I came Runner Up in The Young Business Person of the Year Category at The Derbyshire Times Business Awards on Thursday!

Huge thank you to who ever it was who nominated me.... I feel really proud and honoured to have been put forward! 

Award Nominations

Well it's been a great week.... I've found out I've been nominated and short-listed for 2 separate awards...

Young Business Person of The Year 

Derbyshire Times Business Awards

Winners are announced this week at an awards event at the B2Net Stadium, Chesterfield.

Wedding Planner of the Year - East Midlands 


The Wedding Industry Awards


Regional winners will be published on The Wedding Industry Awards website at the end of November 2011. Regional winners will then be invited to the awards event in London, where the national winners will be announced...

Wish me luck...!

Mine & Jon's Wedding Film

I just had to share this with you all as I love it so much!

We are so pleased that we decided to have our wedding day captured on film as it's such an amazing way to look back and remember the day.

Lisa & Jon

Click this link to visit the You Tube page and watch the film

A massive shout out to the very talanted Tom & Matt of Bell Pritchard Media for creating this for us! Click the link to visit their facebook fan page.... and don't forget to tell them who sent you!!

Sarah & Tom's Wedding - 23rd July 2011

The lovely Sarah & Tom celebrated their marriage on Saturday at the gorgeous Endsor Church on the Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire.... then as their guests enjoyed the trip on the Vintage Bus to The Maynard for the reception, the newly weds took a little detour to capture a few photos making the most of the beautiful setting!

Thanks to their photographers Rachel & Justin from Image Boutique for sharing these beautiful shots 

I had been working with Sarah & Tom on a part planning package, when we met they had already found the perfect venue and a number of suppliers, but now needed help pulling the rest of the plans together. As they lived in London, it was even more difficult for them to spend time in Derbyshire sourcing local suppliers... 

As I was local to the area, I already knew great, reliable suppliers who could provide everything else they needed for their big day.

The day arrived and the sun shone.... it was such a gorgeous day, Sarah looked amazing and their guests had lots of fun.... It was pleasure to be a part of!

Huge congratulations for a happy future together x

Here are a few photos from the day....

For more photos and supplier details - visit their gallery page on my website
Sarah & Tom 

Mine & Jon's Wedding - 1st July 2011

Well, we did it! Jon and I got married on the 1st of July at the gorgeous Hodsock Priory 

It was a welcomed change to be the bride instead of the wedding planner for a change!

It was perfect.... the best day of our lives!

We can't thank all our suppliers enough as each and everyone of them were amazing and made the day what it was!

Big shout out to -

George, Linda and the team at Hodsock Priory 

Marie & Dominique from Osborne Catering for the delicious Fillet Steak!

Jayne and team from Simply Divine for the most amazing Hog Roast.

Chris and his Ice Cream Bike 

Karen & Jo from Layers Cakes for the beautiful wedding cake.

Soraya Moore for the most gorgeous flowers! 

Taylor & Wynne for the Candelabras.

The very talented Looch and Ashmore Acoustics for keeping the guests entertained during the drinks reception and then band Brotherhood for ensuring the dance floor full all evening!

Rachel & Justin from Image Boutique for capturing some amazing photos and Tom & Matt from Bell Pritchard Media for capturing the day on film.

Choola , Mirage Couture and Emma Buck for making us all look gorgeous!

And last but certainly not least..... My on-the-day wedding coordinator Joy from Unique Wedding Planning who made sure I didn't try and be the wedding planner on my own wedding day!!

Here are a few of the official photos from our day 

GroovyBooth

I must say.... I am usually very professional when coordinating a wedding....

But the bride insisted we had a go!

Here I am with Becki from Red Square Photography in the GroovyBooth at Jo & Neal's wedding on Saturday....

Their guests loved it!

Kate & James Wedding - The Official Photographs

I've been waiting very patiently for these photos from Kate & James's wedding last September... but it's been worth the wait as they are great!! Congratulations again to Kate & James who actually celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary this Sunday... Can't believe how quick the year has gone!

