Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Wedding Lounge podcast. We are joined by a very
lovely, very special guest that both Evie and I look up to. Yes. And that is Susie Evans. Hi Susie.
Hello. Great to meet you. Thank you for joining us today. Susie is a luxury wedding planner.
Yeah. I think the word luxury is quite an interesting term. Susie, what do you feel the word luxury
means? I'm going to start off here because I think of says lots of thoughts. People say lots of
different things and I just want to really stress like I don't think there's any right or wrong
answer because everyone's opinion really does matter and everyone's thoughts on it. It's so different.
You know the word luxury and I do use it a lot and I am very conscious I use it and I do try and
actually step back from it because I think it isn't overused word but at the same time it's you know
sort of bad word it's like it's just everyone thinks so differently about it. So for me I would say
like it's not about the total budget how much people are spending and you know whether it's
50,000 to 500,000 it like that shouldn't be kind of the protocol but what we talk about luxury.
For me it's I've got the luxury of the clients that have the good budgets absolutely but actually
it's bringing those experiences to their weddings, their celebrations and how they bring that
experience. Not just about trends and doing spending the most of flowers and having so it like for
example my weddings whilst they'll look beautiful because generally I'm working with some good healthy
budgets actually the all-round everything is at a luxury good level because I want the full experience
and the clients have that luxury to be able to do that but you know I might not be spending 100,000
does not have flowers but actually we spread that cost around so that everything around them so that
guest experience and it's not about having you know the world's worth best Instagram picture for me
it's actually let's get exactly what the clients want for their budgets and actually give them that
luxury you know what that what's luxury to them it's not that what's actually to me it's what's
luxury to them and you know how we can immerse that for them it's yeah it's such an open-ended
question that I can go on yeah I think it's that kind of indulgent feeling isn't it like it doesn't
matter what your budget is if you're going to push yourself that bit further it's an indulgence it is
that polished feel isn't it yeah for me like I keep saying it's not just about one part of it it's
like the whole experience so behind the scenes right from the the chefs to the porters to the you
know the team doing the flowers the week before the conditioning actually that's all part of that
luxury experience it's not just about what you see on the day the power as well like the fact you
won't do a marquee wedding without two generators yeah that's luxury to me yeah absolutely that's
what makes all those things behind the scene and it's it's not just me bringing the beautiful luxury
wedding it's actually the team that I bring behind that there that's what creates that the luxury
aspect now what do you find sort of thinking financially I know you said obviously get
experience it's important what do you find a lot of your couple the spending their budget on apart
from obviously venue and catering which are the big big parts of a budget do you find your clients
have sort of similarities in the elements of their way yeah absolutely you know whether it's
you know marquee or venue I think food will always be my sort of top priority with my clients
with the food and this is going well I'll touch on again so for me staffing labor the teams behind
the probably my biggest spend and I'll be honest with you I have to educate my clients right from
the outset it's not said they're like yeah yeah let's have because obviously especially the catering
sometimes my staffing costs are 50% of the catering costs and people really struggle to get their
head around that and you know I'm really honest with them and but you know I've got lots of scenarios
the experience I've had over the years I've had teams catering teams where we pay a lot less that
you get you essentially get what you pay for it's going to say it's a guest guest experience though isn't it
like yeah the none of your guests have to wait for anything and to have those people there to
cater to those guest requirements is what elevates it and makes it yeah it's not just the delicious
food and I think people have a tasting they can see what they get paying for with in terms of the
physical food that their guests are going to eat but it's all that as you say the service the
background team making sure that they're not suddenly oh gosh like someone's without water on that table
you know all of those things that elevate the whole experience yeah people find it as you say hard
to put a financial sort of value on it they don't understand but when it's not there they'll notice
yeah oh absolutely like you know if I ever see a guest have to ask for water for example a table
that should never happen but I appreciate when budgets are lower there will be slow staffing
levels it's just not possible to have that level of service and I completely understand but you know
like the best thing in the world but the staff aren't there behind it it just makes such a you know
even thinking porters I absolutely adore porters for catering and the only caterers that don't
even have porters teams and I think they make the biggest it like I'd absolutely door them because
they do everything and anything and they are I think just they from the chefs and everyone behind
the scenes the operational team I think they just get forgotten about and I think we need to really
embrace actually this is actually these are the people that the cogs are moving and making this
experience just the other thing in terms of the spend and I think it's production as well and it
