Today I am delighted to share with you our last wedding of the year. Sonia and Anthony got married on Friday October 14th at the beautiful Wroxall Abbey. Sonia and Anthony chose that particular venue because they really wanted to marry in a church that was in the grounds of the wedding reception and celebrations.

You certainly can’t get a more stunning place to marry than Wrens Chapel. The wedding was going to be next year but for family reasons they needed to bring the wedding forward. Sonia only had a short time, four months to plan the wedding and working full time she needed help, so booked our Partial Wedding Planning Service. We started to work together right away.

Anthony was serving in Afghanistan but he came home on leave for a few days in June and we all managed to meet up and go through the plans together. Whilst Anthony was away Sonia and I busied ourselves looking for great suppliers.

The first to be booked was our superb photographer, Sara Moseley. I wanted Sonia to work with someone who understood exactly what she and Anthony wanted from the day. Also Anthony was a not a fan of having his picture taken so it was imperative he felt comfortable with the photographer. In my opinion this is one of the most crucial suppliers to book first. You spend most of your day with them and if you are comfortable this will definitely shine through in the images of your day.

Another tip from the top is to have a pre-wed shoot. This gives you the opportunity to spend a little time in front of the lens and your photographer can advise you on how to get the most out of the pictures. Sara offers this as part of her package, another reason for my choice. It was important for Sonia to have a copy of her pictures and Sara offered that too.

Sonia and I met along with her Mum and Dad to chat about the style and colours for the wedding. The choice was initially black and white but Sonia and Anthony had seen a purple cravat in the suit hire shop that they both really liked, so purple was added to the overall theme. Sonia wanted to make sure the decor was in keeping with the venue and chose to decorate the tables with crystal candelabras. She wanted plenty of sparkle and candlelight to create mood and ambiance. I went along with ideas, pictures and samples of invitations, decor and tips to personalise the day. Sonia and her family are very close and it was important for the details to include everyone.

Sonia and her bridesmaids had their hair and makeup done by Natalie Bartrum, and Allison Tye . They are superb professionals as well as being a delight to be around. When you are getting ready you want to have easy going and calm individuals around you as well as being able to have a little fun. Natalie and Allison work brilliantly as a team and compliment each other.

I love this picture of Sonia, she looks so happy and relaxed.

The beautiful bridesmaids and flower girl.

Sonia has the most fabulous long black hair and is tall and slim, the dress, Eugenie, she chose from Caroline Castigliano perfectly complemented her figure and colouring. The little black belt around the waist defined the dress beautifully and tied in with the theme. The little jacket to keep the chill off looked stunning too. I have to say on the day we had the most perfect weather. It was even warm enough to take pictures outside and for the guests to spill out onto the terrace for the drinks reception.

The Red carpet entrance, and look at those windows!

The bodice of the dress was exquisitely decorated. The sparkle added to the overall theme.

Of course you have to have fabulous shoes for such as stunning dress!

I absolutely love this picture of Sonia and her Dad taking a moment together.

The beautiful stationery was designed by Elle is for Love. The cadbury purple looked so sophisticated with the crystal candelabras. Elle also went over and above with her service, delivering the stationery  on super quick time. We only had four months from start to finish so she had to get the invites designed, printed and delivered in a very short time. I can highly recommend Elle, she really was brilliant.

When I chose a florist for Sonia I knew just the one. Anne Brown from Tiara’s and Flowers has a beautiful shop and offers a very personal service. I defy anyone to go  in there and not buy something. We all went along with our ideas and pictures and Anne came up with a very simple addition to the crystal candelabras and beautiful bouquets to tie everything together. Sonia had her grandmothers pearl necklace tied round her bouquet which looked just gorgeous and meant a lot to the family.

We popped the bridal flowers in water as soon as we could. Sonia was going to get them dried so it was important to keep them as fresh as possible.

The crystal candelabras on the tables came from Bridget at Sensational Centrepieces. Another supplier who goes above and beyond, on the day Bridget did a great job along with Anne setting up the candelabras. Anne wired ivory roses onto the arms which really showed them off, just simple but very elegant. We sat the candelabras on big mirrors to reflect the light and arranged silver round votives alternating with candles and roses on the mirrors. You can see from the pictures they looked perfect. On the top table a central arrangement was used to match the bridal bouquet.

The favours were considered quite a lot and Sonia decided to donate to Cancer Research UK. Each guest received a pin which looked gorgeous inside the napkin along with a purple chocolate heart.