Thank you to their photographer for sharing these photos Charles Sainsbury-Plaice

More photos and details will be added to my website gallery very soon...

Although I must give a mention to their suppliers who made the day one to remember

Marquee Mansfield Marquees

Caterers Michael Kernall Catering

Venue Dressing Taylor & Wynne

Stationary The Happy Project

Cake Rachel Edwards

Entertainment Live Music Management

Jordan & Glenn's Wedding - 21st May 2011

Congratulations to the lovely Jordan & Glenn who celebrated their big day at Eastwood Hall on the 21st of May 2011... here are a few photos from the day taken by Keen I Photography

Cake designed by the lovely Adele at April Delights

Venue dressing by Louise at Lush Occasions

Jordan & Glenn chose an On-The-Day Coordination package so they could ensure all their hard work paid off and enjoy a stress free day!

Big shout out to their suppliers who all made the day so wonderful...

Cake & Flowers by April Delights

Venue dressing by Lush Occasions

Cars by Posh Cars

Magician The Dizzy Wizard

Chocolate Fountain by The Cocoa Tree

Casino & Garden games by Royal Flush

Fireworks by Pyrotex (The best display I have ever seen at a wedding!!)

More photos will be featured on my website gallery page very soon...

Engagement Photo Shoot

Two of my lovely couples have recently had their engagement photo shoots. Something that most photographers now offer as part of their packages and not only does it mean the couple receive a gorgeous framed photo for their guests to sign at the wedding but it also allows the photographer to learn about how the couple are in front of the camera in preparation for the day...

Coincidentally both couples have chosen the same photographer Becki from Red Square (one of my personal favourites, I must say!)

Here are a selection of photos from their shoots, to view the full albums click through their names to Becki's blog.

Louise & James 
I have been working with the lovely Louise & James for the past year on a full coordination package, they get married on Saturday the 3rd of September at Nottingham Cathedral followed by a reception at the gorgeous Prestwold Hall... Its going to be beautiful!!

Jo & Neal

Jo & Neal celebrate their big day at the gorgeous Colwick Hall on the 10th of September - They are in my capable hands from now until the day as they have taken advantage of my on-the-day coordination service. I'm rather excited as there are lots of exciting things happening on the day! Watch this space...

Sorry for the lack of blog posts...

I must apologise for the lack of blog posts recently! This has been my busiest year to date, so far I have coordinated 13 weddings and still have another 8 this year, the majority of these have taken place between April and September... So it’s been a very busy summer!

The weddings I have been working on this year and still currently working on for the rest of this year and next year range from full coordination packages to on-the-day coordination and everything else in between!

It’s so fantastic as every single wedding is unique and reflects the style of the couple and their chosen venue and theme, each new couple I meet, brings new ideas, venues and suppliers...

I can honestly say, I love my job!

I promise to write at least one new blog post each week to keep you all updated on what I am up to... Thanks for reading and Happy Planning!

Wedding Planner Hires a Wedding Planner!

It was my own wedding a few weeks ago on the 1st of July and being a planner I knew exactly what I wanted and exactly where to find it! The planning was the easy part, it was only when my husband-to-be mentioned that he was worried about me not being able to relax and enjoy the day as I would be in ‘planner’ mode instead of being the bride...

The on-the-day coordination service is one of my most popular services as it gives brides who are happy to do all the planning the peace of mind that all their hard work pays off allowing them to relax and enjoy a stress free perfect day, knowing that I have everything under control.

I needed an on-the-day coordinator!

Joy, my partner at The Wedding Planning College kindly offered to be my on-the-day coordinator! The first thing to do was to have a final run through meeting at the venue, to ensure Joy and the venue manager knew all the timings and what each supplier should be doing. Just unloading all this information, which currently only me and my wedding file knew (as I’m a bit of a control freak!) was a great feeling.

