Aches and Pains

Well my feet are still throbbing and body still aching! but in a good way. I have over the last month had 3 big events, two weddings and an Abba Tribute evening. As an event planner you are not governed by the traditional 9-5 in fact a lot of your hours initially are occasional meetings and lots of emails then three days of making the magic happen. It is certainly not unusual for a wedding planner to often work 17 hour days. You know what though? I would not have it any way, when you see the face of the bride and groom/family when they walk into the room and see how you have brought everything together for them, it is priceless.
What is important also to say is that for the perfect event it takes real teamwork, everyone plays their part but as a co-ordinator it is my job to make sure everything is in place, the caterers know when to bring the food out, any speeches are done in order, the runner for the day, whatever the event, they should feel secure in knowing that everything is taken care of and they do not have to worry about anything - no matter what the party requests you become their problem solver, extra pair of hands and you do what is needed to make the event a success. Sadly some businesses that I have worked with  with before only work within a certain time frame and limitations. I cannot and will not turn around on the day of an event and say "its not my job so I am not doing it" or " they have not paid for me to do that, so I am not".
Of course when you meet for the first time you do have to set out what your role will be, but there is nothing wrong in going the extra mile for your clients, surely that is what makes you stand out from the rest?

There is no snobbery in hiring a planner/co-ordinator for your event, its sensible and a practical option. lightens your load and assists in facilitating all the elements for your event.

What was nice was when a recent brides sister said to me that what she liked about working with me is that I listened attentively to her sisters ideas, visions and patiently took everything on board. It is not about trying to change anyone's mind about what they want, or taking over and doing things your way. Its about working alongside that person and advising and guiding what can be done and offering suggestions as to how things can be made possible.

When it all comes together you can step back and smile........ knowing that you have played an important part in creating a successful event.

www.white-rose-weddings-celebrations-and-events.co.uk

Marquee Weddings

With one of my first Weddings of the year approaching I felt it would be a good time to focus on Marquee weddings. 

I am often asked what my favourite weddings are and Rustic Outdoor Weddings and Marquee Weddings are always top of my list. They literally give you a blank canvas in which to create your own style and add your own personal touches. Whether it is a contempary or country style, really use your imagination, it is your day and anything goes. 

 When choosing a marquee also try not to limit yourself to traditional choices, there is a much bigger selection nowadays with Teepees and yurts these often add something unique and different to your day. Whatever style of marquee you decide to choose it is sure to be a talking point of your wedding.

Papakata

Highfield Marquees

Something different how about this pink delight from

Malton Marquees

Once you have an idea of the style of marquee you want, before contacting the suppliers there are a few key things that you need to check beforehand

Is there enough space for a marquee and is the ground flat?

is there enough parking close by?

toilet facilities?

is there good access for deliveries?

where will the caterers be located?

When thinking about space, is there enough room for guests to move around the marquee, is there an area for the guests to have a drinks reception, somewhere to chill out?

How far away is accommodation for your guests?

Transport to your location?

Once you have made the final decision to move forward with a marquee wedding here are a few more ideas that you may find useful.

Consider looking at images such as pin interest to get ideas for decor both inside and out.  It is a great aid to guide you through the many choices of decorations and props.

Garden games are great if you have children on your day.

Lighting is an important thing to consider, the perfect opportunity to light up the outdoors with beautiful lanterns and fairy lights to create a magical atmosphere. Perfect for a warm summer evening. 

Co-ordination 

Its a great idea if you hire a wedding planner to assist you executing your plans for the big day, someone to take over the stressful parts and worry, make sure that all the finer details are in place, someone to welcome your guests and generally overseeing the wedding as a whole including keeping things on track.

Catering

Marquee weddings are so versatile again with food anything goes, so whether it is a sit down three course meal your after, bbq or hog roast make sure you check out local caterers as well as big companies as sometimes they can offer you a great deal as well as supporting your local small business. Where I can I always recommend local suppliers as they are usually the ones who will go that extra mile for you.