This lovely bird cage was placed on the bar to complete the decor.

The ceremony of course took place in Wrens Chapel. The windows are just gorgeous and we filled the whole church with candles that looked stunning as you walked inside. Anne made large pedestal arrangements for the alters which we used in the wedding reception afterwards.

I just love this moment Sonia and Anthony shared, the look is everything.

After the ceremony Sara took Sonia and Anthony into the grounds for more photographs. It was an opportunity to spend together to enjoy the first few moments of being married. The pictures are just gorgeous, considering Anthony was not keen to start with he certainly stepped up to the mark and look fantastic. Thanks to Sara for all her hard work, she never stopped on the day.

This is just amazing! I simply heart this moment!

Super relaxed looking soooo happy!

Check out the lovely moment during the speeches.

Sonia wanted to have a tiered cake with various flavours and of course the style to keep in with the classic sophisticated feel to the day. Nouskie Noo came to our rescue and made the most wonderful creation.

I decorated the edges of the table with a crystal garland and diamonte votives finished off the look.

The entertainment was a big part of the day and as the guests arrived they were serenaded by rat pack tunes played by Paul Rahme from The Birmingham Pianist. Paul can supply his own piano but Wroxall Abbey have one in the bar so was perfect. The evening disco was provided by the brilliant Ian Fish from Sounds Fishy. Sonia found Ian on the internet and had booked him when we met, I was so pleased because we had worked together in the past and Ian is part of our Genie Dream Team. The set up was brilliant, great lighting, great sounds and great service. Ian can provide just about any type of music you want and he is a top chap too. To be honest this wedding was so lovely to work on, all the suppliers worked really well as a team which is exactly what you want.

To finish off with one of the most wonderful pictures of the day, check this out!!

I have to say a few words about Wroxall Abbey, the staff there are really helpful and working with them was a joy. The rooms are so beautiful and the grounds as you can see from Sonia and Anthony’s pictures are heavenly. The food was perfect and nothing was too much trouble. The whole event was filmed by Lee from Shutterbox Films, hopefully we can feature a reel from the wedding over the next couple of weeks. Lee worked along with sara perfectly, never worry about getting a video for your wedding day as long as they are true professionals and can work as a team with the photographer.

Thanks to everyone who worked on this wedding and a special thank you to Sonia and Anthony for allowing me to be involved in their special day as well as use their photographs for the blog. Have a fabulously happy married life full of love and laughter.

Until next time, happy planning.

Back in May I had received an email asking me to help with the wedding decor for a wedding being held in Walcote Hall in early July. The supplier that was supposed to be booked had somehow gone awry. I have to admit it is not generally something we do without booking an On The Day Coordination but the lovely bride, Nisha really needed our help.

The wedding was only two months away and not only was the decor not decided but also the same supplier was supposed to have organised the wedding flowers too. I had been thinking of offering such a service which included hire of vases, mirrors, tea lights  etc as well as decor set up so this was the perfect opportunity. I had been stashing various lovely items away just for such an occasion.

NIsha wanted  simple table decor that was stylish and chic. The colour of the wedding was a beautiful bright orange, Nisha had arranged a chill out tent outside with a moroccan theme and for inside where the wedding reception took place she want it to look bright and colourful and for it flow in from the outside. First of all we needed to organise the flowers.

Nisha came for a meeting and met at the lovely Tiaras and Flowers. Anne Brown the very talented florist that The Wedding Genie work with often was a delight. Nisha bought along pictures of the flowers she envisaged for her bouquet and we got to work.

Nisha’s favourite flowers were Calla Lilies and Anne suggested a gorgeous orange colour lily. The bridesmaids were to have bright orange gerberas in hand tied bouquets to compliment Nisha’s bridal flowers.

Just look at how gorgeous they looked and Nisha is just a vision! It really helped too that the wedding day was beautifully sunny and warm. All the images are courtesy of Crucial Image.

The bridesmaids looked stunning standing together. A real colour feast for the eyes.

The grooms mens flowers were chosen to compliment Nisha. Anne managed to find roses that had just the right shades of orange and red in the men.  I just love the Cala Lily that Seb wore.

I love this group shot.

