Who’s Ready for a Day of Celebration and Wedding Planning?
We are! Join us this Sunday (20th October), at York Racecourse as The UK Wedding Event marks a decade of bringing wedding dreams to life.
It’s hard to believe it has been ten years since we hosted our very first wedding show back in October 2014. Our journey has been amazing, and we’re thrilled to celebrate in style at the venue where it all began. Kicking off our business at an iconic location like York Racecourse was truly ambitious—we set the bar high from the start!
Since that inaugural show, The UK Wedding Event has flourished. What began as a biannual event at York Racecourse has transformed into a thriving enterprise, hosting over 30 wedding fayres each year. Alongside our flagship events in York, we’ve organised major shows in Leeds at New Dock Hall, Elland Road, Headingley Stadium, Ripon Cathedral, Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, and the Big Hull Wedding Show at the DoubleTree by Hilton.
In 2025, we’re excited to debut in South Yorkshire at the OEC Sheffield for another unforgettable one-day event.
On a more intimate scale, our ability to connect with soon-to-be-wed couples and showcase Yorkshire’s finest wedding suppliers has attracted hotels and castles throughout the county, to call on our expertise to elevate their own events.
York Racecourse regularly attracts over 1,200 visitors, and we anticipate a bustling atmosphere this weekend, with ticket sales already surpassing the 1,000 mark at the time of writing.
Sometimes, reflecting on our journey feels surreal. With just two full-time staff—my wife Emma and myself, Rob—I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, supported by a dedicated team that ensures each event runs smoothly.
The UK Wedding Event started from our desire to create something meaningful as we welcomed our son into the world. Like any business, we faced challenges, including health scares and the pandemic’s impact, which led to the cancellation of the Big York Racecourse Wedding Show in March 2020, just a week before it was set to happen. Thankfully, our wedding suppliers showed amazing understanding during this tough time and deferred their bookings. When we finally returned to York Racecourse in October 2021, we did so in style and with renewed excitement.
We take pride in offering an unmatched wedding show experience throughout Yorkshire. Our goal is to provide a diverse lineup of exhibitors that offers visitors ample inspiration and choices. In addition, significant time is spent strategically positioning suppliers to maximise their opportunities to connect with engaged couples, along with heavy investment in proven marketing strategies.
York Racecourse has become the go-to wedding event in Yorkshire. Attendees often share delightful stories about their experiences at our shows, highlighting the importance of this one-day event in their wedding planning. Many former attendees highly recommend that couples make it a priority to attend for invaluable insights and inspiration for their special day.
Furthermore, industry professionals return to the big York Racecourse shows time and again, knowing they will connect with hundreds of engaged couples eager to turn their wedding dreams into reality. For many suppliers, rebooking is a no-brainer, as these events have become a cornerstone of their marketing strategy.
It wasn’t always this way. In our early days, we faced the challenge of cold-calling and sending countless emails, often hitting a brick wall.
Previous show organisers at York Racecourse had struggled, leaving wedding businesses hesitant to participate.
Since our first show on Sunday, 19th October 2014, we’ve transformed the event, significantly improving attendance and the quality of our suppliers.
We’ve been honoured with awards along the way, and I often marvel (or cringe) at old photos of our stage setup, reflecting on the immense transformation we’ve achieved.
Like any journey, this has involved a learning curve. The key has always been to keep evolving and pursuing self-improvement. Complacency is never an option for us.
To celebrate this milestone, we have exciting surprises planned for this Sunday’s event, featuring more suppliers than ever before.
We’ve partnered with Bridal Apparel Leeds to offer a fantastic giveaway: one lucky bride will win a wedding dress worth £1,000! To enter, simply click HERE to purchase your competition ticket.
We’ll draw the winner at 2pm on Sunday after the second catwalk show.
If you have already purchased your tickets for the event but didn’t get manage to enter the prize draw, it’s not too late to take part! You can register purely for the competition by clicking HERE.
As always, we promise to entertain you along the way with music, magic, two thrilling catwalk shows, and delicious food and drink, as well as over 100 top wedding suppliers offering everything from bridalwear to venue styling.”
It’s been quite a ride so far, and we can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself this weekend. Here’s to more incredible moments ahead!