doesn't I'm not talking huge I mean a lot of mine are very bespoke builds and things and I get that
but in terms of lighting and things there's so many simple things you can do and I think people often
over an oversight in terms of like lighting simple lighting can make transform a room drastically
so I think it's another area my coverage tends to spend money on as well just going back to sort of
thinking about and that's like kitchen like porters and the team behind yeah do you think people just
aren't aware of and they don't want to think about this this part of the day did they have with so
bombarded of Pinterest and Instagram and looking at the finished result that people see that they
want to pay for that but they don't think or even sort of acknowledge how much work goes in behind
and what that obviously costs to have to have that end result of it looking effort less than to
experience that scene the service because we don't know that's why I said you don't put that on to
education yeah no absolutely and it's something I'm looking to do a lot more education on because
they're even at my my sales process with my clients this is something I talk about and it's dull
so boring and I probably want to lose clients as a result but actually I want to ensure that they
align and understand how I work and yeah I want to deliver the best for them if I if they're
not aligning and do not want to get their head around having the best service then we're not the
right match and it's not about spending more money and not being having enough of flowers it's just
making sure actually that the whole day runs so seamless and it's actually we deliver what they
want yeah and I just don't think it's possible without the teams whether that's the floor or
catering whatever it may be yeah for me I think it's the biggest thing that people overlook
it's just pushing people to their limits isn't it you're pushing supplies their limits and yeah
there's only so far that people could be pushing actually the more hands you have on deck
so many hands make like work saying and it's happening the confidence to talk about it as well I
mean you know I've you know I've had the experience of you know 15 years in there and I kind of
before I'd be like I'll just just get it through if I will work something out but actually yeah
no I I want to deliver the best for them so I will be yeah really clear from the outset about that
yeah yeah definitely it's it's so important and I pretty as you say you appreciate not everyone has
that sort of level of budget to to spend on that but you've got to then obviously have those
conversations about what is realistic if you haven't you know if you haven't got that budget you
can't expect that level of service because you won't have that many people on the ground and if
you're not willing to allocate the budget there as well if you want that look for the wild factor when
people walk in if that is what is important to you then that is where your budget should go whereas
actually if it is the entire day and the guest experience and the flow of the day making sure
everyone's looked after then you're better off doing that. I mean the same criteria couples probably
won't good to see who it's about the catering the food it's not important to them as long as there's
something served and at some point and you know they're but it's and that's fine because there's
room for all of us and we all have different priorities you know even with as planners or whatever
supplier we are and the couples would have different priorities but I just think in the world of
luxury as we call it I think that's one element that will just transform a day.
Yeah question with a three-course seated meal and when you've got a team working well enough
how quickly can you get all that food out to guests and cleared I always find that that
part of the day if you've not got enough staff that is part of the day that slows everything down.
Even the level of catering so I will allow the same time regardless of starving levels because
what I find I guess the lower the budget and when we have that time restrictions and whether
aren't the staff then end up clearing tables before the last tables finish their food which that
won't happen on my event so I genuinely they'll always be always in our three hours regardless
and that includes speech time as well and but I think you know I have done you know obviously
natural history museum where we're under a lot of constraints and yeah it's and that's where
you know extra staff but again you're paying you know some of my events I've done at natural
history museum we've got a hundred and fifty staff there just to ensure those timelines are met
because they literally have 45 minutes to do a main course for 400 people and it's doable but then
also there is people still eating because there are 40 tables yeah but when there's larger amounts
you kind of you have to work like that yeah yeah yeah I mean I saw that first hand obviously when
I had to that we're doing at the Naturalism Museum just how quickly you know things have to go
from the public being there sort of an hour later guest arriving the kind of pace it is quick turn
around and you've just you need more people to get it done definitely I'm thinking I'm going to
know the answer to this but what would your tip to our listeners be who they have a more modest
budget and they want to make their event feel more luxurious what would your advice be to those people
I've got a couple of things and my biggest one will be I'll be having some I hated out there but in terms
trends step away from the trends because I think we get so caught up in them not saying don't ever do
them though but you know there are some amazing things and very creative things out there but I think
people see these things and Pinterest and Instagram wherever it may be and they're trying to replicate
