15 APRIL 2018
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Let's do this thing!
CURATED FAIRS IN CHARACTERFUL SPACES. MADE ESPECIALLY FOR CREATIVE COMPANIES IN THE PLEDGE & PART Y INDUSTRIES.
(and then comes marriage) is for Western Australian folks planning pledges and parties – chock full of sweetness and sass, inspiration and independent retailers. FIRST COMES LOVE
First Comes Love celebrates creativity and pooh-poohs carbon-copy weddings. The aim is to help people who are planning the most personal days of their lives, seek out perfect pairings with goods and service providors of awesome.
Now in its seveth year, First Comes Love shines a light on folks in several ways – through our much-anticipated annual fair, through our smaller satellite events, on our social media outlets, and via our online directory and blog. So. Want to come join? Find out how you can. Read on, friends, read on… Best, Mery Susianty
THIS PAGE & COVER
Gown: Keepsake the Label Hair: Bridgette Rose Artistry Flowers: Covet Collect Image: Folklore Weddings
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Comes Love t s ir F SUNDAY 15 APRL 2018 PERTH TOWN HALL
The Perth Town Hall is an elegantly restored heritage venue in the heart of central Perth. Her style is described as a combination of "Victorian Free Gothic Style, with strong medieval overtones". The venue (built on the highest point in the centre of town), has character and personality: super-high ceilings and shiny-shiny floorboards, a first-floor Main Hall with a 15-metre cathedral ceiling, over an arched Undercroft in the style of a European covered marketplace. The Undercroft also incorporates a modern glass Lower Foyer.
ABOVE
Venue: Perth Town Hall Image: Joseph Koprek
OPPOSITE
Venue: Perth Town Hall
The Town Hall maintains a beautiful and enduring architectural presence in the CBD. As a working heritage venue, it holds historic significance for the City and the State. There is nearby parking is free and it is short walk away from both bus stops and the train line. There is easy access to the exhibition rooms and ample time for exhibitors to set up. Let the show begin!
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ime to shine. . ‌ t s ' t I HOW YOU CAN EXHIBIT AT FIRST COMES LOVE FAIR
Prices from.......
550
$
incl. GST
FULL DISPL AY
Oodles of room at the fair to show off your wares, chat to folks all day long about what you do best and get lots of fuss and attention all year online. Includes MEMBERSHIP to our online Directory. This package is ideal for retailers of awesomeness such as florists, fashion designers, film-makers, hair and makeup artists, photographers, planners, shopkeepers, stationers, stylists and vehicles. Size: 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres (the size of a trestle table and chairs with a little wiggle room around it)
Prices from.......
450
$
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incl. GST
HALF DISPL AY
Not everyone needs a whole lotta room to shine at the fair. This package is ideal for celebrants, photographers or planners with small portfolios or laptops or iPads, hair and makeup artists who don't wish to demonstrate or book trials, and venue representatives. It also includes MEMBERSHIP to our online Directory. Size: 1.50 metres by 1.5 metres (the size of a card table and chair with a little wiggle room around it)
$INCLUDED
But that's not all, you also get (no, not steak knives)… All FULL DISPL AY and HALF DISPL AY exhibitors at the fair also receive MEMBERSHIP to THE DIRECTORY (normally $275 per year). Members receive a dedicated webpage at firstcomeslove.com.au including: • a link to your website • a description of your business • four large clickable images that link to your website • icon links to your social media sites • links to any FCL blog posts you’re featured in Each member will also receive an Instagram shout-out throughout the year, as we love to share news about our FIRST COMES LOVE alumni on social media. Our blog posts and any news we share appears on Facebook and Twitter and we like to mix alumni's work in amongst our Pinterest pins, ensuring we get the word our about Western Australian wedding wonderfulness. We love to create value for folks attending our events and if printing a little something for the public such as The Field Guide to Westralian Wedding & Event Wonderfulness, we include THE DIRECTORY members’ details at no additional cost. Value for everybody!
BELOW
Design & Image: Grey Rabbit Design
MUSICIANS & ENTERTAINERS
For folks who would like to perform for a portion of the day, but don’t require an accompanying half display stand, check out how you can be involved.
