A wedding that stands out from the rest!

Although brides may set out to make their day stand out from the crowd, the explosion of wedding packages offered by venues means it can turn out to be just the same as the couple before and after them.

However, Richard Wilson, editor of wedding specialist I Do Magazine, says couples can easily avoid seeing the biggest day of their lives become a replica of their friends’, family and every other newly-wed couple on their social media feed.

He says couples have a wealth of choices available to them and can easily tailor-make their own unique day that really reflects their personalities.

Mr Wilson was speaking in the run-up to one of the biggest wedding fayres in the area. The I Do Weddings Exhibition Tour arrives at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on October 6.

The event brings more than 120 independent wedding suppliers under one roof, and features a live Milan-style catwalk, goodie bags, live entertainment and a wedding car display featuring prestige, modern and vintage vehicles.

There’ll be the chance for couples to browse the scores of wedding suppliers and pick for themselves the experts they want to help make their big day unique.

Mr Wilson said: “It’s easy for a bride and her partner to fall into the wedding package trap, because usually they’ve never done this before.

“They find a hotel they like but are quickly directed towards certain ‘preferred’ suppliers.

“So, wedding after wedding at the venue has the same cake company making the cake, the same décor, the same DJ playing the same music.

“Their big day can become a bit like a sausage meat factory; it’s the same as the wedding the day before and the day after.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Contrary to what many couples may think, they don’t have to accept the preferred suppliers offered by their chosen venue.

And finding creative and unusual suppliers who could step in is easier than they might think – there are hundreds of local businesses listed on the I Do Magazine website (http://www.ido-magazine.co.uk/yorkshire-humber/).

Best way to get a feel for what is available, is to snap up a free ticket for the I Do Wedding Exhibition, which runs from 10am to 3pm at the Yorkshire Event Centre within the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The event kicks off with a sparkling drinks reception, and the chance to browse over 120 of the best local wedding suppliers – from talented cake makers to wedding shoe specialists, florists to milliners, lighting artists, jewellers, photographers and even mobile food vans for that evening reception snack.

There’ll be a chance to browse some unique wedding venues and speak to specialists who have vast experience of knowing how to make a truly unique big day.

Three Milan-style catwalk shows take place throughout the day to offer a glimpse at the latest wedding outfits – including wedding dress, bridesmaid, mother of the bride and gents’ – all available from local specialists.

Magicians, musicians and other entertainers will be there to give brides and their partners a flavour of how they can make their day a bit different, and there are lots of opportunities to win something special in a range of competitions.

Tickets are likely to go fast, so head to the I Do Magazine website to download your free ticket and make sure your big day is as unique as you.

Find out more about I Do Wedding Exhibition and browse dozens of local suppliers here