it all that and actually the budget's going on things which really are relevant yeah and I think
it's to be a really true authentic timeless wedding that you want to look back in ten years time
do you want to see like the biggest one at the moment again I know I've loved it but all this ruffled
tablecloths and things we're seeing it everywhere you know it's been for a year or so and you can't
put a glass down it's not practical so and you know I think we'll we look back at this because it will
go on for a lot longer because obviously it's gone through the luxury and it sort of works its way
down and it'll be there for a little while but actually the cost additional cost of doing those
limbs is quite substantial and actually it's I just think yes step away from trends the other one
that which I think a lot of people they're about is actually things like florals and rather than doing
lots of like things like I don't know PUNs and little bug bars things around so you think you've got
flowers everywhere you're best of just doing one statement piece so whether that is if you've got
the budget to do like beautiful arch brilliant if not something like an earn which can be repurposed
it's basically and that's not just for the photographs but actually having an impact so when
guests walk in they're more likely to see a beautiful display installation rather than lots and
little bits at the PUNs which you can't really repurpose properly either and it's and I think it's
making you know repurposed things where you can as well and just forget about all those small details
and I think when the budget's there yes you can have all those things but they're the matching straws
or the I don't know little napkins cut you know all those little things you know all adds up it might
only cost £20 an Etsy but then you do another £30 if it in it just adds up it's actually just work on
key key statement pieces essentially I think I'll reduce people's Russia and yeah people's stress
around their wedding day if they are focusing on those key elements rather than trying to get all
these teeny tiny little things in that I don't know about you but when a couple seems to focus on
those teeny tiny bits they really focus on those teeny tiny bits and not the big of my trailer
manage them and yeah yeah and yeah actually if you take that out of the equation how much more
relaxed the couple would feel planning their wedding when they've only got those few elements to
focus on I'm just thinking about the client I had where we spent about four months choosing napkin color
and I was just like oh my gosh this is literally so stereotypical of what people think wedding
planners do and literally just pick out napkins and things but we literally spent like about four
months of getting samples from places and making decisions and oh my goodness and you sort of
really at the end of the day people are going to take the napkin put it on their lap eat their food
wipe their mouth with it and most of them leave them on the floor you know and share all the floor
yeah but I think I don't know if you guys know it's a difference but just for generations and I'm
finding like especially more so last year and I really noticed it was the micro managing level
of micromanaging from couples and I think it's a generational thing and how they communicate so then
you know even sort of I thought why they being such a pain why is it ever actually I don't think I
think it's just how they communicate and we're having to adapt and educate and I think it's not
the worst it's not worse but I think we we're going to have to adapt a lot more and try and manage
those situations because I'm finding now it's like every single element is being so like almost like
they're not trusting our opinions and our expertise and I'm thinking I've done this for 15 years
and it's done yeah and it's like it's 15 years in business but I've done production before that
and it's all like you know I know what I'm talking about and whilst I'll take on your ideas like
please listen yeah yeah I really know that I think my first few years in business I was having
people sort of my age older and now I'm getting younger couples and I'm really noticing a difference
and sort of how much more work is involved with planning with them but going back up forwards and
the as you say the focusing on the my new tells yeah I'm not you know I've got people focusing on
the smallest of things but not even answering about like ex-supplies we need to book and it's just
yeah it's yeah no definitely very different colors of rows going to be so we haven't got a marquee
yeah should we get a marquee? Yeah yeah exactly that for a budget oh yeah oh yeah I know trying to
oh yeah I had a client recently trying to get the budget out of them and we didn't have much time
so they're like why aren't you booking this and I was like because I don't know how much I've
dispensed like exactly yet I was like you know I can't just let you keep spending definitely
couples are changing aren't they and yeah absolutely and I said you know I be honest I have a bit of a
negative stance that last year thinking you know what it's wrong with these people actually I think
I think it's just we're just getting older yeah we you know we you know and also generations are
coming in and their thought processes and they're just overwhelmed so overwhelmed and you know
I don't want to go into much about the whole ghosting thing actually I'm all right with it if I'm
honest and I don't I personally don't think we should be broadcasting it out there like all been
ghosted being ghosted because it's just we've got to get on with it it's life if I'm honest and I
don't want to be putting that negative message out there that you know we've been ghosted let's
yeah I think it's just like I think as well I mean it's unrelated but 15 years ago you'd go shopping
for a sofa you'd go to your local shop yeah had sofas and you would choose from that selection whereas
