Magic Dust wedding planner blog

Actually, it's Sunday already and I'm just back from working at a fantastic wedding near Warwick yesterday! The whole celebration had been planned to within an inch of its life - but we had a lot of fun doing it and it was definitely worth it just to know that everything would happen when it was supposed to, and with the minimum of stress for the bride and groom.

The day always seems to fly past for me but I'm sure that's because I'm busy from the minute I get to a venue to the minute I leave - there's no time for clock-watching!

I'd like to send a big congratulations to Sarah & Ben - thank you for asking magicdust to be involved in planning your wedding and an special thank you for the beautiful flowers which I'm looking at on my desk as I type! I'm really looking forward to catching up with you after your well-deserved honeymoon.

The only thing we couldn't have planned for yesterday was the absolutely gorgeous weather. The newly-weds walked out of church, just before 5pm, into glorious warm sunshine and the photographer couldn't have been more pleased with the light - I know she'll have captured some great shots.

I had the pleasure of working with a caterer - Delightful Dining - who I have worked with before. In fact, since first working with them, I have yet to find another caterer that even comes close to them!

I've waxed lyrical about the food before so this time I want to pay tribute to the waiting staff. A friendlier, more professional group of 'beautiful people' you couldn't hope to meet. From the minute they arrive until the minute they leave, they work incredibly hard, are always smiling and do their utmost to ensure that guests are looked after properly. I really mean it when I say that working with Delightful Dining is always a pleasure, never a chore!

What do you do if you're not a big fan of traditional wedding cake, you don't need to serve your cake as dessert, but you want to have something and are happy to go 'quirky' and throw tradition to the wind?

Why not head for Paxton & Whitfield, buy a selection of round cheeses (they're very happy to advise on suitable sizes and quantities) and set them up like a traditional cake!

That's what we did yesterday and I decorated the 'cake' with ribbon, figs & grapes, and the flowers from a couple of buttonholes that weren't needed - really simple but very effective. The 'cake' was then dismantled and served as an evening snack complete with crackers, oat cakes, chutneys and fruit, and proved to be a real talking point, as well as being absolutely delicious.

Finally, I know it's been a good wedding when I have to drag myself away! As I was leaving last night the DJ - who played at George Michael's 40th birthday party - was playing the kind of music that made me wish I'd had my dancing shoes on... I just know they had a great party!

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,

ps - you can get regular wedding planning advice from magicdust's regular newsletter, simply click here to subscribe (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)

About a year ago I was introduced to a lovely lady called Lindy Smith, who is an absolute wizard when it comes to designing, making and decorating cakes. I bumped in to Lindy again last week and was delighted to discover that she's about to have her 8th book published - and I've had a sneak preview

It's all about cookies and there's an entire chapter that shows you how to create fabulous wedding favour ones. From a wedding cake-shaped cookie to heart-shaped ones decorated to look like the happy couple, Lindy gives you a step-by-step guide to recreating these and many others. I'm pretty certain any one of these designs would go down a storm with your guests - especially when you tell them they're home-made.

Why not get your bridesmaids together and have a 'bake night' (so 'Desperate Housewives!!!) to make it even more fun? The book is called "Bake Me I'm Yours... Cookie" and it'll be in all good bookshops at the end of this month.

I'm often asked where to find unusual gifts for bridesmaids so I'm going to share one of my favourites with you all. Red Direct is an online shopping emporium run by the same people who publish my favourite monthly glossy magazine!

The November issue of the magazine has just gone on sale and has Red Direct's Christmas catalogue with it. What a treat! Here are just a few of the things that have already caught my eye...

- the gorgeous rhinestone clutch on p25 that any bridesmaid would love but that any bride could justifiably treat herself to too;

- the lovely and affordable silver-coloured heart charm earrings and necklace on p31

- and the shabby chic photo frame on p44 that would look fantastic with 6 photos of your wedding in it!

Oh, and if you're having a winter wedding and are struggling for place setting ideas, check out the glass bauble card holders on p43 - adorable!

I recently received an email from a lady who had subscribed to our regular Tips & Advice newsletter. She just wanted to thank me and tell me how much she had enjoyed reading my blogs and tips and hints over the last year. I was really touched and it was so lovely to find out what a success her daughter's wedding had been. Thank you very much for taking the time to get in touch - you know who you are and I'm very grateful to you!

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' 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,

ps - you can get regular wedding planning advice from magicdust's regular newsletter, simply click here to subscribe (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)

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,

ps - you can get regular wedding planning advice from magicdust's regular newsletter, simply click here to subscribe (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)

This week I was lucky enough to be invited to The Goring Hotel in central London, for a 'Mad Hatter's Tea Party'! 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,

September already? Where has this year gone? If you're planning a wedding you'll know the months seem to fly by when you've got over 100 decisions to make and are being bombarded with ideas and 'helpful' advice everywhere you turn.

There is no single, correct answer to the question, "How long does it take to plan a wedding?" Truth is, it will take as long as you've got so the key is to meticulously plan each step, adding in time to relax and enjoy the other things in your life that you used to spend time doing before you got engaged!

This week I've been working with Sarah, one of magicdust's Autumn brides, to confirm some of the finer details of her wedding and the relief of knowing that everything is under control was obvious when I spoke to her. It's this - knowing that what we do makes a real difference to every couple we work with in the run up to, and on the day of their wedding - that makes my job the best in the world (to me at least!).

I worked with an excellent photographer last weekend and I wanted to tell you about her. She's called Deborah Vos (www.deborahvos.com), she's based in West London, and she is the type of person that you would just love to have at your wedding.

Unobtrusive, friendly, but most of all professional and committed to getting her job done well, I was really impressed by her stamina! I've become used to photographers who aren't always prepared to stay to capture the moments that are important to individual clients, without charging significantly more money for it. Deborah broke the mould and, at magicdust, we can't help getting excited about people like that!

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' 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,

PS - If you're a wedding planner yourself, please get in touch with me as I have the details of a couple of people you might want to keep an eye out for! I won't name and shame on here (yet) but I'm very happy to warn other planners about timewasters, so do give me a call!

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,

It's been a week of 'Girls Night In' planning sessions and 'On The Day' co-ordination preparation - 2 of our most popular, and valuable, services - and I've thoroughly enjoyed myself!

One of the most daunting things for couples planning their celebrations is knowing exactly where to start. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you're bombarded by magazines, websites and friends offering a million and one different ideas. Because we're passionate about keeping wedding planning 'refreshing, simple and invaluable', we relish the opportunity to help couples at this early stage with a planning session at home.

Our objective and experienced point of view enables us to highlight priorities and work through potential problems whilst offering ideas and inspiration that guarantee couples come away from the sessions much calmer and excited about planning their wedding.

The best way to ensure that you don't wake up in the middle of the night worrying about details is to identify what is worrying you and get answers to those worries as quickly as possible - sounds simple and, once you know what questions you need to ask, it really is!

