Wedding fairs are fantastic places to find inspiration and ideas for your wedding planning and they are also the perfect opportunity to meet and talk to potential suppliers. However, they can be quite daunting, especially some of the larger ones, and if you're not careful, you will come home with a huge bag of paper and still feel no closer to any decisions. So, here are some of my tips for getting the most from a wedding fair.

Plan ahead - most wedding fairs list the exhibitors on their website beforehand. Check out the websites and make sure you meet with your favourites at the fair.

Save time - Get some contact cards printed in advance with your names, phone number, email address and wedding date to give to suppliers you are keen to work with - it'll save you writing the same thing over and over!

Take a friend - Take along someone who 'gets' you and your plans so you can bounce ideas off each other.

Have a coffee - Sit down with the programme and map and mark the suppliers you must see. Note the times of any shows you want to see and plan to be there 10-15 minutes prior to get a seat.

It's okay to say 'No' - If you checked out their website and decided a supplier isn't for you, or their offering just doesn't suit your plans, it's okay to say you aren't interested. There's no point wasting your time or theirs.

Have a 'Yes' bag and a 'No' bag - I guarantee that when you have spoken to twenty or more suppliers at a wedding fair, you will not be able to remember which one it was that you simply must book when you get home. Carry two bags with you (or give one to your friend) and designate one as the 'Yes' bag for suppliers that you really like and would like to follow up with later, and the other as the 'No' bag for suppliers that aren't for you. Then when you get home, you can put the 'No' bag to one side and just focus on the 'Yesses'.

Avoid junk mail - Only give your contact cards to suppliers whose services/products fit with your wedding style. Set up a dedicated wedding email address so after the event you won't be spammed.

Most important of all ... have fun!

See more of Jackie's Top Tips here.