now everything the internet yeah you have so much to choose from so these couples are are speaking to
10-15 different people yeah it's just that they're being bombarded on Instagram and things that
they're maybe not even people they're not even following and they're like oh look at that and
I was really excited about them yeah what's been interesting there's um a couple of my couples at
the moments and they're messaging forwarding the messages but they're being bombarded by suppliers
who found out they're engaged and said can I do your flowers or can I do your photography so you
think that's one message okay that's fine they've had five or six follow-up message and think
another one how did you find like this they know it's no connection so they've obviously found that
I don't know it looks at the algorithm on Instagram since someone's got engaged and they're
approaching every single couple and my my latest two couples that have taken on have both had
the same messages with the same like there's no connection they're both different parts of the
UK and they're being bombarded by the same by the same suppliers and it's just interesting
yeah they're getting bad yeah a couple who that's how they met is they met through Instagram
she's slid into his DMs that's what these people are doing is they're sliding and I was just like
how does how does that even work how do you find I want to get out by DMs very common yeah
we're just getting old that's it isn't it yeah well I'm a lot older than you guys but no no yeah
things are just changing aren't they and how people are yeah life in general and obviously that
sort of soaks into the wedding industry as well I'm going to move off on a tangent now
and ask you about your most memorable event that you've done I found this really hard to answer
because obviously it's been so so many and I've got two answer I've got you know I've been fortunate
enough that I've had some incredible weddings but they're all under NDA so I can't talk about them
but they've been with like huge huge probably you know high-profile people and it's
pinch me moments absolutely incredible to have those experiences and you know one of them I can
I do personal events in the beginning now just I think I think I can tell the world it'd be amazing
but yeah and that side you know I've had that the unfortunate for that I would say probably the one
for me that really sticks with me and was just after coded and it was my a Jewish wedding at Eurich
manner and before they when when we had to do marquee weddings there that's it was a 12 week turnaround
for a three day events at Eurich a Jewish wedding which I don't know if you've heard it's me it's Jewish
weddings but they are highly immersive highly just so much going on and incredible celebrations
and we yes a 12 week so we created a marquee which was a size of football field a pitch and we completely
blacked out and created a secret garden themed I've seen images of it so beautiful yeah so we had
like thermos from the smell from the touch to the sound like we had everything going on so when
they walked through we had low-lying fog birds tweaking so then the music turning we had the smells
of the forest and certain scents were put in there then right through to the food we had like the
secret garden original copies on every table and just all those little touches and like dancers
singers it was just yet incredible and probably one the most because it was so it's probably
our biggest challenge even today it's because we had 12 weeks to do this turn it around but the
supplies were amazing and we just yet that's three days and the next day we had a completely
different there with a festival party with all sorts of performers DJs food oh it's just incredible
and that's probably yeah to my day and I'm still in contact with a couple or two young kids now
it's just yeah always will hold it's special because I think it was one of those events that really
kind of got me in the line light in terms of like this is what I'm capable you know I can do this
and it was probably my career yeah and to stand in there as well I don't know if I get it with
my events so I stand in there and I go I've called this together like it is of course a team effort
but I've done this and that moment is such a cool thing I did and then the bride went and did a speech
and she just said before I start anything I need Susie my you know my wedding very godmother
where is she and I was actually off doing something at the time so I was there but it was recorded
that so I missed I got it to miss it but came back halfway through and I just burst out crying
because she just the emotions of being able to create what you've done you know it's such a fantastic
thing and I always want to say it's predator teams around me it's not me that's just done it is
everybody we've all pulled together and it's just yeah incredible and it's one that I'll always
look back on with great vibes yeah it was a beautiful wedding yeah you can find all these events
tram and website yeah stunning very good what's your other one I think probably my most recent one
actually last year because I've done a couple of weddings for the family and I absolutely adore
the family so much but I think last year where it was just a just a client's garden private garden
but we had a beautiful cell cloth and my bride's very creative she's an interior design she's got
her own business so we had a lot of input from from her so she created a lot of designs and we kind
of base out bought it together for her and it's just like what don't you see the windy path yeah
that goes into the cell cloth um but just for that and it's not just obviously beautifully
aesthetically absolutely adored that whole weekend but for me it's about the family working with them
because relationships probably are my biggest you know it's not a business transaction yeah I'm not
just a wedding planner I really want to be part of the family and just you know and I absolutely
