The Unique Tent Co.
A wedding with a wedding coordinator!
We had the pleasure of working with Hannah last year for our client's outdoor wedding and we can confirm she is amazing! SO fantastic we had to share and invited to do a guest blog.
Hannah shares lots of tips and tricks and offers free advice over on her Instagram Blog. It’s all easily digestible and not over whelming- we promise. You feel at ease just looking at her profile, imagine what she would be like on your day! Fairy WedMother – we think so.
So let’s find out a little more about Hannah or as we also know her… Mrs T.
Hi Lovelies, Mrs T here!
I am a Wedding Consultant based in the North East and here to help you with all your Wedding needs!
What is a wedding consultant?
SO… there 3 different types of Wedding Consultants:
A Wedding PLANNER organises your entire Wedding with you from start to finish
A Wedding COORDINATOR comes in about 4-6 weeks prior, confirms all the final details with your Venue & Suppliers and runs the entire Wedding Day, essentially as your personal assistant.
A Wedding CONSULTANT is someone that you can book on a hourly rate to assist you as a when required. They can go through your Wedding Details with you and make sure you haven’t missed anything and that you’ve thought of everything from a logistical perspective. They can assist you in finding suppliers, styling ideas, or they could even help you with Catering Plans and Room Allocation Forms… it’s totally up to you!
I can offer ALL THREE!
Could you tell us a little about what your services are?
Of course!... So each service is slightly different in what in includes based on the amount of assistance you require:
- Wedding Consultancy Service:
So this one is best for Couples who just want a little bit of assistance with their planning... maybe you’ve booked your venue and your suppliers but just want someone to give your plans a 'once-over' to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Or perhaps you want someone to make you a 'To-Do' List and help you organise your next steps. Maybe you’ve lost your Wedding Planning motivation and need someone to help you reset? Or you might just be struggling to find that perfect supplier? During a Consultation I assist you with all of the above, and can also create for you your very own Personalised Wedding Documents! This includes a Full Detailed Timeline with all Supplier Notes, Shot Lists and To-Do’s… PLUS a Floor Plan & Catering Plan Document too!) Book an appointment with me and find the reassurance you're looking for!
- Wedding Coordination:
Wedding Day Hire: So your Wedding Planning may all be done, but who will make sure that your vision comes to life on the day? This service is especially perfect for any Brides & Grooms whose venue doesn't already have an on-site coordinator (e.g. a Marquee Wedding!)... or even if your venue does have one... you might want to make sure you have that special person who’s focus is just on YOU... to have someone run around after you and basically be your Personal Assistant on the day, let me take the stress away and make sure everything runs smoothly!
- Wedding Planning:
Full Planning Service: Are you finding Wedding Planning overwhelming and not enjoying the process? Not sure where to even begin? Want to take a step back from planning and just enjoy time with your Fiancé? I'm here to help from the start… inc. booking your Venue and Suppliers right the way up to the day after your Wedding!
What are the perks of having a wedding coordinator?
Where do I start!…
Let’s not lie, no matter what your budget is, you’ve spent an absolute fortune on your Wedding Day…
…but who’s going to make sure your Vision actually comes to life on the day itself?
Each of your Suppliers have their own individual job to do… but who will bring them together and coordinate every little detail (especially all the logistical elements that you might not have even thought of!)
What if your Photographer or Videographer needs a hand wrangling the guests for that perfect sparkler shot… or maybe you need your bridesmaid dresses steamed… who will make sure all your cards and gifts are packed safely away into your Bridal Suite at the end of the night?
Coordination can seem like a big chunk of your budget… but without it you may spend more of your day worrying and answering questions rather than actually dancing the night away with your new Hubby/Wifey!
Having someone there to run around after you and cater to your every need on the most important day of your life certainly makes sense to me!
Wedding Coordination Packages are perfectly suited Couples who:
Want to handle most of planning process themselves but would love assistance on the day.
Are VERY detail oriented and want to make sure things run exactly as they envisioned.
Want to relax and enjoy their wedding day!
If this sounds like you… then I would HIGHLY recommend factoring Coordination into your budget… or at least start the conversation with your partner about whether it’s something you would like to include… And if you have any questions about Coordination in general, free to drop me a message! … funnily enough… I know just the person for the job! 🙋♀️
As you know we specialise in beautiful outdoor weddings – what’re your thoughts on outdoor do's?
I absolutely LOVE a Marquee Wedding... they are the perfect mix of indoor/outdoor spaces… and they give you so many different options when it comes to location/venue! They give you the flexibility to book somewhere that may not have been able to accommodate a Wedding before i.e. your local cricket/rugby club, your parents gorgeous garden… or even a local venue that simply couldn’t fit your guest numbers in before!
