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Most couples who enquire after the services of a wedding planner have never gotten married before, so will be considering hiring a wedding planner for the first time and may not fully understand the extent of the services provided by a wedding planner. If you’re recently engaged and wondering…

So what does a wedding planner do?

The sorts of things I will work on for a client are so varied as each couple have such different requirements. The below will give you an idea of some of the things I do for clients depending upon their requirements, in no particular order, and by no means exhaustive:

• Sourcing and coordinating suppliers: venue, caterer, celebrant, florist, photographer, cake, stationery, DJ, harpist, guitarist, string quartet, bagpiper, caricaturist, casino, candy buffet, band, hair stylist, makeup artist, table decor, venue decor, chair hire, glassware, linen, crockery, vintage bus, London bus, chauffeur service, childcare, lighting, PA system, drinks, confetti, ribbons…
• Preparing and keeping track of the wedding budget
• Keeping track and sending reminders to clients of supplier payments due
• Preparing a wedding planning timeline and keeping on track
• Keeping a summary of suppliers who have been booked, their contracts and service details
• Ensuring all contracts and payments are complete and fair for both parties
• Providing suitable supplier options with enough information for clients to make a decision as to who they wish to choose for their wedding
• Supplier meetings
• Venue visits
• Advice on colours, fabrics, style and design
• Inspiration board for wedding style and design
• Sourcing of items to complete the style and design
• Suggesting options for alternative ways to do things
• Suggesting ways to make the most of the budget
• Advice on menus, drinks and how much to provide
• Collecting and returning hired items where required
• Organising guests around the wedding day, perhaps a meal the night before or a brunch the day after
• Providing suggestions for readings
• Providing suggestions for music
• Providing guidance around wedding party roles and responsibilities and informing them of the wedding day schedule
• Coordinating requests from Groomsmen and Bridesmaids
• Advice on guest lists
• Guest management – tracking RSVPs, dietary, transport, accommodation etc
• Advice on wording for invitations and other stationery items
• Advice on accommodation and transport for guests
• Devising seating and floor plans for ceremony and wedding breakfast for clients to complete
• Providing etiquette advice
• Providing emotional support and diplomatic advice through any political or difficult family and friend situations
• Advice and help with the Bride’s wedding dress and accessories
• Advice and help with Bridesmaids dresses and accessories
• Advice and help with the Groom and Groomsmen’s style
• Making decorations, tying ribbons to jars, chairs and napkins, tying tags to glasses, painting “Love” onto a parasol, filling bottles with alcohol, filling tins with sweets and teabags, filling pouches with duck food…
• Advising on the order of the wedding day and suitable timings
• Confirming all wedding day details with the venue and all suppliers
• Acting as the couples’ ears and eyes on the wedding day, ensuring every detail is as they want it to be
• Point of contact for the venue, suppliers and wedding party on the day
• Facilitating all supplier requirements on the wedding day to make sure everything runs seamlessly
• Provide full set up, support to the couple, family and wedding party, supplier and venue coordination, guest communication, any ‘hiccup’ resolution, emergency kit, clear down and an assistant on the wedding day

The above are the practical and professional elements that I carry out for clients. Over the course of planning a client wedding I also provide emotional and friendly support, as well as guidance to ensure the couple are happy with their decisions.

The benefit to my couples is that I am their sounding board and a single point of contact for everything they could possibly think of to do with their wedding (aside from the legal aspects which must be carried out by the couple). I save them lots of time by taking away all of the administrative aspects, save them worry by finding reliable options which suit their requirements and budget and save them stress by providing knowledgeable advice on various elements. I don’t take over and make all the decisions; the couple remain in complete control and have a wedding day which is truly about them.

I love what I do and I love the couples I work with. Being a wedding planner you have to be passionate about what you do, it is an all encompassing role, during which you become quite close to your couples. It is always sad when the wedding planning comes to a close (I think I suffer a little from the wedding blues too!)

I thought it might also be useful to try and put some figures around what I provide for my clients with regards to hours and resources. So I have looked across my full wedding planning clients and have summarised the average stats per wedding below:

• Comprehensive communication and support spanning between 7 weeks and 12 months before the wedding date
• 700 Emails (approx.) between clients, suppliers, potential suppliers and the venue
• 213 Hours of work per wedding (I’m sure there are some hours I don’t keep a record of too)
• 15 Suppliers to source, communicate with and coordinate
• 12 Face-to-face or Skype meetings with clients, suppliers and the venue
• 1,800 (approx.) Minutes of phone calls to clients, suppliers and the venue
• 15.75 Hours attendance on the day of the wedding

Bearing in mind the above figures are average, so some weddings will be much more or less complex and involved than others.