Not only do couples spend 2 hours face-to-face with me but they know that I've already spent a similar amount of time preparing for the session to ensure that it's tailor made for them and no-one else, making these planning sessions incredible value for money and an ideal way to kick-start your wedding plans.

Tucked away at the bottom of the High Street in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, is a treasure trove of a shop, called 'Me Me Me'. It's a family run business and one of my favourite places to buy gifts. They specialise in hand-made, customised Memory Boxes that are excellent value (from £60) and a gorgeous way to store wedding photos, invitations & rsvp notes, tiaras, confetti and anything else you can think of to create an evocative reminder of the best day of your lives.

They only need a couple of weeks to produce them and the possibilities are endless - you can contact Natalie and her Mum through the website or pop in if you can. It's also a great place to find gifts for bridesmaids as they stock some beautiful jewellery and have recently started offering scrap-booking packs that enable you to produce wonderful, handbag-sized keepsakes.

If you'd like to talk to me about organising a 'Girls Night In' 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,

This week our 'Power Hours' have literally been flying off the shelves (well, if we had shelves of 'Power Hours' they would have been!). I love Power Hour work as it's a great opportunity to work with lots of different couples, all of whom are planning unique celebrations and looking for an objective, experienced point of view to guide them through the maze that is wedding planning!

Power Hours are also a brilliant way of dipping your toes, as it were, into the world of wedding planners. For less than the cost of dinner for 2 at your local pizza restaurant, you can spend an hour with someone - either face-to-face, on the telephone or via email - who plans weddings every day and is passionate about helping couples plan the celebration they really want, not the one they think they have to have!

This week I've helped a couple decide on table decorations and sourced a jazz band for another couple. I've also hand written 100 invitations, chased up 30 outstanding RSVPs, found a company that will produce a wedding cake made of cheese locally and deliver to a pretty remote venue as well as sourcing Swarovski table crystals for a wedding in a week's time!

Power Hours are designed to cover all sorts of wedding planning tasks, as this week perfectly illustrates. I thrive on this type of challenge and I know that we really help couples out by offering this service - the smiling faces and 'thank you' emails are all the proof I need

If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you with a Power Hour or 2, 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' wedding planning session 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 magicdust!

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 magicdust'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,

Can you believe it's August already? It seems like yesterday that I started writing this blog on a cold, wet January morning but it's seven months ago!

So much has happened at magicdust this year that I wanted to mark the blog's 'Seven Month Anniversary' (any excuse for a celebration!) by saying a big thank you to all the wonderful couples, as well as the fabulous (and less than fabulous...) suppliers we've worked with so far this year for being the inspiration behind every blog.

I'd also like to thank all those of you who read the blog regularly - it's great to know you're out there and, even if we never meet, I wish every single one of you a fantastic wedding day and a stress-free time planning it!

I've got a couple of 'old faithful' suppliers to share with you this week before I head off to a tiny place in the Cotswolds for what promises to be a fabulously decadent - and impeccably planned (!) - wedding this weekend.

Kirsten Goss's jewellery is stunning. Even that doesn't do it justice! The fact that Kirsten herself is in London next week and currently taking bookings for appointments with brides at her Kensington store, is fantastic news. If you can be in London between 5th and 9th August and you would like some expert help in choosing your wedding jewellery, then give them a call and tell Kate I said hi!

Cox & Cox has long been a favourite website of mine that I've tried to keep a closely guarded secret but, no more, I just have to share it with you. Such a lovely website to browse, it's full of great ideas for wedding decorations but never strays into tacky, unnecessary frippery and that makes me very very happy! So do have a look, be inspired and like they say throughout the website 'use your imagination'.

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' wedding planning session please get in touch!

Until next week,

I confess, I'm actually writing this on Sunday evening as it's the first time I've stopped and put my feet up all week!

After a fortnight of last minute preparation - no disasters mainly due to one of the most fantastically organised brides I've ever worked with - the sun shone brightly over Norfolk on Saturday and the wedding was perfect! There were a couple of things that happened before the bride & groom arrived that we had to deal with but it's at times like that that the value of using a wedding planner for On The Day co-ordination is really obvious!

The bride didn't need to worry that the caterer's supplier had sent the wrong plates or that the luxury toilets were locked with no sign of a key because I was there to make sure the right plates were located and delivered and the key was found - crisis averted!

These incidents do highlight that, even with fabulous planning (and this particular bride's planning was faultless), someone other than the couple getting married needs to take responsibility for making things happen on the day itself. You can't force a supplier to read an email sent months before the wedding but you can ensure someone is there on the day itself, and in the days before, to make sure that they all deliver the day you want - not the one that is easiest for them to do, or the one that they've done for every other couple.

That's why I always leave every wedding I work at with a smile on my face because I know that I really have made a difference to that bride and groom's enjoyment of their wedding day and that is worth its weight in gold.

For those of you coming to the end of your wedding plans, I just wanted to mention how important it is to set yourself a list of outstanding planning tasks at this stage and divide the responsibility for them between the two of you. Whilst you might have booked all your suppliers, sorted your outfits and planned your honeymoon, have you confirmed menus with the caterer, briefed the DJ on the songs you love/hate and how you want him to introduce you for your first dance, decided when you're going to sit down and work out your table plan, or thought about the actual timings of your day?

Don't take anything for granted until you've confirmed it - sounds simple doesn't it but it's the little things that you realise you've assumed along the way that will wake you up in the middle of the night in the weeks before your wedding day. Don't let your suppliers fob you off with vague deadlines - just because they've got lots on doesn't mean that you shouldn't demand (in the nicest possible way!) the attention you deserve, and are paying for.

Be forceful, make appointments to see the suppliers you need to see, and tie others down to agreed times on the telephone to discuss the specifics of your booking. It's your day but unless you make time to talk to all your suppliers closer to your wedding day and tell them what you want, you can't really expect them to deliver you your dream day, can you?

This approach might not come naturally to you so think about asking a friend to help you make some calls, or delegate it to your partner. Whatever happens, do make these calls so you can sleep soundly - sleep is the best, and cheapest, beauty treatment there is, so the more of that you have before you step in front of the cameras, the better!

Until next week,

It's been a busy week of 'On The Day' wedding coordination preparations which has included visits to venues, numerous conversations with suppliers and updates for the couples we're working with over the summer months.

I often have brides warn me that when they've told some of their suppliers that they're using a wedding planner, there's been a sharp intake of breath! It seems that lots of venues, caterers, florists and photographers have had less than positive experiences of working with a wedding planner.

I'm delighted to say that we've never had anything but praise from the suppliers we've worked with at every wedding we've been involved in, even the ones who were sceptical before we met. I actually relish the opportunity to change their perception of wedding planners by being different and making the experience of working with magicdust enjoyable for everyone involved.

