Media Coverage
The National Wedding Show 2006
- Report for Die Burger
At the end of September we jetted off to London to take part in The National Wedding Show that was held at Earls Court. Although this was the fifth time we had exhibited at this prestigious show, it was still exciting to be a part of such a large international event. It was also wonderful to have the chance to promote our beautiful country to the thousands of couples who attended the event.
After a very comfortable, turbulence-free overnight flight on board an SA Airways jumbo, we arrived at Heathrow, dropped off our luggage at our hotel and headed straight to Earls Court in time to set up our display. Taking part in a show overseas always requires a certain amount of ingenuity, as due to the distance and luggage constraints, one is severely limited with regard to material for the stand. Weeks before the event, we mapped out the size of our stand in my office and carefully strategized as to how best to use the tools at our disposal, to ensure that our display at the Show would look both professional and appealing.
Our very large backdrop poster, with its stunning photo of Table Mountain at centre stage, was made of a lightweight fabric and, with sewn-on Velcro tabs, was a cinch to set up. Another four pull-up fabric posters, some hired shelving and a glass vase with beautiful hand-beaded proteas, completed the scene.
At exactly the appointed time, the courier service arrived with the boxes we had had airfreighted over to London, containing the thousands of copies of Under African Skies, our 64-page full colour guide to getting married in South Africa. (We always hand out copies of this free publication, now in its fifth edition, at the Show.) We were fortunately able to hire space to store these, allowing us to keep only sufficient for each day at our stand.
The Show began at 10am the next day and, in contrast to previous years - when Fridays have been a little quieter than the weekends - when the doors opened, the crowds poured in! For the (three-day) duration of the event there was hardly a let-up in the number of visitors attending. All the exhibitors looked forward to the sound of the music that heralded the start of the fashion shows, which were held four times each day, since this usually provided some relief and a chance to draw breath, as many visitors headed to the back of the exhibition centre, where the vast fashion ramp was set up. Of course, the minute the fashion show was over, we would once again have a deluge of visitors to our stand!
The hundreds of exhibits at the Show varied from those by dress designers and photographers to venues, florists, cake decorators, wedding gifts, bonbonniéres, grooms’ wear, ideas for stag nights and much more. The strains of the Wedding March being played at the various stands belonging to string quartets, trumpeters etc. could be heard reverberating around the exhibition centre, as could the voices of gospel choirs. We were entertained throughout the Show by the impromptu performances of the singers at 'The Tenors and Divas Incognito' stand, which was opposite ours. These three professional singers pose in 'disguise' at weddings, before launching into performances of opera or popular Italian medleys.
We were overwhelmed by the amount of interest shown in our country and the number of couples who plan to celebrate their nuptials on our shores, and it was also interesting to note the number of brides-to-be who had been proposed to on top of Table Mountain!
For the duration of the Show we answered questions and handed out thousands of copies of Under African Skies. For me, the most lasting impression was the fact that not once during the Show did we hear any negative comments about our country. In fact, just the opposite! Those who had already visited our shores were aglow with praise for the wonderful times they had had, and for how much we had to offer visitors. Although this has been the case each time we have exhibited at this Show, this year we felt that there was even more interest in marrying in our country. The cherry on the top for us, though, was the number of visitors who said they had visited our website www.celebrationhouse.co.za and how helpful they had found it for planning their wedding in South Africa!
Every year I come away from these shows convinced that all the service providers who exhibit at Celebration House could compete in this international arena with great ease, as in many instances I felt what we had to offer couples was far better than what was on display. The level of professionalism in our wedding sector is high and we can be proud of the world-class service we offer.
It is reported that the wedding industry in the UK is worth £4 billion, so it is understandable that there are many countries vying for a piece of this pie! Participants at the Show in London this year included the Bahamas, Nevis, Seychelles, St Kitts, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tahiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Alberta-Canada, Prague and Cyprus.
With the average wedding in the UK today costing between £15 000 and £20 000, couples are fast realising that with the rate of exchange so much in their favour (it was R15 to the pound when we were there), by marrying in SA they can have the wedding of their dreams at a fraction of the cost. Throw in the added bonus of first-class service providers, plus beautiful weather (we have almost 3000 hours of sunshine per annum compared to London’s measly 1480hrs!), and you have all the ingredients to make South Africa an irresistible choice.
Incidentally, an article I read recently stated that one of the reasons many Brits are choosing to marry abroad is to escape their relations. Unfortunately for them, however, another report I read stated that if invited to a wedding abroad, 70% of the British population would attend!
If you would like a free copy of Under African Skies, please visit us at Celebration House, 14 Protea Road, Claremont (near Cavendish Square). There is a map indicating where to find us on our website, www.celebrationhouse.co.za. We do not charge an entrance fee at Celebration House, nor is it necessary to make an appointment to visit. Our spacious permanent exhibition centre (with lots of free parking outside) offers free advice to anyone planning a wedding and is open Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 4.00 and on Saturdays from 9.30 until 2.00pm. Copies of Under African Skies are also available from Africa Travel Centre, 21 Leigh Street (near Russell Square) in London and SA Tourism in Wimbledon.