Where: Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands Drive, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0SL
The Kent Wedding Fair, Rochester Corn Exchange
The Kent Wedding Fair brings together the best local wedding suppliers and specialists in the industry, dedicated to making your special day perfect.
With a huge variety of different suppliers, for all tastes and budgets, The Kent Wedding Fair is a great place to get some exciting ideas and inspiration for your big day.
Every attendee receives a complimentary goody bag and wedding magazines plus lots of great deals!
When: 26 March, 14 May and 17 September 2023
Where: Rochester Corn Exchange, Northgate, The Precinct, Rochester, ME1 1LS
Signature Wedding Show, Ascot Racecourse
At the Signature Wedding Show held at Ascot Racecourse, there will be a huge number of wedding specialists on hand including bridal boutiques, wedding venues, florists, photographers and many others all under one roof. Plus, there will be two fashion shows, demonstration areas and a host of entertainment.
When: 26 February 2023
Where: Ascot Racecourse, High St, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX
The Luxury Wedding Fair at Hatfield House, Hatfield House
The Luxury Wedding Fair at Hatfield House is held in the historic Old Palace and contemporary Riding School. As well as over sixty leading wedding professionals from Hertfordshire and beyond, this unique and long running wedding fair also hosts masterclasses on wedding related topics.
Part of the Old Palace will be decorated and dressed for a wedding offering you an insight into weddings at this stunning venue as well as inspiration.
Visit the fair for fashion shows featuring the very latest bridal and couture gowns together with an array of live entertainment.
When: 26 March 2023
Where: Hatfield House, Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 5HX
The Brighton & Hove Luxury Wedding Fair, Brighton
Featuring leading wedding suppliers from East Sussex and beyond, The Bright & Hove Luxury Wedding Fair will feature some of the most creative small designers around who will provide endless inspiration for brides-to-be. There will be two professional fashion shows featuring dresses from a variety of bridal shops and menswear. Plus great live entertainment, musicians and magicians.
When: 2 April 2023
Where: Hilton Brighton Metropole, Kings Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FU
The Randolph’s Wedding Fair, Oxford
Visit The Randolph Hotel, one of Oxford City Centre’s most popular venues, for their wedding showcase. With function suites set-up and available to view, fizz and canapes on arrival, and goody bags for the first fifteen couples through the door.
On the day, meet The Randolph’s recommended local suppliers who be be showcasing, including florists, cake makers, decorators, wedding planners, and more.
When: 12 March 2023
Where: The Randolph Hotel, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LN
Oxford Town Hall Wedding Showcase, Oxford
Oxford Town Hall, Oxford city centre’s largest venue with a stunning interior, presents the 2023 Spring Wedding Showcase, in partnership with Elegant Cuisine and local, recommended suppliers.
When: 26 March 2023
Where: Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford, OX11BX
Wedding Fairs in the South West
The Cheltenham Wedding Show, Ellenborough Park
The Cheltenham Wedding Show is the ultimate destination for shopping, inspiration and wedding planning. The Cheltenham Wedding Show at Ellenborough Park makes for a fantastic backdrop, with stunning grounds and views, with a range of beautiful ceremony and reception spaces to suit weddings parties of all shapes and sizes.
At this event by WOW Wedding Shows you will find dozens of the area’s top wedding suppliers specialising in all things wedding, from delectable cakes to exquisite bridal and groomswear.
The wedding events team will be on hand and ready to discuss your wedding plans, and how Ellenborough Park could be the venue of your dreams. So why not come along to one of the most exquisite, luxury venues in the Cotswolds.
When: 26 March 2023
Where: Ellenborough Park Hotel, Southam Lane, GL52 3NJ
The Big South West Wedding Fair, Shepton Mallet
The Big Southwest Wedding Fair is renowned for its variety of wedding businesses right across the south west.
