A brilliant table centre to give away at the end of your reception! Cheaper than the average table arrangement and a great way to keep your table tops simple and your guests able to see each other!

New service – not for the bride!!

I am frequently being approached by people interested in becoming a wedding planner asking questions and wanting advice. I love to help people out with achieving their ambitions but am very aware that due to the limited amount of time I am able to give these emails, I may not be answering your questions as well as I could if I spoke to you face-to-face and allocated more of my time to you.

So, I am introducing a new service…not for the bride!

For the small fee of £25 per hour (the individual can specify how long they would like to spend with me) people interested in pursuing a career in wedding planning and coordination can book a time with me (Occasional Saturdays, some Sundays and evenings 7-9pm only at our Buckingham store) to talk through any thing they would like to ask me about my job and how I became a planner.

I will be more than happy to explain the process of setting up a company, how to get your first clients, my experiences over the last 4 years, general advice on how to be a good planner, how to get your name known etc so you can decide if it is the career for you.

If anyone is interested in this, email me on Beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk to register your interest and book your time. The payment would be asked for in advance of our meeting.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Choosing your suppliers – can you believe what you read?

Almost every UK based business has a website. This is fast becoming the most popular way brides and grooms research and select their potential suppliers.

So, what should you look for in a website that will make you book this supplier over another that offers a similar service or product?

Do they look professional?
Not everyone has the budget when they first start up to get their website designed by a professional – but it should at least look professional! If the website is badly designed it gives the impression that the business itself could be badly run. Have a proper read of all the information they provide before making a decision and if it doesn’t sound quite right – move to the next website.

Testimonials
Are they real? Ask to see the original cards/emails they have received from happy customers. Some suppliers may even have contact details of a past client who would be happy to talk to you. If they are just starting out and have been honest about this on their website – enquire about past experience and what work they have completed to prepare themselves for working at your wedding.

Accreditation
Check if the supplier is everything they make themselves out to be. If they say they are members of organisation’s or are recognized by industry experts, contact these people and check their stories. You may find that their membership has expired or they no longer meet their standards.

Images of Weddings they have worked at
Are they images given/loaned to the company by a photographer? If they look familiar you may have seen them somewhere else before. There is nothing wrong with this as long as they are honest that they do not have images yet, but hope to replace these with real weddings soon. The best photos are often those that prove the supplier was there, for example I like to have my photo taken with my couples not only for my memories, but as hard proof I was there and did what I say I do!

Experience & Qualifications
Some wedding suppliers do not need or there are no official qualifications for their job – but check they have experience and sound like they know what they are talking about! It is even better if they have been mentioned in the media or contribute to industry publications or forums as an expert. This really shows that they know what they are talking about and others think they do too!

Fixed abode
PO Box numbers are not a secure way to ensure the company you are enquiring about is legitimate and not likely to take your money and disappear! This is not always the case, but it is safer to choose a supplier that has a fixed address where they can be contacted directly.

Price
The most expensive is not always the best. Location can sometimes add to prices quoted (for example in London) and it is always best to compare experience and testimonials rather than the cheapest you can find or the most expensive. Look at various websites of companies that sell the same products or offer the same service and find an average as a mark.

If at all possible talk over the phone with suppliers before you book them to make sure you like them! I am a strong believer that I am successful in what I do as I actually grow a relationship with my clients that often lasts after the wedding day has happened. If you do not feel comfortable with them at a meeting or over the phone, you won’t feel comfortable with them on your wedding day either.

Morale of the story – do your research! You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing a bit about the car and its competitors and you wouldn’t buy a house without going and viewing it first. When you are spending so much money on one day – why should you do things differently?

A date for your diary

I will be at the Milton Keynes Wedding Fair on 1-3rd February 2008 – Visit this site for more details (MK wedding fair) I would love to meet anyone who would like to meet me! I am not sure of our exact spot at the exhibition yet, but will let you know nearer the time.

I will be setting up specific time slots for people who would like to meet and talk to me about their wedding plans and ask for help and advice (for free!) so if you are interested, email me on Beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk to register your interest.

We will also be showing some of our gorgeous gowns in the bridal fashion show – so come along and be dazzled!!

To everyone who has emailed me this week...

I am really sorry I have not been able to reply to you all yet - I will try and reply to you with answers to your questions and advise when I can, but please stick with me. I have a busy job and lots of emails to answer from clients so please do not think I am being rude and ignoring you. I am writing on my blog on my one day off this week - that is how busy I am!

