Your Wedding Friend

Your Wedding Friend If you're planning a wedding or event, no matter how small, and need a hand getting started, or had your helpers let you down, Your Wedding Friend is here.

My aim is help out couples who are struggling to plan their special day. Everyone knows time is precious and although everyone has dreams of a perfect wedding day not everyone has the capacity and skills to make it happen by themselves. I also know that sometimes friends and family say they'll help but are suddenly unavailable when the need arises. I'm offering a helping hand, a confidante for tho

se planning a secret, advice and support for those who need it, when they need it. No need to book 2 years in advance. If you suddenly find yourself struggling to get things ready I'm here for you. I am a friend at a time of greatest need. Alternately, if you need a bit more support from the start, I'm available to guide you through the early stage panic (so much to do and where to start!?) all the way to the final dance.

What is a DIY couple and why might they need my help? If you're planning a wedding where you want to make your own decor...
09/01/2025

What is a DIY couple and why might they need my help?
If you're planning a wedding where you want to make your own decorations and host it in a location that allows you to bring in absolutely everything and do exactly what you need, then you're planning a DIY wedding.
And you are already my favourite people.
You're not necessarily doing it yourself to make it cheaper (but that could absolutely be a contributing factor to your decision making) but you want your wedding to be uniquely the two of you. Yay.

How can I help?
Well consider how you want to feel on the big day. You want to be able to focus on getting yourselves ready and enjoying hanging out while hair is done and outfits are adorned. You don't want to be constantly looking at your phone in case your vendors need to talk to you about where to set up, or worrying that you haven't given something to someone or about the caterer struggling to make the equipment work because someone forgot to flip a switch...
Also consider the amount of responsibility you're taking on in the lead up to make sure that all those things are covered by someone other than you.
With a planner / on-the-day coordinator like me you get months of the benefit of my experience and expertise on how to do these things, what to look out for, what needs to be done next, Plus on the day you know that absolutely everything is being handled by someone who knows you, understands your vision, can fight any battles for you that need to be fought, And best of all you can truly relax into just enjoying this moment. This once in a lifetime moment should be filled with creating beautiful memories not anxiety. You don't want to be looking back thinking all you remember is how stressed you were and how much time you spent chasing people and things.

If you want to learn more about how Your Wedding Friend can help you bring calm to your wedding planning and supporting you on your big day, get in touch via the links and claim your free 30 minute flustered to fabulous chat x

So we're properly into the new year. You've got your wedding coming up, and there are weather warnings ⚠️ What do you do...
04/01/2025

So we're properly into the new year. You've got your wedding coming up, and there are weather warnings ⚠️
What do you do?
First thing is not to panic.
As with many things, the devil is in the details - keep a close eye on updates and predictions. If you're planning a wedding, whatever the season, you need to consider how weather might affect your plans.
Does your venue regularly get flooded because of its location next to a river or on a flood plain, and if so, what do they do to prevent disaster?
It's winter here now, and yes, sometimes it snows. Is your venue usually still pretty easily accessed in these circumstances? What are their plans? Will guests still be able to travel to and from the venue?
Is the weather actually predicted to be so bad that contingencies need to be put in place?

For the safety of you, your guests, and staff, it may, on occasion, be necessary to cancel things. Do you have wedding insurance, and does it have a force majeur clause? We get insurance in the hope that we never need it, but not having it could end up costing you a fortune. And if you have it, make sure you read it in full, along with the terms and conditions from your suppliers - because if they're snowed in and can't get to you, they can't provide the service you're paying for.

Plan for what you can do, be prepared and keep calm. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
And if you need help navigating discussions around any aspect of your wedding plans, I'm here for you x

Wishing everyone a very Happy 2025. I can't wait to hear about all the proposals and exciting wedding ideas. Here's to a...
01/01/2025

Wishing everyone a very Happy 2025. I can't wait to hear about all the proposals and exciting wedding ideas.

Here's to a happy, healthy and wealthy New Year. Bring it on x

And that's me on a break for Christmas. I'll be checking in briefly on the 27th, otherwise I will see you in the New Yea...
24/12/2024

And that's me on a break for Christmas. I'll be checking in briefly on the 27th, otherwise I will see you in the New Year.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a fantastic New Year. x

Can't quite believe we've made it to the last week before Christmas closure. I'm available most of this week for any fin...
16/12/2024

Can't quite believe we've made it to the last week before Christmas closure. I'm available most of this week for any final catch ups before the New Year. So, get in quick if there's something you need.
Hours:
Monday 23rd December 10am to 4pm
Tuesday 24th to Thursday 26th Closed
Friday 27th 2pm to 4pm check in only.
Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 10am to 4pm
Tuesday 31st and Wednesday 1st Closed
Thursday 2nd 10am to 4pm
Friday 3rd 10am to 4pm.

