Terri & Lori Fine Art Photography & Film

I completely understand that wedding planners are not for everyone. In fact, some couples love planning their own wedding and fully submerge themselves in spread sheets, mood boards, colour swabs & linen samples. However, planning a wedding and co-ordinating a wedding are two very different tasks. And when it comes to the seamless running of their wedding day, some couples will look for the assurance from a wedding planner to ensure that the day they have been planning for months, or quite possible years runs smoothly.

My On The Day Co-ordination & Management service is perfect for couples who find themselves in this situation. Actually, the title of this service is slightly misleading, as it includes so much more than arriving on the day of your wedding to oversee the days events.

Of course, each planner will have their own version of this service.  However, this blog post explains a little more about what I include and why it can be a godsend for any couple that are feeling slightly overwhelmed at the thought of bringing all their well laid wedding plans together.

Firstly, once you have made contact with me and my availability has been confirmed I would suggest meeting for a coffee or scheduling a call so that we can talk through the plans you have put in place.  This is a fantastic opportunity for me to establish key information about your wedding day and also allows me to understand the style of wedding you have planned.

Photo credit: Terri & Lori Fine Art Photography & Film

My consultation is always followed up with a proposal which sets out the information that you have provided, as well as key tasks that I will carry out in the lead up to your wedding and on the day itself.

We will next meet approximately four weeks before your wedding, preferably at your chosen venue. This meeting is the perfect opportunity to discuss your day in finer detail, and also allows me to review and compliment, (if necessary), the plans that you have put into place.

Following on from our meeting I will prepare a schedule of the day, which I will share with each of the wedding suppliers you have chosen to work with. It is important that each supplier receives the full schedule, rather than the small section which is relevant for them, as this allows each of them to understand the flow of your wedding day. As well as sending your wedding day timings to your suppliers, I will also re-confirm the arrangements you have made with them and address any last minutes tweaks such as adjustments to your final guests numbers.

I will also be on hand as the count down to your wedding day begins to answer any questions that you may have and to offer guidance and assistance when required.

It doesn’t matter how organised you are, there will still be a number of tasks that need completing on the big day itself. This could be setting out place cards, positioning your wedding day signage, testing your ceremony music on the PA system or ensuring there are vases filled with water ready for your bouquets once your photographer has captured all your photographs. So, as you would expect, I will then be with you on your wedding day working discreetly behind the scenes ensuring your special day runs smoothly, allowing you to relax and enjoy your big day rather than addressing the days logistics.

Photo Credit: Kelsie Low Photography

To learn more about my On The Day Co-Ordination service and any other planning services I offer head over to my website, and please do feel free to contact me to discuss your requirements.

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Image Credit: Weddings By Anesta

Securing the perfect wedding venue will be top of many engaged couples to do list. With an overwhelming number of options to choose from, it’s easy to see how couples can become exhausted and often deflated at not finding the perfect venue immediately.

When beginning the search for your wedding venue be sure to have a clear idea of your wedding budget and guest numbers. This will immediately set you on the right track and save you time researching and visiting venues that do not meet your requirements. Not to mention the the utter heartbreak of falling in love with a venue that is not within budget, or unable to accommodate your guest list.

In addition to the above, having a clear idea of the style of wedding you would like to host will also ensure that you only consider venues that are in keeping with your vision. If your thinking classic elegance you may wish to consider a stately home, county estate or an elegant sailcloth or traditional pole marquee. Both of which lend themselves as the perfect classic blank canvas to be styled as you choose.

If on the other hand you are looking to host a relaxed and informal affair incorporating casual dining and copious amounts of styling, then a dry hire barn venue may be just what you are looking for.

Image Credit: Weddings By Anesta 

Image of Old Brook Barn

The season in which you would like to marry can also have a huge impact on your venue shortlist, with some venues such as rustic barns limiting their availability to dates within the summer months. Whilst other venues with their roaring log fires and interior colour scheme can be the obvious choice for a winter wedding.

In addition to the above, there are also a number of not so obvious factors that should be considered before you finalise your shortlist of potential venues to visit. With top of the list being a venues limits on children attending weddings. 

 Children at your wedding

It is becoming increasingly common for wedding venues to request children do not attend your wedding, or ask that you limit the number of children to a figure suggested by the venue.  Whilst some couples may welcome this as an excuse not to extend the invitation to include children, other couples who are looking to host a family friendly celebration may find that this restriction forces them to discount a venue immediately.

Image Credit: Terri & Lori Fine Art Studio & Film

Disabled access

Most venues will be able to offer disabled access, often providing ramps and disabled washroom facilities on the ground floor.  However, you should also check whether or not they offer disabled access to every part of the venue. It is important to remember that sometimes you have to revert to a plan B on your wedding day.  If this means bringing your outdoor ceremony inside, can disabled guests access the part of the venue where the ceremony would be held.

Some couples discount looking into disabled access as their guests do not require such facilities.  However, you should remember some weddings are booked 18 months in advance, so guests needs could change throughout this time.

 Sound limitations

Perhaps not the most obvious question to ask a wedding venue.  However, if you have your heart set on a six piece band entertaining your guests throughout your evening reception, then top of your list of questions should be whether or not they have a sound limiter. If they do, investigate further to find out what level they have their limiter set at and consider speaking to potential bands/performers to draw upon their experience of sound limiters set at this level.

Image Credit: Boutique Wedding Films

I do hope that the information within this blog post has helped you to short list your potential wedding venues. If however you feel that you could benefit from working with a planner and are planning your wedding or special celebration within Essex, Suffolk, Kent, Hertfordshire or Cambridgeshire please do get in touch.

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Quite often when couples invite me to work with them as they are nearing the end of their wedding planning journey, (either my Partial Planning Service or On The Day Co-Ordination and Management), my couples would have already started to create their wedding day schedule.  As their newly instructed wedding planner I will often cast an eye over their schedule in order to make any suggestions and compliment the schedule that they have put together.  More often than not these adjustments are quite simply fine tuning their timings.

With this in mind todays blog post includes a number of points that you may wish to consider when creating your wedding day schedule.

• If the bridal party are having their hair and make up styled at a place other than the wedding venue, make sure that enough time is allocated for the journey. Remembering to factor in spare time for any unforeseen circumstances such as traffic (especially so if you are marrying on a Saturday).
• Before deciding on the duration of your drinks reception provide your photographer with a list of shots that you require them to capture, and then ask that they provide their timings for this.  Remember, that your photographer will be taking these images whilst guests are enjoying the reception drinks and canapés.  Therefore, it is really important to make sure that enough time is allocated to your drink reception.
• Wedding speeches often over run which can create a headache for your catering team if you have chosen to place speeches before your wedding breakfast.  Or, if speeches are placed after your wedding breakfast and over run it can mean that your evening guests are waiting for the speeches to conclude before they can join in with the celebrations.  Therefore, I would always suggest that you have a quiet word with anyone who will be delivering a speech and provide them with an indication of how long their speech should last.

Photo Credit: Kelsie Low Photography

I hope that you have found the information in this blog post helpful.  If you do require assistance with any part of planning your wedding or special occasion head over to my website where you will find further information on the planning services that I offer.  If you would like to discuss your requirements further please do get in touch, it would be great to hear all about your plans.