Nisha had already hired Morocan hurricane lamps for the guest tables and then wanted lots of fresh petals scattered on the tables to lift the room. She also wanted me to set the tables with the stationery, menus and favours etc. For the top table we decided that we would use low round glass bowls filled with rose petals that matched the button holes, coloured water to match the theme and floating candles to give a romantic glow in the evening. We arranged the roses in between the glass bowls for the top table and then used the real petals for the tables.To finish off I managed to get a perfect colour organza to match the dresses and flowers for the top table swagging and bows.

Nisha had personal details on the table which were homemade stationery, disposable cameras for the guests to have fun with, and indian key rings as favours. They were different colours and really made the room look bright and pretty.

I love the toppers. Nisha is a nurse and her lovely husband Seb a Doctor, how did you guess?

For the table plan, Sebs mum made the lovely cards with the tables on them and we hung them from the gold twigs in a simple vase. They looked really effective.

A few little pictures of the scrumptious details.

I love these shoes!

I adore this image it says “in love” all over it!

i hope you enjoyed this wedding. I just loved the colours and Nisha looked stunning.  If you need help finishing off the details for your special day or someone to dress your venue, give me a call. I will be happy to help and you can be sure of our total reliability and attention to detail.

Until next time, happy planning.

Today is the second part of the blog post of Eve and Robs beautiful wedding. From wednesday’s post you will have seen how their day unfolded in Italy on Lake Garda.

The venue that Eve and Rob had chosen for their English celebration was a stunning luxury country house hotel in Ashbourne. Callow Hall is set in 44 acres of private garden, fields and woodland overlooking the Bentley Brook and the vale of the River Dove. The ivy clad victorian hotel is just the perfect setting for a summer wedding celebration.

The staff here are marvellous and it was a pleasure to work with them. Thanks to Clare and her staff for really looking after us. Eve and Rob had exclusive use which meant the whole house was at their disposal. Eve wanted a quintessentially English feel and that was exactly what she achieved with this venue. There are 16 bedrooms at Callow Hall and everyone was booked which meant that the morning after the party all the close family and friends could have breakfast and swap stories from the night before.

I made sure all the invitations popped through the letter box of their family and friends telling them of the wedding in Italy just at the right time. Eve wanted the invites to arrive the actual day they got married in Italy, what a scheming team we were.

It all worked perfectly thanks to the british postal system. I was handling the RSVP’s so it was brilliant for me to get emails and post from all the guests exclaiming their surprise and wishing the happy couple much love and congratulations.

As we mentioned we added little cards to send back with the RSVP’s asking guest to give their marriage advice. They went into a separate book for a memento.

As the guests arrived a slideshow of Eve and Robs Italian wedding photographs were running in the lounge and in the bar area we showed the video of the wedding day. It was lovely to see the wedding live, all the guests could relive a little part of the wedding day.

The decor was simple because the house is very tastefully decorated. We used large hurricane lamps filled with blue and silver chips to match the theme and great big church candles. Tea lights were dotted all around the venue which created a lovely warm romantic atmosphere. Outside I set out white luminiere candle bags with tea lights. As the evening drew on they looked gorgeous lit up around the back of the venue overlooking the fields.

As a surprise Rob asked his friend, photographer Neil Foster to capture some of the moments of the evening. The whole day was blissfully sunny and hot. All the guests spilled out into the garden and sipped Pimms and Kir Royale which they were handed as they walked into the party.

I love the banner we had made to welcome the guests. It was simply made in white linen and then padded so the letters stood out.

Eve wanted her guests to be well entertained so as the band set up they played background music throughout the hotel to get us in the mood for dancing later. We also had an instamatic digital camera along with a props basket full of dress up items. The idea was that the guests had fun with the props and took pictures of each other. The photographs were stuck into the lovely guest book that matched the invites, provided by Lucy Ledger Designs. It is amazing how much fun can be had with one of these cameras and false moustaches, feather boas, silly glasses, joke cigars and many more items Eve bought from the local joke shop. We even had signs made, they did look lovely. I do have to say though if you do make them or do them yourself make sure the writing is in very dark ink. We found that they did not show up on the film, but no one really minded.

This is a great idea to entertain your guests

Signs by Bloomin Fab

No evening is complete without  dancing and great music. Eve and I looked for what seemed like days to find just the right band. When I came across iPop I just knew they would be perfect. Suze and the guys were amazing and rocked the house all night. I would highly recommend them. Their music is really current and perfect for wedding parties. Check them out here.