like I cry everyone their wedding is off to the end so what's wrong with life it's over again
we need to look wedding the rollercoaster of emotions is unreal do you feel like as a marquee planner
that you kind of get more emotionally attached to your clients then then some people working
venues because obviously a lot of time if you're hosting at someone's private home you've had meetings
there you'll kind of you see in terms of the whole family as well not just the couple yeah definitely
and because you know I'm there the week before our builds tend to start about 10 days before as well
sometimes about a week but you know I'm there all week with them um you know I'm always on a
glass of wine with them one evening and just you know and I always stand I think I want to be at
this wedding but I don't want you working so I just love it you know I'm so embraced in it and it's
yeah you just and they trust you and especially when you're working with families time and time
again you know that they understand you you understand them and it's just yeah and I just get really
sad when it's over I do get the wedding blues afterwards all the time yeah I think it'd be
wrong if you didn't yeah because you're clearly putting your heart and soul into it and yeah emotion
and you should feel the emotion shouldn't you like surely it's oh yeah it's it's it's a big personal
thing for you as much as it is for the couple that you've gone on that journey with them definitely yeah
it's yeah I'm just waiting for this year for tears again so you said early obviously you've been in
business for 15 years congratulations yeah that's amazing yeah as exciting um so it's a bit more about
Susie Evans you know what sort of event where do you cover and who your sort of clients are yeah
so I've been so 15 years of planning um like she started an industry so like 17 18 years ago
lose count now with COVID and everything but um so I've come from a very fun ice background
investment and insurance backgrounds which actually has carried really well into to planning but yes
I started production sort of did a lot of any dressing which then went into lighting and more so on
big installations did a lot corporate work as well corporate event themed events and things
and sold that business again I lose count probably about 10 years ago now but in terms of my planning
started and I think this is where my journey's probably taken a lot longer than others because
15 years ago there were no planners really out there especially not where I am and Susie you know
didn't even have social media I think I just about have Facebook but you didn't do anything on this
and Instagram wasn't a thing and I remember my first little ad but I did it on brides forum which
you weren't meant to do and just did like a little secret like post and so see if I could get anything
so do you want to pay it in your subscription or anything so yeah and I started you know I've done
all I've started from the bottom literally you know a local barn 300 pound on the day coordination
you know hands up I did it and I think you know only three years and years and years but one thing
I learned is that I didn't took me too long to get out of that that position to elevate myself
because I've been in it for so long didn't get the help in the sport so it wasn't really the
help and it's thought that we haven't out there now and obviously we've got you know a wealth
that experience around us now including yeah this is mentoring that you do yeah yes and it's
and I think but that journey actually you know because there's some amazing kind of that come out
and you know the last few years who do extraordinary well you know and I kind of think I've got
it took me all this time but then I've got to remember we didn't you know didn't have that experience
that around us all that support around us back then you know even things like mentoring coaches and
things it just wasn't really a thing so yeah I've been in went more into marquees I'd say probably
about so eight nine years ago just because I love the challenge yeah and you know came up for so many
problems and things and now it's I see lots of people doing lots of marquee weddings but they don't
actually have the experience and actually about the infrastructure and logistics behind it or how
we don't understand how important it is so it's something I really really value you know I just
absolutely love the challenge and like I said it's that relationship building relationship with
families the suppliers but I also I do like to dabble in an Natural History Museum weddings as
well and places like that so tends to be weddings where there's a lot of logistics going on so my
last NHM wedding you know we had 40 musicians all come in all in different parts of the world all
fly and some of them met each other some of them were playing together we had to do soundcheck and
everything you know so the logistics of it all was a complete nightmare so I like anything with
a challenge if I'm honest yeah I'm not very good at doing a venue where it's all in health but
everything's just done for you but then I always feel too easy doesn't it? I know sometimes it's
an NHM to me it's easier because it's it's a one day event it was all so stressful I don't really
actually because it's you know I'm day on the day and it's yeah and I think also wanting to stress
now because I you know I only do four or five events a year now but one thing I've learned is that
I on the day a wedding day I do not have any jobs to do so I do not participate myself any jobs
not saying I stand there and do nothing with a clip board and look pretty it's one thing I've
learned is that over the years you know I've been running around doing head this chicken doing so
whilst I've always had a team I still would do all the stuff and my focus would actually be as far
from the couple that it actually needed to know that I wanted it to be so now my team is just
