Elite Wedding Show Part Two! | UPlanIt Outings
“It felt like the vendors there were not in competition for show’s visitors but more like a chain of supporting interconnectivity…”
Continuing on from our earlier blog, we loved all the vendors we met at the Elite Wedding Show! There was such a wide range of businesses available, you could practically plan your entire wedding there. From photographers to DJs, there certainly were some inviting stalls to see.
The display table for the venue Spanish City (Whitley Bay) was gorgeous and sleek. You could easily imagine your own wedding there from the pictures and brochure packages; being married at a historic building with beautiful backdrops and bespoke wedding services. The sea breeze, the salty air, the ocean views — truly a dream come true! Spanish City provided the giant macarons that we munched on from our free goodie bags and WOW they were delicious! We highly recommend you check them out in the future for any events you plan!
Next to Spanish City’s table, the Distant Suns were strumming along to popular songs, showing off their excellent singing and performing skills. Two were playing whilst their third talked to the crowd, charming everyone with his playful personality — he definitely charmed us! He brought to our eyes how terrific live music can be at a wedding, and how it would bring everyone to the dance floor. We could truly imagine a crowd at a wedding being brought together by a popular cover with the bustling energy of their band, dancing along in harmony! If bands aren’t your thing, there’s DJ Mark Young, ready for your playlists and requested songs! He’s got two different DJ setups — the normal version, which is black, and a superb white version to go with any paler themes you have! We had a good look at this setup at the wedding show and it’s gorgeous! With uplighting and other dance lighting, it would really shine at a wedding reception.
Nearby, The Jewellers Guild had laid their table out to not only show their incredible products, but also the step by step creation of their rings and necklaces. Talking to them, we learned about their intricate process in creating rings for your big day and events; you can choose from expertly designed wedding bands and a selection of gemstones in their portfolio in order to craft some dazzling rings for your wedding day. We got a great feel for the passion they have for their business (a lovely sight to see!) and we can’t wait to see them thrive in the industry.
Above from the jewellery stood the superb stand from Wedding Angels, amazing Hair and Beauty stylists offering their services either at their elegant salon or at your wedding venue! Throughout the day they demonstrated their skills by creating a remarkable bridal hairstyle on one model; a bun tied up at the back with lovely little flowers attached to add a delicate look to the hairstyle. The other model was being given Mother of the Bride make-up; a gentle style, nothing too overpowering, and complimenting the model’s overall appearance. It was lovely to see the artist work; she had a tender hand when applying eye-shadow and other sections of the make-up, and made the model feel comfortable at every stage of the process. It was fantastic to hear them talk about the styles they can create for brides and the bridal party, and even more wonderful to see styles being demonstrated for the Mother of the Bride as well!
As for photography, we met the lovely Marco Damian and learned all about his passion for photography (not to mention his experience on Bear Grylls Treasure Island and his past in the military). His gorgeous photos really showed how much effort he puts into his work and his friendly personality just made you want to hire him on the spot! For videography, Abigail Grace stood with her fluffy table, demonstrating her chic and feminine style with pride. It really had a sense of professionality mixed in with personalisation, and Abigail herself was a joy to speak to!
This was truly a great event — but there’s more! Another Elite Wedding Show was held recently on the 8th of March, this time at Spanish City. Unfortunately only one of our team could attend but she had a grand time there! Have a gander at our experience below…
I planned to attend the Elite Wedding Show at Spanish City with my colleagues but unfortunately, I had to head out on my own. I dolled myself up for an extra confidence boost and decided I would enjoy the day to the best of my ability no matter what. I’d never been to Spanish City before and I expected it would be similar to most of the events that I had previously attended — but I was wrong. It felt like an intimate event, making my experience that bit special.
The shape of Spanish City is what I would describe as circular with a vintage feel to it. The ambience was quite different; it had an air of exclusivity to it, with supplier displays arranged to suit the circular shape of the building and there were suppliers in another room adjacent to the circular display. It felt like the vendors there were not in competition for show’s visitors but more like a chain of supporting interconnectivity; they seemed eager to sign-post me and sometimes directed me to a supplier they thought would help with my enquiries. At some point, I asked one of the suppliers who offered me directions if she knew the supplier she pointed me to personally. She said no but that she noticed that the supplier’s display might be best suited to my enquiries. A simple enough gesture but one that emphasized the strength of the community spirit of suppliers in the area.
