Well, what a fabulous time we had at our 'Love Weddings, Live Weddings' workshop. It's a day to find out all about wedding planning - the highs and lows, the essential information about starting out in this amazing industry and all the insider secrets from not one, but two multi award winning wedding planners. Really? Where else do you get that?!
The day was led by Julie Tooby and Tamryn Kirby but the real stars of the show were the wonderful people that came along - they joined in, they asked questions, they laughed, they cried (in a good way!) and they all left the room bouncing and bubbling over with enthusiasm. A huge success! It was great to have such a mixed bunch in the room - from those already working at venues and for Michelin starred chefs, through to stars of the West End, newlyweds and those looking for a career change. The one thing everyone had in common - a huge love of weddings - created a great atmosphere and so much energry, we could have powered most of Berkshire!
This day doesn't aim to teach you how to do the job because let's face it, who is anyone to pass judgement on your amibition? This day aims to be truthful - to answer questions (no reading from endless pages of pre-prepared notes for Julie & Tamryn - it's more thinking on your feet and dealing with anything thrown at them by those attending!), to talk about experiences and most of all, to be honest - about the good and bad. We talked about managing clients & budgets, trends, knock-out consultations and proposals, how to stand out in the marketplace, starting out and growing your business but the best bit was definitely answering all the questions from those on the course and there were hundreds! The opportunity to pick the brains of two wedding planners with almost twenty years experience between them was not one to pass up.
The day ended and everyone left clutching their notes and information CDs, with big smiles on their faces and minds buzzing with new ideas. The e-mails have been flooding into EY HQ ever since with lovely comments and happy vibes - more reminders to Julie & Tamryn why this is the best job in the world!
As we've already been asked to put more dates in the diary for another 'Love Weddings, Live Weddings' workshop with Julie & Tamryn, we're pleased to announce that we're doing it all again on Sunday 30th January 2011. If you'd like to be inspired and informed, contact us now to reserve your space and get ready for a huge dose of wedding planning widsom from two multi award winning wedding planners.
Here are a few of the comments we have received:
"The day has filled me with lots of confidence and boosted me self esteem, the whole day was brilliant and all very useful"
" Everything was interesting and full of useful information"
"Worth paying for and I could sit and listen about it everyday"
"You were brilliant. You've given me so many ideas I may burst. Thank you Julie & Tamryn"
"Lovely to meet you, you are both so inspiring, so wonderful to see the passion that you have for this industry"
"Just wanted to follow yesterdays wonderful workshop with a huge thank you. I feel completely inspired after meeting two such wonderful people and I hope to see you both again soon."
Article written by Julie Tooby and Tamryn Kirby
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Monday 6 September 2010
Getting Married - without breaking the bank
‘How can we get married without breaking the bank?’
As VAT is set to rise, brides to be are still spending huge amounts of cash to get their dream day and almost half admit they will blow their budget to get the ultimate day.
But the quest for the ultimate wedding on a budget has a sad side and 67 percent of brides are struggling with the stress of organising without overspending.
As a specialist in planning chic weddings on realistic budgets,I know it’s easy to get carried away when organising a wedding and this can lead to stress, arguments and massive overspending. So many couples think that the only way to get a dream wedding is to buy it and that’s not the case. A wedding where the couple has put thought, rather than cash, into everything is so much more impressive to guests. As Wedding Planner of the Year 2009 and 2010, I'm aware that all brides want ‘something different’ for their big day but what everyone seems to have forgotten is that the best way to achieve that is to use their personalities, rather than their purse. You should be thinking about your hobbies and likes & dislikes, not where you can buy the most expensive thing.
Amazingly, UK weddings are currently running at a whopping £60 per minute and those planning for weddings in 2011 should act now to stop their big day becoming a big payday.
Take a down to earth approach, write your budget plan early on in the planning and stick to it. As the day gets closer and panic sets in, it’s easy to start hemorrhaging money. First of all make sure you write down everything you spend because it's often the little things that can send budgets out of the window.” The average wedding costs £20,273, with one in 10 couples taking extra jobs to pay for the union. While the big spend is often the wedding dress (pitching in at around the £1,000 mark) it’s the incidentals that can break the bank. Easy overspends include £20 on rolls of ribbon, £25 on cards for the bridal party, £50 for mums’ bouquets and £50 on mini cameras for the tables.