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FIRST COMES LOVE FAIR APRIL 2017
Images: Amelia Claire Photography, Lifa Wall Photography, Sara Hannagan Photography
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's in it for me? t a h W WHY APPLY TO EXHIBIT AT
THE FIRST COMES LOVE FAIR
LET OUR PREVIOUS EXHIBITORS TELL YOU…
“Thank you for another wonderful FCL event… you’ve pulled it off again. The highlight was the incredible venue and the girls from Darling Music being models for the day. It was a lovely idea. Boy can they sing.” “CONGRATULATIONS on such an amazing event. It was beautiful to see the whole building come alive.”
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“It was an amazing day and had the best energy of any market I have ever participated in. You could feel it talking to the people and it was practically bouncing off all of the vendors.” “I just wanted to tell you again how grateful I am that you had me at FCL this year. I knew it would be the perfect place to re-launch but I certainly didn't anticipate the success that would come from it. I already have 7 new clients from it, which is almost my quota done for the entire season!”
“Thought I'd drop you a line. It’s been two months since First Comes Love and we’ve just received another booking (we’re up to 6 now). This wasn't even from the day but a girl who got the book from a friend and visited the website.” “Thanks again for putting on an amazing event. We were so lucky to be a part of it and we met so many other amazing exhibitors that we can include in our professional network and now call our friends!”
“Thank you so much for organising yet another “The fair suited our aesthetic beautiful and fun fair… I perfectly and we met the had a great day (so much right kind of clientele, which chatting and cake eating). was ideal. Big kiss!” And we've already received a couple enquiries directly from the fair.”
EXHIBITOR TESTIMONIAL FROM REBECCA CONST (FOX & RABBIT)...
We recently asked the gorgeous Rebecca Const from Fox & Rabbit to write a little piece about First Comes Love Fair, and how it helped her business when she was just starting out. What she has written has left us with such a warm fuzzy feeling and grinning from ear to ear. It is so wonderful to hear how First Comes Love helped changed the game for her business and create such long lasting friendships. If you are considering exhibiting at First Comes Love Fair (or just want to have a warm fuzzy feeling) then please read on.....
““Soon after launching my business in 2010, First Comes Love made it’s debut. The fair was bought to my attention by my wonderful and terribly talented friend Emma of Milla Makeup. I believe her email said something along the lines of “this fair looks lovely and would suit your business – you need to do this”. And boy was she right! I had never heard of anything like it before. A bridal fair that was boutique, selective, completely up my stylistic alley – and not a satin chair sash in sight.
One of the highlights that cannot go unmentioned as a result of pursuing First Comes Love is meeting other likeminded vendors. How refreshing! I’ve made life long friends within the wedding industry. People such as Jessica of The Butcher, The Baker, The Stylist and Creator, Angela of Angela Higgins Photography, Leah and Angela of Studio Bomba, Jappalin of Flower Talk, Mae of Maevana, Kristy of Flights of Fancy by Kristy, Michael and Erin of Micktric Events… the list goes on! These incredibly humble, talented, creative and hardworking bunch – I met them ALL through FCL and have gone on to collaborate with, refer to and build honest friendships with each of them. Some I met as long as 6 years ago and still work with today. I will forever be grateful for this.
I can say with confidence that First Comes Love changed the game for my business. In an online world chock-full of limitless wedding options, First Comes Love really thrust us centre stage in the Perth wedding scene. We matched up Due to the changes in our clientele with so many lovely couples – wedding fairs don’t have as who ‘got me’ and who got the strong of an impact for our Fox and Rabbit style. Clients company anymore, however FCL who were willing to trust our creative process and listen to our will also hold a special place in my heart as I believe it was one experienced advise. of the major catalyst events that bought about the rapid growth Not only does the fair rub we experienced in our early off on vendors like ourselves; years. This may not happen for but watching loved up duos everyone’s business – but it is drenched in relief, realising that the talented, out-of-the-box, our story – and I’m personally so thankful to First Comes Love and creative services they had been to the original founders – Leah desperately searching for were and Angela – for fostering such a available to them in one place and IN PERTH is pretty special. beautiful, unique community of wedding vendors in our small city. The more we glean together, learn It wasn’t the kind of wedding from each other, and champion fair or market stall experience one another; the stronger our we ever walked away mark becomes in the wonderful from feeling disheartened, world of weddings and parties – disappointed, upset or like and the better off our business are our time, efforts and financial for it.” expenses were wasted.
