Wedding Fairs in the North East and North Yorkshire This Winter, and What to Ask a Photographer at the Stand
Picture this. It's a cold Sunday in January, about half eleven. You've parked up at a venue you've only ever seen on Instagram, you're clutching a free glass of fizz you didn't really want at that time of day, and a very nice man from a cake company is offering you your fourth sample of lemon drizzle. Somewhere behind you, a string quartet is playing a Coldplay song. Your partner has a tote bag full of leaflets and the slightly glazed look of someone who has just been told about chair covers for ten minutes.
That's a wedding fair. And honestly, they're brilliant, as long as you go in knowing what you want to get out of one.
Most local fairs are free, short and relaxed, and they're packed into the winter months because that's when most couples start planning. When I went back through nearly 500 of my own Hitched enquiries, January came out as the busiest month of the year by a distance. So if you've just got engaged, or you're about to, this is your season. Here are the fairs and open days I know about across Teesside, Darlington and North Yorkshire, plus the questions I'd ask a photographer if I were standing where you'll be standing.
Wedding fairs and open days, January to March 2027
These are the ones I've found locally, with dates and times taken from each organiser's own listing:
Crathorne Hall wedding fayre: Sunday 17 January 2027, 12pm to 2:30pm, near Yarm. Free, with timed tickets.
The North East Wedding Experience: Sunday 24 January 2027, 11am to 2pm, Darlington Arena (Mowden Park). Free, with around 70 exhibitors expected.
Rushpool Hall wedding fayre: Sunday 31 January 2027, 11am to 2pm, Saltburn. Free, with timed tickets.
Sneaton Castle wedding fayre: Sunday 21 March 2027, 11am to 2pm, Whitby. Free, with timed tickets.
Things do change, so check with the venue or organiser before you set off. I’ll refresh this list in January when the next wave of dates is confirmed. The UK Wedding Event also keeps an up-to-date list of the venue fayres it runs across the region, which is a handy place to double-check.
The two kinds of event are worth telling apart. A venue open day or open evening is mainly about the venue: you get to walk round, see the rooms dressed and ask the wedding coordinator everything. A big fair like the one at Darlington Arena is mainly about suppliers, with dozens of stands in one hall. Both are useful, but they need slightly different plans. At a venue open day, spend most of your time looking at the spaces. At a big fair, spend it talking to the handful of suppliers you actually care about.
How to get the most out of a wedding fair
The first thing I'd say is to book the free tickets if there are any. Several local fairs use timed slots now, which keeps them calmer and means you're not shuffling round a ballroom shoulder to shoulder. If you can, go early or late. The middle hour is almost always the busiest, and the suppliers you want to talk to will have more time for you at either end.
Take your rough date and your venue with you, even if neither is fixed. It's the first thing any supplier will ask, and it means they can tell you straight away whether they're free. It's also worth setting up a separate email address just for wedding planning. You'll sign up to a lot of newsletters in one afternoon, and it's nice to keep them out of your normal inbox.
While you're there, take photos of the rooms. Fairs are one of the few chances you'll get to see a venue dressed for a wedding, with tables laid and flowers out, and that's far more useful than an empty room on a Tuesday afternoon. Notice where the windows are and where the light falls. That tells you a lot about where your photos will happen.
And please don't feel you have to book anything on the spot. Some stands will offer a fair-day deal, and that's fine, but a good supplier will be perfectly happy for you to go home, talk it over and come back to them. If you feel rushed, that tells you something.
Seven things to ask a wedding photographer at the stand
You won't have long at each stand, so these are the questions that tell you the most in the least time.
"Are you free on my date?" Start here. If they're not, you've saved everyone ten minutes and a leaflet.
"Can I see a full wedding, not just the highlights?" Every photographer brings their best twenty shots to a fair. Mine too. A full gallery shows you what the whole day looks like, including the speeches in a dark room and the group photos in the drizzle, and that's the bit that really tells you whether they're any good.
"How would you describe your style?" Listen for whether they mostly direct and pose, or mostly watch and capture what happens. Neither is wrong, but you'll know straight away which one sounds like you. I'm firmly in the second camp, with a bit of calm guidance when it helps.
“Have you worked at my venue?” It’s useful if they have, but it isn’t essential. What matters more is how they’d plan for it: the light at your ceremony time, where they’d take you for ten minutes of portraits, and what happens if it rains. If you’re getting married locally, I’ve written guides to Crathorne Hall wedding photography, Rushpool Hall wedding photography and Gisborough Hall wedding photography that show how I plan for each one.
"What's included, and what costs extra?" Ask about hours, albums, a second photographer and travel, so you can compare like with like. A price on a fair stand rarely tells the whole story, so ask for the full details by email afterwards.
"How long until the photos arrive?" A clear answer, and a clear way of delivering them, is a good sign. Ask whether you'll get a few previews first, and whether the gallery is easy to share with family who couldn't be there.
"What happens if you're ill on the day?" Nobody likes asking this one, but a professional should have a plan and be happy to explain it. A calm, confident answer tells you a lot about how they'll handle the rest of the day.
Those seven will tell you most of what you need. The rest you'll pick up in a proper conversation afterwards.
If you can't wait until January and you'd like to know whether I'm free on your date now, just send it over. Check My Availability
What a stand can't tell you
Here's the slightly awkward truth about meeting photographers at fairs: a stand tells you a lot about how someone presents themselves, and not that much about how they'll behave at your wedding. The thing you really want to know is how they'll make you feel when the camera comes out, and whether your guests will even notice them.
So use the fair to make a shortlist, then have a proper conversation with your top two or three afterwards. A quick phone call or video chat at home, with a cup of tea and no cake samples, is where you'll get a real sense of the person.
Can't make a fair?
That's completely fine. Most venues will happily show you round at another time, and I'm always happy to chat on the phone or a video call instead. If you're right at the start of your planning, don't panic: the typical couple in my enquiries books their photographer about a year ahead, so there's time to look around properly.
Planning a 2027 or 2028 wedding?
If you'd rather be out on the terrace with your friends than stuck in an hour of posed photos, you're exactly the kind of couple I love working with. I'd love to hear about your plans, whether I meet you at a fair or not.
I can only photograph one wedding a day, and Saturdays in the summer go first. Couples are already booking for 2027, so here's what happens when you get in touch: tell me your date and venue, and I'll let you know if I'm free and send over my packages. If you'd like, I'm happy to have a quick, no-pressure chat on the phone or a video call first. If it feels right, a £100 booking fee holds your date, and the balance isn't due until a month before the wedding. If not, no hard feelings at all.