City News

Wedding Fever Heats up the UK

The National Wedding Show fever took hold across the country at the Spring shows which once again offered visitors all the ideas and inspiration needed to plan for their big day. Eager, excitable newlyweds-to-be flocked to the Olympia Grand Hall, London and the NEC, Birmingham over the three day events intent on planning their dream wedding. Hundreds of exhibitors were out in force, representing all the key sectors of the wedding industry, ready to offer up gems of advice, elite services, dresses to dazzle, suits to impress - everything to wow brides-to-be and their fellow bridal parties.  Once inside, the show certainly didn’t disappoint as Lucy Walsh from London enthused:

‘The show has been excellent! There are a really good mix of suppliers here and I have made some fab contacts for honeymoon, flowers and photography. The catwalk was great and I adored the 50’s style bridesmaid dresses.  I’m so pleased I came; I have literally made sure I’ve seen every stand so I don’t miss a thing!’

The National Wedding Show prides itself on being the ‘biggest and best UK wedding show’ and this Spring saw the show raise the standard even higher by introducing the all new VIP experience for those brides looking for the star treatment. Ticket holders were able to whiz past the queue with their fast-track entrance, enjoy a complimentary makeover session courtesy of celebrity make-up artist Ariane Poole’s makeover team and take full advantage of their discount booklet whilst shopping at the show. Ticket holders kicked off their ‘Choos’ and relaxed in style in the exclusive VIP lounge with a complementary glass of chilled bubbly whilst exploring the delights of their goody bags. Rebecca Carter from Woking certainly enjoyed her VIP experience:

‘The VIP tickets are a really nice idea and the lounge is superb – great to rest your feet for a while... and the champers went down a treat too!’   

The show’s live features once again wowed the crowds, especially the highly anticipated state of the art catwalk show, sponsored by Wedding magazine, which offered a stunning showcase of the latest in bridal and occasion wear from some of the UK’s top names including Vlasta Collu, Allison Rodger, Midgeley & Sottero, Enzoani and hot young designers Candy Anthony. Models sashayed down the runway in an array of breathtaking gowns from simple white silk dresses through to 50’s inspired tea dresses in colours good enough to eat, from melted butter to shades of delicate rose and fresh lemon sorbet. Brides-to-be then poured into the Designer* and Boutique areas to track down the styles that had caught their imagination. It wasn’t all about the bride though with an array of different grooms’ outfits on offer too – from the traditional morning dress by Hugh Harris to the more contemporary styles by Cad and the Dandy.

Also taking place on the main catwalk stage - The How to Look Good Show, hosted by TV’s style guru Caryn Franklin (The Clothes Show, GMTV and This Morning) together with her expert team of celebrity style experts. Performing live make-overs and working their magic on eager brides, grooms and mothers of the bride who were selected at random from the audience. Brides with burning questions were invited to make an appointment with the How to Look Good team at the How to Look Good Advice Clinic. Brides-to-be were given a unique opportunity to have a personal consultation with a beauty and style expert – from Ariane Poole on beauty to Errol Douglas and Lisa Shepherd on hair to Jane Galpin and Caryn Franklin on styling. No matter the style dilemma, from traumas with tresses to dramas with dresses, expert help was sure to be close at hand.

A stunning addition to the Olympia show this year; visitors had the rare opportunity to meet the Condé Nast Brides Magazine Team and Hair & Beauty Experts in the beautiful Brides Raj tent. Bountiful brides-to-be could discuss the latest bridal trends with those in the know and find hair and beauty looks to suit their big day. Luscious lashes were applied to make eyes picture-perfect by the Shu Uemera team and hair was coiffeured to perfection by Michael John.
Kate Summer from London commented:

‘I was really impressed with the Bride’s tent and my consultation with Michael John was brilliant – he knew exactly what I wanted. Shu Uemera were equally as fab. This is the best show in town by far!’

Resident wedding guru, Kate Smallwood hosted the inspiration sessions, joined by a variety of wedding experts who gave their insider knowledge on a variety of topics including ‘Choosing your perfect wedding cake’ with famed celebrity cake maker, Eric Savoir of Savoir Designs and ‘Finding the perfect reception flowers’ with florist master Mathew Dickinson. Floral fantasies continued in the Designer Flower Zone (London show only) in association with New Covent Garden Flower Market. Homegrown talent from the nation’s leading lights in designer floristry came together to display their creative talents and share their floristry secrets. Sensational displays captivated visitors, with talent showcased from the likes of McQueens, Mary Jane Vaughan, Matthew Dickinson, Jens Jakobsen and William Clarke to name but a few.

This Spring the National Wedding Show enticed the attendance of over 150 key members of the press, from core bridal press and regional magazines to hot websites OTM and TV productions, all of which consolidate the show’s premium position in the wedding market. Welcoming a multitude of TV filming from BBC’s much-loved Dragon’s Den, Channel 4, ITV Central and Sarah Beeny herself chose the show as her first port of call to film scenes for her latest project. To add to the glitz of the occasion, newly engaged soap star heartthrobs Jennifer Biddall (Jess from Hollyoaks) and Ben Freeman (of Emmerdale fame), spent a day at the show sourcing all the essentials for their forthcoming wedding. The National Wedding Show proves once more it has star-quality and undoubtedly deserves it’s title as the nation’s biggest and best wedding extravaganza.