Recently engaged? Congratulations!

Welcome to this whole new world of wedding planning. It can be a bit overwhelming to start with but, worry not, I’ve put together a few of my top suggestions for where you can start your search for wedding suppliers.

Wedding Fayres

Last year may have seen them wiped from the calendars completely but I am a firm believer in Wedding Fayres. They can be an invaluable source of information - not only do you get to chat to potential suppliers, you can also pick up inspiration and top tips to help you with your wedding planning journey.

January and February typically tend to be the busiest months for wedding fayres for two reasons. Firstly, the new year sees a huge increase in engaged couples following Christmas and New Year proposals. And secondly, January 1st often brings a mild panic to other couples who start to realise "we're getting married this year - we really must get organised!".

It's never too early to attend your first fayre

It doesn't matter if you haven't set a date or found your perfect venue yet - if you are engaged and there is a wedding fayre happening locally, pop in and give yourself a head start on the planning. Pick up as much literature as you can - believe me, there will be plenty on offer. No-one will mind if you're not quite at the stage of booking venues and suppliers just yet but you will give yourself a much better idea of where to start. You may pick up a brilliant nugget of information or stumble across some amazing inspiration. You may even be walking into your perfect venue without even realising it.

Have a venue in mind? Attend their open day or wedding fayre for an informal look around

Deciding on a venue can be daunting. Planning times to look around or arranging a meeting with the wedding coordinator may be a little too scary so why not take away the stress by attending wedding fayres at your potential venues so that you can have a more informal look around. If you are interested then there will always be someone on hand to give you more information regarding availability and price.

Do a Google search for suppliers local to your wedding venue

Initially I had this point listed as "search for suppliers local to you" as this makes it a lot easier to meet up in person to see if they are the right supplier for you. However, I think it is much better advice to suggest looking for suppliers that are local to your wedding venue - the chances that the supplier has already worked at your particular venue are going to be pretty high which always makes things simpler.

Ask friends and relatives for recommendations

If your friends and relatives were impressed with the suppliers for their wedding then take that as a glowing recommendation! Also, if you attended a wedding where you really loved the cake, the DJ, the catering, don't be afraid to ask them who they used. That being said, don't fall into the trap of booking a supplier just because "my Aunt used them". Do your research and check that they are the right supplier for you - you may find they aren't quite the right fit and you are looking for something a little bit different.

Look through online directories

Wedding directories are a great starting point to find suppliers that are based in a particular region. Some are huge and cover the entire country, some are more niche and cater towards weddings of a particular style. Find a couple of directories that seem to be speaking your language and dig for the gold! Some directories promote suppliers that pay extra fees to be featured in their banners but scratch the surface and you will find a veritable mine of suppliers at your fingertips. I would recommend The Whitewed Directory for weddings taking place in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.

Scour Wedding Magazines

If you prefer something a little more tactile, why not take some time out and purchase a wedding magazine to read over a cup of tea?! If you prefer digital content then there are lots of magazines available online and some of them have even made their content available for free for the foreseeable future. County Wedding Magazines is one such magazine which, as a bonus, publishes a multitude of regional issues.

Make use of Pinterest

I once had a bride that found me because she had searched for her wedding venue on Pinterest and came across some of my images. It might be worthwhile employing the same tactic and then following the trail wherever it leads... Who knows, you might find some amazing inspiration and ideas along the way!

Ask your venue for their preferred suppliers

If you are at the point of already having secured a venue then ask them who they would recommend. Many venues will provide this information at the time of booking, for others it will be listed on their website. Most venues list the suppliers who they have worked with before and can vouch for their professionalism. However, I'll leave you with a small word of warning - some venues only list suppliers that have paid to be listed (or who give the venue a cut of any booking they take). Thats not to say that the suppliers aren't worth using but just be cautious, do your research and make sure that you are booking them for the right reasons.

So there you have it, my top tips for locating wedding suppliers. Are there any other places that you would recommend looking for suppliers? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them to the list.