Wairarapa Wedding Expo 2011

The annual Wairarapa Wedding Expo was held at the Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park over the weekend 26-27 August 2011, showcasing a full house of top quality local wedding specialists to over 100 brides with wedding plans for the Wairarapa region.

The Expo saw almost 700 visitors overall (up from 400 in 2010), with the annual Bride of the Year Competition attracting a loyal following on Friday evening, while on Saturday approximately 250 visitors attended the Wedding Expo, over 100 of whom were brides-to-be. Statistics gathered at the event suggested that around 65% of visiting brides were Wairarapa locals, with a third of attending brides makeing the journey up from Wellington and  many opting to spend the weekend in the Wairarapa. Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park had several small bridal groups in-house over the weekend and took many visitors on tours of the hotel’s wedding facilities during the Expo.

“The Wairarapa’s boutique vineyards, beautiful beaches and stunning rural landscapes make it a popular wedding destination for Wellingtonians and the more couples we can get over The Hill to sample this for the weekend of the Wedding Expo, the better,” say Expo Coordinators, Caroline Wallace and Pip Campbell.

From its humble beginnings as an event run in conjunction with the annual Wairarapa Bride of the Year Contest, the Wairarapa Wedding Expo has grown over the past few years into a special event in its own right, now renowned for its premium exhibitors and boutique nature, which is of appeal to both visiting brides as well as attending wedding specialists.

This year’s event showcased 40 exhibitors ranging from wedding venues, caterers and gowns to wedding transport, florists, photographers, health and beauty and more. Local exhibitors McEntee Hire created a dramatic entrance to the hotel for the Expo with a fully themed marquee complete with red carpet, attracting much interest from passers-by, and taking out the event’s annual prize for Best Exhibitor – first equal with a decadent candy display by Weddings Wairarapa, the region’s online guide for brides.

>>	2011 Exhibitor List
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  Photos supplied by Anna Campbell Photography