Due to the global pandemic of
2020, a terrible year of lockdowns and no weddings, I was so excited to make a
comeback with Katy and AJ's big day. Over the last couple of years helping
Katy and AJ with their wedding planning, by writing their time-plan, recommending suppliers and making
suggestions, we had built quite a bond.
Image by Selen Photography
After postponing their original
date to the following year, we naively thought surely this
whole COVID thing would be over by then and everything could just go ahead as
planned. However, by the time we reached the end of June 2021 we were still
awaiting more announcements from Boris regarding weddings, social distancing
and restricted guest numbers. Glued to the TV waiting to hear from ‘Bojo’, the
suspense was killing me. Finally he announced there would be NO
restrictions on the amount of guests you could invite just in time for Katy
& AJ's wedding. This was music to my ears and I have never loved Boris
like I did at that moment watching the TV!
YES, THERE WERE STILL SOME RULES IN PLACE BUT AFTER THE YEAR WE HAD JUST HAD, THEY WERE NOTHING IN COMPARISON!
For Katy and AJ this news was just what they had been
waiting for and it meant they could have all their nearest and dearest without
having to cross people off their wedding list at the last minute.
Masks were still compulsory if
you were indoors but when it came to marquee weddings which Katy & AJs was,
as long as 50% of the sides were up, it was then classed as an outdoor venue.
This meant at long last masks were not a necessity and Katy and AJ's outdoor
wedding could now be mask free.
Image by Selen Photography
Katy had thought of everything
and the marquee supplied by Four Seasons Marquees
fitted just perfectly in Katy’s
parents garden behind the fantastic pond in the centre of the lawn.
The big
LOVE letters from Lightup Letters
looked beautiful and were the perfect
statement to describe Katy and AJ's love story.
Image by Selen Photography
Everyone loves to dance at a
wedding and for those having an indoor wedding this was still forbidden.
Thankfully for Katy and AJ and their wedding now being classed as outdoors they
could still have dancing.
Veering on the side of caution and to try and keep
their guests safe, Katy and AJ decided to put their dance floor in front of the
pond on the lawn. This was most definitely an outcome I think should catch on
with or without COVID!
Image by Selen Photography
Before I knew it, Katy and AJ's big day was finally here and I was heading off with my team
member Sam to Katy’s parents home, where their wedding reception would take
place.
I LOVED THE CHALKBOARD REMINDING THEM WHAT DAY IT WAS!
Image by Selen Photography
With Katy and AJ's tailored time plan in hand, my emergency boxes on
stand by, we were there to make sure their long awaited big day ran smoothly
and as they deserved, after so much uncertainty over the past year or more.
Whilst Katy was getting ready in the house with her bridesmaids...
Image by Selen Photography
...our first job was to set up the
welcome drinks of Prosecco and non-alcoholic fizz ready for when their guests
arrived.
Image by Selen Photography
Katy and AJ legally got married at Bournemouth Registry Office, which
as an indoor venue masks were still compulsory and guest number restrictions were still in place.
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
This didn’t
matter as Sam and I were at the ready waiting to greet their other guests at
Katy’s parents garden with a glass of fizz before Katy, AJ and their ceremony
guests arrived a little later.
Image by Selen Photography
During this time I was able to
meet with some of the suppliers that were arriving to set up and make sure the
ones that were already there were ok. Chris from Outside Bars Dorset
and Wayne from Red Cherry Catering
were busy setting up, but I was able to greet Nills the DJ
as well as Robert Lee Hensby
the caricature entertainer and Steve Rowe Magic to show them where to set up and offer any help they might need.
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
After their ceremony, Katy and AJ headed off to the forest to capture some 'together' shots with their fantastic photographer Selen Photography.
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
One of the images Katy and AJ were
keen to capture was on the balcony. On their arrival they shot upstairs to be
greeted with some canapés and a glass of fizz before their grand entrance onto their mum and dad's balcony overlooking the garden.
IT WAS SO LOVELY TO HEAR THE HUGE CHEER FROM THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
Oh and I can't forget AJ and his groomsmen who totally got their swag on for the camera!
Image by Selen Photography
When the caterers were ready to serve the wedding breakfast, we asked the guests to take a seat. Once everyone was sat, the bridesmaids and groomsmen lead the way with Katy and AJ following...
Image by Selen Photography
MAKING THEIR GRAND ENTRANCE INTO THE MARQUEE!
Image by Selen Photography
Before their meal AJ's dad recited a beautiful blessing for Katy and AJ and their wedding rings which was lovely to listen to.
Image by Selen Photography
To keep everyone entertained during the meal Steve Rowe
the magician performed some fantastic and very funny magic tricks.
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
Making sure the guests have enough drinks on
their tables is always an important job, so Sam and I went around putting jugs of water and
bottles of wine on every table.
Image by Selen Photography
Towards the end of the meal and with the help from Outside Bars, we poured and served the toast drinks ready for their speeches...
Image by Selen Photography
THE SPEECHES BROUGHT LOTS OF LAUGHS!
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
Alongside these jobs there were
many other things on our time-plan, such as turning on all the lights around the garden, filling up drinks troughs, displaying the wedding cake made by Katy's mum, as well as
the mini cakes for the cake tree...