All the way through the planning Eve had great style. For the party she did want a wedding cake but not a traditional type. Cup cakes were a great idea because then everyone can just take one and they worked as part of the desert after the hot buffet as well as little favours. There are cupcakes and cupcakes, you really do have to be careful who you choose. They should be made fresh the day before and be light as a feather. Just the person to do the job is Jenny from Nom Nom. Jenny did us proud and the cakes were decorated with silver, blue and gold pearls. The cakes were in gold cases with some being picked out to sit in lovely lace vintage wrappers.

What else can I say except this is one of the most stylish weddings I have worked on. Be true to yourself when you plan your wedding and it will really pay off. Here are a few more pictures captured by Foster’s Photography.

Until next time, happy planning.

I am so blown away by our real wedding today and as pleased as punch to have been so much a part of it. Eve and Rob are not only a really lovely couple who are devoted to each other, but also the most glamorous couple too, they look like movie stars! Eve has her own Beauty Salon called Mi Mi Spa in Burton on Trent so she does know a thing or two about staying beautiful. One of the best things about this wedding was the way Eve and Rob planned it.

They planned it exactly as they wanted which warms my heart. Eve didn’t want a big wedding with a lot of fuss. She has a very successful business, which takes up a lot of her time, and her idea of a heavenly wedding was to elope! Yes elope the whole thing was done in secret.

When Eve asked me to help plan her celebration wedding party I was thrilled. The plan was to do everything in secret, get married on Lake Garda then come home and surprise her friends and family by holding a party to celebrate their new marriage. Even Rob’s mum and dad did not know, only a very few select people were privy to the secret plans. The best surprise of all for me was what Eve and Rob did in Italy.

Rob’s mum was celebrating her 60th birthday in Italy. Eve and Rob booked a hotel nearby them and planned the whole wedding to take place whilst Rob’s Mum and Dad were on holiday. Can you imagine going away and then seeing your son and his girlfriend in your hotel waiting for you a few days later? At first they did not even mention the wedding and at dinner that night Eve and Rob gave their still stunned parents a wedding invitation. They went out to them on the Saturday and got married on the Tuesday. They planned everything to the last detail, even shopping for a perfect dress for Rob’s mum Lynn and taking Rob’s dad, Geoff his suit over.

You can see from the pictures how absolutely idyllic the setting was. Eve wore a stunning dress from Jenny Packham, Eden, which was bought from the fabulous Silk Brides in Lichfield. I send many of my brides to Jo because she gives fabulous service and her dresses are to die for. When you buy a wedding dress you really want a brilliant shopping experience, as you leave Silk you get one of Jo’s fabulous hugs!

Eve and Rob chose to marry in the beautiful Malcesine Castle

As Eve walked down the cobbled street to the castle where they got married, the locals clapped and congratulated them.

For a spectacular dress you need spectacular shoes, Eve found just the pair from Emmy which were handmade and match perfectly the Eden dress Eve wore. All through the planning Eve and I had so much fun discussing the style and personal details to make the day extra special. I really miss our morning calls we used to have. Of course it was all a secret so we could not mention the plans at Mi Mi or to anyone else. The other pressure was the time factor. Eve and I started to plan the two events in the middle of March and the wedding was in July, pretty tight time frame but the suppliers I chose for Eve really stepped up the mark and the wedding planning was a really brilliant journey.

Eve has excellent taste and loves all things sparkly and sophisticated as well as vintage. The invitations we chose were from the fabulous Lucy Ledger Designs. Lucy was super busy but squeezed us in and managed to design bespoke invitations just for us. The theme was blue and gold with diamante and lace. Rob had a beautifully cut armani blue suit and Eve’s dress was gold with silver and crystal detail. Check out the invites and guest book below. Eve planned for me to send out the invites the day before they got married in Italy. Everyone received them the day the marriage took place. We wrote on the inserts explaining this and then inviting them to a fabulous party on the newly weds return. We also added little cards for everyone to send back their advice for a happy marriage. I had a lovely time before the party sticking these all into a guest book for Eve and Rob to read after the celebrations. This is a great idea and something lovely to look back on especially on your first anniversary.