However, there are DEFINITELY more elements to consider when planning a Marquee Wedding. A lot of the elements that a Wedding Venue would already have, need to be added to a Marquee... for examples, tables, chairs, glassware etc. But don’t feel daunted… I’m here to help! I actually currently have a Blog Post saved in my drafts that I’m slowly but surely working on, in which I’ll cover all the things that most people forget about! (And don’t worry Lorna… I’ll make sure to send it across for your Couples once I’m done!)
But one thing I KNOW from experience, having a Coordinator for a Marquee Wedding, for me, is ESSENTIAL!
The best bit of ‘Spill the Tea’ advice?
Most Brides end up spoiling their own Wedding for themselves... and that’s the ‘Tea’ ☕️ •
Now this might be a controversial and many might be quick to comment... but I’ve seen it time and time over again...
- YES... your supplier may have delivered something slightly different than you asked for.
- YES... your Venue may have served the wrong wine or canapé
- YES... your partner may have made a mess of their vows
... and therefore because of one (or a few) of these things...
- YES... your day may not be ‘Perfect’
... But ultimately, YOU choose whether you let these things spoil your day!
I have seen so many brides get upset over little details that they end up spoiling their entire day for themselves worrying about it!
Yes, they may seem like big things at the time, but I can guarantee you that you won’t remember them 10 years down the line (or even if you do... it will probably be a funny story to tell your kids)... and I can also promise you that... your guests probably won’t even notice!!!
Was my own wedding day ‘perfect’... No!
Would I change a single thing about it... also No!
Many people commented after my wedding that they couldn’t believe how happy and smiley I was all day... as I’m usually so focused on the little details that they 100% thought that I would be a Bridezilla on the day, worrying about everything being ‘perfect’.
But I wasn’t... I knew that this was a day about us... a day that we’d spent so long planning (plus a lot of money on!)... and I was going to make the most of every second! I was too busy enjoying my day with my new husband to even notice if things weren’t exactly ‘perfect’.
Please don’t spoil your own wedding day for yourself. Wake up on your Wedding Morning without worries... and just focus on getting married!
We love that you have ‘Wine and whine’ – tell us a little about that and why our clients need to see it!
- So ‘Wine & Whine’ Wednesday started as a little joke between me and my uni girls… we’d head out for a glass of vino and a little bit of a bitch about the past week. It made us feel so much better to get it all off our chests and then we could move forward into the rest of the week with a positive mindset!
I thought it would a brilliant idea to start ‘Wine & Whine’ WEDDING Wednesday on my Instagram so that Brides could ‘join’ me (from the comfort of their own homes) with a glass of Wine, to have a little whine about anything that is bothering them wedding-wise. It’s every week on my Stories at 7:30pm. Brides can send in complaints about their Bridesmaids/Mothers-in-Law, maybe issues that their facing with moving their wedding dates etc. or just a general wedding question! I spend the whole evening answering their questions and talking them through any problems, and just generally sharing FREE Wedding advice! It’s a great way to meet other Brides, see that everyone is struggling with the same wedding issues… or even stumble across the answer to a question that you hadn’t even thought to ask! It’s a lot of fun and I get so many Brides saying that they still come and join me every Wednesday… even after they’re married!!
Your Instagram page is amazing, what made you start your own business adventure as a wedding coordinator?
