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,

I was talking to someone this week about how they found their wedding venue and I just had to share it with you. It's an enormously important decision, one that will not only set the tone and atmosphere for your whole celebration, but one that's likely to eat up a significant chunk of your already stretched budget.

So, how about investigating charity-owned venues? It's a win-win because lots of charities own spectacular buildings so you won't have to compromise on style or charm but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the money you're paying is going to a good cause. Thanks for this tip, Lindsay, it's exactly the sort of story we love hearing at Magic Dust!

My heart goes out to all the couples currently affected by the news this week that WrapIt have gone into liquidation. In my humble opinion, this is yet another example of what happens when companies in the wedding industry get greedy and forget about the people they should be focusing on - couples getting married.

We discuss this terrible situation, with tips and advice for affected couples as well as ideas for alternative gift lists, in more detail in Magic Dust's current newsletter which you can subscribe to by clicking here (we'll send you this current issue straight away).

I'm not a fan of observing traditions on your wedding day because you think you have to, but you've probably guessed that by now! Favours tend to be top of my list of unnecessary expenditure unless you really want them - I've seen too many bags of sugared almonds left on tables at the end of weddings to think they're a must.

So, it's unusual for an idea for a wedding favour to make it into The Blog... Wedding Tree Favours deserves a mention. Helpfully presented in blister packs that make it easy for guests to transport them home, each tree comes with it's own certificate of provenance and is not only environmentally friendly but a lovely way of ensuring that your wedding day is remembered by generations to come.

There's something very romantic about thinking that your great grandchildren could be building treehouses in an oak that was planted in celebration of your wedding. And if any do get left behind at the end of the night, take them home and plant your own orchard!

I'm going to end this blog with another heart-warming tale. According to research in a national newspaper this week, married women's favourite pastime is going out for dinner with their husband. It's good to know that in this materialistic age, handbags, shoes, expensive cars, holidays and houses still can't beat a good old chat over a plate of food with the love of your life.

And on that note, I'm off to meet Mr Willson at our favourite restaurant... If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination or to help you kick start your wedding plans with a 'Girls Night In' planning session please get in touch!

Until next week,

Well, I am delighted to tell you that last week's tipi wedding was a fantastic day from start to finish. After days of uncertainty regarding the weather, Saturday turned out beautifully - warm and sunny with a refreshing breeze so the brollies stayed in the car and the sunscreen came out instead!

The bride & groom looked happy and relaxed, surrounded by family and friends, and enjoying every single minute of their day. They didn't need to know or worry about the things we had dealt with in the morning... one of the major suppliers getting stuck in traffic and arriving over an hour late, the table decorations wilting in the heat and needing to be rearranged, finding the choir somewhere private to practice (it was an outdoor wedding!) and chasing a couple of angry geese out of the tipi!

I know how hard it is to find the right venue, I speak to lots of couples who are struggling with this decision, so I have to tell you about Duncton Mill. Apart from being the most stunning setting - on the edge of the South Downs near Petworth - the owners, Caroline & Martin are absolutely wonderful. Really helpful both in the run up to the wedding day and on the day itself - if I had a choice I'd work with them every week! What's really fantastic is that they don't dictate to couples or insist that they use their suppliers so, within reason, you can plan to have the wedding you want to have, in an amazing place.

I treated myself to a trip to the cinema on Wednesday to watch "Sex & The City" because I just couldn't wait until next week when I'm going with my girlfriends! Something Carrie said made so much sense to me and I promise it won't spoil the film if you haven't seen it yet, so read on!

She said that we're often so busy worrying about what we should do, or be, that, "We forget to write our own rules". I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to planning your wedding. Remember, it's your wedding, nobody else's so don't forget to be true to yourselves and have the celebration you want, not the one you might be feeling pressured into having by other people...

If you want to talk to someone who'll help you plan the wedding you want to have without taking over or being bossy, give me a call or drop a wedding planner an email! We do still have a few dates available for 'On The Day' wedding coordination this summer and the peace of mind this buys you is priceless so why not find out if we're free on your wedding day?

Have a lovely weekend and, if you're going to see "Sex & The City" take some tissues, wear fabulous shoes and stop off somewhere for a Cosmopolitan with your girlfriends!

Until next week,

I've got a couple of things I wanted to share with you this week that sit firmly in the 'stylish, pampering, me-time' camp! Choosing a fragrance to wear on your wedding day should be fun so don't think a trip to your local department store on a Saturday afternoon is your only option. If you know where to look you can find a scent that nobody else you know wears - and that you can then use on special occasions to remind you of your wedding day. So check out Les Senteurs, a fantastic specialist perfumery in London's Belgravia, with a great mail order service too. The staff will take time to help you choose a few samples to take away if you visit the store and, online, you can order samples to be sent to you. I love 'Daim Blond' by Serge Lutens - great name and it smells fabulous too!

You might also like to try Jo Malone as her fragrance-layering technique means you can create a unique scent and complement it with room candles, bath oils and body lotions too. There are a number of stores in London and across the country and counters in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols stores too - plus a good online shop.

If you're going to be in London at any point during your wedding planning - perhaps trying on dresses in the capital or just indulging in a spot of retail therapy, book 'Pret A Portea' at The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge A gorgeous treat for you, a lovely gift for bridesmaids or Mums, this afternoon tea is a favourite amongst London's fashionistas so keep your eyes peeled - you'll be in good company. Make sure you book though as it's very popular!

There's nothing quite like a happy bride & groom to put a smile on my face so you can imagine how delighted I was to get a thank you card this week from a couple I worked with in March. I managed to track down a bag full of their wedding presents and cards that went missing at the hotel where they spent their wedding night - it took nearly 4 weeks and untold phone calls but we got there in the end! The comment in their card says it all and made my day, "You were fab on the day - but it was the before & after that was just so over and beyond the call of duty."

If you'd like to talk to a wedding planner about how we might be able to help you, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day wedding coordination' or you'd like me to help you kick start your wedding plans with a 'Girls Night In' wedding planning session, please get in touch!

Until next week,