All photos by Natalia Pauline Photography

The Un-Wedding Show 2021… WOW! What can I say?! The day/weekend that I thought would never come, came after almost 2 years in the making (cheers Covid) and it wasn’t just good, it was pretty fucking AMAZING!

This event was originally due to happen in April 2020 but alas was not to be after we went into national lockdown in March 2020… so close! For well over a year, we saw people painting rainbows everywhere to symbolise hope, and I know for sure that the wedding industry, in particular, could not wait to finally be somewhere over the rainbow! What a ride it’s been for the industry to stay shut down for so long, surviving on nothing but love and hope… but we did it!

I don’t know if it was a combination of everybody just being so happy and grateful to be able to attend a wedding fair again or, a case of me forgetting how truly incredible The Un- Wedding Show always is?! One thing I do know for sure is that it’s all down to the awesome suppliers and couples who support it and bring their A game every single time!

This year, I brought my husband and our son, Ezra, as the 1st available date we could get in at our new location, Shoreditch Studios, fell on the weekend before his birthday. Fortunately, The Un-Wedding Show is always vibrant and fun enough for kids to enjoy and he managed to earn a bit of pocket money by helping us out!

After 2 cancelled events and a last-minute venue change, I really wanted this long-awaited wedding fair to have a happy ending. Book of Love stylist, Zuza, from Whole Lotta Love Weddings and I spent hours stringing up my branded smiley face balloons to ensure that everywhere people looked, they would see a smile! And don’t worry, they were eco-friendly!

Our carefully curated line-up of suppliers really went to town on transforming their spaces into a beautiful showcase for our attendees. I was seriously blown away by the level of creativity but I guess that’s what you get when you book these guys!

If you’re planning an alternative wedding and want to find some cool and unique suppliers then The Un-Wedding Show is definitely the wedding fair for you, tipped as one of the best in the UK by The Evening Standard, I mean, where else are you going to find a life-sized red telephone box that is in fact an audio guest book? Cos half-filled-out guest books are so last century, right?! The Big Red Box Audio Guest Book always goes down a treat because not only is it the most inventive and adorable idea, but it’s a real show-stopper too and great entertainment for your guests. Imagine receiving all of those heart-felt and slightly tipsy messages after your wedding so you can listen back and relive the day from a whole new perspective. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Were you there? Did you try it?!

And how about the chance to make your own statement wedding shoes ‘The Elves And The Shoemaker’ style with Hetty Rose Shoes?! Book Of Love directory babe Hetty, focuses on designing and making ethical and environmentally considerate products by reusing vintage materials and the results are just beautiful!

And of course, no un-wedding show would be the same without our gorgeous pals from Patchwork chatting to all of our lovely attendees about how we can all ‘give better together’, eliminating the tradition of outdated gift lists, filled with stuff you don’t really need that ultimately ends up in landfill! And not only that but engaged couples who are more about the holiday than the toaster can fund their honeymoon by creating a Patchwork, this taking away the awks and ick of asking your guests for money! (P.S We asked for money but that’s before we knew about Patchwork!)

We were honoured to welcome so many suppliers to our line up who have sustainability at their heart. A firm favourite is our Book Of Love directory babes and OG un-wedding exhibitors, Rewritten, who’ve been keeping your bridesmaids happy with stylish, sustainable, wear-again-able dresses since 2016 and last year, released their first collection of sustainable bridal gowns just to make your life a lot easier!

And how about the most adorable wedding stationery concept from Linda at Lolapaluza who travelled all the way from Scotland to showcase her sustainable invitation suites that have all been designed to give as a gift to your guests, instead of just ending up in the bin further down the line. Sad but true! The showstopper had to be the Hera collection that’s embellished with flower seeds and petals so it can be planted by your guests to let your love grow, quite literally!

The Un-Wedding Show prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive wedding fair, a wedding fair for people who don’t like weddings fairs! Amongst our many couples, it’s always nice to see and chat to so many grooms who are fully engaged in the whole process. Gone are the days when the wedding planning is all one-sided, it should be a team effort, just as marriage is, right?

It’s always nice to be able to offer a range of suppliers that will appeal to everyone in the wedding party and our Book Of Love directory babe, Kerri from Francis + Louise never lets us down with her stylish and contemporary accessories for brides, grooms, bridesmaid and groomsmen… even the really tiny ones! Her vibrant and original print designs are a must for pattern lovers out there and everything designed and ethically produced here in the UK.

Anyone who’s been to any of our previous events will know that it’s more than just a wedding fair. It’s a party! A wedding planning party!

Our aim has always been to take the stress away and put the fun into your wedding planning! Our pals at The Hush Club definitely helped bring the vibes this time in their sequinned disco trailer that serves up the tunes as well as the delicious cocktails and yes! It’s available to hire for your wedding or event! Born in lockdown, like many a great business idea, The Hush Club is more than just a mobile cocktail bar for hire, they offer a full range of festival-style party solutions including a silent disco and a mini Rave Rover for smaller, more intimate events!

True story: I’ve never liked espresso martini’s until I had one from Hush! Delicious!

You can see the full list of suppliers below because I know that many couples who couldn’t make the show still go on to book suppliers on account of them being recommnended by The Un-Wedding, so here ya go!

Vowed & Amazed

The Joy Eclectic

Rock The Frock 

Rewritten

Whole Lotta Love Weddings 
Notes studio

Sylvie Signs
Daniel Darby Jewellery
Patchwork
Francis + Louise
East Four Studio
The Big Red Box - The Audio Guest Book 
Callie Pettigrew Stylist
With Bells On
Bethan Morgan
Jump The Broom
Lolapaluza
Bronya
Sidey Clark 
Claude Bridal Studio
Wildflower & Fox
Meg Senior Humanist Celebrant

Paola De Paola

Hetty Rose Shoes

Moema Floral Design

Love Lane London

Amanda Goodyear Photography

Lucie Penn Happy Celebrant

Until the next time… February ‘22 actually! The Un-Wedding Show will be back at Shoreditch Studios with even more unique and independent suppliers all on hand to help you plan the wedding you really want and not the one you are told to have! Join our mailing list to be 1st in line when tickets go on sale!

See more photos from the weekend by the wonderful Book Of Love babe Natalia Paulina Photography in the gallery below!

P.S If you are a cool and unique supplier who wants to exhibit at one of our future events then sign up to our suppliers’ mailing list to stay up to date. Please note, our spaces always go to Book Of Love directory members in the first instance which opens again for applications on 27th September 2021!