Not all wedding planners are bossy and officious - some of us really do have our client's interests at heart and know that a smile and a friendly approach will get things done quickly, properly and with a minimum of stress!

I discovered a wonderful boutique in the gorgeous village of Broadway, in the Cotswolds, a few weeks ago and I just have to share it with you. You won't find your wedding dress there but you will find at least one thing you'll just have to have for your honeymoon!

Equally, it's the sort of boutique where service still counts for something and an experience that any 'mother of the bride' or wedding guest of any age would enjoy. Pop in and see Sue and her daughter, who run Parkinson's if you're in the area or check out their online store. Just so you know, I came away with a dress that has since been complimented more than any other I've ever worn (except for a certain ivory silk one of course...)

And finally, you'll have heard me talk about celebrating your one month wedding anniversary in style on more than one occasion but now I'm going to tell you about the perfect place to head for to do just that!

Run by a wonderful couple who are based in London but have extensive knowledge of this part of Ireland, The Fuschsias is a stunning hideaway that has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment with the most fantastic attention to detail (and you know I'm a big fan of that!).

Perfect for a romantic long weekend full of coastal walks and pub lunches or even for a small group of friends to hang out in style for a few days, I suggest you book in now before I beat you to it!

Until next week,

My plan is to keep this blog entry short but, as always, there's so much I want to tell you that I can't promise it will be!

You know I'm a big fan of not spending money you don't have to (or want to) spend, on your wedding and you'll have read my ideas for saving money on real flowers by considering hiring silk ones or foregoing flowers altogether in favour of candles and greenery. But, I don't want you to think that I don't love real flowers.

I'm very lucky to have godparents who are incredibly experienced florists and I spent a lovely afternoon with them this week literally 'smelling the roses' and talking through some ideas! The sheer hard work that goes into creating floral displays never ceases to amaze me and a good florist certainly earns their money.

But, there are a few ways in which you can ensure you don't pay more than you have to. Always go for flowers that are in season unless you want to pay over the odds - and add unnecessary air miles to your carbon footprint. You might love peonies (I'll let you into a secret, they're my favourite!) but if you're getting married in December, forget it.

Think about visiting the flower markets for inspiration and to see the actual cost of cut flowers so that you have an idea of what you're paying for when you get quotes from florists. New Covent Garden Market in London is open to the public - which comes as a surprise to lots of people - so, if the early start doesn't faze you, embrace the experience and marvel at the stunning flowers you'll see.

The latest issue of magicdust's email 'Tips & Advice' newsletter will be sent out in the next couple of days and one of the topics covered this time is the questions that I always ask of potential suppliers - and what you can do if you don't get the answers you want, or indeed any answers at all!

You'd be amazed at some of the slap-dash attitude to customer service we encounter... So, if you'd like magicdust's advice please click here to subscribe to our wedding planning Tips & Advice newsletter and we'll get it straight out to you.

Finally, our gift vouchers are still proving incredibly popular. Available for everything from a single Power Hour or a 'Girls Night In' planning session to On The Day wedding co-ordination they're the perfect gift for a busy engaged friend.Or why not treat yourself - there's nothing quite like a 'To Me, Love Me' present, is there?!

Beautifully presented on our magicdust cards with contrasting envelopes and always hand-written, they're designed to be flexible just like all magicdust services. Do get in touch and we'll help you choose the perfect gift.

Until next week,

I've always wanted to hold a '4th July' party but as it falls smack bang in the middle of wedding season, it'll have to go on hold for at least another year!

That said, there's nothing wrong with embracing the spirit of independence this week and allowing yourself to please just you, and the lucky person you're marrying of course, by planning the wedding you really want.

One of the many challenges I enjoy is working with couples who've found their dream venue but, after enquiring about the costs, realise it's exorbitant and resign themselves to having to get married somewhere else and ask me to help them find what will always be a 'second choice' venue.

There's nearly always a way of sorting this out and, whilst it might mean a few compromises along the way, there's surely nothing better than knowing that you can have what you want without breaking the bank. That's been the highlight of my week this week, finding a way for one couple to get married at the venue they'd set their hearts on but thought they couldn't afford - you're going to have a fantastic day, I just know it!

I worked at a small wedding on Thursday this week - there was no less planning involved though! It was a beautiful day with just 30 guests, the atmosphere was fantastic and looked like continuing for quite a long time after I said my goodbyes! That feeling of knowing that everything has gone according to plan with the bride and groom and all their guests free to enjoy every single minute is what makes this job so rewarding - that, and the fact that I know our 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination represents real value for money, especially when you compare it to some of the ridiculous prices charged for things like wedding cakes, favours and other 'must-have' items!

The only thing you 'must-have', as I've said before, is 2 people who want to get married and someone who can officially marry them - everything else is a bonus and I think 'peace of mind' should come fairly close to the top of that list of 'extras'!

So, because magicdust doesn't do 'back-to-back' weddings we've got a free weekend. Well, that's not strictly true as on Sunday I'm holding one of our extremely popular Wedding Planners Master Classes and I'm really looking forward to it.

Our commitment to challenging the wedding industry to focus on the couples getting married, rather than just trying make as much money as possible out of them, inspired us to develop this course and show potential wedding planners that this is the way forward - we know that's the case because the couples we work with constantly tell us so!

Letters after your name and thousands of pounds spent on online wedding planning 'degree' courses don't make a good wedding planner. A commitment to the couples you work with, an approach to the business that focuses on each individual couple and their needs rather than the easiest and cheapest way of doing things, and a passion for detail, planning and over-delivery are what really count.

Until next week,

It's been a week of intensive supplier sourcing, just the type of challenge I thrive on! It's not enough as a wedding planner to have a contact book bursting at the seams with suppliers of every different type, catering to every different budget. The most important thing to do is to listen to the couple you're working with, find out exactly what they want and - and sometimes it's easier to do this! - what they don't want and then match them with suppliers that they will work well with or that suit them best.

This is the key and one of the reasons why, at magicdust, we don't have any affiliations or 'agreements' with any suppliers. We work on our own experience of having worked with some of the best suppliers in the industry, we relish personal recommendations and we have a keen eye and ear for seeking out those people with a similar ethos to us - ones who always remember that the couple getting married are at the very heart of what we do every day.

So this week it's been venues in Cornwall and Northumberland, photographers and caterers in Warwickshire and South Wales and a children's magician on the South Coast - never a dull moment at magicdust!

I have a couple of people to share with you this week. They offer very different services but they're both important, and I can personally recommend both companies. If you're looking for jewellery for your wedding day, or perhaps for your honeymoon, and you don't want to spend an absolute fortune but you want something special and 'one of a kind', look no further than Ladies Who Lunch.

Mandy, one of the owners, is fantastic and will happily take the time to discuss what you are looking for, if you don't find it on their website, and create a one-off piece. And I guarantee you'll find it difficult to stop at just one necklace or bracelet so why not buy your bridesmaid's gifts here too... That's another couple of jobs ticked off your To Do list!

