Are Wedding Expos Still Relevant in 2026? Julie-Anne Says Absolutely. Here’s Why.
If you loved listening to the wedding expo episode on Pop The Question with Lou O’Brien, you’re going to adore this deep dive. And if you’ve landed here because you’re planning a Sunshine Coast wedding and you’re wondering if wedding expos are still worth it in 2026, settle in. This blog is for you.
This week I chatted with the queen of all things weddings on the Sunshine Coast, the fabulous Julie-Anne Brown, owner of Cloud Nine Weddings and the woman behind the Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase. She’s been shaping weddings here for more than 25 years and is gearing up for her 37th expo in early 2026. Yep, thirty-seven.
So let’s get into it. Are wedding expos still relevant today? According to Julie-Anne… more than ever.
Why Wedding Expos Still Matter in 2026
With Pinterest boards overflowing, endless Instagram reels, and AI dreaming up things that don’t even exist in real life, it’s no wonder couples feel overwhelmed. The choices are endless and sometimes unrealistic.
Julie-Anne reckons that’s exactly why wedding expos are so valuable today.
You can actually meet your wedding suppliers
It sounds simple, but nothing compares to meeting someone face to face. Your photographer, celebrant, coordinator and stylist are right beside you on your wedding day, so you want to feel a good connection. Online can only go so far.
You get the real-life version (not the AI fantasy)
This one made me laugh. Julie-Anne recently had a couple show her an arbour that was absolutely stunning… but also absolutely fake. As in, literally AI-generated.
At an expo, what you see is real. You can touch it, feel it, and understand what your budget can actually achieve.
You experience the styling, entertainment, and atmosphere
Imagine hearing your musician live, chatting to DJs about their vibe, or seeing full styling setups with linens, florals, candles, menus, and décor. It’s inspiration without the overwhelm.
Sunshine Coast expos often include unique suppliers you may never search for online. Think live portrait painters, fireworks, magicians, cake artists, and custom suit designers. It’s like walking through a wedding wonderland.
You get to enjoy a fashion parade
If you’ve never been to a wedding fashion show before, they’re magic. The Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase features over 25 gowns and suits on the runway, flowing and sparkling down the catwalk. Seeing how fabric moves is completely different to scrolling through static photos.
The Truth About Wedding Budgets and Expectations
We also chatted about Pinterest expectations. Stylists hear it all the time.
Couples fall in love with extravagant overseas shoots, lush florals, and high-end setups but don’t realise the price tag behind what they’re seeing. AI has made this even harder because sometimes those extravagant images aren’t even real.
An expo brings you back to what’s possible for your wedding here on the Sunshine Coast. You’ll see luxe designs, simple designs, modern designs, and plenty of creative flair. And you can pick and choose elements that fit your style and budget.
Expo Day: What You’ll See & Experience
Here’s a taste of what you can expect at a Sunshine Coast Wedding Expo:
• Live music and entertainment
• Styled reception tables and ceremony setups
• Florals, cakes, stationery and décor displays
• Custom suit designers
• Photographers, celebrants, videographers, planners and more
• Samples… including wedding cake. Lots of wedding cake.
Plus, the giveaways are next level. Julie-Anne offers amazing expo prizes like wedding dresses, photography packages, cakes and more. Who doesn’t love a good prize?
Top 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Expo Day
1. Go in with a plan
Think about your top priorities. Venue. Celebrant. Photographer. Start there. These suppliers often book out earliest, so meeting them in person is a huge win.
2. Create a wedding-only email
You’ll be gathering loads of info. Keep it all organised with one dedicated inbox. Something like:
johnandjess2026wedding@whatever.com
It’ll save your sanity.
3. Ask all the questions
Don’t be shy. Permits, timelines, costs, backup plans, access times… ask it all. Expo suppliers are experienced and love sharing advice.
