Autumn 2008 £2.75

For planners, organisers and other specialist intermediaries

Coronation Street star Tupele Dorgu has set up anentertainments business providing performances for weddingreceptions. Tupele, who plays Kelly in the soap, has launchedSugarstorm with partner Mark Flanagan in Manchester, drawingon her connections from her time performing in the West End.

Couples’gift listheadacheBy Mary FergusonGIFT list providers Wrapit havegone into administration – owing£1.5m to trade suppliers andleaving 60,000 gifts undelivered.

And embarrassed couples arebeing forced to ring guests to tellthem to contact credit cardscompanies to reclaim the moneyspent on presents.

Run by Pepita Diamand andPeter Gerardi, the company hadbeen trading six years, and wasbehind the successful Wrapitindustry awards.

But administrators KPMG werecalled in following unsuccessfulattempts by the directors to find abuyer for the business, and theyhave confirmed that trade suppliersare owed around £1.5m.

Couples and guests can makeclaims for missing presents bywriting to the administrators, whowill publish a full report in October.

Wedding planner SiobhanCraven-Robins said: “One of mycouples haven’t got their gifts yetand obviously this is reallyinconvenient and disappointing.

“It will put other couples offusing a gift list as Wrapit were sohigh profile.

“In my 13 years in the industry, Ihave seen other gift list companieswho have folded , so from mypoint of view, I now questionrecommending such a service tomy clients.”

And Andy Hickey, co-director ofThe Alternative Wedding List,believes the situation with Wrapitmay force couples to think twiceabout who they use for their giftlist.

He added: “It worries me that abusiness like Wrapit has been ableto operate in such a way for solong, but I’m not worried that itwill put people off using gift lists.

“What it will do is force them tobe more careful about who theyuse, and I expect couples will optfor department store lists, or not-for-profit lists like ours – the middleof the market will be flushed out.”

� For more on the situation, Page 3

PlannerDebbiein crashshockA SHAKENwedding plannerhas described howshe was caught upin a car crash onthe way back fromvisiting clients.

Debbie Diggle,director ofWedding Wonders,was travelling backfrom London toHertfordshire whenshe was hit head-on by a drinkdriver.

She toldWeddingProfessional: “Bothmy car and thevan are write-offsand I have beentold that if I wasdriving a lesssubstantial car, Iwould not be hereto tell the tale.”

Both Debbieand the driverwere taken tohospital on spinalboards, but laterreleased – thedriver straight tothe police station.

Debbie added:“I’m badly bruisedand battered butthat’s not reallysurprising.”

weddingprofessional?????

weddingprofessionalnews 3

ContactsEDITORIALAndrew Harrod – group editor – 01226 734639 ah@whpl.net

Nicola Hyde – news editor – 01226 734459 nl@whpl.net

Mary Ferguson – editor – 01226 734712 mf@whpl.net

PRODUCTION

Judith Halkerston– group deputy editor – 01226 734458 jhalkerston@whpl.netKyle Wilkinson – designer – 01226 734711 kw@whpl.net

ADVERTISING

Tony Barry– sales and marketing director tb@whpl.net

Paul Allott – group sales manager –01226 734484pa@whpl.netKizzy Mugridge – assistant manager –01226 734710kam@whpl.netDanielle Hornby – sales executive –01226 734707dlh@whpl.net

CIRCULATIONKelly Tarff 01226 734695kt@whpl.net Fax: 01226 734477www.weddingprofessional.co.uk

Asian weddings 13

Hollycreates

Jamelia’sdreamday ...

Page 10&11

Civil partnerships 16

Venue directory 22

Corrie’s Kellyissues weddingentertainment

invitationPage 4

Inside ...

SILKE Lohmann, director of Exclamation PR– who used to handle public relations forWrapit – said she found out about themgoing into administration from a SundayTimes article.

She told Wedding Professional:“Although we were aware of the re-funding and that things were moredifficult than first expected, we were allmade to believe that we were just a fewdays away from securing a deal with aninvestor.

“Even when it was announced thatWrapit was in financial difficulties andKPMG were called in to help, we were stillmade to believe that someone wouldrescue the company.”

Silke said that once the administratorswere appointed, there was nothing thatstaff could do.

“It is incredibly sad to see Wrapit vanishin days and bring unhappiness to so manypeople. I can't tell you how much we allfelt for the brides and grooms, andeveryone at Wrapit tried to help as muchas they could, but once KPMG wereappointed as administrators staff had noaccess to files and weren't able to help anymore.”

There are rumours that Wrapit’s financialdifficulties were caused by HSBC blockingcard payments and holding £1 million ofthe company’s money, but this has notbeen confirmed.

A few days after the collapse wasannounced, two dozen brides – some intheir wedding outfits – marched on HSBC’shead office in Canary Wharf to deliver a

petition demanding refunds.In a statement on Wrapit’s website,

KPMG said: “(We) are aware that Wrapithad been struggling for some time andhad been seeking funding from othersources but without success. (HSBC) hasadvised that it regrets the failure of thecompany but it had taken professionaladvice and believes it acted wholly appropriately in thecircumstances.”

Silke said that not all newspaper reportshave been correct, but confirmed the

anger amongst couples affected by thesituation.

She added: “Some brides have beensending over-the-top e-mails to staff,calling them some awful names – and oneof the worst the worst read: “I hope (ifthere is a God) that you and your families all die in absolutely horriblecircumstances.

“But there have obviously been quite alot of newspaper articles and some ofthem are simply mis-reporting what's beengoing on.”

“I was asked to talk about the situation onBBC Radio Oxford, as they had had lots ofcalls from concerned brides.“I believed Wrapit to be a pillar in thewedding industry, but I suppose nobody isimmune from the present financialturmoil.”