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FIRST COMES LOVE is not like the ‘Yellow Pages’ of
WHY APPLY TO EXHIBIT AT THE FIRST COMES LOVE FAIR?
wedding retailers in expo form. Our fairs are carefully curated and designed, promoting the cleverest of the creative folks we have in this town, to the oftenfrustrated couples who are trying to find them. established in 2010, was the first bridal fair of the alternative kind in Western Australia and has a loyal following. It was made for folks who have undoubtedly been heard to say, “I wish I could find {insert something wonderful here} in Perth”. Well, you can, you know. FIRST COMES LOVE,
brings your target audience to you, which is lovely, isn’t it? Not only will hundreds and hundreds of people be coming to see your wares and engage with you in an appropriate venue, but you’ll also meet like-minded retailers of complementary services and products. FIRST COMES LOVE
BELOW & OPPOSITE
Image: Folklore Weddings Gown: Keepsake the Label Hair: Bridgette Rose Artistry Flowers: Covet Collect
provides you with an opportunity to display your wares in their best light in an amazing venue – a grand old Art Deco theatre is a much nicer blank canvas to start with than a corporate booth, don’t you think? FIRST COMES LOVE
is serious about style and loves local designers of goodness, rather than importers of ickiness (an official term) – we like people who craft their product and make it perfectly personal to the pair getting hitched. FIRST COMES LOVE
is designed from top to bottom and promoted heavily by media experts. FIRST COMES LOVE
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To ensure FIRST COMES LOVE is a success, we become busy little worker bees in the lead-up to the event.
SO, HOW DOES FIRST COMES LOVE FL AUNT ITSELF?
Although it may differ from year to year, this is the kind of thing we get up to in the name of public relations (which is really just a fancy schmancy term for being big blabbermouths and showponies)… • Updating the website and blogging • Promoting exhibitors through social media channels • Regular e-mail newsletters leading up to the event • Media releases sent to print journalists • Media releases sent to appropriate blogs • Online banner advertising • Listing the event on tourism and directory sites • Print advertising in targeted media • Postcards distributed in cafés, shops and venues
MEDIA VALUE
• Street posters
In 2012, $122,500 worth of media coverage was achieved through editorial-style print articles alone.
• Large scale banner signage at the venues
Public Relations Campaign Report Muse Bureau, 2012
• Interviews and sponsored editorials
• Small scale directional signage during the fair
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he girlboss T WHO IS FIRST COMES LOVE? MERY SUSIANTY is the director and owner of First
Comes Love- an independent and privately-run event. She has a love for warm and sunny Perth, with a passion and desire for people and their happiness. In collaboration with CLARE JOHANSEN, First Comes Love intends on bringing you an experience that will showcase some of the finest quality of professional exhibitors around Western Australia. First Comes Love is not conventional wedding fair, we will have you engaging and networking with talented folk in intimate locations.
ABOVE
Mery Susianty Image: Marcell Jahja Photography
BELOW
Image: Folklore Weddings Gown: Keepsake the Label Hair: Bridgette Rose Artistry Flowers: Covet Collect
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firstcomeslove.com.au instagram.com/firstcomeslovefair facebook.com/firstcomeslovefair twitter.com/_firstcomeslove pinterest.com/fclfair
ome join? C APPLY TO EXHIBIT AT THE FAIR To apply to exhibit at First Comes Love at Perth Town Hall in April 2018, go to FIRSTCOMESLOVE.COM.AU/REGISTRATION
VERY IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE
The information that you supply when you register your interest will be used to promote your business in printed and online media, should your application be successful - so do be careful with your typing and spelling! And ensure you have the appropriate permissions to use any images that you supply. Due to the limited space available and the very careful curation of the FIRST COMES LOVE fair, not all applications will be successful. Whilst we would dearly love to invite gazillions of Perth peeps to participate, FIRST COMES LOVE is designed to be an intimate, personal and creative little fair – it is the boutique bridal fair equivalent of your favourite high street, as opposed to a giant shopping mall.
Successful applicants will be notified via e-mail and issued with a tax invoice. To secure your placement, full payment or your first mpnthly payment will be required (depending up how you choose to pay – we offer a monthly payment option over 12 months). We really look forward to receiving your registration. Do be sure to let us know how you would like to be involved and don’t hesitate to e-mail should you have any questions. hello@firstcomeslove.com.au
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SO, WHAT COMES NEXT? C LI C K H E R E TO A PPLY
FIRSTCOMESLOVE.COM.AU/ REGISTRATION
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