Wedding Show Blog

On Sunday 26th January we had our Southend Wedding Show and what a day it was! It’s been two weeks since the Show…where did the time go? We’ve been busy following up on all the amazing wedding enquiries ever since.

What was the day like?

We invited those at the start of their wedding planning journey to our Wedding Show and Workshops. We connected with fantastic local wedding suppliers and offered them a space at the event so they too could help couples plan the most amazing day of their life.

We offered a series of workshops for people to sit back, relax and hear from our industry experts. It really was a one-of-a-kind wedding & event planning hub; something Southend had not quiet seen before. Workshops were presented by local photographers, make-up artists, cake makers and honeymoon agents to name a few.

We were delighted when we opened the event at 11.00am to see a queue out the door of the hotel. People waited in anticipation to register, get their goodie bags and peruse all the wedding stalls that were dotted around the hotel. The goodie bags went down a treat – thanks to Rossi Ice-Cream, Sweet Occasions and Lush Lakeside for providing such great treats for all the couples who came. We had over 250 guests visit throughout the day; with canapes & Prosecco served on arrival.

The Workshops

At 12.00pm we started our mini wedding workshops. Local wedding suppliers stood up to dish out information they have gathered over the years in the wedding industry. They each provided tips and advice about planning the best, stress free wedding day. Check over to the right to see the list of all the great suppliers who spoke to our audience. Special stand out moments went to Robert Dean Magician who managed to make an engagement ring disappear (and reappear of course!!) and to Judy Hoskins from Mind Shift Coaching who delivered a really good workshop on how to remain at ease in the run up to your wedding.

We really have to say a MASSIVE thank you to Tony from Eternity Events Essex who played a blinder on the day. Tony arrived at 6:00am to set up all the microphones, DJ system and uplighters on the day. He is the nicest guy in the world and we would highly recommend him for your DJ & Equipment hire needs. Tony offers the most beautiful white starlight dancefloor too and we are so proud to offer his services as our Resident DJ. We guarantee he will get all your guests on the dance floor!!

Wedding Packages

Louise Merrell, our Sales Manager also spoke about the hotel’s wedding packages. Guests heard about the great value wedding packages on offer from as little as £1,499 for 50 guests and heard about all the latest trends that the hotel team have encountered while planning weddings. Louise spoke about the importance of great food and music. Picking the perfect menu will leave a lasting impression and set the scene for the rest of the day. That is why here at the Holiday Inn Southend we plan our wedding menu’s meticulously, take a look at the menus we can provide here.  A big thank you goes to BIG EVENT DRAPERY and Laceys Event Services  who both decorated our wedding suite beautifully. Also a big thanks to Fay at The Flower Stores who provided stunning flowers throughout the hotel on the day.

See for yourself

Head across to the hotels Facebook Wedding Show page to find out more about the event and don’t forget to follow the page while you are there. There are lot’s of pictures there too. Or why not click on See the Gallery here on the right to see all of the great suppliers and activities from the Show.

Any brides and grooms who are reading this and gutted you missed it, don’t panic. Sign up to our newsletter here and be the first to hear about upcoming wedding shows.

Thanks to one of our team members Sam Junior, who is currently studying Film, Video & Graphics for putting this great video together for us. Enjoy!