Why We Stopped Running Wedding Fairs (And Built Something New Instead)
Photo by Lisa Jane Photography
Written by Melissa Woods
There inevitably comes a time with building something different, watching it work, and then seeing everyone else do it too.
That's what happened with our highly attended wedding fairs, The Un-Wedding Show.
We Changed What A Wedding Fair Could Look Like
When we launched our events back in 2019, wedding fairs had a bad rep. They were boring, generic, often overwhelming, and something to avoid. A conference room, a glass of warm prosecco, and a handful of traditional suppliers with their business cards and pull up banners, all competing for business.
We couldn’t think of anything worse but we did feel the need for an exciting, in-person event to showcase the talent of our Book Of Love directory members, and give couples the chance to connect and feel excited about their wedding planning.
So we launched a new kind of wedding fair, The Un-Wedding Show. We made ours the exact opposite of traditional wedding fairs. We made sure it was curated for our modern couples — a carefully chosen room of genuinely brilliant, independent suppliers. We made sure it was inclusive, joyful, and something that felt worth attending.
And it worked. Really well, for a long time.
The couples who came loved it. The suppliers who exhibited kept coming back. The feedback was consistently brilliant. And it was a lot of fun.
But gradually something started to shift.
Everyone Else Caught Up
Here's the thing about changing a market: eventually, everyone catches up.
The format that had felt genuinely different started to feel too familiar. The curated, inclusive, independent wedding event stopped being our thing and started being a thing.
Which is actually great. A rising tide lifts all boats and all that.
But for couples who'd been coming to us specifically because we felt different? The difference was getting harder to feel.
We Had A Choice
We could keep doing what everyone else was doing. Or we could leave them to it, and do something different. That's not a difficult decision when you care about what you want to love what you do.
So we made the decision to stop running The Un-Wedding Show and build something entirely new. Something that justified the trip to London with the crew. Something that felt like nothing else in the wedding market.
We called it Make New Traditions: Live.
Catch MNT Member Swans Bridal at Make New Traditions Live
What We Built Instead
MNT: Live is is a more immersive wedding planning event built around feeling.
The day is designed in three phases, each one mirroring a natural stage of your planning journey.
The Engagement — you said yes, and the excitement always fades too quickly before the planning dread sets in. The first phase of MNT: Live honours that feeling for a little longer. A mini celebration before the work begins.
The Planning — this is where you meet the people you actually want to book. A curation of MNT’s carefully selected independent wedding suppliers, capped by category so the room always feels balanced. Panel talks and conversations that leave you feeling inspired rather than overwhelmed.
The Wedding Day — a fully realised, walk-in installation of a modern wedding day. Not a mood board. Something you can stand inside, feel, and use as a genuine reference point for your own day.
One day. Three phases. Wedding planning you can actually feel.
It takes place on Sunday 4 October 2026 at Kachette, Old Street, Shoreditch — a venue that earns its reputation. Exposed brick, incredible light, the kind of space that makes you feel something the moment you walk in.
Who Is Make New Traditions: Live For
MNT: Live is for couples who want their wedding to feel connected to the moment that is, planning a wedding. They want to feel part of the conversation. And they want to feel inspired, and excited for what’s to come.
It's for the couples who got engaged and found the planning felt nothing like the excitement they'd expected. The ones who've tried to explain their vision to suppliers and felt like nobody was really listening. The ones who've looked around the mainstream wedding market and thought: this doesn't feel like us.
If that's you, this is for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Make New Traditions: Live
What is Make New Traditions: Live? MNT: Live is an immersive wedding planning experience created by Make New Traditions. Unlike a traditional wedding fair, it's designed around three phases of your planning journey — The Engagement, The Planning, and The Wedding Day — giving you a full, felt experience of modern wedding planning in a single day.
When and where is MNT: Live? MNT: Live takes place on Sunday 4 October 2026 at Kachette, Old Street, Shoreditch, London.
How is MNT: Live different from a wedding fair? A wedding fair puts suppliers in a room and asks couples to walk around them. MNT: Live is built the other way around — the entire day is designed around you and where you are in your planning journey. The supplier list is capped at around 30, carefully selected by us, with no category oversaturation. There are panel talks, installations, and a fully realised wedding day environment you can walk into and feel. It is not a fair. It never has been.
How do I get tickets to MNT: Live? Presale tickets are released on 28 June exclusively to our waitlist — at the lowest price they'll ever be. After presale, remaining tickets go to general sale. Join the waitlist at make-new-traditions.com/events-landing.
Is MNT: Live suitable for all couples? Yes. MNT: Live is for any couple planning a modern, personal wedding — regardless of size, budget, or how far along you are in the planning process. Whether you've just got engaged or you're mid-planning and need inspiration, there's something in the day for you. The event is proudly inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly.
How many suppliers will be at MNT: Live? Around 30. That's deliberate. We cap numbers by category so the room is always balanced — you'll never walk in and find twenty photographers and nothing else. Every supplier has been chosen by us because their work is genuinely brilliant and because they understand how to work with couples who have a clear creative vision.
Get Presale Access To MNT: Live Tickets
Presale tickets drop on 28 June — to our waitlist first, at the lowest price they'll ever be.
Ticket numbers are limited by venue capacity. Join the waitlist now to secure your spot!
Make New Traditions: Live. Kachette, Old Street, Shoreditch. Sunday 4 October 2026.