Finally, make sure you have a contingency plan for extras such as heating if it is a cold day. Umbrellas kept handy just in case the sun does not happen to make an appearance.

I really am looking forward to my first marquee wedding of this year, the bride and groom are lovely and have had very definite ideas from the beginning which has made my job so much easier. I am sure the sun will shine on the day for them. I will keep you posted!

How to work out your Guest List

One thing that every Bride to be thinks is that if you spend enough time, effort and money on your wedding it will be perfect and everything will be exactly right. On the whole that is often the case but realistically you should always be prepared for some hitches and challenges along the way. One area that will almost always seem challenging is the guest list. You need to invite the right people, keep it intimate, at the same time surrounding yourselves with those that you love an important to you. Its tough! It is so easy to get carried away and often does not really dawn on you until you actually come to work out the cost of the catering and the price tag becomes a reality.
I am sure just like myself if your on Facebook you have hundreds of friends and connections, but if you take a closer look most of these people are often people whose comments we "like" or occasionally exchange a few word with. We probably all have some friendships that are drifting a little, what with status updates and commenting on friends photographs I am sure that we are all lulled into the false belief that we are keeping in touch with someone. So truthfully are some of these people the ones I really should be inviting to my wedding? 

With price tags for a wedding breakfast ranging from £40 a head plus, then wine costs, buffet the catering will often be the biggest cost of the wedding budget. So it pays to think practically. 
So focus on the people who really matter to you, the ones that mean the most, the ones that for one reason or another stay in touch but maybe you don't get to spend too much time with because of the geography, or because they just have as we all do, hectic lives. I usually advise couples to use the rule - family, extended family, close friends, work colleagues and acquaintances. After all those you cant invite to the daytime you could always invite to the evening reception - that way you get the best of both worlds.


Think of things this way, when you look back at your wedding photos a year or so after your big day who will still be significant in your life? of course we don't all have a crystal ball but it might give you some clarity to who you maybe should invite to your wedding.

Then when it comes to the seating plan, if you struggle, why not enlist the help of your wedding planner, they can give you some useful tips and advice.

Destination Weddings

If you are thinking of planning a destination wedding it can feel very daunting and send  visions of ££££ signs dancing around your head. That may not actually be true depending on where you decide to hold the wedding, you could end up saving money. Often, the cheaper price tag has to do with the fact that you will most likely have a much smaller guest list when you plan to get married abroad.

The truth is that you will probably find that you will be spending less money in some areas (such as types of flowers and quantity and more in others (airfare will be the main area and accommodation)

Everybody has different ideas where there destination wedding is concerned so here are a few points that you may find helpful

 Family

Planning a destination wedding might not be exactly the wedding your family (and more specifically, your parents) had in mind for you, especially if it means lots of friends and family can’t come. Ultimately your wedding should take whatever form makes you happy, but you might want to keep that in mind when you tell them this is what you’re thinking of doing. A good compromise is to have another celebration upon your return. Their first concern will probably be cost and if it is affordable for them to be present on your big day.

 Budget

Just as it is for any wedding, but even more so for a destination wedding, it is important you set a budget. Prices can vary greatly from place to place so you really need to know how much money you have got to work with, trying your best to  stick to that budget. If your parents are involved with contributions towards the cost then it might be best to try and involve them in the planning, it will give them an opportunity to discuss any concerns they have.

The Official Bit

Get your marriage paperwork figured out ahead of time. Some countries require you to stay there for a certain amount of time before you can be legally wed there. If you’re into the idea, consider getting legally hitched in your hometown before jetting off to have the ceremony, that way you’ll be certain everything is legit, and you’ll save on fees for lawyers, officiants and paperwork in other countries.

Hire A Wedding Planner / Travel agent

You might want to factor in the cost of working with a travel agent and a wedding planner. While it’s possible to make all the arrangements yourself, these people can save you a ton of time and, in the end, may even end up saving you a lot of cash, too. Wedding planners who specialize in the place where you are considering getting hitched will have insight into the best hotels, deals and options (which is even more important if you can’t afford to/don’t have the time to visit the destination ahead of the wedding), and travel agents can help score your guests the best deals on travel.