It might not be a terribly romantic topic but have you thought about the effect getting married will have on your will? That's if you've even got one... If you own property, have children or even family heirlooms to protect, you really should have a will. If you already have a will did you know that you need to have it amended to reflect the fact that you're now married or it won't be worth the paper it's written on?

You'll have heard the saying 'Where there's a will, there's a way' but how about this as a testimonial from a client of Jacqui Butler's Butler Estate Planning... "Where there's a Jacqui, there's a will!" She'll make the process as simple and stress-free as possible so you can get back to the fun bits of planning your wedding knowing that your affairs are all in order.

July is National Make A Will month, and two-thirds of UK adults don't have one - but peace of mind in knowing your loved one is looked after is always money well spent in my book.

Finally, check out our services page for details of our new 'Power Hour' service. An hour of a professional wedding planner's time to do with as you choose (within reason!). Like all our services it's designed to be flexible, it's the perfect engagement gift for a busy friend and the ideal way to really find out how a wedding planner can help you with your plans.

Until next week,

Venue hunting, stationery sourcing, table decorations brainstorming and bridesmaid gift ideas went some way towards filling my time this week, as well as the usual checking and double-checking of information for the 'On The Day' co-ordination projects we're working on over the next couple of weeks.

You'll know by now that I love finding new suppliers - be they 'new' new or just new to me. As long as they come highly recommended or, even better, I have worked with them, I am very happy to let you in on the secret.

So, this week I just had to squeeze in a visit to Gorgeous Beauty in Berkhamsted. It's run by a lady called Kerry who specialises in giving customised facials using a variety of products and machines, that I had been told by more than one person were fantastic.

I am a firm believer in looking after your skin and know that incorporating good treatments into your wedding planning timetable not only means you'll look your very best on your wedding day but allows you to relax and treat yourself regularly (and that's never a bad thing!).

That said, after working on Grazia with some of the best beauty companies in the world as my clients, I can be quite hard to please! Kerry had her work cut out for her but boy, did she do a fantastic job. My skin feels amazing, I don't know where my wrinkles have gone and, best of all, she doesn't charge a fortune - and she's one of the friendliest beauty therapists I've ever met.

If you live anywhere near Berkhamsted, get on the phone and book yourself in and if you don't, treat yourself to a weekend away in this beautiful part of the country and make a date for a facial. Kerry, I'm hooked so I'll see you in 6 weeks!

You might have noticed that magicdust have launched a new service (check out the pink box at the bottom of our home page!). We're often asked by couples to take a look at their budget and offer our advice so, because we're passionate about listening to what our clients want and then offering it to them in our refreshing, simple and invaluable style, we've launched the magicdust Budget Analysis service, and it's going down a storm.

It only costs £50 - after all, we'd hardly be helping you with your budget if we charged a fortune, would we? - and it could be just what you need to make sure you stay in control of your budget rather than letting it control you...

I caught up with one of my September brides this week over coffee as I happened to be close to where she works and gave her a call. After she left I decided to treat myself to an ice-cream sundae that I'd seen someone else order earlier! Well, here's my advice to you... Find somewhere that serves an enormous ice-cream sundae with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, order it and think about nothing else but how it makes you feel.

I was transported back to being 7 years old and was grinning from ear to ear the entire time I was eating it. It would be an impossibility to feel stressed, miserable, tired or fed-up whilst staring such a confection in the face so I declare the ice-cream sundae the perfect antidote to wedding planning blues!

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 me an email! We do still have a few dates available for 'On The Day' 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?

Until next week,

I've talked before about questions to ask of your venue, preferably before you commit any money but definitely before the wedding day itself. So here's another one for you to add to the list if it's appropriate to your celebration:

"How many staff will be working the bar during the reception?"

There is nothing worse than seeing your guests queuing at a bar that's understaffed instead of filling your dance floor but it can be avoided. Ask the right questions and let your venue know that you expect spectacular service and won't accept anything less.

Please don't be afraid to ask these types of questions as they can avoid all sorts of stressful situations on your wedding day and ensure that your venue treat you with the respect and attention you deserve - and have paid for. By the way, 2 surly bartenders for 175 guests is nowhere near acceptable...!

I'm a big fan of helping couples create a personalised, simple and stylish look for their wedding celebration. This doesn't mean throwing money at the problem, in fact using your personalities rather than your bank balance to personalise your wedding day is definitely the way forward!

So, here's an idea for table centrepieces that will look stunning, a little bit different and can double up as presents for guests to take home if you like. Take a potted miniature rose (you can buy these for less than £2 each at garden centres or from local growers) and 4 smaller pots of different herbs - your local supermarket should have them for about £1 each but now is the time to check out school and village fetes for plant stalls.

Cover the plastic pots with circular pieces of a fabric of your choice, secure with ribbon and group in the centre of each table. Beautiful, stylish and simple arrangements that will cost little more than £10 per table and look like a million dollars - perfect!

I can't resist passing on new suppliers I find in the hope that they help take some of the stress out of your wedding planning! Check out Why Creative's beautiful bespoke stationery. I'm a particular fan of the fact that the final payment (50% of the total) is only invoiced once you are totally happy with the finished product - that's another company keeping the bride & groom as their focus, and being confident in the quality of their products and we love that at magicdust!

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 you'd like me to help you kick start your wedding plans with a 'Girls Night In' please get in touch!

Until next week,

This week I met up with Patrick Wyatt, a fabulous jeweller in Hatton Garden, and he in turn introduced me to the sparkliest, most beautiful diamond I have ever seen. It was the size of a Minstrel and it looked absolutely perfect sitting on my finger... well, a girl can dream can't she!

Patrick's work is amazing and he prides himself on creating beautiful pieces, involving his clients in the whole process from start to finish and giving honest, refreshing advice and a lifetime of aftercare. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him and his work to people so, if you're looking for an engagement ring, wedding rings, gift or (my favourite!) 'To Me, Love Me' present, get in touch with Patrick immediately!

I'm always on the lookout for inspiration and, once you've trained yourself to look for it, you find it in the most unusual places. Don't limit your magazines to bridal ones when you're planning your wedding - think about the look and style you want to achieve and then treat yourself to some other mags to flick through and start ripping out pages.

I often reach for copies of 'Coast', 'Homes & Garden', 'Traveller' and 'Vogue' depending on the type of wedding I'm working on but this week my favourite flash of inspiration actually took place in Waitrose, where the soft blue colour of a gorgeous potted hydrangea was captured by my digital camera, emailed to one of my clients and table centrepieces were agreed, all in the space of half an hour!

I'm off for the annual Whit Walk around the village I grew up in tonight and, digital camera in hand, I know I'll get inspired by something, or someone, as we tramp across the fields in the evening sunshine!