Matching Guest Book and Invitations from Lucy Ledger Designs

The thing that is so great about this wedding is the way that all the details totally reflected Eve and Rob. Eve stayed true to her style and personality all the way through. The couple did hire a wedding planner in Italy that were arranging flowers for the wedding day. Eve wanted flowers that looked freshly picked but was not happy with the choices available. We had a chat and despite me sending many pictures, which helped us rule out what Eve did not want, the one thing we decided was that we should have a really different alternative to the normal bridal bouquet. What better suggestion for Eve was to look at Debbie’s work from DC Bouquets. Instantly Eve fell in love with the website and the gorgeous sparkly offerings. The problem was these types of bouquets do take time to make and are very intricate. Eve was determined and met Debbie in person to discuss the commission. Debbie really came through to fit Eve in amongst her already long client list and made her this spectacular creation. Debbie even used one of her favourite brooches she had been saving to make it extra special.

The bouquet complimented Eve’s shoes perfectly.

Check out the fabulous Head piece to match the Jenny Packham dress and bracelet

Eve wanted to add a splash of colour to the gold and silver theme so added blue. Rob had a beautifully cut suit made Adrian Barrows at The Bespoke Tailor in the midlands. Rob looked just like he had stepped off a photo shoot. Check out Robs buttonhole to. Debbie also made them for his parents, they were thrilled because they can keep them forever and it is such a lovely keepsake of the wedding day.

Check out the rest of the photographs of the amazing Bride and Groom

Eve loved this car and spent a long time looking for just the right one.

What a way to start your new married life, sailing on Lake Garda

Now it’s time to enjoy an Italian feast and enjoy the ambiance of the evening as the sun goes down.

I loved being part of this wedding and it just goes to show you that even if you marry abroad a UK wedding planner maybe able to help you. Pop back on Friday to read all about the English wedding party. It was one of the hottest days this year and I showcase a beautiful venue and more lovely details. If you want to try out Eve’s lovely restful beauty salon give them a ring on 01283 569600

Until next time, happy planning.

If you missed the first part of this great wedding check it out here. A November wedding with everything, snow! style, personal details, and great guests.

From the moment I started to work with Bev and Paul I knew their wedding would be fun and a fabulous event to get my teeth into. Just after they booked we had a meeting and Bev told me that one of the things that was most important to her was the cake!

Bev and Paul are from Jamaica and are used to the most fabulous fruit cakes cooked in a special way with white rum. It had been decided that rather than leave it to a cake company a member of the family was going to step in and create a cake for the theme and style of the day.

Who knew that right after our meeting Wedding TV phoned to ask if I knew of a couple who would be prepared to have their wedding followed and showcased on “The Great Cake Bake”. They get to choose the cake of their dreams for free!

You can imagine how excited Wedding TV were once they heard all the various events that were happening throughout the day, the fact that the wedding was being held in two exquisite venues and the work, time and effort Bev and Paul were putting into their day. It turned out that Bev watched the programme and was delighted to join in. I felt it was my duty to point out that we should take great care not to let the show take over the sentiment of the day. Rachael and her crew I have to say were absolutely brilliant and fitted in with everything. They even lent me a hand!! It was a pleasure to work with them.

Bev and Paul had the choice of three cake companies, watch here to check out their visits and see why they chose the fabulous Tony from Sweet Fantasies. One of the reasons was that Tony was so thorough. When he knew Bev and Paul were going to visit he soaked the fruit in white rum and red wine before he used it to bake the cake. They were mightily impressed. Once chosen the couple don’t get to see the cake until their wedding day. They have to trust to the supplier that their brief will be adhered to. I think in this case it was perfect!

Bev gave the brief that she wanted the cake to be five tiered, very sparkly, sophisticated and super stylish and must match her theme. She wanted their initials on the cake as a topper. Tony really excelled himself in this area and had them made specially. They looked absolutely stunning.

Following the style of the show the cake is revealed late in the day and the guests don’t see it until the Bride and Groom! This was really unusual for me, but I had the privilege of watching it be assembled. Then I had the pleasure of  decorating the cake table with silver tea lights and large crystal garlands pinned around the edge of the table. It was fantastic to see the surprise on Bev and Pauls face when they first laid eyes on the cake. They were thrilled.

After the cake had been cut the guests were treated to a firework display that Paul has personalised specially for Bev. The DJ then had everyone dancing the night away until the early hours.

The whole day was brilliant, even the snow that came down from the heavens in the days before looked fabulous and did not stop any of the events of the day. Check out Bev and Paul in the grounds at Shugborough.

How Stylish is Paul! and Boo Photography did a great job it was freezing!

I love this confetti shot, the red against the snow looked superb!