I was given a goodie bag at the entrance and started off my journey with the CA Chauffeurs, a lovely car service company with different packages tailored to suit different budgets. Didn’t get the chance to speak to him as much as I would have loved to as they were others waiting to speak to him as well — I didn’t want to disrupt his business! Moving on, I went straight to Flowers By Something Special. Gillian’s bubbly personality was clear for anyone to see, with flower arrangements too beautiful to touch. The arrangements were so wonderful that all I could think of was a prized artwork, picturing her flower arrangements hanging up on my special feature wall in my home. Forever Weddings VR was next and as a VR geek, I couldn’t resist trying it out. At some point, I attempted to try touching this huge balloon figure at the recorded event, forgetting that this event happened probably a few months ago and what I was seeing was a recording. It’s a way to relive special days and special events; and with the constant growth of VR technology, there is no telling what the future of VR in weddings hold and all I can say is that is something exciting to look forward to! Nearby, the displays of Alternative Styling and Jinny & Co was more than appealing and had a uniquely personal touch to it.
Both were busy in conversations and I didn’t want to disturb them, so I took photos of their charming tables and moved on. Claire Rowatt Photography was next with a huge display of delightful moments captured during weddings.
She works with her husband to ensure that couples have adequate photo coverage and she blends into the background so that she can capture those special moments without anyone noticing.
Later, I had an interesting conversation with Dorothy Lamb, whose scented candles were just delightful. The variety of scents on display was right up my street and as an ethical company, she informed me that for every pack of scented sticks she sells, she plants a tree. These scented sticks last a long time and the scent of her candles keep strong for up to 4 years if they are not lit. Her tea light candles last for up to 8 hours, I was blown away and I just had to get one to see it for myself! As pleasant as Dorothy was, I had to move on, there were lots of other suppliers to see and talk to. Curves, owned by Sarah Howe was my next supplier. Offering a free consultation and 5-day pass at her studio for brides to ‘look and feel fabulous’, it was too good an offer to pass up. I do love anything fitness related, eagerly signed up and followed her on Instagram. The Event Dressers display was stunning, picture-perfect enough for me to have a few minutes to myself, imagining huge rows of the display and pleasant surprises on the faces of guests as they settle in, trying hard not to put anything out of place and then familiar laughter brought me back to reality, Candy Floss Events. A lovely man with an easy vibe around him, always having a laugh while serving up his pink candy floss. He reminded me of Paddy McGuiness, not that I ever met him.
A Truly Scrumptious Cake had striking cakes on display, and it was one of those tables where one has to stop momentarily, and I mean stop. There were different kinds of cakes and samples to try, the red velvet was my favourite and I had to have seconds. It took all of my willpower to move on as I tend to get lost in thoughts when admiring things. We spoke of the artistry required to achieve such exquisite results and how the love of one’s profession, in this case, baking, must be strong enough to want to perfectly replicate arts on cakes and that love was on display alongside the cakes. Smart As Suit Hire and Sales was a charming person, quite engaging and funny. His display was probably the only one dedicated to Grooms and Groomsmen. The little groom’s suit was adorable, and I imagined a toddler running around in the suit, doing what toddlers do best. It brought a smile to my face. Simplywedbridal was right next to Smart As and perfectly placed in my opinion. In addition to their display, they had a live model in one of their stunning dresses giving off a well-thought-out vibe. Helen was lovely to chat to and her experience in bridal dresses was clear as day. Her enthusiasm for brides shone through as she listened intently to what I wanted in a wedding dress and offered an appointment along with a cuppa, which I am definitely going to attend. The final supplier I saw was Wight Weddings and Events. Their magic mirror and props display were hilarious in a way, ending my day with an amazing photo from the magic mirror. I didn’t think I would look ok, but it turned out alright and I have to say that I am proud of my poses.
Overall, it was a well-designed out event and kudos to Dawn Marie Wedding Events and Design and Spanish City. I went home with a huge smile on my face and thoughts on considerable changes to my wedding plans. I engaged with suppliers, exchanged ideas, laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a Sunday well-spent.
We can all agree that Dawn Marie Wedding Events hosts some brilliant wedding fairs! We can’t wait to attend the next one — here’s hoping for more goodie bags and great suppliers!
Check out our social media pages below for more photos from the events! If you attended any of these events as well, let us know about it on social too! We’d love to hear about your experiences.
See you next week.
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