What is a wedding planner? Let me explain...She can be your new best friend, someone you can trust with your big day, your cheerleader and fairy godmother. She will help you plan and put together your vision with you, no need to worry if you get stuck and need help, she will be there every step of the way, as much or as little as you want. She can be your logistic planner, co-ordinator an even your wedding designer. Lets get more in depth. From the beginning she will meet with you to discuss your proposed vision, but don't worry if you need some help with this, her creative flair and ideas will surely inspire you. She can also help you with finding the ideal venue (if you haven't already) helping you with suppliers, such as florists, DJs, photographers etc that fit your day. If you need help with keeping tabs on your budget, don't panic, she will keep you on track along with keeping suppliers happy by making sure you are informed of when they need to be paid.

So, why should I have one? Well, having a wedding planner will no doubtedly leave you a little less stressed and anxious. She will put your mind at ease when your worrying, save you time so you can enjoy your engagement, the planning process and also to enjoy your wedding day. She will be there to fix any problems and will ensure you relax, have fun and enjoy your day with family and friends.

There are a lot of wedding planners out there, each having their own distinctive style. You need to find the one that is just right for you, the one that compliments your own vision, the one you can gel with and just, well gets you. Want to know where you can find her? Ta da - look no further!
Seriously, check out google, then her website and other social media. Are you both on the same wavelength? Does her social media post interest you and make you smile? Do you like her? Since you will be spending a lot of time together its probably better you do!  

Having a wedding planner use to be classed as a luxury, but now a lot of wedding planners will often have packages that are suitable for most budgets. 

She is there to oversee every detail from co-ordinating suppliers to suppling tissues to dry tears. Also creating an on the day wedding plan and communicate with suppliers on your behalf 4 - 6 weeks prior. We will bring our wedding emergency kit, arrange a venue meeting and a visit. We will set up and take down and do all those wedding admin duties.

Your wedding planner is there to support you and answer any questions you may have. She will co-ordinate every order of event from the ceremony to the first dance.

Your wedding planner will also make sure all the decor is placed correctly and encourage your suppliers to set up on time.

There may be things that you wouldn't even consider needing done such as tidying the bridal suite or handling any difficulties that may arise (discreetly of course).

Having a wedding planner is perfect for making sure your day runs smoothly.

I bet many couples have come across this term when viewing venues. Unsure what it means, let me ease your mind. The term ”dry hire” means that you are hiring just the venue space itself. This means that you will need to hire tables, chairs, tablecloths, cutlery, decor etc.

The two crossover but have different characteristics rustic style is the use of natural, outdoorsy elements eg wood, lace, hessian, grasses, country flowers which are also perfect for barn weddings. Rustic inspired weddings can be romantic and beautiful.

Boho style is more whimsical and free spirited. The use of different colours mixed up, fringing, patterns, different textiles and a wider colour palette.

It doesn't matter how laid back you think you are, let me tell you, almost every couple feels the stress in the planning and lead up to their wedding day. Is it any wonder, I mean there is so much to think about, decision to be made, but let me tell you, hand on heart you are not alone. OK, grab yourself a coffee or glass of wine, sit down in a comfy chair, relax and get ready to discover my top 5 wedding stress busting tips. 

1. Make sure you have the time to enjoy your engagement before diving into the stress pool of wedding planning.

2. The least favourite topic for most couples is the dreaded budget. So, think about what you can afford to spend on your big day. Chat with each other and your parents and see if they are able to help in any way if you fall a bit short.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Doing everything yourself can be really hard and can be stressful. Choose people you can trust to support and help you.

4. Try and be organised when planning your big day. Break things down into manageable chunks or how about creating a to-do-list to keep you on track.

5. Make sure you have time for yourself and have time out from wedding planning. Get some fresh air, take a break, visit friends. Remember, your wedding is about the two of you and starting your future together not to be so stressed that you can't enjoy it.

I hope you found these tips useful.

We most certainly do not live in a perfectly sustainable lifestyle and we do not expect you to have a perfectly sustainable wedding. It is within my role as a wedding planner to give you some eco minded ideas to help you to decide. But please remember that it will always be your decision on how and what you spend your wedding budget on and there will definately be no judgement from me at all on your decisions.

One of the best ways to decide how you want to take your sustainable wedding forward is to break it down and see how you can make each element more sustainable. By having a sustainable wedding does not mean that you must have a full vegan menu or that you have to cut back on other things such as florals, wedding attire or your venue. Lets take a look at some options.

Venues - choose local venues. Obviously having a venue further away will have a higher carbon footprint as you will use more fuel for transportation.

Wedding attire - if your not overly sentimental this is a great way to reduce the carbon footprint while still looking amazing walking down the aisle.

Catering - obviously meat alternatives are always going to be the best sustainable option but if you prefer the meat option you can look for locally sourced meat which is a great way to reduce the environmental impact. Any locally sourced foods that are grown, harvested and prepared closer to your wedding venue helps as companies will be using fewer emissions. Having a menu that offers food in season is something you should also consider as out of season food items will need to be imported.

Stationery - by using recyclable paper is a great way to be more eco friendly as it can be put in the recycling bin. Another fun way is by using seed paper. Once the stationery has been finished with, you and guests can plant it into the ground which will result in some beautiful blooms. You can even use these as wedding favours. If you want to take this one step further, send wedding invitations digitally. 

Flowers - try and source locally grown flowers and use ones that are seasonal. You can recycle floral decorations by using them in the church and then in the venue. When your day is over you can gift these to family or friends or if you want to, donate them to the church. 

Other ways you can help are by having small plants, herb pots, seed packets or food items for wedding favours. If you are using candles you can help the environment by using non toxic candles or led lit candles. If you want to use confetti you can help the environment by using biodegradable confetti, dried leaves or flower petals. A lot of venues prefer this.

It is all about being mindful of the choices you make and taking things one step at a time. Do some research to find out which options best fit you and the environment.