Thank you for your understanding
Bev

Mixing and Matching

2008 is the year not to be afraid of colour! Cast away the bridal pink and whites and bring in bright and vibrant colours!

Many people shy away from using colours that are not necessarily seen as wedding colours as they don’t think they will be able to make them work or people will be shocked by them. The truth is, it is likely that they will be impressed and love the gorgeous colours you choose.

So what colours go that you wouldn’t necessarily put together?

Orange and pink

Hot tropical colours – tall vases filled with a mix of graceful blooms in orange like ‘Bird of paradise’ flowers and fun and wide bright pink geraniums. Surround with bright pink candles wrapped in orange satin ribbon.

Black and orange

Create a dramatic colour scheme by using black and orange together. Choose a bright orange rather than a weak shade to really make it stand out from the black. Black tablecloths and napkins (as shown in image) with orange flowers has worked well before and adding a single stem of an orange flower to individual place settings really creates an impact.

Blue and green

These colour choices are slightly more calming than the others! Think sea green and sky blue and use thick satin ribbon draped over place settings on a back drop of a white tablecloth. Lots of greenery is needed for the table centres and violet flowers like lavender will not only bring a slightly blue colour but will also let off a gorgeous scent.

The moral of the story is experiment! Don’t be afraid to be different and set your own trends.

I love my job

This photo (taken by Rosie at Forever After Images) shows just how I feel about my job and what fun I have with my brides (even if this one is a model!) Every job has its ups and downs, but at the end of the day - a happy couple is all that matters and the fact that I have fun on the way is a bonus!

Winter Wedding Ideas

Go out and buy this months Perfect Wedding magazine to see my 25 top ideas for Christmas Weddings!!

Full of fabulous advice and ideas (especially from a wonderful wedding planner named Beverly Pearce) its well worth a look!

Let me know what you think of the article - beverly@brideandbeautiful.co.uk. I would love to hear form you.

How much work does a wedding planner do on the day of a booking?

I get lots of emails from people looking into becoming a wedding planner and I try to reply individually to them all, but one questions I have been asked over and over again is “How much work goes into a ‘On the Day’ or 'Big Day Back Up’ booking?” So, I will try and answer this question here for wedding planners and brides alike!

Generally you will be on your feet for approximately 12 hours, sometime more – so I always make sure I wear flat shoes! I make sure I take plenty to drink as usually the bar is full of guests and it never looks good for the wedding coordinator to be seen propping the bar up! I try and take easy to eat snacks that I can eat on the go and don’t make any mess and always wear a suit. That way I look official and not like a guest. My initial jobs will be to meet up with the venue staff and run through the plan of the day, set up all tables after the venue has laid them with linen (average 100 guests, so 10 tables of 10) welcome suppliers and help them with any questions or problems and ensure everything is as it should be. I will then either stay at the reception venue or go and visit the bride to help her dress or just to calm her nerves! The bride then chooses if I go to the ceremony venue ahead of her to check everything is ready for her or go back to the reception venue and make it ready for the arrival of her guests. On the occasions I stay at the venue I will be fielding questions, taking phone calls from suppliers or lost guests and generally making sure everything is ready and perfect. Then the guests arrive. I check everyone is happy, everything is ready for welcome drinks and canapaes, pull people together for photos, direct people to cloakrooms, toilets and the bar and follow the bride around to check her dress remains clean, and give her a break from holding her bouquet and make sure her and her husband have a drink! Make last checks to reception room and ask venue if they are ready for guest to be seated. Time for dinner – help guests find their places, field questions, announce bride and groom in. Make any announcements, check venue are having no problems with serving and remind them not to bother the bridal party with questions or problems and collect presents and cards and put them in a safe place. Welcome evening suppliers and field questions, help any guests who have queries and set up evening reception room. Announce speeches, help give out gifts, welcome evening guests and make sure bride and groom are happy. Announce cake cutting (after checking there is a cake knife on the table!) and informing guests of time of 1^st dance. Help venue turn around the room for the evening party and field questions from guests and suppliers. Collect more presents and cards and put in safe place. Ask DJ to announce first dance and check venue are ready to bring out evening buffet at correct time. Check Bride and groom are happy and everything is running smoothly. After goodbyes and final checks – head home!

This is certainly not written in detail as I do about 1000 other jobs in the course of the day too – but I hope this gives people an idea of what we do for our money! Look out for similar write ups of real weddings in the future!