.
This afternoon on the bridal blog, it’s all about the admin. Brides Up North Featured Supplier Love To Marry, talks us through the planning process.
.
.
.
How did Love To Marry begin?
.
I started studying to be a wedding planner in 2007 with the Institute of Wedding Planners. It was a job I’d wanted to do since planning my own wedding back in 2003. After completing the course and getting my diploma I set up my business, Love To Marry, as in Love leads to Marriage and that I love to help couples get married!
.
.
What are your qualifications?
.
I have a Diploma in Wedding Planning. I also have a Diploma in Painting and Drawing, a BSc in Environmental Science and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry – an analytical mind can be very useful in sorting out wedding problems!
.
.
.
.
Why should Brides Up North hire a wedding planner?
.
Planning a wedding is very time consuming and if you don’t know what you’re doing, are not very organised, don’t live in the area you’re getting married and are a busy person, you could find it a very stressful process.
.
Independent wedding planners help organise the suppliers and items that are not part of the venue and work with ALL the suppliers and the venue to make sure everything runs smoothly. I am there for you. I’m in control of all aspects of the day and you only need to liaise with one person (me). Hiring a wedding planner is like hiring your very own PA. I won’t be just your wedding planner but your problem solver, organiser, timekeeper, stress buster, book-keeper and wish maker!
.
.
.
.
.
What packages do you offer?
.
I offer four main packages. There are three levels of wedding planning service to fit all budgets. All of them include wedding day co-ordination. The silver service is the basic package. The Gold package is for more elaborate weddings and the Platinum package is for the all-inclusive, high-budget wedding. I also offer wedding day co-ordination on its own and a service to put together all the information, inspiration and suppliers you need to plan your own wedding.
.
.
.
.
Keep reading for more planning tips from Hazel, and a punk rock “un-wedding” wedding video!
.
.
.
.
What can a Bride and Groom who book your full package expect?
.
All couples can expect a free initial consultation where I find out more about them and their wishes for their wedding. I then put a brief together and start contacting suitable suppliers. I do my best to save couples money where I can and can save them the cost of hiring me – a win-win situation for the couple! I put a timeline together covering the months leading up to the wedding so the couple know when suppliers need paying as well as keeping track of their budget. I try to meet with the couple regularly to visit venues and suppliers and make sure everything is on track and the couple are happy. I’m available on email and phone and I always get an email confirmation from the couple before booking any suppliers or ordering favours and decorations. The couple should expect me to always answer their questions and help them create their dream wedding within their budget whether its £5000, £100,000 or somewhere in between or more. I’m also available for full on the day co-ordination to set the venues up and keep track of supplier arrivals and payments as well as dealing with any issues that may crop up during the day. Mostly the couple will not know if a problem as arisen as I deal with them without interrupting the couples day.
.
.
Where are you located and will you travel?
.
I’m located in Leeds. I travel to give consultations and do weddings all over Yorkshire but happy to travel further afield should I be needed for a wedding.
.
.
How many weddings have you organised?
.
My business has been snowballing and from doing 1 wedding in year 1, to 3 weddings in year 2, to 7 weddings in year 3 and still my business grows with weddings this year and getting bookings for next year already.
.
.
Do you have a limit on the number of weddings you take on a year?
.
At the moment for full wedding planning I like to do about 8 a year. For wedding day-co-ordination only, if the day is free then I can do it.
.
.
.
.
What would be your top five tips for a bride when planning her own wedding?
.
1. Start with the big things (like the venue) and finish with the little things (like the favours).
.
2. Not everything needs to be booked all at once, so set out a timetable so you don’t get overwhelmed.
.
3. Take some time out away from wedding planning now and then to regain your perspective and your sanity.
.
4. Get at least three quotes for each type of supplier and don’t always be swayed by price alone.
.
5. Try and add little personal touches to the wedding that make it stand out from other weddings and don’t be afraid to try something different. If it’s so very you two then it’ll work.
.
.
What would be your top five things to avoid when planning a wedding?
