I will be exhibiting at the Tiny Weddings Fair, on 10th March 2019. It will be held at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Broad St, Birmingham, B1 2EP, UK. This will be the second Tiny Weddings Fair – the first was held in September 2018 in High Wycombe. The event will focus on couples planning elopements and small, intimate weddings. We’ve decided to move to the Midlands to be in a more central location, and this fair will be bigger and better than our last.
When I talk to my clients about their reasons for choosing to get married in Central Park, I find that my clients would rather take a trip to New York and tie the knot in a city they love, either eloping alone or bringing a small group of their nearest and dearest, rather than spending a large sum on an extended family wedding close to home. Or, they might elope or have a small wedding in New York, then throw a big party for everyone they know on their return home – you don’t have to choose one or the other if you don’t want to, and you can have the best of both worlds. Anything goes in the world of weddings, and I think that’s wonderful.
Tiny weddings are what I do best. The vast majority of the weddings I have planned over the past six years (and I’ve planned over two hundred and fifty weddings) have had under fifty guests, with most of my weddings having between five and fifteen guests, and I’ve helped with a good deal of elopements, too! I believe that smaller weddings are on the increase – many couples are reducing their guest lists to concentrate on the elements of the wedding that are most important to them, or just to escape and get married somewhere they love, such as New York. I find that many couples are having a smaller wedding to put the emphasis on themselves as a couple, and to provide a truly unique and memorable experience for their guests, not to mention the awesome wedding photographs they take! I write each ceremony especially for the couple, and I think that if fewer people are present when a couple get married, they are more likely to show their true personalities, and include more unique and personal touches. A small and intimate wedding with a focus on the couple and a celebration of their love with just the people who matter most to them.
Actually, I’m not just exhibiting at this fair, I’m co-organising it with my friend and business partner, Carly from Epic Elopement. We have attended traditional wedding fairs and more alternative fairs in the past, but we have often grumbled to each other that eloping couples often don’t comfortably fit in to either niche. We have a true passion for tiny weddings and elopements, I got married in Central Park, and Carly got married in Vegas, both of us had just two guests at our weddings. We feel that a small wedding has specific requirements, and couples need suppliers who can help them with these particular needs. We didn’t think those needs were being met with existing wedding fairs, so we decided to start a fair that would. We accept that many eloping couples will want to get the best of both worlds and have a big party on their return, so this fair will have exhibitors who can help with that, too.
We are working very hard to find a great mix of British-based celebrants, venues in the UK who are happy to cater for small groups, photographers who love small weddings and who are keen to travel, wedding attire suitable for a wedding in a less traditional location, stationers and caterers and florists who want to create something unique and special for your small group, and planners like myself who specialise in one particular fabulous location abroad. I can’t wait to meet couples from the West Midlands who are interested in hearing about getting married in this amazingly beautiful public park in the incredible city of New York, which truly has something for everyone. Let me know if you’re planning on coming to see me!
One of the major ways this fair is different from the usual run-of-the-mill wedding fairs are the talks and workshops that the exhibitors and other experts will be putting on in a room upstairs at the venue. They will provide genuinely useful information for couples considering and elopement or a small wedding that would take so long to find online. Many couples are interested in small and intimate wedding, but often they feel that they do not know enough about how to do it, or where to start, or where they should do it. With this in mind, we will be presenting small talks and workshops throughout the day. This is your chance to expand your idea of what a wedding can mean. You can meet vendors who are interested in smaller weddings, and hear talks from those who help plan tiny weddings themselves, and most importantly: ask questions that will allow you to have the wedding that truly suits you as a couple.
The good people of Unique Venues Birmingham will also be giving tours throughout the day of their different wedding venue options in the building – either for a small ceremony, or a larger celebration after your elopement somewhere exotic. Those who purchase tickets in advance will have preferential entry to these tours and talks. Sign up to our mailing list if you want to be kept updated on who will be at the fair and what you can expect to learn while you’re there.
Follow the Tiny Wedding Facebook page for helpful and inspiring articles and information, and show your interest in our Facebook event to see updates. Follow us on Instagram for lovely photos and inspiration of small weddings, chat with us on Twitter and see our posts on Pinterest. Most importantly, buy yourself a ticket in advance.