The fabulous table plan

More details Bev made herself.

Paul had these fireworks designed as a surprise for Bev. Truly romantic to kick off the evenings weddings celebrations.

I have to say the day was packed with fun, details, memories and wonderful entertainment! Bev and Paul did a great job it was a pleasure to coordinate their wedding and help in the months leading up to their special day. A great fusion of wedding planning help mixed with the just the lovely kind of couple we like to work with. Thoughtful of their guests, plenty of inspired DIY and personal details and of course great suppliers to work with too. Heaven!

Well it has been a while since this wedding in November but now I finally have the photographs, courtesy of the ladies at
Boo Photography.

A winter wonderland wedding it was too. I started working with Bev and Paul about six months before their wedding. Bev is a very organised and meticulous person and really had put her heart and soul into organising her wedding. One of the things that was worrying her was how to pull all her ideas together and make sure that on the day her plans were executed to the smallest detail.

We started with a Genie for An Evening service which Bev and Paul used to brainstorm their ideas. Bev had a picture of what she wanted but was a little stuck with how to make it all happen. Suppliers were no problem all of those were chosen and handpicked but the decor was a little more tricky. To complicate matters further the wedding was in two venues, a really beautiful wintery wedding at Shugborough Hall and then a sophisticated, chic but fun wedding breakfast and celebrations over at Somerford Hall.

As you can see from the fab pictures the venues were superbly stylish so we needed not only wedding decor to compliment them but also meticulous organising to be sure the many areas of the day that Bev had planned all came together. Bev thought it would be good for me to deliver our On The Day Coordination service to be sure everything ran smoothly and she did not have to worry about anything.

As the wedding was in November we wanted a little bit of Christmas but not the usual greens and reds to dominate everywhere. The ceremony venue, Shugborough Hall did not need much more to decorate it, and Bev had decided that red would be the theme for this area of the wedding.The reception room at Somerford Hall is decorated in a beautiful powder blue with decorative ornate ceilings. The idea of the decor was not to compete with the room but to compliment it.

The Wedding Genie suggested instead of flower centrepieces we use Crystal Trees. I cannot tell you how gorgeous these are especially at night lit up by the tea lights hanging from them. Now all we had to do was to work out decor for the top table. Bev decided to let me decorate this area with silver bowls filled with strings of pearls lovely shiny baubles and candles set on mirrors. We edged the table with crystal droppers to match the whole theme and dotted silver tea lights all along the edge of the top table. So our theme was red with accents of crystals and pearls.

These looked absolutely brilliant at night. They gave the room a whole new look for the evening celebration.

Looking gorgeous at Shugborough Hall. The stylish car was from Heritage Cars. They did a fabulous job in the snow.

If you read our blog you know how The Wedding Genie are just mad about couples reflecting their personality in their wedding day. Well this wedding probably has more of that than any I have worked on. From the scroll invitations posted in special boxes in scroll canisters to the gorgeous red bags for each guest that were filled with a miniature bottle of white jamaican rum to give a nod to Bev and Paul’s home country Jamaica as well as a compilation CD of their favourite love songs though out the years. Bev even had all her guests picked up in a coach with this music playing in the background. The fantastic Toastmasters David and Jane helped with the order of the day. Whilst I was setting up decor at Somerford Hall the lovely David and Jane were helping the guests move from one venue to the other.

Imagine a fantastic vocalist crooning your favourite song as you walk down the aisle, a harpist to welcome your guests, followed by a champagne reception all filmed by Wedding TV. Oh did I forget to mention that little detail. More on that in the second blog. Suffice to say it includes the most wonderfully designed cake! Here are a few pictures of the stunning details.

Bev’s beautiful daughters as chief bridesmaids

We came up with the idea of a signature cocktail named after the couple! Bev designed all the stationery too!

As the guests walked out of the wedding breakfast into the chill out area they were handed this lovely drink to go and relax with. They listened to a piano player in one area where people could sit and lounge, and if people wanted to dance a little then a saxophonist was entertaining them in the other gorgeous room at Somerford Hall. This house is hired as exclusive use so you have the run of the beautiful grounds and house to entertain as you like. The staff here were brilliant, I could not recommend them highly enough. The whole house was decorated for Christmas which matched superbly with Bev’s bridesmaids who were in bright red.

How cool do they look?