Even knowing that Joy would be there, I still wondered if I would be able to completely relax and switch off from being a planner and enjoy my day as a bride...

But I did! It was the most amazing day ever and I didn’t worry for one second as I knew Joy was there.

Here we are on the day

Photo by Image Boutique

I will be posting the official photos from my wedding very soon...

In the Media

I've had a mention in my local newspaper, The Derbyshire Times twice in the last few weeks... Firstly for my part in the 'Royal Wedding' at Edale Primary School and last week for the launch of The Wedding Planning College! Have a look at the articles...

Royal Wedding - The Official Photos

I was approached by Edale Primary School a few months ago and asked if I could help them plan their very own Royal Wedding!... It was such a lovely project to be part of and the children had a fantastic time!

Adding to the excitement was the fact that The Derbyshire Times and Channel 5 News attended and covered the event... Both of which went on to feature the story!

Here are a selection of photographers captured by the official photographer Mark Tierney

Royal Wedding - Edale Primary School - 15th April 2011

I was the chauffeur on the day!!

To see the rest of the photos visit the photographers Blog www.tierneyphotography.co.uk/blog

Royal Wedding

To celebrate the much talked about forthcoming Royal Wedding one of my local schools is planning a Royal Wedding celebration of their very own....

Edale Primary School in Derbyshire contacted me a few months ago and asked if I wanted to be involved and help them with the plans for their Royal Wedding!

After weeks of planning and hard work from the staff, students, parents and the local villagers the school is ready to celebrate their royal wedding tomorrow, which coincides with the last day of term, so they will certainly be going out with a bang!

At 10.30am tomorrow two of the school children who are playing the part of bride & groom will 'get married' at Edale Church with the ceremony being conducted by the actual vicar!

Throughout the morning the children and staff will act out an actual wedding complete with the bridal preparations, the arrival of the bride and her father, the ceremony, giving of the rings, readings and hymns, throwing of the confetti then after the ceremony the wedding party will head back to the school for the wedding breakfast complete with a top table, decorations, favours, speeches and the cutting of the cake!

As Edale Primary school is one of the smallest schools in Derbyshire, all the children will have a part to play at the wedding - there Will be a bride, groom, bridesmaids, father of the bride etc....

My job as their wedding planner was to arrange a photographer to attend and capture the day to include the bridal preparations, the ceremony and the traditional group shots. A very talented wedding photographer agreed to get involved, Mark from Tierney Photography will be the official Royal wedding photographer! It is then my job to make sure everything is in place ready for the big day and I will also be acting a chauffeur, driving the bride and her father to the Church then the bride and groom to the reception!

I am also very excited as I have arrange for both Sky News and The Derbyshire Times to cover the event! How exciting!

I will be posting an update including photos after the Royal Wedding which takes place at Edale School on Friday the 15th of April......

Mikaela & Brett's Wedding - 1st April 2011

It was my first wedding of the year on Friday... And what a perfect day it was! I had been working with Mikaela & Brett for over a year on a full coordination package. When I first met them, all they had booked was their venue Prestwold Hall and photographer Dave Nunn so it was my job to help them arrange everything else.

Mikaela had a clear idea on the style and colours she wanted to work with so we got cracking...
I suggested suitable suppliers who could provide everything that they needed from flowers to the entertainement for the children...
The day soon arrived and the weather was on our side!
A huge thank you to all the suppliers involved in making both the venue and the wedding party look amazing!
John Preston Flowers
Wedding Event Design Studio
Imagine Stationary
Layers Cakes
Emma Buck
James Bride

Here are some photos I took on the day, doesn't it look stunning!

For a sneak peek at the official photographs visit Dave Nunn's Blog

I must also give a huge shout out to those wonderful suppliers who entertained both the adults and children throughout the day-

The very beautiful and talented singer & Pianist - Laura Napier-Burrows

The amazing band - Cloud Nine

And last but certainly not least..... the brilliant - Great Lorenzo's Magic Circus

I would like to wish Mikaela & Brett a very happy future, it was a pleasure working with you both and I hope you day was everything you wished for, lisa x

The Wedding Planning College

After being inundated with requests for instant advice & practical training, Joy Hersey-Todd (from Unique Wedding Planning) & myself, have joined forces to launch The Wedding Planning College.