4. Make it a fun date day
Bring your fiancé, your bridal crew, or your besties and turn it into a Sunshine Coast date. Go for a swim, grab a long lunch, or book a night away. Immerse yourself in the experience.
5. Try the cake
Seriously. It’s research.
When’s the Next Sunshine Coast Wedding Expo?
The next Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase is coming up in February 2026 for the big Valentine’s edition, followed by the August showcase later in the year. If you're planning a Sunshine Coast wedding, this is the place to be.
You can follow Julie-Anne and all expo updates here:
Instagram: @scbridalexpo
Final Thoughts
Wedding expos are absolutely still relevant in 2026. In fact, with so many choices online, the human connection and real-world inspiration have never been more important.
If you’re planning your wedding on the Sunshine Coast and want to meet trusted, local suppliers face to face, pop the Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase into your diary.
And of course, if you spot me wandering around with my camera, come say hi. I love meeting couples in person and chatting all things weddings.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can listen to the full episode featuring Julie-Ann Brown from Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase right here👉Are Wedding Expos Still Relevant in 2026?
Planning Your Sunshine Coast Wedding?
Hey, I’m Lou O’Brien - long-time local and wedding photographer behind Pop the Question! I’ve photographed hundreds of beautiful Sunshine Coast weddings and love helping couples plan their dream day with ease.
If you’re planning a Sunshine Coast wedding and want relaxed, heartfelt photography, I’d love to chat. Even if you’re coming from out of town and can’t make it to a Sunshine Coast wedding expo, you can still reach out online. Let’s connect and create beautiful wedding day memories together, from the first meeting to the last dance.
📷You can view my packages here - Wedding Photography Packages
🎧 Want more wedding wisdom? See all Pop the Question episodes here
📘 Download my FREE Sunshine Coast Wedding Planning Guide - it’s full of local tips and insider advice to help you plan with confidence.
Attending a wedding expo is more than just browsing pretty displays - it’s about feeling prepared, making connections with trusted suppliers, and knowing you’ve got the right team behind you for your big day. With Julie-Ann’s insider tips, you’ll feel confident navigating expos, gathering ideas, and turning inspiration into a wedding plan that’s both achievable and unforgettable. You can find her here:
Instagram: @scbridalexpo
👍 Keep up with Pop The Question & me, Lou O’Brien – Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer:
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Full show notes - https://www.imagesbylouobrien.com/pop-the-question
Episode Transcript
Lou (00:31)
Today, I've got an absolute pocket rocket joining me on Pop the Question. And honestly, she's one of the driving forces behind weddings on the Sunshine Coast. I'm talking about the fabulous Julie-Anne Brown, owner of Cloud Nine Weddings and the powerhouse behind Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase.
Now, Julie-Ann and I go way back, well over 10 plus years now, and she has a calm confidence about her mixed with a whirlwind of get stuff done energy, which I love. And I've honestly learned so much from her over the years. Her wedding planning and styling company, Cloud Nine Weddings, has been shaping Sunshine Coast Weddings for over 25 years now. And of course, Julie-Ann is also the founder of Sunshine Coast Weddings Showcase.
which is gearing up for, wait for it, 37 expos this coming early 2026, which will be at venue 114 at Lake Kawana. So today, you guessed it, we're talking all things wedding expos, and I'm so excited to have Julie-Anne here with me today. So let's dive into it. Hi, Julie-Anne, how are you? I'm very good. I'm excited to have you on today.
Julie-Ann Brown (01:38)
Hi, hi Lou, how are you? ⁓
me too. Weddings are something that I just love and have loved for many years, so anything to help grow the industry and keep it all moving is fabulous.
Lou (01:51)
Yeah, ⁓ fantastic. Now for people that haven't met you, which will there will only be a small select of people, I'm pretty sure. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Julie-Ann Brown (02:00)
Yeah, look, I moved to the coast many years ago to have babies. Like, what was that, whole sea change? And started a wedding company called Cloud Nine and very quickly realized that we needed to grow this local industry. So that's the birth of the Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase. So it was an opportunity to showcase all the amazing suppliers here on the coast, all in one place, same day, lots of prizes, lots of fun, and people have loved it. And we've been doing it, like you said, 27 shows and going strong.