I will of course come back to people as soon as I can, but please be aware that a lot of suppliers and venue staff completely close down to enquiries over Christmas, so research projects will only be taken on to start from Monday 6th January. X

Request for guests. The wedding ceremony is not the time to 'do a funny bit' when the officiant asks if anyone objects. ...
14/12/2024

Request for guests.
The wedding ceremony is not the time to 'do a funny bit' when the officiant asks if anyone objects. Especially for legal ceremonies. Unless the gag has been preapproved by the couple and the registrar, as part of their pre-ceremony agreements, the registrar could take your oh so funny moment as a real objection, which they then need to 'investigate".

Even with celebrant led ceremonies I still think gags should be agreed in advance.

As a general rule, I'm really not a fan of gags that haven't been preapproved by the couple. Speeches aside, but I think a light ribbing is to be expected, not all out confessional though.

I have zero tolerance policy for rudeness and downright meanness. My preference is for low drama and safe fun

We made it to December! As we wind down for the end of the year, we also ramp up for engagement season. I've a busy few ...
01/12/2024

We made it to December!
As we wind down for the end of the year, we also ramp up for engagement season. I've a busy few weeks ahead but I still have slots available if you want to get ahead on the planning before the New Year.
I will be taking some time off to be with family over Christmas but in the meantime, get in touch for a free chat to see how we might work together to ease your wedding planning worries. X

Not long now until I'm back in the office. Can't wait to see what everyone has been up to and share more of what I've b...
16/11/2024

Not long now until I'm back in the office. Can't wait to see what everyone has been up to and share more of what I've been doing.

Thank you for your patience x

Just a gentle reminder that I am out of the office at the moment. If you've sent me a message or email that I've not yet...
13/11/2024

Just a gentle reminder that I am out of the office at the moment. If you've sent me a message or email that I've not yet responded to, please bear with me. I will be back on the admin from Monday 18th November. I will do my best to check for anything urgent but cannot guarantee I will have time to check and respond.

See you after the 18th. Thank you x

The reason for my absence this week has been revealed lol. I'm in Vegas Baby for this years wedding pros conference. Da...
13/11/2024

The reason for my absence this week has been revealed lol. I'm in Vegas Baby for this years wedding pros conference.
Day one of talks done and I'm already picking up some fab tips and had a look at some lovely locations for Vegas weddings - the little white Chapel isn't the only choice in Vegas and you don't have to have an Elvis impersonator conduct the ceremony.

Would you opt for a Vegas elopement? Or take the whole family with you too?

More to come soon x

And that's it for the next 10 days. Emails and messages will be answered when I can but all being well I'll be back in t...
08/11/2024

And that's it for the next 10 days. Emails and messages will be answered when I can but all being well I'll be back in the office on Monday 18th November, hopefully with lots to share.

Thank you for your patience and see you in 10 days x

On the whole, I'm here talking to couples about how to plan their weddings, which I love to do but sometimes my chats wi...
21/10/2024

On the whole, I'm here talking to couples about how to plan their weddings, which I love to do but sometimes my chats with couples throw up some interesting points for suppliers to consider.

A regular moan I hear is how long some suppliers take to come back to them. I know suppliers often complain about ghosting but this is a problem that works both ways.
A similar issue is that suppliers sometimes say they're going to do something or send something but then don't. Couples often don't want to feel like they're pestering suppliers, but we can all help each other by giving clear guidance on when and how things will be done.
A venue specific complaint, is an inflexible attitude to some aspect of their day; whether it's the use of suppliers, or timings on the day, to menus with no allowance for dietary requirements. Some of these can be dealt with through explaining why things are done a certain way, others might be a deal breaker for the venue so a friendly parting of ways may be necessary.

Some complaints I hear are of course all about the costs, why things cost so much. I love to talk with suppliers about this because by understanding how things work at your end puts me in a better position to share this reasoning with my couples.

I'm here to support couples and suppliers alike. Do you have a wedding peeve you'd like answers to, let me know and see if I can come up with an answer x

It was my absolute pleasure to support A and J on their big day a couple of Saturdays ago. Oh yes the 21st of September....
05/10/2024

It was my absolute pleasure to support A and J on their big day a couple of Saturdays ago. Oh yes the 21st of September.

My first time at this stunning venue and wow. So many beautiful features and gorgeous grounds for photographs.

A and J had my on-the-day coordination package, which had me overseeing final setups and supplier arrivals, starting the ceremony, setting up welcome drinks, looking after the guests and couple, final sorting of room change rounds, coordinating timings at each stage, setting up & portioning the cake, collecting glasses, supporting the bar and catering teams, but most importantly just generally being available and supporting the couple with whatever they needed.

I had a blast working with mum Kerry, who created the flowers and decorations
The ceremony was led by
provided the bar
supplied the delicious daytime barbeque
The glorious grazing table by

And I cannot wait to see the official photographs from

Common wedding questions.Should you tip your wedding suppliers? I'm not a big fan of tipping culture, it's complicated, ...
02/10/2024

Common wedding questions.

Should you tip your wedding suppliers?