There will be few weddings as prestigious as Prince William & Kate Middleton, but with the number of weddings expected to increase, it won’t only be the rich & famous that will look to hire the services of a wedding planner. However, wedding planning is unregulated & there are no mandatory qualifications required to set-up a wedding planning business.

WHAT DOES THE WEDDING PLANNING COLLEGE OFFER?

The Wedding Planning College prides itself on offering real, honest & professional advice through training events, personal mentoring & long term business support. The graduates from the college will be encouraged to become part of an on-going network that aims to bring best practice to their businesses.

Watching films such as The Wedding Planner can sometimes paint an inaccurate picture of what’s really involved in planning the most important day in someone’s life. This kind of romantic media results in many people aspiring to wedding planning as their dream job.... which it can be ... but it’s also a lot of hard work, both emotionally & physically!

Joy & I will personally mentor people to achieve their dream but our support will be based on practical learning & experience. We believe that as established and trading wedding planners we can offer real training & advice to enable people to become successful planners.

WHERE & WHEN WILL THE TRAINING TAKE PLACE?
Using the fabulous training facilities, on the 6th Floor of the new CASA Hotel, in Chesterfield, we aim to attract people from all over the UK to our “Train to Plan” two day training events. Each event will take place over a weekend and includes a mixture of factual based learning, individual exercises, group activities & guest speakers, from the industry. Joy & I will guide & mentor delegates through each session, offering honest advice, sharing real examples and working with individuals to inspire their own wedding planning business development.

WHAT TRAINING & BUSINESS SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?
Training sessions will include “Setting up a wedding planning business” & “How to plan & coordinate a Wedding”. The first ones are due to be held on the 1st/2nd October & the 5th/ 6th November. There are opening offers for the first 16 delegates. Please check the website for details:

The Wedding Planning College

“There were no specific practical wedding planning courses when I started my business & I went in to it somewhat blind. General courses helped with the business side of things & an on-line course taught me an overview of the wedding planning industry, but no-one actually told me what I really needed to know”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

We are extremely grateful to Mark Tierney from Tierney Photography for the amazing images for our new web-site & to Lynsey Wells from Bimbo Design for creating the look of our new brand.

It's not just weddings that I plan...

Niamh's 6th Birthday Party

I had lots of fun on Sunday at Niamh's 6th Birthday Party at The Red Lion in Chesterfield.

We hired their gorgeous new Orangery and arranged for a delicious children's buffet complete with Jelly & Ice Cream!

The Great Lorenzo's Magic Circus (including a real rabbit!) entertained the children... and adults for hours! Here he is...

If you need help arranging your next celebration... whether its a children's party, christening or any special event call me today on 01246 229556

It's not just weddings that I plan...

Denise's Big Birthday Party - The White Enchanted Ball - 27th November 2010

I had the pleasure of working with the lovely Denise designing and creating the perfect party for her special birthday in November.

Her theme was black, white and 'bling' and my job was to source all the decorative items including chair covers, table linens, centrepieces etc... that complemented the theme.

The venue was a blank canvas but had a low dark ceiling which had to go - so we covered it 450 white balloons and it completely transformed the room!

Denise decided upon tall illuminated vases filled with white feathers as her centrepieces, these added height to the tables and looked great when the lights were on!

On the day, I arrived to oversee the set-up and to put the finishing touches to the tables and the room itself.

It did look fantastic, even if I do say so myself!

Here are a few photos I took during the set-up

The function suite before....

And after....

Putting up the posters to direct guests to the party...

And here are some of the official photographs from the night!

The birthday girl with her Chilli Butlers and enjoying the chocolate fountain!