We know that we offer a different type of wedding planning service at magicdust and it's always fabulous when our clients tell us how much they've enjoyed working with us. Just as important to us, and to potential clients I'm sure, is that suppliers love working with us too! Some suppliers are naturally a little reticent when they hear from a bride & groom that a wedding planner is co-ordinating the day but, I'm delighted to say that, more often than not, we are told, "Oh my goodness, you're such a breath of fresh air", "I've worked with other wedding planners and you're so much easier to deal with" and "If only all wedding planners were like you...".

So you can imagine how delighted I was when not 1 but 3 different suppliers from a recent wedding took the time to email me after the wedding and say all of the above and, without exception, "We really hope we get to work with you again very soon!" You know who you are so thank you from me once again!

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 me an email! We do still have a few dates available for 'On The Day' wedding coordination this summer - the peace of mind this buys you is priceless so why not find out if we're free on your wedding day?

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 me 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,

It's been a funny old week weather-wise and whilst the one thing you can't plan for is the weather, you can plan to be prepared. So we'll be taking umbrellas and sunscreen in our 'Emergency Kit' tomorrow to ensure we're ready for anything!

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 me about how we might be able to help you, check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day co-ordination' 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,

It only takes a few days of sunshine for brides-to-be to start feeling naturally optimistic about the forecast for their wedding day! But, it really is the only thing you can't control so make sure you've got a 'Plan B', be realistic about the fact that you might have to use it, and don't let the weather spoil your enjoyment of the best day of your lives, so far.

We're co-ordinating a wedding in teepees next weekend, as used earlier this year by Billie Piper and Laurence Fox, and as much time has been spent thinking about 'Plan B' as 'Plan A' - either way it's going to be fantastic and the bride and groom are relaxed and happy knowing that we've been in contact with all their suppliers to confirm arrangements, ironed out potential hiccups along the way and will ensure all goes according to plan on the day itself!

Our latest newsletter was emailed out a couple of days ago and it focuses on our top tips for ensuring everything goes smoothly on your wedding day. Click here to subscribe and I'll make sure the latest newsletter is sent straight out to you. We send out the newsletter once every 3 weeks and, if I do say so myself, this newsletter is always useful, never 'preach-y' and well worth a read!

To finish this week, I've got a wedding dress shop I want to share with you. 'Ann's Bridal Rooms' in Leighton Buzzard is one of the friendliest places I've ever visited and, when you're trying on dresses for the first time, that can make all the difference. The changing room is huge and you won't have to share it with anyone else so, if you're still searching for your perfect dress and can get to Leighton Buzzard, give Ann a call and make an appointment.

Until next week,

It's safe to say that wedding season is in full swing and, coupled with the sunshine of the last few days, I am in my element!

One of the great things about running magicdust, apart from all the fabulous couples I get to work with, is the fact that no two days are ever the same. The preparation for our May and June 'On The Day Co-ordination' weddings is well underway and I am spending my days talking to suppliers, confirming the important details from colours to delivery (which often means spotting problems before they can happen), and ensuring that each of our couples can relax and enjoy the run-up to their wedding.

I know I'm doing a good job when I get emails like the one from Rebecca this week telling me that "if you keep going at this rate I might marry you instead!!!"

I love telling you about websites that you can visit for inspiration so hot foot it to www.decorativecountryliving.com! This has long been a favourite of mine, both personally and professionally and I particularly love the garden section. If you're planning a country garden summer wedding you'll love some of the pictures and the heart shaped plant labels would make fantastic place name cards!

Here's to the sunshine sticking around for at least the next 4 months! James and Clare, enjoy every second of tomorrow - we've got everything under control so relax and have fun!

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 co-ordination' or you'd like me to help you kick start your wedding plans with a 'Girls Night In' please get in touch!

Until next week,

Ps - remember we've got exclusive Beauty Tips for Brides from Grazia's Beauty Director Nicola Moulton in our Tips & Advice email newsletter - click here to sign up and make sure you receive it!

I was looking at 'Wedding' magazine's new website this week - they've made it very easy to forward interesting articles, which will certainly help those of you who can only log on briefly during the day as you'll be able to send articles to your home email account to look at later (when you don't have to worry about your boss catching you searching for your dream wedding dress!).

It was while I was browsing that I came a company that really caught my eye so I'm sharing it with you. 'Soul Boutique' is a Scotland-based mail order company set up by best friends, Katie & Jo, to help people enjoy an increasingly healthy and more holistic lifestyle. What on earth does that have to do with wedding planning, I hear you cry? Well, check out their 'Soul Thought For The Week' because it's an aromatherapy remedy for headaches - and if you're up to your earrings in decisions about flowers, bridesmaids dresses, cake flavours, menus... the list really is endless, just try out their tip - it works!

And, as if that weren't enough, they also sell the most beautifully simple, ecologically-friendly, 100% organic scented candles - and they don't cost the earth. The larger ones would be perfect to dot around your reception venue and the unusual fragrances - think 'wild fig & grape' or 'tomato & blackcurrant' - are bound to be a talking point.

Smell invokes memories more powerfully than anything else so make sure you buy yourself one to light on your wedding anniversary and let yourself be transported back!

I read about the wedding of Bess Atkins, 94, and Winston Barraclough, 86, this week and I couldn't help but smile. With a combined age of 180 these 2 lovebirds tied the knot last month after a 3 year courtship. You can bet they didn't waste money on things they didn't need for their wedding but concentrated on the important stuff, getting married & celebrating with family & friends. We offer them our congratulations!

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 you'd like me to help you kick start your wedding plans with a 'Girls Night In' please get in touch!

Until next week,

News of the credit crunch sits uncomfortably alongside media interest in Wayne Rooney & Colleen McLoughlin's £2.5 million wedding. The nation's obsession with watching celebrities spend obscene amounts of money, whilst trying to emulate it on normal salaries with normal responsibilities, means more stress and less fun, especially when it comes to wedding planning.

A recent report estimates that nearly 125,000 people will need a personal loan to pay for a wedding in 2008 (source - Sainsbury's Finance) and our own research shows that many people worry about escalating wedding costs and feel pressurised to spend more than they can afford by the media, and by the wedding industry.

At magicdust, we've always believed that it's not how much money you spend but the way in which you spend it that really matters.

Setting a budget (as well as sticking to it!), discussing and deciding on priorities (then writing them down and carrying them with you) and remembering that your wedding day is the first day of your marriage, not the culmination of an expensive fantasy, are the first, and most important, things to do.

It is sensible in the current economic climate to curb unnecessary spending but, if you're planning a wedding, this doesn't mean you have to compromise on quality or style. It does mean that you'll need to be creative, clever and you'll have to plan everything incredibly well - and all of this takes time.

Time is one of the things a good wedding planner can offer couples and it's the premise on which magicdust was born. Our refreshing, simple & invaluable approach is a hit with couples precisely because they can choose how much help they want from us, and only pay for the time it takes us to do what they ask us to do.

