I really do love my job which is why I often find myself thinking about it in the strangest places!

Recently, on a flying visit to Moscow (long story!) I decided to forego more sightseeing in favour of a spot of retail therapy. I needed (well, it was more of a want if I'm being totally honest) a new pair of boots and, in a city where temperatures stay well below freezing for at least 4 months of the year, I knew I'd find lots and lots of boots to choose from.

I wasn't wrong and, having worked out my priorities for this must-have pair of boots (colour, style, budget), I walked into a store where I was bombarded with a choice of over 500 pairs of boots! I literally stopped in my tracks and marvelled at the sight but, just 10 minutes later, I walked out with the loveliest pair - bang on budget and in exactly the style and colour I was looking for.

What's this got to do with wedding planning you might be thinking? Well, the first thing we counsel couples to do when they're starting to plan their wedding is to agree their priorities. My shopping trip for boots proves just how important this is. If I hadn't thought about my priorities before walking into that shop I would have spent at least an hour wandering from one shelf of boots to another, getting increasingly frustrated and would likely have ended up spending a small fortune on 3 pairs of boots that I didn't really want, much less like.

Instead, 10 minutes and the perfect pair of boots later, I emerged unstressed and ready to move on to the next thing on my 'To Do' list, all because I knew what I was looking before before I started looking.

So, agree your priorities before you even think about starting to plan your wedding and you will, I guarantee, save yourself time, stress and money and, most importantly, you'll end up with what you want rather than what you grab just to get out of the store!

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to visit Eckington Manor Cookery School near Pershore. As well as fantastic cookery classes - you should have tasted my pumpkin soup - there is a wonderful farm house, Lower End Farm, that has been restored to its former glory and is now a stunning B&B.

Judy, the owner and visionary of this fabulous place, gave me a guided tour of Lower End Farm and I think it is one of the most beautiful, inviting places I have ever seen. Gorgeous Fired Earth bathrooms, bedrooms with stunning hand-painted silk wallpaper, the most amazing antler chandeliers and access to a wonderful chef who spent 15 years at Rick Stein's and will happily whip up a feast for guests - it doesn't get much better than that.

Recently a bride's mother rented out the entire farmhouse and, along with the bride and her bridesmaids, stayed there the night before the wedding. Whilst not everyone will be getting married close enough to Eckington to make this feasible, it's definitely worth considering for a grown-up hen night or even a pre-wedding get-away with the man, or woman, of your dreams!

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' wedding planning session, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination or just need an answer to a question that's keeping you awake at night, please get in touch!

Until next week,

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This week I was lucky enough to be invited to a 'Mad Hatter's Tea Party' at The Goring Hotel in central London. A stone's throw from Victoria station - and Buckingham Palace - this hotel completely won me over. I certainly wasn't expecting such a beautiful, quiet garden in the heart of London and when I found out that some of the rooms in the hotel have balconies that look out over this garden... well I was ready to move in!

Perfect for a stylish, intimate wedding celebration in central London this hotel definitely has the 'wow' factor! If the service levels are half as good as the incredibly helpful concierge and doormen were, then The Goring will not disappoint.

Why not try taking tea here next time you're in London so you can see for yourself what a gem this hotel is? You might even spot me in the corner!

I love it when someone I trust tells me about a fantastic wedding supplier. So, after a very good friend of mine told me about the photographer Mark Miller, from a wedding they'd recently attended, I knew I'd found another star! His website showcases his work beautifully but also captures his personality - so important when you're trying to find the right person to capture your wedding day on film.

This man knows how important it is to keep the couples he works with front of mind at all times - another reason why we're big fans! He surprised this particular bride & groom with an enlarged image from their pre-wedding shoot that he set up at their wedding reception. Such a lovely, thoughtful gift and one of those 'money can't buy' moments that this couple will never forget.

For a couple of days last week we experienced the most fantastic place to head to for complete relaxation, and I thought I'd share it with you. In the middle of rural France, a little over an hour's drive from Limoges airport, is Chez Jallot - better known as the burnt out manor house on Grand Designs that a British couple, Doug & Deni, transformed into a wonderful home.

So, if you need to escape from your wedding planning for a few days, I can't recommend this 'chambre d'hote' highly enough. The most strenuous activity is letting Yogi, the resident dog, take you for a walk through the countryside every morning! The perfect place to forget about wedding planning and remember why you're getting married.

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' wedding planning session, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination or just need an answer to a question that's keeping you awake at night, please get in touch!

Until next week,

It's actually Monday already but I make no apologies for being late with this blog! This is the first chance I've had to put fingers to keyboard since working at Katherine & Stephen's stunning wedding at St Paul's Cathedral and The Caledonian Club in Belgravia, London on Saturday.

The weather was gorgeous (as I type this the rain is pouring down so it only highlights how lucky we were on Saturday!), and thanks to a meticulously organised bride and magicdust's 'On The Day' co-ordination, all went well.

On Friday, I spoke to Katherine a few times and was struck, once again, by the value of the On The Day co-ordination. We don't book weddings on consecutive days so that we're fresh and full of energy to work on your wedding day and also (and perhaps more importantly) so that on the day before your wedding you have a hotline to someone calm, experienced and knowledgeable about every aspect of your day. There's nothing like a chat with someone like that (me!) to calm any last minute nerves and allay any fears. It made my day to know that Katherine could relax and enjoy herself and look forward to Saturday.

Lots of venues have 'wedding co-ordinators' who will claim to be responsible for the running of the day. It's likely that you will spend a lot of time, energy and patience dealing with them in the run up to your wedding day. What many of them won't guarantee though is that they'll actually be there on your wedding day!

I find it incredible that someone can be the sole contact for a couple at their venue, responsible for interpreting their wishes, and knowing what they don't want, but then effectively won't finish the job by relinquishing that responsibility when it matters the most.

If ever anyone questions the point of employing a wedding planner for 'On The Day' co-ordination when a venue has a wedding co-ordinator, just ask if they'll be definitely be working on your wedding day... if they're not there you can bet that you'll be bombarded with questions from staff who haven't been briefed properly, or worse still, have to watch as your best-laid plans are ignored completely in favour of 'the way it's always done'.

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' wedding planning session, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination or just need an answer to a question that's keeping you awake at night, please get in touch!

Until next week,