Could there be any more? Lets recap,Harpist, soloist, magnificent details, toastmasters, videographers, photographers, roulette? Fireworks, Cool DJ yes and more! It really was the event of the year. On Friday you can see how Wedding TV became involved and how Bev managed to have the most fabulously individualised cake made just for her and Paul. If you are thinking how to pull off your grand plan, don’t worry just give me a call.

Until next time, happy planning.

This week I am super excited to post another one of our lovely weddings. Vicky asked me to help her plan her wedding but there was one draw back that made this wedding different from all the others I have worked on. I was going on holiday the day of the wedding!! It is the first wedding I have helped organise and not attended. Vicky still wanted me to go ahead and I promised that I would give precise meticulous handover plans to the venue so they would carry out plans to perfection. I have to report they did!

Vicky was one of the easiest brides to work with, she gave me carte blanch on choosing suppliers and trusted me to be sure they were right for her. We started to work together in February for the wedding in April. Vicky already had the beautiful Walton Hall booked as her venue where she was getting married as well as holding the wedding reception. The most amazing
Jo Hastings was booked as the photographer and that was about all. Oh! did I forget to mention that the dress was being designed by the brilliant wedding dress designer Angelina Coralusso and Vicky’s shoes by Gina. I had fabulous building bricks to start with, what more can you ask for? A great venue, a most excellent photographer to capture all the moments of the day and a bride that was going to look like a filmstar!

Now all we had to do was work out the theme and find flowers, the cake, stationery, entertainment, videographer and venue decor. Having fabulous suppliers to work with certainly helped and within a couple of days we had secured a veritable team to work with. Vicky had already decided on a black and white chic sophisticated theme accented with crystals and when we visited the venue they had the most beautiful deep purple decor that we added that to the mix too.

Vicky’s lovely husband is called Neil and ladies how fabulous is this? Neil is a fireman! This meant lots of gorgeous men in uniform on the day to perform a guard of honour.

Walton Hall has a divine chapel in its grounds where Vicky and Neil had their marriage ceremony. We wanted to be able to use the decor from the church inside the hotel. Jane from Passion Flower Design did us proud with the decor and flowers. I knew Jane and luckily when I rang her to see if she was free she informed me that she had already done weddings in the venue so knew the layout and the staff. Super lucky for me so I did not have to worry about quality and delivery or set up on the day. Choosing professional reliable suppliers is definitely half the battle when planning your wedding.

Superb Venue Walton Hall

I love these photographs of Vicky and Neils children as they were getting ready and check out their flowers and dresses. They looked fabulous in alternating colours and sashes.

The stylish bouquet

How cute is Sam their little boy.

Vicky wanted her wedding to be super stylish and sophisticated but with a relaxed air for her friends and family to enjoy the day. We wanted to make sure the day reflected the personality of Vicky and Neil, who have a large circle of friends that they wanted to be part of their wedding day. We came up with the perfect idea in the form of Ian Fish! Ian from Soundsfishy makes videos where the guests are the main players. The wedding couple choose a song and then the guests sing to it and are filmed throughout the day. Check it out here, it was so much fun and even Jo the photographer commented on how the guests were entertained by it. It was not intrusive and Jo and Ian worked together to get the best shots and angles. Not only was Ian providing the video but he is also a super talented DJ so he rocked the night away too.

Back to the fabulous dress and shoes, check out the great pictures below.

As Vicky walked down the aisle Vie Watson, an extremely talented vocalist  I had the pleasure of working with before sang their favourite songs. Vie also sang for guests as they signed the register and as the bride left. Then it was over to the main venue where Vie entertained the guests throughout the champagne drinks reception.

The crystal diamonte featured all through the wedding theme, on the dress, cake, shoes and stationery.

The Cake by Ben the Cake Man He did a great job sketching out various designs for Vicky to choose from. The monogram matched the stationery too.

Stationery was by Jo at Wedding Paraphernalia. Their service and quality was exceptional, delivered straight to the venue for set up. Jo even managed to send extra menus the day before as more people were added to the guest list.

Jane provided three varying sized martini glasses with coloured water,petals and floating candles. Lovely flowers were arranged around the base all set on large table mirrors. Vicky preferred simple but sophisticated decor without too many flowers. Flowers were used for the top table though and the church decor was incorporated in the wedding breakfast room too.