We believe that everyone should have access to a professional, experienced wedding planner so we don't discriminate in terms of size of budget. We absolutely won't charge couples a percentage of their wedding budget (this seems utterly lazy and money-grabbing to us) nor do we have ready-made packages that people have to make-do with - every wedding is as individual as the couple getting married so the service a wedding planner offers should be too.

We practice what we preach too. A couple with a £49,000 wedding budget asked us to help them with just one task and they simply paid for the 3 hours of our time it took to complete it.

Another couple we worked with last year had a budget of £5000 and spent nearly 20% of that with us - it bought them a 'Girls Night In' planning session to kick start things, 12 hours of planning tasks and 'On The Day' co-ordination, and most valuable of all - it bought them the peace of mind that allowed them to sit back, relax and enjoy every single minute of their wedding day and the preparations.

And we see that, time and time again, it's not the budget that dictates how stylish, enjoyable and memorable a wedding is - being well-organised, feeling well supported and knowing exactly what's important to themselves as a couple, that's what makes for a successful celebration.

So, scale back by all means but don't immediately think that that means you can't afford to even contemplate talking to a wedding planner. A good wedding planner will be happy to talk to you about how they can help you - if they won't give you some time until you've handed over money to them then you obviously aren't speaking to magicdust!

Until next week,

One of my favourite jewellers, Kirsten Goss, has a beautiful bridal website that is a real source of inspiration for brides-to-be. I love telling people about it as their range is so much more exciting than the usual tiaras, necklaces and earrings. Have a look for yourself at www.kirstengossbrides.com and you'll find fabulous necklaces with 'back drops' that perfectly set off a backless dress.

Details for your veil, zip, shoes and lapels are unusual and, as Kirsten herself says (and here at magicdust we couldn't agree more), "True style is all in the fine detail".

This week has seen a flurry of enquiries for 'On The Day' co-ordination for dates this summer. It seems that more and more people are deciding that, even if they're the most organised couple in the world and have planned everything to perfection, they don't want to be worrying about things and fielding last minute questions from suppliers on the day itself (and in the last few weeks beforehand).

I've said it before but it's worth saying again. Working with a professional, experienced wedding planner who will ensure that your vision for your wedding day is realised, is always money well spent (and is likely to be less expensive than you might think). The peace of mind and knowledge that everything is under control is invaluable.

We never book 'On The Day' co-ordination on consecutive days, because we believe it's important we're fresh for your celebration. But, with an increasing number of people choosing to get married mid-week, we may still have availability for your wedding day so why not get in touch and find out.

If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you, either 'On The Day' or before, or both, or you'd like me to help you find a supplier (this week it's been gospel choirs, swing bands and Italian caterers), please get in touch!

Until next week,

ps - remember we've got exclusive Beauty Tips for Brides from Grazia's Beauty Director Nicola Moulton in our next Tips & Advice email newsletter - click here to sign up and make sure you receive it!

Thankfully I managed to shake off my hideous cold this week, all we need now is for the sun to shine for the next 6 months and I'll be happy (and so will lots of summer brides I imagine!).

If you've been reading my blog for a while, or subscribe to our newsletter, you'll know that budgets are one of my favourite things! Give me a spreadsheet and an hour or two to play with it and I'll emerge with a lists of tips on areas to save money, things that shouldn't be scrimped on, and ideas on how to make your money work as hard for you as possible.

So, I was delighted to have a couple of wedding budgets to analyse this week. Each one is different, as the couple in question's priorities dictate the way they spend their money - and it's a challenge I love, especially when I see how much it helps people. Just get in touch if you'd like me to go through yours with you.

I mentioned last week that Nicola Moulton - Grazia's fantastic Beauty Director - has put together some Beauty Tips for Brides exclusively for magicdust. Subscribers to our Tips & Advice email newsletter will be sent a preview of these Grazia Beauty Tips for Brides towards the end of next week so don't miss out, simply click here to subscribe (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)

If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you, to check if we're free to coordinate your wedding day, or to ask me a question that's driving you crazy, please get in touch - I'm here to help!

Until next week,

It's been an incredibly busy week and it got off to a fabulous start last weekend with 'On The Day' co-ordination for a gorgeous London couple. I really get a feeling for the value of a wedding planner during 'On The Day' work because, no matter how well briefed all the suppliers are before the day, there are always unforeseen circumstances that I can easily deal with, meaning that the bride & groom really don't have to worry about anything at all apart from getting married and enjoying themselves.

At last weekend's wedding, a small problem at the venue the following morning needed to be sorted out - but knowing I'd been in charge, the manager at the venue called me, I popped down to sort it out and the couple were (and still are) blissfully unaware. If they'd not had a wedding coordinator, it would have meant dragging the newlyweds out of bed!

You know my opinion about favours for the sake of favours (!) so here's an idea that is different and could be perfect for you. Instead of wasting money on bags of sugared almonds that will get left on your tables, why not invest in a few good quality presents (an iPod shuffle, a couple of bottles of champagne, a silver photo frame and some good quality leather luggage tags are a few ideas), put a raffle ticket on everybody's place name card and the bride and groom can draw a ticket at various points during the celebration! Your guests will love this different approach to favours and you'll enjoy the smiles on the faces of your winners!

Just as the weather looks like it might be changing for the better, I get a stinking cold! Even though the temptation was to curl up under the duvet and feel sorry for myself, I have clients counting on me so I slapped on some lip gloss and a smile and got on with it! Talking of lip gloss, Nicola Moulton, the wonderful Beauty Director at Grazia magazine, has put together some great tips for brides - especially for magicdust! You'll be able to read them on the website next week so keep an eye out. Thanks Nicola, we really appreciate you doing this for us!

If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you, either 'On The Day' or before, or you'd just like me to answer a question for you, please get in touch!

Until next week,

Relationships... The people you enjoy spending time with are generally the people who accept you for what you are and don't try to change you. After years of working on glossy women's magazines I know exactly how important good relationships are when it comes to business too. That is why my relationships with both the couples and the suppliers I work with are the focus of everything we do at magicdust.

It's always lovely to hear from now-married clients. This week Sarah, who got married in January this year and who we did a 'Girls Night In' with last Spring got in touch to say that her best friend has just got engaged and a group of them had clubbed together to buy her a 'Girls Night In' because she'd enjoyed hers so much! She wanted to get it booked in as soon as possible as she remembered how calm and focused she felt after her planning session with me and wanted to make sure her best friend felt the same!

On Tuesday I had a call from a caterer I met at an 'On The Day Co-ordination' wedding last summer. He'd been really impressed with our "calm, professional attitude and smiley disposition" and wanted to put me in touch with one of his clients. They didn't want to feel worried about any of the details on their wedding day but were sceptical about the cost, and value, of a wedding planner so the fact that this supplier immediately thought of magicdust confirms that we're right to be different and to challenge the norm when it comes to wedding planning! Thanks John!

