What better way to get some ideas, inspiration (and discounts) than head to the National Wedding Show at Earls Court.
I dragged my Maid of Honour along for a day out, and to see what we could pick up.
We made our way through the entrance and a whole world of weddings opened up in front of us. The exhibition centre was full to the brim with stalls, sales people and bridezillas. We set off from one side of the venue so we could get through it all methodically, and actually, there were some great stalls with some brilliant discounts and competitions.
I must have entered hundreds of honeymoon competitions, so who knows where we could end up going?! And while there were plenty of great wedding dress stalls, we quickly learned they were the areas to avoid. How any bride could want to be strapped into a wedding dress in the middle of this mayhem is completely beyond me.
It's nothing against the wedding dress boutiques who had set up shop there...they seemed friendly enough and I'm sure they made a small fortune on the day. But by the looks of it, every bride who wanted to look at dresses had taken her mum, and at least a couple of bridesmaids with her. We had no chance of getting anywhere near.
I was on the lookout for a veil, but couldn't get close enough to try one on. I will have to keep looking.
Surprisingly, it was the honeymoon stalls which were the quietest, and they were the ones I was most interested in.
Also worth making the trip for were the free cake samples (yum!) and the champagne bar. They turned a tiring day into a fun girly day out. Ultimately, wedding shows and fairs are useful enough to get ideas and inspiration. But if you want to buy a dress or any bridal accessories, I wouldn't count on being able to!
