National Wedding Show at Olympia, 18th-20th Feb, 2011

I took a trip to the National Wedding Show at Olymplia last week to get an idea of the sort of things that people were offering to couples for the coming year - and a little research on the wedding fair front as it something I don't do and wondered if I should.
Approximately 300 stands (10% of which were photographers) and plenty of choice for couples touring the show BUT the sad thing was I think the choice was pretty much between different degrees of very 'vanilla' wedding goods, so much of the goods you would find in the High Street or via a very broad 'google' as to render the bringing together of everyone obsolete. Doing two circuits of the show I found 3 companies that I thought offered interesting and well thoughtout goods or services with a passion for something different.

Wonderland Bakery - bespoke, handmade decorations, favours and cakes. Vintage and gorgeous.

Shropshire Petals - natural, bio-degradable petals in a fantastic range of colours, and I net the farmer!

Staggered - A male wedding planning website for blokes who feel left out!

As for me I wanted to be wowed and excited by all the ideas that brides were being offered to design their own days and create a really unique wedding - but I wasn't. I'm sorry to say I left disappointed knowing that for the majority of people attending who wanted to create a truely original day to remember that reflected their passions and style the search would have to continue... I should have gone to the Designer Vintage Bridal Show in Birmingham the same weekend - I was going but I came back from London with a sore throat that left me flat on my back for the weekend so I missed it!
There was a good Catwalk show at Olympia and I'll be blogging that soon with lots of pics.