 Honeymoon

To save some cash, you might consider having your honeymoon at the same destination as the wedding. You can always switch hotels after your guests leave to make it feel more special.

 Your Bridal Party

Consider keeping your bridal party small and intimate. Asking too many people makes them feel like they should come, even if they can’t afford it. If you can afford to cover the cost of your bridal party then even better but tread carefully. It may be a good idea to give them plenty of notice too, it gives them chance to save up for longer which in turn will make things less stressful.

Those details

With a destination wedding it means that you might not be able to plan everything down to the very last detail. Make sure you discuss ahead of time with your wedding planner or the hotel how much you can be involved with picking those things, and how much extra it will cost to pick things that are “outside the box.”

Weather & Seasons 

When picking the date, keep weather in mind. After all you don't want to be in Florida for Hurricane season.Also, keep high travel seasons in mind. Getting married during off-peak travel seasons will mean better deals on travel for your guests.

 Your Dress

When planning a destination wedding its important to consider your dress and how it will travel.  Try and pick something lightweight and in a wrinkle free fabric

 Your Guests

Your guests will already be travelling in some form to your wedding, so pick a place with easy access for visitors (think big cities or places within a short driving distance from big airports).

Save the Date … Early

Send out your save-the-dates as soon as you have the date and place in mind so people have ample time to save up if they’d like to come. 

 Gifts

I know, I know. A big part of the fun of getting married is all the stuff you get! Still, if you’re married abroad and people are spending a lot of money just to make it, consider letting people know that just being at your wedding is enough.

Hopefully I have helped you clear up a few of your questions regarding getting married abroad. If you would like any more help, just leave me a message!

Wedding Planners - FAQ

After recent wedding fairs I thought today I would just go through some points raised by brides, as well as highlight a subject that I discovered on another planning blog that may help give a better understanding about the role of a Wedding planner. Here in the UK Wedding planners are not as widely used as in the USA. 

I am planning my own big day so why would I need the help of a planner?

 Every bride that I have had the pleasure to work with is certainly very capable, they have their own ideas and are often at the very start of their planning. They often come to me looking for direction, suggestions and advice. As a planner we are there to work with and for the bride and her family to bring together their vision and at the same time save them money, time and stress which hopefully makes the whole wedding planning process a little more enjoyable. We are not there to dictate or take anything away from the bride, we work together as a team.

"I have a limited budget so cannot afford a planner"

Please do not be put off by only having a small budget, one of our key tasks is to save you money! that's right! We will always sit down over a consultation and work with you and your budget so we can provide a plan just for you. Also by taking time to meet suppliers and businesses we can often recommend people that will go that extra mile to ensure you have the very best for your wedding as well as passing on discounts to our clients, so by using maybe 2 or 3 of the suppliers we recommend you could make a great saving.    Again we have a large database so we are not tied into just one or two people, the end decision is always yours. 

Why would you need a wedding planner/co-ordinator if you have  already got an ‘on site’  co-ordinator with your venue?

 The Answer to this is, both have different roles.

An on-site Co-ordinator’s job is  to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the Venue, that the kitchen is ready for the meal to be served on time, the room set up ready for the reception and they are essential for the smooth running of any services that you have requested from the Venue itself.

A Wedding Coordinator’s job is to ensure everything runs smoothly for YOU 

Your Co-ordinator will have been working with you for some time and will be there to take care of all the special personal touches,  Their focus is on you as a bride and bridegroom. They will have a list of all your suppliers and if for some reason your DJ does not arrive or there is a small blip in your day, your Wedding Co-ordinator should be able to remedy the problem.