Lou (02:30)
37.
Julie-Ann Brown (02:31)
27. Sorry.
Lou (02:33)
25 years you've been in business, but 37...
Julie-Ann Brown (02:36)
25 yes 37 shows because we've
done a couple of years where there's two a year. So yeah, how funny is that?
Lou (02:42)
Yeah, wow. So today, I wanted to chat about wedding expos. And as we know, we're coming into engagement season. And couples out there are looking for vendors to help them plan their wedding. And as we know, that wedding expos have always been a part of a couple's planning journey.
With this ever-changing world that we live in where people can be in their pajamas, scrolling on their phone, checking everyone out, I want to ask you, do you think wedding expos are still relevant today?
Julie-Ann Brown (03:14)
Probably more so than ever before.
I was hearing.
It's one of those things back in the day you got a couple of magazines, you went to an expo and you had limited choices. Now it's unlimited. You've got so many options with Pinterest and all the search engines, all the community groups. So being able to go to an expo and meet some suppliers and really get that personal connection really makes a big difference.
Lou (03:39)
Yes, absolutely. mean, being face to face with people is so different, isn't it, than being online?
Julie-Ann Brown (03:44)
Yeah.
Yeah. And look, everyone can have a great website and people have fabulous businesses. But I still think weddings are so personal. You've got to connect with the people that you book to look after you on your wedding day. They are with you for most of the day, especially celebrants and photographers. So they are the people that you're literally dealing with the most over those coming months and making sure that you've got those memories forever.
Lou (04:09)
Yeah, on the Sunshine Coast and you can manage to come to the Expo and spend a whole day just being immersed in it, you can kind of meet a lot of different people, get some great ideas. What are some things that you think at an Expo that people can see that they probably can't see online?
Julie-Ann Brown (04:27)
Yeah, There's lots of things to see and do. There's lots of people to chat to and you get to experience some of the supplies. So we have live entertainment. So you get to hear them playing and just getting that vibe from them. So musicians, it's a great one to come and see them play, listen to them. Even the DJs, you get a good feel for what they do and what their setups look like. Stylists.
you get to see all, they get creative, they get all excited, they put on the best displays and having those things to look at, even if you're not booking that supplier, helps you with your inspiration, helps you know what's possible, helps you know all the different variables that you could consider for your wedding day. And then there's always a few unusual suppliers that we have. we've had everything from close up magicians, which is now quite a normal thing to have.
Lou (05:13)
Yeah.
Julie-Ann Brown (05:20)
in pre-dinner drinks. We've had fireworks. We've had the individual portrait paintings. There's so many weird and wonderful things out there in the wedding industry that you may not even be aware of because most people are getting married for the first time.
Lou (05:34)
Yes, absolutely. That's such a good point. One thing actually I want to go back to when you're talking about the styling at wedding expos, I hear from a lot of stylists, they'll get a couple, we'll send them Pinterest photos, photos they've seen on Instagram. They're like, I would like this. And you're like, well, the budget is like thousands and thousands of dollars. But you're telling me you've only got this small amount of budget.
Julie-Ann Brown (05:54)
this. Yes.
Lou (06:00)
It's good to see beautiful styling, but also in the real world, have a realistic expectation of what that budget is.
Julie-Ann Brown (06:07)
Yeah, yeah.
And look, I think that's the thing at an expo you'll see full set ups with everything. All the accessories, beautiful linens, napkins, flowers, candles, place cards, menu, the whole thing. And you can take away from that as much or as little.
Yes, there are lots of beautiful photos on Instagram, but unfortunately now we're also competing with AI. So AI does make it even more dramatic. I've had someone recently who had this cascading, beautiful arbour and I had to explain to her that it wasn't actually real. So, you know.