The party for the evening was started off by entertainment from the brilliant Ruth Lorenzo, you may remember her from the X Factor a couple of years ago. Ruth was amazing and wowed the guests.  A choreographed first dance that Vicky and Neil had been taking lessons for weeks from Kate at Groove Academy kicked off the dancing. Read more about how to prepare for your first dance here.

Here comes the dance

What an amazing day for Vicky and Neil. I was really honoured to have played such a big part in it. Choosing the right wedding suppliers to bring your wedding day vision to life is essential. They also make your wedding planning journey really enjoyable with great memories they help you create. I have to say a special thank you to Jo and Ian who really did help in my absence. You were so supportive and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Until next time, happy planning.

I want to share with you a little piece of the day. When Vicky first came to me she asked if I knew a videographer that would do something that bit different. I immediately showed her Ian Fish’s work from Sounds Fishy. Ian specialises in the Marryoke video’s. Now you may love or hate them but all I can say is that they are the best fun to make and the entertainment it provides for your guests is fabulous. I was talking to the amazing photographer
Jo Hastings (more about Jo in a later blog) who took the stunning photographs and she commented on how she had never seen guests so entertained by joining in with the video.

If you want a wedding video that is different and also gives the opportunity for your guests to be completely involved in your day as well as have fun this is certainly the way to do it. I cannot recommend Ian enough, he is the most professional person to work with as well as being the best fun. He is not intrusive and works so well with the photographer to get the best shots and the best footage for the video.

This wedding was so much fun, the groom is a fireman – so say no more and watch the video. I guarantee you will feel the magic of the day.

Click Here to see for yourself.

Ian Fish is not only brilliant at producing these type of videos but he is also one of the very best DJ’s around working with Heart radio. He entertained the guests throughout the evening, he even brings his own fabulous lighting to be sure your evening has the best party atmosphere. I cannot recommend him highly enough and he is part of our Wedding Genie Dream Team.

I will blog more on the actual wedding over the next couple of weeks. If you picture, sophisticated, fun and stylish you wont go far wrong, throw in Ruth Lorenzo from the X factor as entertainment to top it off. Watch this space for all the info.

Until next time, happy planning.

The Wedding Genie was approached by Wedding TV to see if one of our couples would like to take part in their Great Cake Bake show. Bev wanted a very authentic Caribbean wedding cake made of fruit soaked in rum just like her Mum made. We thought she would really benefit from the show as you get to choose the cake of your dreams, so after a few phone calls it was all sorted. Bev really put her heart and soul into the wedding day and made so many little touches to delight her guests. She really did deserve the cake of her dreams.

We had great fun on the day and the film crewe Rachael, the series producer and Rich, the camera man were just fantastic. I make an appearance half way through so super exciting for me, it was a smashing wedding to work on. I worked with Bev and Paul for about six months before the wedding. They wanted me to help them pull all their ideas together. We had a great night of inspiration when they booked a Genie for An Evening. They went on to book On The Day Coordination.

Bev is a very organised person and really wanted her wedding day to go exactly as she planned whilst having the time to enjoy every minute, without worrying about the details. Enter The Wedding Genie!  Their comments about our service were so lovely.

“We would recommend the Wedding Genie to any one getting married. Even if you are the best organiser for your wedding plans, remember you will not be able to oversee everything on the day of your wedding.

The wedding genie took care of all the suppliers, vendors decor on the day leaving us to have a stress free and enjoyable Wedding Day.When we got to our wedding reception everything we discussed with the wedding genie was in place. Just as we imagined and dreamed off.”

We will soon have the official photographs for the blog so pop back and check out what made Bev and Paul’s day so special. If you want to speak to us about your wedding day we would love to help you. Just give me a call or email it is always good to chat.

Until next time, happy planning.

If you are a follower of my blog you know we like to feature brides that are an inspiration to others. Many of them are fabulously creative and often start blogs of their own to record their journey and experiences.Other brides can benefit from this shared experience and it’s a great place for inspiration.

Laura, writes a blog I often visit called Purple and Pearls, we featured this on The Wedding Genie a few months ago. At the beginning of her wedding planning journey, Laura gave us an insight into how she was planning her perfect day, how she came up with the very unique details that made her wedding personal to her and stand out from everyone else’s. It is definitely not the money you spend that your guests remember it’s the thought and care you put into helping everyone feel part of your wedding day.

Now that Laura has been married three months and settling into a new life with her lovely husband Has I asked her to tell me how her guests reacted to all the lovely details she so lovingly planned for them.

Laura’s Update