Avoid impulse purchases. The internet is a big culprit because it's easy to browse wedding sites, see something you like and before you know it you’ve bought it. If something isn't in your budget, you'll need to trim costs elsewhere before buying.
Here are some top tips to help you tick to your Wedding Budget
1. Use a wedding planner. Using savvy know-how, especially when it comes to negotiating with suppliers, will save stacks of cash.
2. Don't provide a floral arrangement for a top table at dinner – use your bouquet to decorate it for the photos.
3. If you pay for a dozen cases of wine for the meal, check how many are used – any 'leftovers' can be put behind the bar in the evening.
4. If you have a few large flower arrangements at your ceremony, move them to your reception and save some money.
5. Use your cake as dessert to avoid paying for an additional course and don’t forget that supermarket wedding cakes can look great and cost less.
6. Some hotel venues will give the bride and groom a complimentary room on the night. Negotiate before you book and remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get and remember, venues will often do deals on weekday weddings.
7. Don’t ignore the high street for your bridesmaid dresses where you can save up to half on the cost of speciality gowns.
8. Book a photographer by the hour if you're not bothered about snaps of you getting ready, or at the evening party.
9. If a supplier's contract stipulates that you've got to feed them, there's no need to give them the same as the guests. A bar meal or a plate of sandwiches is cheaper.
10. Kids activity bags are great but can be expensive to put together - use websites to print free 'clip art' instead of buying colouring books.
Article by Julie Tooby
As VAT is set to rise, brides to be are still spending huge amounts of cash to get their dream day and almost half admit they will blow their budget to get the ultimate day.
But the quest for the ultimate wedding on a budget has a sad side and 67 percent of brides are struggling with the stress of organising without overspending.
As a specialist in planning chic weddings on realistic budgets,I know it’s easy to get carried away when organising a wedding and this can lead to stress, arguments and massive overspending. So many couples think that the only way to get a dream wedding is to buy it and that’s not the case. A wedding where the couple has put thought, rather than cash, into everything is so much more impressive to guests. As Wedding Planner of the Year 2009 and 2010, I'm aware that all brides want ‘something different’ for their big day but what everyone seems to have forgotten is that the best way to achieve that is to use their personalities, rather than their purse. You should be thinking about your hobbies and likes & dislikes, not where you can buy the most expensive thing.
Amazingly, UK weddings are currently running at a whopping £60 per minute and those planning for weddings in 2011 should act now to stop their big day becoming a big payday.
Take a down to earth approach, write your budget plan early on in the planning and stick to it. As the day gets closer and panic sets in, it’s easy to start hemorrhaging money. First of all make sure you write down everything you spend because it's often the little things that can send budgets out of the window.” The average wedding costs £20,273, with one in 10 couples taking extra jobs to pay for the union. While the big spend is often the wedding dress (pitching in at around the £1,000 mark) it’s the incidentals that can break the bank. Easy overspends include £20 on rolls of ribbon, £25 on cards for the bridal party, £50 for mums’ bouquets and £50 on mini cameras for the tables.
Avoid impulse purchases. The internet is a big culprit because it's easy to browse wedding sites, see something you like and before you know it you’ve bought it. If something isn't in your budget, you'll need to trim costs elsewhere before buying.
Here are some top tips to help you tick to your Wedding Budget
1. Use a wedding planner. Using savvy know-how, especially when it comes to negotiating with suppliers, will save stacks of cash.
2. Don't provide a floral arrangement for a top table at dinner – use your bouquet to decorate it for the photos.
3. If you pay for a dozen cases of wine for the meal, check how many are used – any 'leftovers' can be put behind the bar in the evening.
4. If you have a few large flower arrangements at your ceremony, move them to your reception and save some money.
5. Use your cake as dessert to avoid paying for an additional course and don’t forget that supermarket wedding cakes can look great and cost less.
6. Some hotel venues will give the bride and groom a complimentary room on the night. Negotiate before you book and remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get and remember, venues will often do deals on weekday weddings.
7. Don’t ignore the high street for your bridesmaid dresses where you can save up to half on the cost of speciality gowns.
8. Book a photographer by the hour if you're not bothered about snaps of you getting ready, or at the evening party.
9. If a supplier's contract stipulates that you've got to feed them, there's no need to give them the same as the guests. A bar meal or a plate of sandwiches is cheaper.
10. Kids activity bags are great but can be expensive to put together - use websites to print free 'clip art' instead of buying colouring books.
Article by Julie Tooby
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