You can expect over 80 fantastic, friendly and talented suppliers, ready to talk all things weddings, twice daily catwalk shows, changing rooms for you to try on wedding dresses, suits and more and plenty of shopping opportunities.
When: 1-2 April 2023
Where: Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN
The Ultimate Wedding Show, Bournemouth
At The Ultimate Wedding Show in Bournemouth, you’ll find everything you could possibly need, whether you’re just starting your planning and need a wedding venue or you’re looking for that final wow factor.
Visit over 120 outstanding wedding suppliers, a wedding décor inspiration area, twice daily fashion shows, dedicated changing rooms to try on dresses, a W-education! The Wedding Information Station offering expert advice, talks and demonstrations.
When: 25-26 February 2023
Where: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH
The West Gloucestershire Wedding Show, Stonehouse Court
At The West Gloucestershire Wedding show, there will be a glass of bubbly waiting for you, along with fabulous suppliers for you to meet, including cakes, flowers, bridalwear, magician, honeymoons, jewellery, fireworks, caterers, light up letters, a photobooth, a magic mirror, photography, honeymoons, decor, groomswear hire and more.
When: 19 February 2023
Where: Stonehouse Court Hotel, Bristol Road, Stonehouse Nr Stroud, GL10 3RA
Wedding Fairs in the Midlands
The National Wedding Show, N.E.C Birmingham
The National Wedding Show heads to Birmingham in March for the ultimate destination for wedding planning in the Midlands.
Head to NEC Birmingham to meet a wide range of local wedding suppliers from the surrounding areas. You’ll also find plenty of wedding inspiration, full-scale catwalk shows, and hundreds of dresses and suits to try on!
Pick up plenty of ideas from the WEDTalk stage, get inspired for your wedding day attire at the Catwalk then relax with a glass of bubbly at The Champagne Bar.
When: 3-5 March 2023
Where: NEC Birmingham
The National Wedding Fayre, Coventry
The National Wedding Fayre has everything for you to plan your day in just one visit. Set over two days, you’ll find some of the UK’s best suppliers who are here to offer you the very best. Not only have we sourced local suppliers for each show but some of the UK’s largest brands.
There is a great selection of dresses and suits for the happy couple to try as well as beautiful bridesmaids dresses and even Mother of the Bride outfits to try on for size.
There will also be a Champagne Bar and a Bistro serving hot and cold food to round-off your wedding fair experience.
When: 18-18 February 2023
Where: CBS Arena, Judds Ln, Coventry, CV6 6GE
Wedding Fairs in the North West
The Quirky Wedding Fayre, New Craven Hall
If you’re a couple who wants to stand out from the crowd and do something a little different on your wedding day, then visiting The Quirky Wedding Fayre could offer you all of the wonderfully unique inspiration you need!
New Craven Hall is an industrial, urban luxe events space for wedding and corporate hire on the outskirts of Leeds City Centre and this will be the home of The Quirky Wedding Fayre in March.
Visit this wedding fair to visit unique wedding suppliers including handpicked wedding professionals who all offer something different from the standard wedding packages. Plus, there are VIP tickets to make your day extra special.
Where: New Craven Hall, New Craven Gate, Leeds LS11 5NF
When: 26 March 2023
Wedding Fairs in the North East
Harrogate Bridal Show
Bridal Week Harrogate is one of the biggest and longest running weddings fairs in the UK, and has been held in the Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate for over 30 years.
Over the three days, cutting edge designs from 350+ collections from the world’s leading bridal, accessories and occasionwear manufacturers and designers will be showcasing at Harrogate Bridal Week.
Where: Harrogate Convention Centre, King’s Rd, Harrogate, HG1 5LA
When: 10-12 September 2023
Wedding Fairs in Scotland
The Scottish Wedding Show, Glasgow
The Scottish Wedding Show is the perfect event for couples across Scotland who are preparing to walk down the aisle.