stronger I've got bigger team I have a very experienced team behind me but on the day I you know
of course I'm not going to do jobs but I'm not there right I'm going to do stationery I'm going to do
that I literally doesn't make myself nothing so that I am kind of floating and managing the day
from the top but I can actually be client focusing as well so the bride needs me I am there
the groom you know whoever it may be I am there for them and it's a lesson that I've learned
probably more so in the recent years and I think it's the biggest investment you know if it means
you have to get an extra member of your team to be able to do that I think it's the best investment
and it's going out to all planners that's my advice would be if you can think as well for the clients
they're the ones you've worked with through this whole thing and yeah if you've got the great team
that can do the tasks and for you to be the one who can go to the clients when they need you
that's such a massive thing and that kind of plays in with their whole experience and the luxury
yeah that's what you know so where my events are very much probably quite immersive they're quite
also authentic so whilst my you know my Instagram breed is not beautifully curated in terms of
everything look because every wedding is so different because it's like what my clients want
it's not you know there's lots of planners that have a beautiful aesthetic but that's what you know
they all attract those clients that want that whereas me it's actually what do you what do you want so
let's let's get great you know so yes whilst the wedding is all at beautiful but my grid is just a bit
all over it's all the wedding so so different so different but it's all about the guest experience
yeah it's all about that flow it's about the logistics it's about a polished finish which
yeah it's not just about having a beautiful cocktail or how big it's actually
right that that guest is flying over to America they're going to arrive here how are they going to
get to there I want to get from A to B how they're going to get an even all the the guest communication
I think some couples can get so carried away by some email after email after email look at my website
look at my website none of your guests will look at your website probably in about a week before the
wedding so let's to chat from that and it's almost you need less that less is more essentially but
it's made but making sure that actually everything is seamless behind the scenes and giving the guests
the opportunity to say that we're going to look after you but we're not going to bombard you you know
but yeah it's making yeah it's really important amazing is it where can people find you if they want
to find out more about you and what you offer can they find you in your website Instagram
yeah so I think yes Instagram all the weddings on this brand they're all full of our
weddings they're all there's no style shoots for it's all like my real weddings they're all lots of
examples of the types of weddings I've done also on LinkedIn as well and I share a lot of articles
on LinkedIn as well it's not just about showing it with the industry it's a shirt worldwide I think
there's a few topics on there I've come up about budgets you know the realistic budgets
you've done the way you just recently I've been reading your ones about that brand key yeah
yeah it's just like you know the realistic spend of a marquee what what are you looking at you know
all those sort of things obviously every facebook and I am on tiktok but not very well oh my god
well done you I'm not I can't do it I was on tiktok I've just done three days in a row wow but I mean
I've got no views but so please go on tiktok and do them I will go find you on tiktok but no
they are doing I would do tiktok every week then I dropped it to toy every two weeks and now I've just
I don't have the energy to put videos on tiktok so there's stuff there and I've kind of said
fine to me on Instagram now but I just thought I challenged myself this month and just put it on
there but it's yeah I'm I hate it I just it's all time consuming and yeah yeah I'm a lover of
Instagram yeah well I love and hate Instagram you know we it's a month so you have to pay but it's
it's been a big talk for me for the years so yeah I don't I don't do reels but I do not talk
unlike you eb I do not talk to a camera no one needs to see this oh god I'm sure I know you're very
good at it I will never yeah I yeah people don't need to see my face okay I don't like it I've kind
of gotten the habit of doing it and people have said before oh I've seen your reels and I'm like oh
if I stop so frankly and it saves me having to think of something else to like type and find
the picture for I just go oh what can I say something short and sweet on the camera yeah very well
done I can't do it I end up recording it about 500 times and then I still don't like it and oh I
record it and don't let back I'm just gonna put it up I don't even read the captions anymore I just
put captions on and hope it understands what I've said go for it same filter boom on I wouldn't even
know how to do captions see that's about it yeah amazing but yours is so authentic feature about it
in the past you literally will post when you feel is the right time to post and I'm terrible in
terms of there is no structure I don't have any plans either I've heard about that you're very
very structured coming from a teaching background you have plans you have you have everything
I'll wake up in the morning go oh I'm not posted for three days maybe I should post but I will post
what feels good to me at that moment and I'm comfortable with that you know it's worked me so far
one day I might do time blocking who knows and try and do these things but yeah so I'm
opposite to you complete opposite to you I'm very organic in terms of like my phrase in terms of
what's the priority for me that day let's let's go with it it's one day I have to plan ahead otherwise
