As our annual wedding fayre drew to a close on Sunday 1^st March 2015, the team felt surprisingly energetic. The event was a roaring success with us welcoming over 180 couples and 40 of the best wedding suppliers through the doors. The general consensus from attendees and staff alike was that it was a huge triumph! The biggest and best so far!

When it comes to the wedding fayre we love the saying ‘go big or go home’ and by gosh do we stick to it! As part of an events management company our aim is to always bring you the best in innovation and originality, to be trend setters not followers. So as we start to pull together the formalities of a fayre, we also begin the fun task of investigating what wondrous, new products and companies have recently come onto the market. Usually, we then see how to use that product in a way that’s never been thought of; I mean who has ever really thought of having fire breathers on a bridal catwalk?! Intrigued? Well more about that later!

It is no mean feat organising an event of such great magnitude, but with years of experience and by using state-of-the-art technology we aren’t fazed! In fact, we love it! We have accomplished our goal when we bring together some of the industries elite wedding suppliers with likeminded couples.

Cath Barlow, Venue Coordinator at Heaton House Events said “The lead up to the wedding fayre is very exciting. I think it’s been great! Everyone has been in a great mood, the catwalk was amazing and it was nice to meet couples that are getting married. I’m looking forward to seeing them on their wedding day”

On the morning of our fayre, the exhibitors were ready to begin, so as the clock chimed 11am the doors to the venue opened and the line began to filter in. The barns came alive with hustle and bustle, chitter and chatter, laughter and giggles. In a second the atmosphere changed from eager anticipation to sheer excitement.

Couples had already enjoyed a show as they had ventured from their cars. They were welcomed by a fabulous range of wedding transport in all shapes and sizes from Signature Wedding Cars, Blue Pumpkin VW and People to Places. All were polished to perfection and proved too tempting for some couples as they tried them out for size!

Now, at a traditional wedding fayre what would you expect to see next? A registration point perhaps? Well this is Heaton House Farm’s Wedding Fayre, where you should expect the unexpected!

Oh it was so much more exciting than that! As crowds gathered, people were stunned by the totally awesome and completely unexpected stilt walkers from Stage Invaders. The sensational acts had people mesmerised. Imagine if you had them at your wedding, your guests faces would be a picture. You’d have some brilliant photographs!

Unexpected enough? Well there’s more! Madrenaline Activities offer outdoor stag and hen activities including Sky-Bow, Clayzar and Sphereing just up the road from us here. But their Segways were what they brought to the wedding fayre and boy did they go down a treat! On the courtyard people were wizzing around trying these mean machines out. If you like the sound of having a go then call Madrenaline to arrange your own Segway Safari, its a strange sensation to begin with but soon becomes addictive.

In our rustic, ‘Oak Beamed Entrance Barn’, as couples picked up their FREE goody bag full of treats, they were tapping their feet and singing along to the Irish party band ‘Green Hot Clover’ as they performed some of their best loved covers. There were exceptional stall displays from Artistry in Flowers, YSD Media, Chelsea Shoesmith Photography, Cakes by Beth, All the Little Details and Archant Magazines. Some Brides even indulged in a mini make up trial from the brilliant Rosey’s Beauty Lounge, whilst the Groom’s kept themselves out of mischief by sitting for the caricaturist Mossy.

On into our ‘Wedding Barn’, couples enjoyed wonderful creations from inspirational suppliers Venue Perfection, Chaplin’s Menswear, Enjoy Chocolate, Henry D Johnstone Jewellers, Precious Things, East Cheshire Hospice, Stylists in Stationery, Cris Lowis Photography, Verdure Floral Design, For Goodness Cake and B-Inspired. Indulging their passion for food and making the most of the free samples, people tucked into free delicious appetisers from two of our professional approved caterers, Vanilla in Allseasons and Barrett’s Event Catering. They happened to be two very popular stands, especially around lunchtime!

Nick Rushton, the award-winning Magician left some people very perplexed and scratching their heads, as he roamed the venue showing off his mystifying magical powers. The Wedding Barn really had it all going on! The musical geniuses from the band ‘The Celebrities’ performed underneath the stunning night sky on the Heaton House Farm dancefloor. They really set the barn rocking.

Helen Allen from 7^th Heaven Bridal said “We love attending Heaton House Wedding Fayre each year. They have showed us great support and we always have an amazing show with lots of referrals throughout the year! A fab venue with amazing staff. The catwalk show is so much fun, Heaton House push the boundaries and put on a great show. We look forward to the next one!

‘Steele’s Barn’, our beautiful marquee styled barn, with romantic pea-light canopy and vibrant pink lighting, was home to the Heaton House Farm stand. The Coordinators had been working closely with a selection of handpicked suppliers to create inspirational table decorations. Their brief this year was seasons, so we had suggestions for; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. To see more of the tables and to read about the suppliers that helped to create those looks, keep an eye out for a future blog.

We were fortunate to share our area with the guys from the Ice Cream Dub, who were displaying their cute tricycle and giving away scrumptious samples! We saw the exceptionally talented exhibitors Posh Bags, Steve Bridgwood Photogaphy, Glorious Tiara’s, Natalie’s Florist, Dollface Hair & Make-up, Cheshire Laser Show and Lightech.

Then it was on to one of the Brides main suppliers – wedding attire. The catwalk showcased the finest of designer bridal fashion including Bridal, Groomswear, Mother of the Bride and Accessories from 7^th Heaven Bridal, Swan Brides, Yvonne Gillon and Best Man Ltd. As Guy Porteous and  Heaton House Events DJ got the tunes going, the customary twist to the catwalk began and yes, they had fire breathers on stage!!  Who’d have thought it, but with such a versatile venue the possibilities are endless!

And, the show continued with a live recreation of Ed Sheeran’s gorgeous dance from his video to ‘Thinking out loud’. Will Whelton Productions really showcased the talent of their dancers as they gracefully engaged the audience with this elegant dance. It was like going to the theatre and set the tone for an outstanding catwalk show, full of breathtaking designer dresses and accessories, not forgetting the massive LOVE letters from The Word is Love.

Deborah Hall (future bride) said “We’ve had a very nice time! The food was lovely, it’s very interactive and I’ve met lots of suppliers I’m going to use. It’s the best wedding fayre I’ve been to.”

So finally on to our new, lovingly restored barn ‘The Old Stableyard’. Its rustic features and generous size was the perfect space for some rest and relaxtion! It had the log fire burning, lots of tables to take the weight off people’s feet and lunch available. Many couples used it as a rest stop and headed back out and make a full day of it!

In conclusion, as we’d hoped, it was ‘biggest and best’ and that is down to everyone that attended. We hope that you are filled with inspiration and wish you all the very best on your special day.

Many thanks to the lovely Andy from Andy Keher Photography for the fantastic photos!

Did you miss our Wedding Fayre? Have a look at the video below….