Lou (06:41)
Yeah, my god, that is such
a good point. So going to an expo is bringing you back into the real world because we are dealing with AI and it's so hard now. I see some stuff on AI, I can't tell the difference. So it's really hard for me to do that. I would believe that other people find that difficult. Yeah, no, ⁓ my gosh. So yeah, being able to see, feel, touch, meet people, you just can't do that online.
Julie-Ann Brown (06:59)
And you're a photographer. Yeah.
I still really think that a good expo that's got a good couple of hours behind it so that you can go along, be inspired. mean, our fashion show, for example, has over 25 dresses in it. So where else can you sit for 45 minutes and watch beautiful suits, gorgeous gowns, lots of bouquets?
Lou (07:21)
wow.
Julie-Ann Brown (07:28)
and get that feel for like, love the look of that dress. know, looking at the monorack is great, but I think being able to see it moving and flowing and just knowing that that's the dress that I'm after helps you narrow that search.
Lou (07:40)
Yeah, wow. Yeah, the fashion parades are always beautiful and seeing the dresses actually on people, yeah, it makes a big difference.
Julie-Ann Brown (07:44)
Yeah.
people just love it. And look, even when you talk about the men's fashion, like that has changed so much over the years. Custom suiting for men for the grooms now is so important. They want to keep something special from their day as well. having those little tailored extras where the suit can be popped open and they've got gorgeous little print inside, so they get to be cheeky and personal as much as they want to. So all of those options are there on display.
chat to the people who making them and it sort of gets the planning a little bit more under control so it doesn't feel so overwhelming.
Lou (08:22)
Yeah, so good. I love that. That's so amazing. I love all those tips that you've just been giving us. Okay, we, ⁓ yes.
Julie-Ann Brown (08:27)
Yeah. The other last best thing, one more thing is don't
forget that expos always have specials. They have fun things to do, but there's always specials at the stand and we give away amazing amounts of prizes. So win a wedding dress, win a photographer, win your cake. Like they're always good value to go along to because you get all those extra opportunities to maybe get something that you wouldn't have planned for your wedding anyway.
Lou (08:35)
⁓ yes!
Yeah, and who doesn't love something that's a giveaway, something for free, the excitement. Yeah. Okay. We are going to move on to the next part of my podcast. My favourite part, which is pop the question. So I have my trusty little camera here and in my camera, I have a whole lot of mystery questions ⁓ and we're going to pull one out and
Julie-Ann Brown (08:56)
Always.
Yep.
questions.
I don't know if I'm
excited or scared.
Lou (09:17)
I'm
always excited, it's always fun. okay, ooh, okay. What's the funniest request a guest has made? So, you could also adapt that, because you probably deal a lot too with brides and grooms, obviously, with styling-wise. So what's the funniest request a guest or bridal couple have made?
Julie-Ann Brown (09:33)
Yeah.
Oh God, there's been so many. Probably. Just trying to think. Look, I have had some unusual events happen at weddings. So I had a couple who were getting married and she had found, going back to unreal expectations, was a gazebo over the signing table, which sounds really beautiful. She'd seen it in Martha Stewart. Who doesn't love Martha Stewart?
Lou (09:42)
Ha
Yeah
Julie-Ann Brown (10:03)
So we created it. It had carpet, so it actually had white carpet. It was a four-poster, beautiful white little gazebo, fully dressed, flowers everywhere. But it was the windiest day on the Sunshine Coast I think I've ever seen. So we had to come up with a solution really quickly, because the wind came in like a few minutes before she arrived. It wasn't expected, it was just gusts of wind. So I had to then stand four of my staff, like soldiers, holding the post.
Lou (10:07)
Hey.
⁓ of course.
Yep.
my god.