You know that one of my top tips is "prioritise, prioritise, prioritise" don't you? Well, if fresh flowers are not one of your priorities, and by that I mean you don't want to spend a small fortune on fresh blooms, then I've got just the thing for you. Check out unrealflowers.com - they hire out the most stunning floral decorations for a fraction of the cost of the real thing and, believe me, I've seen them up close and it's practically impossible to tell they're not real (I even bent over to smell them!). Think of the money you could put towards your real priorities by using them instead of fresh flowers for your table centrepieces. And if they don't deliver to your area but you're thinking about booking 'On The Day Co-ordination' with magicdust, we'd be happy to collect them and bring them with us on the day!

If you'd like to talk to me about how we might be able to help you, either 'On The Day' or before, (or both!) or you'd just like me to answer a question for you, please get in touch!

Until next week,

ps - Claire & Dave, have a wonderful day on Saturday. We have everything under control so you just need to concentrate on having a fantastic time!

My husband has a favourite saying - always think 'style over fashion', rather than 'fashion over style' and, wait for it, he's right! Think of the items of clothing in your wardrobe that you love and get the most compliments about... I bet they're classic rather than uber-trendy and it's a lesson that will serve you well when you're planning your wedding.

By all means look at the latest trends for dresses, colours and venue decoration but remember that you'll have to look at photographs of your day for the rest of your life and you know how fickle fashion is! Remember to think classic, think simple and you're more likely to get stylish and not 'fashion victim'.

This week I've been having a lot of fun helping a lovely couple to plan a beautifully simple wedding for later this year. Simple most definitely doesn't mean easy though - there are still over 100 decisions and 200+ hours of planning to do! In fact, it's a bigger challenge - one we relish at Magic Dust - to plan 'simplicity' but the rewards are fantastic. A display of ivory pillar candles of different heights arranged in an old fireplace, single stems of a stunning flower in groups of 3 or 5 vases, napkins folded simply but unusually - again, it's the little things that make the biggest impression. Less is most definitely more and the pared down beauty of simplicity is breathtaking.

And whilst we're talking style, let's mention shoes and handbags - the things that make supermodels of us all! If you want to treat yourself to something that you'll wear or use long after you've said your vows then think outside of the bridal wear box when you're thinking about your feet and where to keep your lipstick on your wedding day. Check out the 2 clutch bags on p180/1 of this month's Vogue and see what I mean - there's no way either of those bags will end up in a box under the spare bed! For similar beauties on the High Street, head for Accessorize or Zara. Just make sure you've made 'handbag' one of your priorities on your Magic Dust Wedding Planner so there'll be no arguments and you'll have a lovely reminder of your day, every day!

If you'd like us to help you plan a simple, stylish wedding, if you'd like us to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day itself and the weeks before with our 'On The Day Co-ordination' service, or even if you just want an answer to a question that's been bugging you for weeks, please contact me - I'd love to hear from you!

If you would like to receive our regular Tips & Advice email newsletter please sign up here and we'll get the current one out to you straight away.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Until next week,

I'm delighted it's Friday, not like most of the country at the prospect of a couple of days off, but because we get to do what we love doing - co-ordinate another wedding tomorrow! Richard & Penny, have a wonderful day and don't worry about a single thing except enjoying yourselves - we've got everything else under control.

As well as finalising a few details for this weekend's wedding, I've also been preparing for more 'On The Day Co-ordination' bookings over the next few weeks. I love talking to suppliers, confirming details including delivery times and places, and most of all ensuring that the vision the bride and groom have of their day is clear in the minds of everyone involved in making it happen.

It's this communication that takes place with suppliers in the final weeks before the wedding that is absolutely crucial - and you'd be surprised at how much time and dedication is needed to to keep everything on track. No matter how well briefed a florist or venue has been, the fact that staff often move around and other weddings are being catered for means you can never take anything for granted. Asking magicdust to do it takes away all the stress from the bride and groom - minor problems that could cause a couple sleepless nights at this stage are swiftly dealt with by us and need never worry them - it's so rewarding to know that the work we do really does help people.

I've said before how important it is to find your venue before you spend too much time and energy on the details of your reception and how you mustn't panic if it takes longer to find your venue than you expected. This week I have been working with a couple for whom this is particularly true. Over the past few months they have looked at so many venues that I know they were beginning to think they'd never find anywhere they both loved. But they have, and it has the most beautifully ornate ceilings, detail from which they are going to use as a pattern on their wedding stationery - that's what I call 'effortless inspiration' and it proves the point. They would never have come up with this idea before they saw the venue and those ceilings and yet it was the easiest decision to make once they had.

If we can help you with your wedding plans, whether it's answering a question that's keeping you awake at night or checking our availability for 'On The Day Co-ordination', please contact me - I really am happy to help!

If you would like to receive our regular Tips & Advice email newsletter please sign up here and we'll get the current one out to you straight away.

Until next week,

One of the best things about my job is that no two days are the same. This week I was asked to work with a couple to devise a budget spreadsheet for them to use throughout their wedding planning. Now, if you've been following my blog you'll know that I love a spreadsheet and I particularly love helping people to set, and stick to, a budget. So, whilst some people would hate this job, I absolutely loved it! The couple simply paid for 2 hours of my time - I spent an hour getting to know them and their priorities and then I devised an easy-to-use, personalised budget planner which they now have to keep, and use regularly.

Recommendation is one of the main reasons why couples come to use magicdust. I strongly believe that a wedding planner is only as good as her clients say she is and it's why I'm very happy to let people speak to past clients of magicdust for first-hand details of our services. This week I have had initial conversations with 3 couples who have heard about magicdust (and our refreshing, simple and invaluable approach to wedding planning) through friends and colleagues who have used our services. I'm really looking forward to working with all of you over the next few months!

I received a wonderful testimonial this week from a couple I did a 'Girls Night In' planning session with recently and I can't resist sharing it with you. Thank you Sam & Eddie - it's couples like you who make me truly love being a wedding planner!

"Tammy Willson is our wedding angel, she introduces herself from the heart via the Magic Dust website & you really believe she is talking to you and you are the only clients she is working for. She is professional, easy going, relaxed and really wants to get to know you as a couple and find out what you are aiming for.

My partner was very sceptical about using a wedding planner, as he felt they were stuffy, inflexible and expensive. Tammy at Magic Dust is far from any of these and we came away from our 'Girls Night In with Magic Dust' feeling as if we had both known Tammy for years, confident of our priorities and next steps.

She has the ability to focus your mind and make you think realistically both practically and emotionally about your priorities and what you want. She has fantastic ideas and is there for you at the end of the phone or via the website.

If you are reading this and questioning whether you really want the input of a wedding planner, then my suggestions to you would be definitely speak to Magic Dust in the first instance and you will soon be arranging a 'Girls Night In' session. This will then leave you questioning: Why did I not do this sooner?

