Planning a wedding can be a worrying and at times fraught task, wedding site The Knot’s Real Wedding Survey revealed that “50% [of brides] found that planning their wedding was more stressful than they expected”. For some nearly-weds the best stress relief can come in the form of expert help from a wedding planner.
GoHen asked some of the UK’s best wedding planners for a few top wedding planning tips to help keep things under control for your big day.
If on meeting Louise you think “You look like that lady off the telly” then you will be right. However Louise has moved away from TV presenting and into the world of wedding planning. UKAWP accredited Louise plans events for couples in the South East.
Have you ever had any really weird requests from the nearly-weds?
Yes, I had a bride that wanted to have her white London cab in her hotel banqueting room for the whole evening as it was the photo booth. She didn’t want to have it outside of the doors. We pulled down the curtains and the pelmets to get the car in, which then had to be repaired, but the venue had originally told the bride she could do this, even though it wouldn’t fit! My job to make it happen and since then the doors have been made bigger and they regularly have car photo booth’s in the room.
What has been the most romantic thing you’ve seen at a wedding?
The most romantic gesture this year, was a groom who bought his bride a 100 year old edition of Jane Ayre because she loved literature and placed in their honeymoon suite with rose petals all around it in the shape of a heart. Such an unbelievably thoughtful gift.
What is your top tip for someone planning their wedding?
Always remember why you are doing this. It is not about the flowers or the shoes or the colour scheme, it is about two people choosing to spend their lives together. That sometimes can get lost when people start planning a wedding. I would also set a budget from the outset, something you are comfortable in spending and if parents are contributing ask them from the word go how much they will be contributing. This way you know exactly where you are.