Hello all,

I am back to the UK after enjoying an Italian adventure with Mr R.  The trip was totally amazing and much needed after a busy Summer of wedding loveliness!

I’ve had some time to reflect whilst being away, remembering the wonderful clients weddings I have worked on in 2015.  Each and every wedding was a pleasure to be a part of.  I witnessed so much love, fun, dancing, eating, drinking and the couples individual style.  I love my job as a planner. It’s very touching to know that you get to play a role in someone’s special day.

More often than not us wedding planners feature at the bottom of the list in terms of suppliers required for a couple’s wedding.  Maybe it’s due to finances or maybe the couple want to plan everything themselves.  On the contrary, married guests who meet me say  “I wish I had booked you for my wedding”.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing, right?  I ask why and I am met with “We couldn’t relax and enjoy the day properly.  We were constantly interrupted with questions from our suppliers.”  It really upsets me when I hear this response.  A day which two people have so lovingly devised over a long period of time to make it there own but weren’t actually able to enjoy the fruits of their labour!

Here art some of the duties and issues that I have had to troubleshoot,  “behind the scenes” at weddings this year:

• Buy 120 litres of bottled water when the marquee water source was not working
• Stand by a faulty generator and switch back on every time it failed, whilst waiting for a new one to arrive so guests could listen to the speeches on a microphone
• Help elderly guests take their seats safely
• Light candles throughout the day and replenish as and when required
• Provide extra toilet roll when it had run out at the end of the night
• Provide bar services
• I took 4 guests home when they couldn’t get a taxi
• Filling confetti cones 30 minutes before the service as the bridesmaids ran out of time
• Made announcements such as introducing the new Bride and Groom into the room
• In control of music playlists and microphone
• Taking away a guests table setting who could no longer attend
• Answer any questions such as “where are the loos?” or “what time is the wedding breakfast?”
• Team briefing with the catering manager and staff
• Helped caterers serve food, paying special attention to any guests with dietary requirements
• Administer first aid to a child who had fallen over
• Stand outside the church door with a white umbrella waiting for the bride and groom to leave when the heavens opened
• Move 120 chairs from an outdoor ceremony to the marquee (with lots of help from the ushers!)
• Fold 140 napkins, insert a menu, tie with twine and add a sprig of rosemary (took a solid 2 hours)
• Ask the caterers to devise something for an unknown special dietary requirement
• Look after a guest who was ill and sit with them
• Move 10 hay bales to create a seating area for the guests
• Take delivery of alcohol and store in fridge unit
• Lay over 500 place settings to include napkins, favours, placecards
• Hang many metres of bunting
• Lay a cake buffet table
• Find the track that was required for the signing of the register that had mysteriously disappeared on the playlist (I knew the song was super important to my couple)
• Help a supplier place 120 sets of vintage china
• Organise food and drinks for the suppliers
• Supplying safety pins for a broken zip on a guest’s dress
• Meet with suppliers when they arrive and make sure they have set everything up that’s been ordered
• Constantly liaise with suppliers on the day to keep them informed of any time changes or issues

Being a wedding planner isn’t all glitz and glamour, it’s really, really hard work! You are on your feet for at least 12 hours (and usually the day before) and have to deal with many unplanned stressful situations.  That is what I am hired to do. Take the stress away and ensure that my clients have the day they deserve.  My aim is to always run a smooth and memorable event that my clients can look back on fondly and cherish forever.  A wedding planner is a calming influence that can discretely rectify any problems that may arise, behind the scenes.

So, if you are currently planning your wedding and are considering employing the help of a professional planner, have a look at the above and ask yourself: “Do I want to fully embrace my special day?”.  I think the answer will be yes! All my services can be found here, so do get in touch for a chat – I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time….

Olivia x

Photo Credit: The Vintage Wedding Photographer