Recently due to ‘lockdown’ measures, some Wedding Fayre organisers have resorted to running their event online - one of whom is Rhian Hastings from Celebration Events Wedding Fayres, who are probably most well known as the brains behind the Venue Cymru Wedding Fayre. We had a chat with Rhian to see how lockdown has affected Wedding Fayres and the importance of continuing these events through the distancing period.

Tell us a bit about yourself and the services you provide.

My name is Rhian Hastings & I own Celebration Events. I organise wedding fayres across the North Wales coast, including the largest wedding fayre in the area, the Venue Cymru Wedding Fayre!

When did you start your business?

2007

What inspired you to create your business?

My own wedding! I wanted chair covers at my wedding & couldn't find any locally at the time, so sourced my own and ran with it. The venue dressing business took on my mum's wedding fayre business in 2012. The two worked nicely together as I met couples & suppliers along the way, and I could let them know about our forthcoming wedding fayres too.

What are the benefits of using your service for Couples getting married?

If a couple is looking for a supplier, then coming to a wedding fayre is ideal! You can meet the person face to face, as well as seeing their products in the flesh! I love the internet & the things you can find on there but I do think meeting someone & building up a relationship with them, as well as seeing, touching, tasting their products is an opportunity not to be missed! Some couples will spend a huge amount of time with their suppliers, whether it be on the day or in the run-up to the wedding. You need to know you can spend all day with them & I think first meetings at wedding fayres give you that initial chance. Wedding fayres also offer lots of on the day discounts that could come in very handy!

What are the benefits of your service for Wedding Suppliers in North Wales and beyond?

Attending our wedding fayres as a supplier gives our local suppliers the opportunity to meet our local couples face to face. They will be meeting their target market. Our wedding fayres are hosted in some of the top venues in the area, as well as having an online presence, whether it be on our social media platforms or within our website directory.

What were the biggest challenges for you in making a virtual event, in comparison to an event at a venue?

Timings! With showcasing as many suppliers as we do, to make the event as big as we can, so it’s beneficial for everyone involved; our couples & our suppliers..... it’s timing! From getting all the initial info out to our suppliers, downloading & saving all their info. Then it's on to plotting it all, scheduling it all across the different media platforms....it all takes time! 2 am is regular bedtime in the run-up to any event :)

What is your favourite thing about the Wedding industry in North Wales?

I love the suppliers! They are my colleagues, my friends & my supporters! I am very lucky to have the support I do from them & I think that we have all come together & supported each other so much since lockdown. Lockdown has just shown that we can all work together, and be there for each other, which in the long run works out, for the best, for our couples! At the moment there is so much support out there, and we all want to make sure that we all get through this.....not just for ourselves, but for our couples & for fellow suppliers! Our suppliers are so eager to get back out there, and anyone who has had to postpone their 2020 wedding to 2021 is going to be a very lucky couple.....you have keen, eager suppliers all ready & raring to go & they can’t wait to work on your wedding!!