I'm not a big fan of tipping culture, it's complicated, and often times used to cover up for poor pay. And sometimes it's forced on you without you realising. So, what is the etiquette for tipping wedding suppliers?
Firstly, I think it's safe to say that in the UK we don't automatically expect a tip for the services we provide, and secondly, I don't know a single wedding supplier who would demand one.
If you feel a supplier has gone above and beyond in the service they've provided then, I'm sure a tip would be very much appreciated.
A tip to the catering and or bar team should be equally split between them, but don't forget that there is probably a team of people in the kitchen that you won't have seen and they deserve to be included.
If you're not sure how many people are hidden away behind the scenes, just ask.

There's no such thing as too much or too little when it comes to ad hoc tipping, everything is appreciated but most especially it's the thought that counts.

And if you can't afford to tip, a heart felt thank you card, or a review on Google or Bridebook or their page, will work just as well.

And if you're still not sure what to do, go with your gut instinct, it was probably right to begin with. x

A couple of top tips if you're about to embark on your wedding planning journey. When making your first enquiries, a lot...
07/09/2024

A couple of top tips if you're about to embark on your wedding planning journey.
When making your first enquiries, a lot of your suppliers and venues are going to ask you the same questions. These are generally:
Do you have a date?
How many guests?
Any other information you can provide?

If you're not yet set on a specific date, it is well worth mentioning a preferred time of year if nothing else. If you're totally flexible, that is also well worth mentioning, so your suppliers/venues can let you know where their gaps are.
Number of guests might also be flexible at the early stages but it's always a good idea to have a ballpark figure ready - you don't want to fall in love with a venue that really isn't going to meet your minimum requirements.

It's absolutely fine in the early stages to not know everything you possibly want for your wedding day, but it's also a good idea to know your comfort points on cost and a few key must haves - these might be more about how you want to feel on the day (low faff, no stress, family oriented) or practical things (wheelchair accessible, all in one place, hotel rooms for all your guests).

If this all feels a little bit overwhelming, don't worry, everyone gets those moments, but you might also consider how a planner like me can take on the responsibilities of searching for your ideal venue or suppliers and dealing with all the negotiations and more.

Get in touch today to book your free, no obligation fact-finding chat. X

Think I'm in denial that it's September already, this year is passing by so quickly. It's nearly the official end of out...
04/09/2024

Think I'm in denial that it's September already, this year is passing by so quickly.
It's nearly the official end of outdoor wedding season. A new school year for so many is now underway and routines need to change again.
I had so many ideas about what I would be getting up to this month and nearly none of them are happening, in a good way. My quiet month after the busy summer isn't quite as quiet as I thought it might be. That said I still have some free slots coming up for my one hour wedding/event consultations. So, if you want to untangle your to-do list, get organised for the next few months of planning, or figure out how to get started, now is the time to get something in the diary. Dm me today to book yours and get back on track x

One of the first things I learnt at one of my first weddings was to check that the most important guests were in the roo...
24/08/2024

One of the first things I learnt at one of my first weddings was to check that the most important guests were in the room ready for the ceremony.

The couple and their best people are obvious; you can spot who they are and immediately know if they're missing. But, if you can't go ahead without great aunt Tessy or the grandparents or someone else I'm unlikely to know, then I need to be aware.

It all came about because I was ready to cue the music, the registrars were in position, and then suddenly someone says 'oh hang on, X is missing'.

And now I always ask.

If you have vips that are missing, we can wait if necessary, but registrars will only be able to wait so long. And if we have to go ahead without them I will do my best to sneak them in at the next best moment, to cause the least disruption.

Throwback picture to one of those early weddings back in 2014. X

Oo this makes me so happy. Literally every time I receive a note like this I do a little happy dance. Thank you Kezzie a...
21/08/2024

Oo this makes me so happy. Literally every time I receive a note like this I do a little happy dance.

Thank you Kezzie and Tom you were an absolute pleasure to work with, plus that picture was perfect!

This fabulous couple booked my Helping Hands on the day co-ordination support. A total of about 18 hours of my support in advance and on the actual day. If your budget won't stretch to 10s or 100s of hours of support don't panic. It's perfectly possible to plan brilliant days with just the right amount of support for you.

Congratulations again and best wishes for a long and happy future together x

Address

West Wing Studios
Luton
LU12TL

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447801328639

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My Story

My aim is to help couples who are struggling to plan their special day. I know working and planning a wedding, especially if you have a family, is hard. Everyone knows time is precious and although everyone has dreams of a perfect wedding day not everyone has the time and skills to make it happen by themselves. I also know that sometimes friends and family say they'll help but are suddenly unavailable when the need arises. I'm offering a helping hand, a confidante for those planning a secret, advice and support for those who need it, when they need it. No need to book 2 years in advance. If you suddenly find yourself struggling to get things done I'm here for you. Whether it’s helping to finish a DIY project, or setting up tables and chairs on the big day, I am a friend at a time of greatest need. I won’t let you down. Alternately, if you’d like a bit more support from the start, I'm available to guide you through the early stage panic (so much to do and where to start!?) all the way to the final dance.

We work together on all the elements of your big day and make it happen, just the way you pictured it. Less stress. Less drama. Sanity saved. I’d love to help you so get in touch. X