.
1. Try to avoid falling out with relatives! Make it clear what you want from your wedding, but do allow for accommodating some of your parents’ wishes…especially if they are helping to pay for the wedding.
.
2. Try to avoid being too matchy-matchy. Everything in the exact same shade of pink or black might be a bit too much!
.
3. Avoid seating people who don’t get on together or on adjacent tables at the reception. An argument or fight breaking out will not be a good thing!
.
4. Try to avoid getting too drunk on your wedding day. It can ruin your first night as husband and wife and you won’t remember your wedding day.
.
5. Avoid a home fake tan the night before the wedding unless you’ve done it many times before. Looking streaky or orange will not compliment your wedding dress. And that goes for the bridesmaids too!
.
.
.
.
What budgeting advice can you offer for brides to be?
.
Make a list of the most important things to you and focus you energies and money there. Make sure your families know your budget as well. Sometimes wedding budgets go out the window because of pressure from family members to have a more elaborate wedding that you can afford.
.
.
Are there any really memorable weddings that you have helped to plan?
.
Oh yes, although I do remember them all. My very first wedding was memorable by the Groom cancelling it on the morning of the wedding. So when I should have been setting up for the most amazing first wedding in the world, a black and white theme, I was on the phone cancelling all the suppliers…however things looked up after that and all the suppliers said it shouldn’t happen again!
.
.
Rachel & Dale from Shelly Mantovani on Vimeo.
.
.
The punk rock wedding at Kirkstall Abbey was a very unusual wedding and from a vague brief I arranged an outdoor wedding in October in a ruined abbey with dramatic lighting set to music, dry ice entrances for the bride and groom, rolling fog and rock music. A vintage red bus then took the couple and guests to a city centre venue to party the night away.
.
.
.
.
Are you married? Tell us about your day?
.
Yes, for 8 years. We married at Bristol Zoo. We decided on that venue as the profits went to the zoo charity and that fitted our Environmental backgrounds. The guests could wander round the zoo and we had the gardens to ourselves come the evening and all the animals came out from hiding from the tourists! I spent most of my money on a gorgeous Ian Stuart dress of lace, fitted with a fish-tail and a puddle train and a lace bolero with ostrich feathers round the collar and cuffs. Our first dance was a choreographed cha-cha-cha to Barry White’s My First My Last My Everything.
.
.
Can you give Brides Up North an idea on your prices?
.
Wedding Planning Packages start from £800 for the silver package, £1250 for the gold package and £1800 for the platinum package. Wedding Day Co-ordination starts from £395. My time can also be bought at an hourly rate so if you just want a wedding planner for a few hours to search for a venue, get ideas from, be on the day just to help with the set-up then that’s fine too. It can make a great engagement present and would really help the couple get started on their wedding plans.
.
.
Can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
.
10% off any service if they mention they found Love To Marry via Brides Up North and a bottle of champagne. I also have an offer on at the moment for weddings in September to November this year of wedding day co-ordination for only £300! Selected dates available so get in touch as soon as possible.
.
.
.
.
How can Brides Up North see more examples of your work or find out more?
.
Visit my website www.lovetomarry.co.uk or my blog http://lovetomarry.wordpress.com
.
I also provide tips and ideas each day via Facebook and Twitter. Look for Love To Marry or click the links on my website.
.
.
Is there anything else that Brides Up North should know?
.
I also do wedding day co-ordination for Asian weddings. These take a lot of time and organisation on the day as there can be upwards of 300 guests to manoeuvre round a venue.
.
I’ve also started making edible wedding favours. Iced biscuits in wedding-related shapes with the couples initials on that can be also be used for the place names by tying with coloured ribbon. If any couples are interested in trying this out let me know and the first couple will get them free and the next 3 couples will get them for only 50p each! For any of the full wedding planning packages booked I can supply these as part of the package for free! This offer applies to weddings from November 2011 onwards
.
.
Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © as tagged or Love To Marry
Love To Marry is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
.
.