Aww thank you so much!! So I’ve been in the industry for 9 years now… I’ve ALWAYS been interested in Weddings, it has always been a dream in the back of my mind to play some part in planning such a big day in a couple’s life. Weddings FASCINATE me… the colours, the flowers, the dresses, EVERYTHING! It’s all the little details that make a Wedding Day so special and I am obsessed with them!!I especially love anything DIY, such an easy way to add that extra touch to your wedding day, and cheap too! It’s also a good bonding time for Bridal parties to sit and make things together whilst also making memories! (mainly of getting covered in PVA glue and damaging your manicure! But still lots of fun!) I spend my whole life reading Bridal Magazines (like Belle Bridal & BRIDES), watching Wedding Films and making boards on Pinterest!!! I eat, sleep and breathe Weddings!!I have a Degree in Criminology and a Masters in Psychology so this is certainly not the route that I had planned! I started working at my current venue 9 years ago, as a student during the Summer and for Christmas, and the Wedding life took ahold! I worked my way up from Waitressing to Supervisor, we worked long hours but I loved every minute of it (maybe not every minute… we did sometimes work until 3am!). But seeing the guests enjoying this day that the Bride & Groom has designed for them, even having a dance with them now and again, it was all worth it! I was actually due to leave my job to go and work in a Prison as a Psychology Assistant… I had a start date and was about to hand in my notice when I got a phone call saying that the job was no longer available because the Prison had outsources the Psychology Department to an Agency. I cried my eyes out… it was the job I’d been working for 4 years to get, I was GUTTED. The very same day, the Wedding Coordinator handed in her notice... and they asked me if I wanted to fill her role! I was very grateful and a little shocked to be offered the position … I couldn’t believe it! (I think they saw how OBSESSED I was with weddings!). So I’ve been a Coordinator for 6 years, and in my Senior Coordinator position for almost 4 years now. Some things are just meant to be! During Lockdown I decided to start my own Wedding Blog… I have blogger friends and they kept telling me to go for it! I believe I have a good chunk of wedding knowledge stored in my little noggin’ so wanted start it as a space to share some of my ‘words of wedding wisdom’ (or as I call them: W.O.W.W.) with Brides & Grooms everywhere! It went so well that people started asking me for Wedding Consultations! As I’d already previously done Coordination outside of my Venue over the years I was also getting recommended by those previous couples to new couples and therefore started getting requests for this too. I recently added Planning to the mix as well… and my little business just took off from there!
How many weddings do you take on per year/month? How’s your diary looking for next year do you have any spaces left??
- I still currently have limited availability for 2022… some months are fully booked and others have a few spaces left so it’s worth popping an enquiry over just to check! At the moment I take on 1 per week, as I’m currently still working as Full-Time Senior Wedding & Events Coordinator at a North-East Country House (plus raising a 2 year old!) so I can’t take on any more than that for now… I hope to expand in the coming years… so watch this space!
Tell us about a nearly scary occasion which you managed to save!
- I’ve had quite a few traumatic/strange events happen over the years! Very recently, at a Marquee Wedding I was working, at about 11pm one of the guests was very drunk and was starting arguments with other guests... in his anger he decided to storm off and hit the emergency stop button on the Generator! All the guests were plunged into darkness and the music stopped. Funnily enough all the guests actually this was brilliant/hilarious and continued singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the darkness at the top of their voices! I had a mad scramble n the pitch black behind the tent to get the Generator back up and running! Everything came back on straight away and all the guests cheered. The Bride & Groom were so grateful that I was able to get it back on so fast and say that their guests all still think this was a great (and memorable) moment from their wedding!
Finally what’s in your wedding first aid kit bag. Is it a secret or can you share – we’re so curious!
Of course! I’m always happy to share!
I call it my ‘Oh Shit! Kit’… & It comes with me to all my Weddings… ready for those last minute emergencies! 🚨
- Superglue
- Nail glue
- Eyelash glue
- Heel pads
- Batteries (AA & AAA)
- Lighter
- String
- Paracetamol / Ibuprofen
- Savlon
- Sellotape
- Blue tac
- Masks
- Lipbalm
- Lipcote
- Hair Bobbles
- Bobby Pins
- Tampon/Pad
- Tissue
- Wipes
- Perfume
- Water Bottle
- Cotton Buds
- Cotton Pads
- Hair Spray
- Deodorant Spray
- Safety Pins
- Mints
- Plasters
- Emery Board
- Mini scissors
- Swiss Army knife
(with screwdriver, bottle opener, tweezers, tooth pick, etc!)
- Mirror
- Light
- Jewellery Polishing Cloth
- Dress Pins
- Buttonhole Pins
- Tape Measure
- Blotting Sheet
- Lint Roller
- Boob tape
- Stain Remover Wipes / Pen
-Comb
-Crochet Hook (for doing up Dress Buttons)
- Floss
- Straws
- Earring Backs
- Sewing Kit
- Dazzle Stick
- Business cards
- iPhone Adaptor
- Pen
- Clear Nail Varnish
- Power Bank
- Travel Ring Light & Tripod… to shoot those BTS reels for you guys!)
- a Carabina… to attach a few extras (like your Honeymoon Suite keys etc.)
… aaaaand a Condom (you’d be surprised how many times I get asked for one!)
This list is also available on my website as a Free Download… Check out my www.theweddingtaylor.com for even more FREEBIES like this one!
... And thank you so much for having me Lorna, I can’t wait to chat with you all Lovely Couples about their GORGEOUS Weddings soon!
Lots of Love,
Mrs T x
Follow Hannah’s Instagram here: The Wedding Taylor
Love The Unique Tent Company
Lorna x o x o
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