Hopefully this puts a bit more understanding around the sometimes ‘unknown’ of what a wedding planner does.

x

Photo credits:
Wedding Guide and Wedding Sign by Juliet McKee Photography
Tanya and Anthony thanking me by Guy Collier Photography

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Tradition has it that us ladies only get one chance every 4 years to propose to the love of our lives if we want to! 2012 is one of those years!

I find the tradition interesting, especially as we now live in an age where women and men are predominantly seen as equals, so why is it that women don’t propose more often? Perhaps despite wanting to be ‘equals’ we secretly enjoy the chivalry and tradition of being proposed too?

So why is it that the 29th February is seen as the date for women to propose?

It is believed the tradition started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. Also, according to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status, therefore traditions would also have no status on that day. Hence the tradition of only the man being able to propose was temporarily ‘removed’. Some also believed that since the leap year day existed to solve a calendar problem, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose.

Tradition also states that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine, such as a kiss or payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves!

So how many of us ladies will be proposing on the 29th February this year? Or doesn’t the leap year tradition have any bearing on whether you will propose or not?

Happy Valentine’s Day! Perhaps the love of your life will beat you to it today!?

x

Photo credit: Juliet McKee Photography

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Would you like some helpful tips to get you on your way with your wedding planning?

Then come along to Miss Bush Bridal Wear this Saturday, 4th February!

We will be around to chat through any thoughts and ideas you may have and provide you with help with your plans such as:

• Setting and keeping to your budget
• How to stay organised and avoid Bridezilla moments
• Design and styling ideas
• Tips for finding your ideal suppliers

Also, come and see the lovely Juliet, of Juliet McKee Photography, who will be around to chat through your wedding photography and answer any questions you may have. Photography is one of the most precious elements of your wedding day, your photos will be a beautiful reminder of your wedding for years to come.

So after trying on some stunning bridal gowns with the help of Miss Bush’s wonderful team, gathering some top wedding planning and photography tips, you will be well on your way to wedding planning success and happiness!

To top it off, you’ll also be able to enjoy a glass of bubbly and a little sweet treat! Why not, after all it’s a wonderful exciting time and you deserve it!

x

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This Saturday, 19th November, Emma Meek of Miss Bush Bridal Wear will kindly be hosting a Pop-Up Shop in their beautiful boutique on Ripley High Street, Surrey, GU23 6AZ. I shall be available to chat to you about your wedding planning questions and thoughts and to provide some support and guidance. We will also be setting up a mini re-creation of our recent bridal inspiration photo shoot which has been featured on two top UK wedding blogs Love My Dress and Rock My Wedding. You can meet Juliet of Juliet McKee Photography, the wedding photographer who took the stunning images below, and have a chat with her about your wedding and any photography questions you may have. You will be able to view the wonderful “Summer” wedding cake designed by Janet Mohapi-Banks and even try a slice of her delicious luxury chocolate cake! Steph, from Fairy Nuff Flowers will be recreating one of her vibrant bridal bouquets from the shoot to inspire you. The creative and bold wedding stationery designed by Wendy at August Moon will be laid out for you to admire and a colourful mini sweet buffet will be provided by Sarah at Creative Candi. It goes without saying that you will of course be able to enjoy browsing Miss Bush’s stunningly elegant collection of bridal gowns and see the hugely adored yellow bow, dyed shoes and hair accessories from the shoot. A glass of bubbles may be in order too!

We very much look forward to chatting with you and hearing all about your exciting wedding plans! x

Image and Photo Shoot Credits:
Photography: Juliet McKee Photography
Venue: Pendell House
Dresses and accessories: Miss Bush Bridal Wear
Cake: Janet Mohapi-Banks
Flowers: Fairy Nuff Flowers
Stationery: August Moon
Sweet Buffet: Creative Candi
Hair and Makeup: Gemma Sutton
Models: Gemma Underhay and Kitty Sage
Glassware with lemons and limes: Nest
Tableware: Jones Hire

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Have you picked up your August copy of Perfect Wedding magazine?

You can find Cherry Topped on page 66 contributing to the Hot Topic column! We argued “Yes” to the question “Is it okay for bridesmaids to wear white?”

“If a bride wants her bridesmaids to wear white then why shouldn’t they? There’s an increasing amount of freedom and movement away from traditional rules in weddings today. The late Victorian tradition of bridesmaids wearing colour so as not to distract from the bride has been famously challenged by Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, as her sister, Pippa Middleton, walked down the aisle in a stunning white Alexander McQueen gown.

Even if you aren’t one to break tradition, then you could still dress your bridesmaids in white. There’s an old superstition that says the wedding party should all be in white because it confuses and wards off evil spirits so they can’t harm, the bride.

An entirely white wedding party, if done well, can look extremely elegant. If you want to have a hint of colour, then bring it in with accessories for your bridesmaids. If Catherine, and even Princess Diana, can have their bridesmaids wearing white, then so can you!”

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