Julie-Ann Brown (10:31)
looking very solemn in their black uniforms, holding the post down. but it did look quite hilarious on the day that I had. they were very solemn and heads down because they didn't want to be in the photos, but it was hilarious. It was probably one of the funniest things to have seen at a wedding. ⁓
Lou (10:47)
Yeah. Well, that's so great that you could
actually adapt on the day because, my gosh. Yeah.
Julie-Ann Brown (10:53)
⁓ Look, that's what weddings are about and that's why
going to expos you're getting professional staff who have invested in their time and money to come along to an expo which means that they're professional companies. They're not here for five minutes. They're generally a bit more long standing. Like I said, they've invested that time to be there to make sure that you get that opportunity to meet with them.
Lou (11:13)
Absolutely, yes. thank you. Now, Julie-Anne, I always love to give our couples some tangible tips or actionable steps to take away with them to help them with their planning journey. considering wedding expos, what are your tips that you can give us today?
Julie-Ann Brown (11:31)
The biggest one would become prepared. Get a plan together. Think about what's the main objective of that expo. It might be you're in the very beginning stages of planning, so you're really looking for a venue and a celebrant. They're my top two and then photographer You obviously need venue because of the location and date and then celebrant from there is a personal thing. So picking that person early on so that you don't miss out is probably the one biggest thing with the plan. The next thing I'd go...
know what you're going to, you're going to be filling in details, you're going to be supplying them with some info and you'll get lots of information back because gathering information at Expos is the main job that you have. So create an email address so that you've got somewhere dedicated for all of that information coming back to you. So John and Julie's Wedding 2026, you know, at Yahoo, whatever it is, you can go in and create them. They're all free accounts.
Lou (12:11)
Yep.
Yes.
Julie-Ann Brown (12:24)
But it just means that all your wedding information goes to one place. The last thing that I would do is take advantage of experience. These people that are coming along to showcase on those days have experience. Ask them questions. Ask them all those weird things that you're not sure about. I had someone the other day who had no idea how much a permit was going to cost and having an outside wedding was changing their decision on whether to book a chapel or an outdoor wedding, even though they wanted to get married at the beach.
Lou (12:28)
Yep.
Yep.
Yeah.
Julie-Ann Brown (12:52)
because they didn't know how much a permit cost. Ask those questions at expos. The people are more than happy to share that experience and all that information with you.
Lou (12:58)
Yeah.
Yeah. ⁓ great tips. I always say, think with a wedding expo, it's such a fun day to either bring your bride tribe or bride and groom have a date day. So, you know, to actually have fun when you're going there and like we live on the Sunshine Coast, it's such a beautiful place. So why not tack it onto a night's accommodation? You know, hang here on the coast, you know, see what we have to offer.
Julie-Ann Brown (13:18)
It is, yeah.
There's always wedding cake. There's so much wedding cake to sample. You've got to come to an expo and try some cake.
Lou (13:29)
I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For sure. It's so good. Okay. Well, Julie-Anne, can you just let everyone know where they can find you on the socials and details for your next upcoming show?
Julie-Ann Brown (13:45)
Sunshine Coast Wedding Expo, just look up SC Bridal Expo, nice and simple. And then the next expo we've got in February, so it's our Valentine's show. And then we do one later in the year in August.
Lou (13:57)
Fantastic. that's wonderful. Well, thank you so much for coming today and thanks for everyone for listening again to Pop the Question. You can find all of Julie-Anne's details with more tips and inspiration on my website, which is imagesbylouobrien.com/pop the question. And thank you again, Julie-Anne. It's been really good. I loved hanging out with you today and getting some lovely wisdom from you again. It's always valuable to me.
Julie-Ann Brown (14:02)
My pleasure.
Absolutely, my pleasure. I just love winning so much
Lou (14:29)
Yeah, fantastic. Okay, we'll see you later. Bye. Bye.
Julie-Ann Brown (14:32)
See you,
Podcast link - Are Wedding Expos Still Relevant in 2026? with Julie-Ann from Sunshine Coast Wedding Showcase