it just won't get done I literally just have to schedule stuff well in advance otherwise we've
my two little ones running around I just wouldn't I wouldn't like Instagram wouldn't even come on
and radar I've heard about your post-it note situation as well post-it note to be where
yeah I might have given away all your tracing yeah I'll be driving
yeah we all work differently yeah that's great I wish I had some of that
I do too I said to Evie I'm just that I'm really envious of how organized your entire life is
oh wow just bring it back to weddings we like to end each episode with a tip for our list is
what would be your top tip for couples planning their wedding and I've kind of all just said this
and I'll go back on again because I think it's still really important it's about the training
situation so you know trends come and go one thing that I've done with my couples especially it's
one of last year the year four where they sent all these pictures and it was bang on trend everything
was all the scribbles you know all the script everything had scribbles on and all that really fun
and they wanted a really fun thing and I just said when in 10 years time you'll look at this and you'll
be like oh yeah is that the right yeah I said you know and I gave the actual examples of my wedding
so I've been married 16 years and I said look I'm gonna show you these pictures and I had the bright
blue glasses but with the gold bows and you know I said just kind of trying to think about this wedding
you know what you really want so we managed to change we we kept that fun element but we just
I suppose can't be done a little bit so I think it's just trends like just trying to think about
the future and looking back at those those pictures and thinking actually am I going to regret this
not saying don't do trends but it's just been mindful of it and the other one which I think you'll
in all the gray with.
especially specializing in marquee weddings as that I think obviously general myth and we all
talk about it all the time is the cost of a marquee wedding especially at home and I'd say I'd
probably have three or four inquiries and even inquiries say we didn't do a marquee wedding at home
which she can do in a venue it is not as you know very well and I think the probably
main myth is that we don't have a venue high I don't have all the venue costs it's like yes but
marquee wedding so that you're building your venue essentially from the ground up you need the toilet
so you need to generate it so you need to like everything it goes with it I said right to the
cutlery and everything and they're like oh oh but yeah we can probably get us a beer but the marquee
is probably the budget that you're looking at and it's so I think the thing is just if you really
are considering a marquee just research you know speak to planners get good an idea you know
we're we're already open and honest in terms of cost and there are different levels but please
marquee weddings are not cheap remember that it's not even suppliers who aren't involved in it they
don't realise well they get you know we have to tell you think about it it's just the upheaval of them
is obviously a lot as well yeah I think when you've got a caterer who comes in who's not done yes
a marquee event before and they're like you've got a build an entire kitchen and even understanding
the layout of that is quite feat to do so when they don't yeah they sort of say oh can you do
the kitchen price is that no no that's your job yeah yeah I also think just to add to that if you are
doing a marquee at home like the bare minimum have a coordinator because like it was a venue
yes included in that price would be someone they're running your day whereas if you haven't
you know if you can't afford planner to help you throughout at least have a coordinator who's
there so your mum isn't running around on the day and I also probably a bit controversial at the
moment but there's a lot of suppliers so like caterers offering planning services and I just think
if you're doing something at home the best interest I think it's trying to get a third party so someone
that's completely separate from any of the suppliers that is actually looking after you as a couple
your family have everything you know everything right because I think if you're working with a supplier
not saying they won't do a good job but essentially their best interest is whatever they're
supplying so whether it's a catering production they're you know on the day their focus really will
be delivering that's not managing are they going to be there the four week before doing the setup
and things like no of course they're not so I think just be mindful like if they are offering that
service should be really clear what service they're offering yeah as well I think it's the same
in venues as well with the venue coordinator their interests that lie with the venue and not
with the suppliers that are coming in is still it's quite reliant on you as a couple to be able to
tell the venue what's going on I just think it's one thing you should invest in is having that person
too I mean absolutely yeah I'm going to say that because we're planners but I mean my person to run
your day for you who is overseeing every element yeah and I did it yeah it's back to that service
that you were talking about earlier people see the Instagram the food and stuff they don't think about
the team behind and that is what your planner is essentially doing is the person behind the scenes
that you kind of don't know that they're there but if they're not there yeah oh thank you so much
it's been really insightful thank you Susie no I think I'm going to enjoy it thank you for having me
next week what are we talking about the week up the week leading up to your wedding oh yeah
and what sort of things you can look to do within that week we will see you will then
(upbeat music)
you
(upbeat music)
(gentle music)