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!

Lucy & Duncan's Wedding - 29th December 2010

Congratulations to Lucy & Duncan who celebrated their big day at the beautiful Shottle Hall on Wednesday. It was a beautiful, cold and misty day just how the bride and groom wanted it! The fires were lit in the lounge as guests waited for the ceremony to begin. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as their two daughters walked down the aisle in front of the bride! Lucy looked sensational in her Ian Stuart gown and cathedral length veil.

It was a pleasure to be part of...

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the suppliers involved:

John Preston for the stunning Flowers.

Wedding Event Design Studio for the beautiful chair covers and linens.

Belinda the pianist for creating the perfect atmosphere during dinner.

Delicious bespoke wedding cake by Love Candy Cakes.

Choccaholix for keeping the children quiet during the speeches!

Spirits High for keeping the party going into the early hours...

And Becky at Red Square Photography for capturing the day - I can't wait to see the official photos...

Here are a few I took on the day.

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Park, Its been an absolute pleasure working with you all. I hope your day was everything you wished for. Lisa x

2010... The Highlights

2010 has been my best year yet! I have worked with 24 amazing couples who all celebrated their big day during the last 12 months.

Each couple, regardless of the planning package they chose all benefited from on-the-day coordination, knowing I was there all day with everything under control, allowing them to relax and enjoy the day!
I have had the pleasure of working with couples from America, Canada and all different parts of the UK who all decided to celebrate their big day in the Midlands. And who can blame them as Derbyshire is home to some of the country’s most beautiful venues.

The venues my clients chose included country manor houses, boutique hotels and marquees (and a tee-pee in the middle of a field!) in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire.

My client’s budgets ranged from £6000 - £45000 and guest numbers from 40 to nearly 300!

No two weddings this year have looked the same, even if they took place at the same venue, as I encouraged my clients to design their own unique day.

The most popular colours this year have been green, purple and orange and the biggest wedding cake was over 5ft tall!

My busiest month was September with four weddings taking place!

I was also a guest at four weddings this year, which was a welcome change to enjoy the day from the other side...

I have booked in my most difficult bride for 2011 – ME! Jon and I got engaged during the summer of 2010 and have already started to make plans for our big day....

2011 is already looking great as I'm currently working with 15 couples busy making arrangements for their 2011 and 2012 weddings

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing couples, talented suppliers and beautiful venues I have worked with during 2010, it's been a great year!

Lisa x

Engagement Photo Shoot

My clients Lucy & Duncan had their engagement photo shoot with the lovely Becki from Red Square Photography last month... here is one of the photos, I love it!

Beautiful Wedding Venues

My diary for 2011 and 2012 is filling up fast! Here are some of the beautiful wedding venues my clients have chosen for their weddings over the next two years, it will be a pleasure to work alongside these fantastic wedding venues!

The Red Lion, Chesterfield

Prestwold Hall, Loughborough

Eastwood Hall, Nottingham

Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire

Looks like I'm set for another great year...!

On Wedding TV with Amanada Wyatt!

I was very excited when my good friends at Choola Bridal Boutique in Sheffield ask me to model some of their wedding dresses... I was even more excited when I found out that it was to model Amanda Wyatt bridal gowns whilst being filmed for Wedding TV!! I had great fun... and it was lovely to meet Amanda and her daughter Charlotte Balbier who came along to show her mum support!

Wedding TV Channel 266 Wedding Designers S5 Amanda Wyatt

Here is a photo from filming...

Kate & James Wedding - More photos!!

A huge thank you to Ellie from The Happily Ever After Project for sharing these photos...

Ellie designed and created all the beautiful wedding stationary for the wedding of my clients Kate & James this September. She stopped by on the morning of the wedding to take some photos of her designs in all their glory! As you can see the stationary complemented the rest of the wedding theme perfectly.

Ellie also wrote a lovely comment on her blog about me! "Thanks Ellie, It's always a pleasure to work with you"!

The official photographs captured by photographer Charles Sainsbury-Plaice will be uploaded soon!

Save The Date!

I am very excited to be planning my own wedding for July next year! I have decided to design and create my own wedding stationary to add a personal touch and also to save money!

Here is a sneaky peek at my Save The Date cards!.. What do you think?

I have always loved the idea of sending save the date cards, not only from a practical point of view to let guests know the date well in advance but also to give guests the first indication to the theme of the whole wedding...

Sandra & Richard's Wedding - 29th October 2010

After marrying in South Africa in September, Sandra & Richard celebrated with a blessing and reception on Friday at the beautiful Colwick Hall in Nottingham with all their friends and family.

I have been working with Sandra for just under a year, offering support and advice throughout to ensure everything was organised for both their celebrations.

Sandra was keen to have an active part in her wedding plans and I was very impressed with all the flowers that she made herself... costing a tenth of the quotes we had received from different florists!

The wedding blessing and reception on Friday was beautiful, the day ran very smoothly and Sandra, Richard and their guests had a wonderful day.

I received a lovely message from the Sandra the following day "Excellent work! Lisa couldn't have done it without you, thank you once more!"

It was a pleasure working with Sandra and I am so pleased with how well the day came together.

Here are a few photos I took during the set up on the day. The official photographs were captured by Michael Penty, who will kindly be sharing them with us soon!

The ultra purple colour worked perfectly in the stylish Grand Ballroom at Colwick Hall. A huge thank you to Claudia from Cocoon Creations for providing the sashes...

I would like to wish Sandra & Richard a very happy future together and I look forward to seeing the wedding photos...