One of our main roles is to assist brides in securing professional suppliers and businesses that are suitable for your wedding. Some Venues will often have recommended lists of professionals that they use, but please do not feel that you should be pressured into using their services, after all what suits one bride will not necessarily fit another. That is another reason why as an independent wedding planner we can help you with a variety of recommendations to suit every budget. So Because we are with you during the planning stages as it’s our job to know your  your wedding day priorities and to make sure that they are attended to. Another thing to bear in mind is that often when you are planning your wedding, a venue co-ordinator may have changed several times prior to your wedding, which at times can create problems itself.  When you hire your own co-ordinator you have consistency, that one person who understands just how you want things to be.

A wedding takes teamwork! from the suppliers, venue, co-ordinators even down to the bridal party. Everyone has their role to play in your special day.

So the choice should not be either or where co-ordinators are concerned, both have different roles to play, both are key components to ensuring your day runs seamlessly.

And realistically if either Co-ordinator tells you that ‘you don’t need the other coordinator’, consider finding another venue or wedding planner! Professionals know how important each role is and work together with respect!

Wedding Fair Season- White Bear Hotel Masham

Well we are in throws of wedding season here in the UK, everyone is on what I call the Wedding Fair Trail. What better way to get out there and meet brides face to face and there is nothing more exciting than talking to brides about their plans for their wedding day. Its even nicer if a bride has come to my stand for some tips or advice and I have been able to help. For me its not about making sales, or pushing my services on people, its about saying Hi, I am here if you need help or advice. My very nature is to be helpful and doing things for others. I appreciate how much is involved in planning an event, whether that is a Wedding or a Hen/Stag night, with busy lives not everyone has the time to fit everything in. A bride who is using a wedding planner is not using one because they are not capable, most brides who I work with already have plans or ideas, or are already organising their day. These brides know what they want, but sometimes need or like an extra pair or hands to get things done. That's usually where I come in, I chat to the venues, suppliers, I run around collecting things and making phone calls. Having lots of great contacts is also great, as by referring couples often my contacts will give them discounts off their services, as well as that, if I am recommending them, couples can be reassured these suppliers are reliable and reputable.

This Sunday I can be found at:

 Wedding Fayre at White Bear Masham, North Yorkshire

 12-4pm

 Classic Wedding Cars NE

 Alexa van Pagh Make-Up Artist

 Carlton Couture Bridal

 Envy HairandBeauty

 Fairy Cakes & Co.

 Swinton Dove Release and Owl or Hawk Ring Bearing

 White Rose Weddings

 Jodie Cakeaholix Lewis

 Party On Balloons & Event Hire

Wedding Planners - Too Old?

I read something the other day that suggested that wedding planners may be out of touch with their brides wants and needs because of their age.
With a lot of planners like me who are in their 30's or 40's I guess it could be suggested that we may not be up with the current trends, or that we feel we know best.

Personally I feel that this is not a true representation of myself. Like most planners I spend most of my time researching the current trends through magazines, blogs, bridal shops and websites both here in the UK and abroad but more importantly I follow my brides and what seems to be the most popular choices

I  don't feel my age is of any real importance because when I work with a bride I am solely led by her ideas and vision. I let her guide me and alongside her I will gently guide the way through the choices and dilemmas she may have. That's my job, to make sure she is happy, ultimately the choices she makes are hers after all its her day. At the same time, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't show her ideas or make suggestions, making sure she avoids some of the common pitfalls when organising her wedding as well as trying to keep her on budget.

When a bride firsts becomes engaged the first thing she may do is act impulsively and buy lots of things for favours or table decorations. Its so hard to contain the excitement that she may feel. But it is common for a bride to change her mind about colour schemes and themes sometimes 3 or 4 times before the big day - so again I act as her guide to make sure that the money she spends is well spent and rash decisions are not made. I hope this doesn't make me sound like I am a bore who spoils the enjoyment for my brides but with age comes experience and as with all my brides I do my best to protect their interests.

Working together with a bride to create her vision for her perfect day is key, so to be honest I don't see age as being a real issue. As long as the bride has a good relationship with her planner that's all that really matters.