Why a Wedding Planner?

Last week I caught up with the lovely Melanie Helen from Cranberry Blue Weddings and Events. I love meeting all the different people that work in wedding world. We last hooked up on a lovely photoshoot that Melanie styled and I had a little chat with her about why Wedding Planners are usefull when it comes to organising the 'Big Day'.

Melanie Helen

 How did you become a Wedding Planner?

I started my career working for the French designer Roland Mouret and worked on London Fashion Week which was amazing. It gave me my first taste of event planning.  I then moved into Fashion Buying, but during that time I became more and more involed in the event side of the business which was my true passion.  I was then asked to assist in planning a wedding and that's when the light bulb moment came for me as I realised this was what I was born to do!  I received a couple of referrals from that first wedding and through a lot of hard work and determination it developed from there.  I then set up my own company -
'Cranberry Blue Weddings' in 2009.

How does a Wedding Planner help?

Where would you like me to start?!  Firstly I would say that we have the knowledge and experience in how to successfully organise a wedding.  As the majority of couples won't have done this before, how would you know where to start, or what pitfalls to avoid?  I always say - do you want to look back on your wedding and be disappointed or say 'I wish we'd done that differently'? We can save you a lot of money - through our connections and tough negotiations we can help you stay within budget and secure some fantastic deals.

We can save you a lot of time - planning a wedding is a complex task and it's easy to under-estimate the time it actually takes. You can avoid spending hours trawling the internet and attending bridal fairs to try to find those perfect suppliers to fit your budget and taste.  You also have the confidence that all of the suppliers we work with are reliable and of a high calibre so will provide the best end result and won't let you down.

 We can also allieviate the stress involved, you can easily feel completely over-whelmed. We help to guide you through the process so that you can enjoy the planning stages.

What is the best part of your job?

Mmm that's a tough one, but I'd probably say creating the design concept and making it a reality.  I love the fact that every wedding is unique and never do the same thing twice.

Painted Hall, Greenwich

How do you deal with an indecisive Bride?

This is actually quite a common occurance but I work with her to discuss the different options and find out exactly what it is that she wants.  Sometimes people don't know initially, but it's helping them work through this process until they are happy.  I give my opinion as to what I think would work best for them, helping to give them confidence in making the right decision.

 How do you help when it comes to choosing a cake?

Cake by Rachelle's

Also one of the fun bits of planning a wedding (how can you not love a cake tasting?!)  I discuss my clients ideas with them in terms of style and flavours, some have a very clear idea about what they'd like but others aren't so sure.  In this instance I would make suggestions about the type of cake I can see working with the overall theme.  From here I then propose which cake designers would best fit their required style and also budget.  I tend to include a suggestion that may stretch them a bit as quite often they are surprised and end up choosing something a bit different.

Adrian and Ginger

What was the most fun Wedding you ever worked on?

Tricky one but probably a wedding in Austin, Texas a couple of years ago. The Bride was American but they both lived in London so wanted someone they could work closely with over here.  It was super to not have to worry about the weather as it was guaranteed to be boiling hot so everything was outside. The details were really fun, we served ice tea as one of the reception drinks, the bride arrived in a yellow taxi, the guests had a short dance lesson with the swing band and then at the end of the night the couple made their way to a horse drawn carriage through a line of sparklers.

Thanks Melanie!

It's great to have an association with such a wonderful Wedding Planner. Rachelle's are proud to be recommended cake suppliers for Cranberry Blue Weddings.

Did you know that a Cranberry Blue is a butterfly?! How cute is that.