CHECK OUT KATY AND AJ AS A CAKE TOPPER!
Image by Selen Photography
We cleared all the pudding plates and dirty glasses
from the tables after the meal, moved the card and gift wishing well into the
house, replenished the tea and coffee table and filled up the drinks station
with Pimms and squash.
GENERALLY ENSURING ALL THE JOBS WERE DONE AND EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME!
It wasn't long before it was time to prompt Katy and AJ to cut their wedding cake.
Image by Selen Photography
WHICH LEAD TO THEIR FIRST DANCE AND THE SPARKLERS!
Image by Selen Photography
Just before it was time for us to leave we took Katy and AJ's handmade wooden signing board around and asked the guests to write their congratulations messages.
Moving the card wishing well and gifts into the house for safe keeping, we said our goodbyes and left Katy, AJ and their guests to dance the night away on the outside dancefloor!
Image by Selen Photography
Many of the props were handmade by Katy and her dad
and since her wedding day Katy has now started up her own business hiring out
her rustic and custom made props.
FROM SIGNAGE...
Image by Selen Photography
Image by Selen Photography
A SWEET CART...
Image by Selen Photography
CAKE TREE...
Image by Selen Photography
CARD & GIFT WISHING WELL, BARRELS AND EASELS...
Image by Selen Photography
AND A DRINKS CART...
Image by Selen Photography
...THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS YOU CAN HIRE!
If you are planning a DIY wedding
then you might want to consider booking an on the day coordinator. As amazing
as DIY weddings are there are so many jobs that will need doing on the day and
you don’t want to distribute these jobs amongst your loved ones. The feedback
received by Katy & AJ was certainly testament to that...
"OMG where do I start? Tasha has been an incredible support throughout my rollercoaster of wedding planning over the last couple of years. She's also given me brilliant advice throughout but especially when some things had to be changed last minute due to covid. Tasha excelled these changes perfectly on the day. She is quickly adapt to change and made me feel completely at ease and I didn't need to worry about a thing on our big day. Thank you so much for a spectacular service, I would recommend you to anyone!"
After all the hard work of
planning your big day you deserve to enjoy yourselves stress free with your
family and friends. If you want to find out more about on the day wedding
coordination then don’t hesitate to get in touch, we can chat all things
‘wedding’, just like I did with Katy and AJ!
Huge CONGRATULATIONS to you both
and I wish you all the happiness in the world together.
Your DIY wedding planning journey can be hard work with a lot to think about and organise. For that reason it is important you actually enjoy your day without having to worry about who will do what jobs and when. Here you can read about Georgia and Phil's big day at Tournerbury Woods on Hayling Island and find out just how valuable it was for them to have a wedding co-ordinator to ensure they had a stress free wedding day.
In my opinion a DIY wedding is the perfect type of wedding as you can put your stamp on it and make it your own. Natalie and Jake had planned the most stunning DIY wedding at Bake Barn in Wiltshire and needed help with co-ordination on the day. Taking my team we made sure their day ran smoothly and to their time-plan doing all the jobs that needed doing. This meant they could enjoy every minute of their day with their friends and family - stress free!
Planning a DIY wedding is always so much fun but on the day there are so many jobs that need doing. Bex and Graham planned a beautiful and relaxed wedding at Warborne Farm in Lymington, Hampshire where the Tasha Mae team were able to help ensure all the jobs were done and their day ran smoothly so they didn't need to worry about a thing!
Planning your own DIY wedding can be hard work but also so much fun. Emily and Dom planned their own tipi wedding at their family home in Wiltshire. Taking the Tasha Mae team along to help with on the day co-ordination, we made sure all their carefully thought out plans ran like clockwork and to their tailored time-plan.
You have to love a marquee wedding in a field overlooking the sea, which is exactly what Keely and Dan planned for their big day. The Tasha Mae team loved co-ordinating their special DIY day and despite the strong winds and rain we all had a fabulous time ensuring everything ran like clockwork.
When planning a DIY marquee wedding there is a lot to do and you might find you need some help on the day. Read all about Emma and Ed's big day and how Tasha Mae and her team helped ensure everything run smoothly.
Winter weddings can be just as beautiful as summer weddings and after co-ordinating Jake and Laura's big day in December, I can most certainly vouch for that! You don't need to think of a theme with a twinkling Christmas tree, roaring fire and mince pies as canapes, what more could you ask for? Not only that but you don't need to worry about the weather as you've already planned it for the winter so you know what to aim for!
The beauty of planning your own DIY wedding is you can do exactly as you wish and after co-ordinating Cassie and Oliver's, I have to say there is something to be said for having your wedding at home in your back garden. With a relaxed, almost zen vibe, Cassie and Oliver had the most beautiful chilled out wedding day in the comfort of their family home and garden.
Deciding on your wedding decor is the fun part but on the day you might need some help putting everything in place whilst you get ready to tie the knot. Rachel and Ben had planned a DIY marquee wedding and needed some help in the morning of their big day to make sure their venue looked pretty and just as they wanted before everyone arrived.
As an on the day wedding co-ordinator so many of the weddings I co-ordinate are in the summer, which means the majority of my imagery are of bright sunny weddings. For that reason, I thought it was about time I showed everyone that winter weddings can be just as beautiful and somewhat mystical!