The show features over 220 of the UK’s leading wedding suppliers offering a wide range of ideas and inspiration to make your wedding day even more special.
There will also be a Q&A stage called ‘Let’s Talk Tying the Knot’ which will host a curated programme of drop-in talks covering various aspects of your wedding day and wedding planning.
Where: SEC Glasgow, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, G3 8YW
When: 18-19 February 2023
Wedding Fairs in Wales
The Welsh National Wedding Fayre, Various Locations
The Welsh National Wedding Fayre is Wales’ biggest free series of wedding fairs. Each person will receive bubbly on arrival and one lucky couple at each of the locations will win £250 to spend with any exhibitor.
You can expect a huge array of wedding suppliers, catwalk shows, lots of free samples and tasters, wedding experts offering advice and top tips, hair and makeup demonstrations and live entertainment.
Where:
- East Wales: Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Rd, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ
- South Wales: Brangwyn Hall, Guildhall Rd S, Swansea, SA1 4PE
- North Wales: United Counties Showground, Nantyci, Carmarthen, SA33 5DR
When:
- East Wales: 10 September 2023
- South Wales: 24 September 2023
- North Wales: 8 October 2023
How to Make the most of a Wedding Fair
A wedding fair is a great chance to see and touch the products and to discuss your ideas with an industry expert, so they are worth going to as part of your wedding planning journey.
When deciding which one to go to, we suggest doing some research first to see if the exhibitors there are likely to get your theme and ideas. Look at the exhibitor list on their website or Facebook page, look up gallery pages from previous events to get a feel for the fair before choosing. Alternatively, go to as many as you can to get a broad set of ideas for your wedding day!
Top Tips to Think of Before The Wedding Fair
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- Think about who the best people to take on the day are, and whether they will be a help or a hinder. Choose people who have embraced your style so they can help you make decisions. If you want to find bridesmaid dresses at the event, then take them along so they can try everything on the day.
- Gather all your ideas together into one place to bring along, as showing exhibitors your ideas will really help them to understand your thoughts. Whether it is a Pinterest board on your phone or an actual scrap book, bring it along and refer to it throughout. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes as you may well be on your feet for a while.
- Wear clothes that are easy to take off so you can try on wedding dresses. Also, think about wearing good underwear so you will get a better idea of what you will look like on the day once in the dress. Bring heels if you will be wearing them with your dress as well as any key accessories that you have already chosen.
- It is worth setting up a new email address for wedding planning so that all communications go there instead of clogging up your inbox. When the wedding is over you can then close the email account which is easier than unsubscribing to everything. Finally, join the Facebook event page for the fair to get any news on suppliers and timings of workshops and fashion shows. Try to see everything throughout the day, to get the most out of the fair.
Top Tips For During The Wedding Fair
- You will meet a lot of suppliers throughout the day so ensure you collect all their business cards so you can refer to them later. If you see something that you really love, take a photo of it with the business card as there’s nothing worse than forgetting the name of your dream accessory designer!
- Be open and chat through your plans and ideas with the exhibitors – they will love to hear them. The more you divulge, the more they can add to your ideas. They also may have the perfect design for you, which they haven’t brought with them on the day which they will be keen to share with you.
- Try on all the dresses that catch your eye plus any that others recommend to you. Keep an open mind when dress shopping as often the one that you don’t think you like, can turn out to be your dream wedding dress.
- Try samples of anything that is offered to you, such as cake and food. Spend some time relaxing too in the tea room or over a glass of fizz, taking the opportunity to review everything that you have seen.
- Listen closely to the bands and DJs that are playing as they too are there to promote their services to you, and have a chat with any that you like in between their performances.
After the Wedding Fair
You will leave the fair excited with so many ideas whirring around your head. Refer to the cards that you have collected and follow any favourites on social media to hear of their news and offers. If you have a long lead time to your wedding, do revisit some of the fairs as they will have different exhibitors every time with even more exciting ideas and designs!