Magic Dust is flexible, professional but relaxed - with the ethos and attitude that all wedding planning companies should be aiming for."

That made me blush but it also made my week! If we can help you with your wedding plans, from getting your plans off to a flying start with 'Girls Night In' to taking responsibility for your celebration whilst you enjoy the day with our 'On The Day Coordination', or simply answering a question that's keeping you awake at night, please contact me - I really am happy to help!

Until next week

So, are there women all over the country popping the question to their partners today? Through our "Ask a wedding planner a question" invitation (where we're happy to give advice free of charge), I definitely know of a few who are going to an enormous amount of trouble and I wish them all the very best of luck!

If you're one of these very brave women and your nerves are getting the better of you, then take heart - over 80% of men who are asked will say yes!

This has been a week of highs and lows. Highs for one of the couples we are working with who are getting married next month - as they've now handed over responsibility to magicdust as part of our 'On The Day' co-ordination service. I'm speaking to all of their suppliers, introducing ourselves and letting them know that we are now the first point of contact for any questions or problems between now and the wedding day. That means the bride and groom-to-be will spend the next couple of weeks relaxing, enjoying the excitement and taking time to remember the real reason they've planned a big party - they're getting married.

The low point was for a poor bride-to-be who I spoke to after she had found out from her venue that they were cancelling her wedding because they wanted to redecorate. It's less than 4 months until her wedding, the stationery has been printed and is now useless, and the wedding insurance they had purchased from a reputable high street company is refusing to pay out for anything. So, a quick word of advice, don't forget to check exactly what cover your wedding insurance gives you - there's nothing worse than thinking you're covered and then realising you're not. And, as for the venues that think it's ok to cancel someone's wedding this close to the date and only offer to return their deposit - it isn't and they will not get away with it. Both the bride-to-be and I are now speaking to contacts to sort this out...!

The moral to the story - make sure you ask your venue, or potential venue, if they're planning any renovations or redecorating near to your wedding date - and above all, get their answer in writing.

And finally, if you're getting married this summer and thinking of incorporating the great British outdoors, check out this gardening website - www.gardenboutique.co.uk. I particularly love the Shaker Heart Votives which would look fantastic hanging on ribbon from a tree, and there are lots of beautiful planters and candle holders at pretty reasonable prices that you could use to decorate your venue and then give to the wedding party as gifts - or take them home for your own garden! There's nothing quite like doubling up to make things incredibly cost-effective, and personal.

Until next week,

PS - good luck to Katie & Johnnie for tomorrow, we'll make sure everything's exactly as you want it to be!

Talking to people, answering questions, offering advice, keeping things simple and all things wedding-related - it's what I love doing!

I'm not the type of wedding planner who refuses to lift a finger to help without charging for it - that's why I encourage people to get in touch, even when they don't know if they need a wedding planner or not. After all, how on earth are people expected to know if they'll be happy working with magicdust if they haven't had a chance to talk to me properly first and be confident I know my stuff?

This week has been one of those weeks when the questions have come thick and fast, it's been a lot of fun! I spoke to a best man who was worried about seating arrangements at his best friend's wedding - I'm afraid it's entirely up to the bride & groom who they ask to sit on the top table, but there are ways in which you can help to ease the stress of keeping everyone happy!

I've had conversations with a couple of people about wedding insurance - it's one of those things that you probably won't need unless you don't have it, so it's worth checking out if only for the sleepless nights it can keep at bay! My personal view is that, if you get the right policy, it's worth the money simply for the reassurance.

I'm delighted to say that the two "Girls Night In" sessions booked in advance by men who were planning to propose on Valentine's Day are in the diary - both women said yes! And having spoken to them, both were really impressed at how thoughtful their fiances had been in booking magicdust's help - that both men had shown such interest in getting involved with the planning made these brides-to-be feel even more special.

And finally, magicdust is celebrating this Leap Year by recognising those brave women who decide to take the plunge and propose to their partner on February 29th. Even in this liberated age, only 9% of all marriage proposals are made by women so, because we love celebrating couples doing things the way they want to, keeping things simple but having the confidence to challenge convention in order to please themselves, we are inviting you to tell magicdust how you're planning to pop the question - and what your partner's reaction is! - and in return we'll give you more than 20% off a 'Girls Night In with magicdust' planning session (making it �99 instead of the usual �125) to get your wedding plans off to a flying start!

Until next week,

PS Don't forget to sign up for our regular Tips & Advice email newsletter by clicking here (or simply fill in the two boxes at the top right hand side of this website).

I love it when I find like-minded people in the wedding industry, people who care about the products or services they offer, the couples who are getting married and not just the money they're making (I only wish there were more of us!)

This week I discovered a new jeweller (new to me not 'new' new - he has many years of experience). Not only will he make engagement and wedding rings to your exact specifications, and budget, but he's flexible about seeing clients in his central London workshop or at his home in Hertfordshire. This man recently re-designed his wife's engagement ring to include 2 new diamonds and it is an absolute beauty, believe me! If you're looking for an experienced jeweller who will take the utmost care to produce the ring, or rings (!), you've been dreaming about, let me know and I'll happily put you in touch with Grant Chamberlain.

I can hardly let Valentine's Day pass by without a mention, can I? It was especially exciting for me as I knew that there were 2 men, at different ends of the country, proposing to their girlfriends not only with sparkly diamonds but with a 'Girls Night In with magicdust' already booked! How thoughtful, and prepared, are they? So, next week I'll be chatting to 2 very excited newly-engaged couples to set dates for their planning sessions and I can't wait!

We love keeping things simple at magicdust, it's one of the best ways to get through the stress of planning a wedding without going loopy! I especially love it when the couples I'm working with do the same, and this week it was all about flowers. With very clear priorities from the start and a wedding that's now a matter of weeks away this couple are eschewing expensive, elaborate, floral arrangements in favour of simple, stunning potted plants and candles. In the words of the bride-to-be herself, "Seems like a lot less hassle ! Trying to keep to a minimum what I have to do on the Friday and Saturday." She's making life as easy as possible for herself and she's absolutely right to - instead of running herself ragged I'm hoping she'll be relaxing with a few glasses of bubbly in the days running up to her wedding and concentrating on enjoying every minute of it.

Until next week,

PS - I can't resist saying an enormous thank you to my lovely husband for creating a special Valentine's Day website for me - he might have been away on business on Valentine's Day but he made sure the first thing I saw when I switched on my computer was his hugely thoughtful, and original, card! You really are very special, Mr Willson.

It's been another busy week at magicdust, I can't believe it's the weekend again already!

I am approached by suppliers - from magicians to make-up artists - on a daily basis. As you know, we are completely impartial and will only recommend companies we have worked with, or at least met, and who we believe have the best interests of the couple getting married at the front of their mind. None of the suppliers that