Sarah Ducker, SJD Events

“Wrapit seemed to be doing so well, or atleast their PR companies had us believingso. Therefore to discover this was all a liewas shocking. “One of my clients has lost out onthousands of pounds worth of presents

and needless to say I'll only recommenddepartment stores from now on.”

Bernadette Chapman, Dream Occasions

"The news came as a great shock to us; thecompany seemed to be at the top of theirfield and only seemed to be movingonwards and upwards in a very positiveway. “Fortunately we did not have any bridesaffected by this, but we have friends whohave been. I don't think this will put futurebrides off of having a wedding list, but Ithink it will leave a scar on the industry for

some time."Amanda Sherlock, Giles Sherlock

Event Design

“The demise of Wrapit sets the industryback as a whole and not only gives couplesa less inspiring choice on the gift list front,but may lead to general mistrust ofwedding industry companies on thewhole, planners included – at least in theshort term.”

Kelly Chandler, The BespokeWedding Company

The news of Wrapit’s demise came as a shock to many in the wedding industry – includingthose who worked for the company. Mary Ferguson reports.

‘It is incredibly sad to see Wrapitvanish in days and bringunhappiness to so many people’

What wedding planners think ...

Angry brides at HSBC

weddingprofessionalnews4

By Mary Ferguson

CORONATION Street star Tupele Dorguhas set up an entertainments businessproviding performances for weddingreceptions.

Tupele, who plays Kelly in the soap, haslaunched Sugarstorm with partner MarkFlanagan in Manchester, drawing on herconnections from her time performing inthe West End.

As well as having other soap stars on thecompany’s books, the pair have developedan act called ‘The Final Bow’, designed tobring wedding entertainment out of theshadows.

The performance involves singers ofdifferent genres having a ‘face-off’ onstage, before coming together for asurprise performance, joined by othersingers who have disguised themselves inthe room as waiters or guests.

Tupele said: “The element of surpriseworks really well and helps us to bringentertainment to the forefront and involvethe guests.

“And because of my background in the

West End, I still have a lot of friends downthere and know who is good and whoisn’t. We only want quality people on ourbooks, and it’s not just about famous faces.

“We can work with what the clientwants – some couples may want a soapstar to mingle with guests while the photosare being taken, others will want a stagedperformance – we can be very flexible.

Tupele said that some people come tothem with a face in mind, but many askthem to recommend a star to fit with thetheme or style of the event.

She added: “I’ve done personalappearances myself and that’s one of thereasons I wanted to set up the company –I have often been messed about when itcomes to fees and travelling, andSugarstorm is fully professional.

“It’s also a great opportunity for WestEnd performers to gain work inbetweenshows – and clients benefit because theyknow they are getting the best.”

The launch party for the company tookplace at The Hilton Hotel in Manchester,attended by stars from the soap world,alongside local and national media.

CoronationStreet starTupeleDorgu withSugarstormpartnerMarkFlanagan

Corrie’s Kellyissues weddingentertainmentinvitation ...

weddingprofessionalnews 5

Above: the guards at the wedding and,right: the couple Pictures: Steven Gemmell

By Mary Ferguson

A LONDON wedding planner put togetherher dream wedding when she managed tosecure the Queen’s Coldstream Guards forthe event.

Katya Nunziati, resident events organiserat the Renaissance Chancery Court, wasdelighted when the guards agreed toattend the wedding this summer.

She said: “After meeting the couple Iwas let into a little secret that the father ofthe bride had made initial enquiries withthe band from the Queen’s ColdstreamGuards.

“Once the Easter holidays had passedand the guards had returned from beingon tour they were able to confirm thatthey were available to perform at thewedding of my client.

“I confess that when I found out overthe phone I jumped up and down withexcitement as it was a first for me as awedding planner. I later found out that thehotel had never had the honour before ofhosting the Guards and this made it evenmore special.”

Katya had to keep the performancesecret from everyone apart from the bride’sparents, in order for it to be a surprise.

“As the months passed we discussedfloor plans and timings at length but it stillseemed a little surreal to me. It was notreally until I invited my client’s parents anda representative of the Guards along to thehotel for dinner that it all began to feelreal.”

They had to discuss a wet weatheroption and contingency plan should it berequired, but decided the ideal optionwould be for the Guards to be able toperform in the courtyard as the sun set.

On the day of the wedding, guests weredirected to the Courtyard, yet still had no

Katya in guard honour ...

idea what was going on.Twenty seven guards struck the first

chord as they marched under the archesand into the courtyard. Katya added:“Curtains twitched as hotel guests heardthe performance, cars stopped on HighHolborn and pedestrians peeked throughthe front gates to catch a glimpse of theirred coats.

“The atmosphere was incredible, the sunwas shining and it was perfect.”

When guests returned to the dinnertables, they were greeted by little toysoldiers placed on every seat.

Club offers icing on the cakeTHE Commonwealth Club inLondon has teamed up withcelebrity cake designer PeggyPorschen for its forthcomingwedding season.

To celebrate, newlyweds at everywedding reception booked at thevenue in 2008-09 will enjoy acomplimentary Peggy Porschenwedding cake worth up to £1,000.

Couples will have a privateconsultation with either Peggy orone of her team and will be able tochoose a unique design, including

tier sizes, colours and fresh flowercombinations.

Ulli Frauscher, weddings andevents manager at TheCommonwealth Club, said:“Cutting the wedding cake issymbolically the first task that thecouple will perform as husbandand wife.

“Attention to detail is paramountwhen it comes to weddings, whichis why The Club always worksalongside suppliers with equallyhigh standards.”

weddingprofessionalnews6

Children are increasingly unwelcome atweddings

Children are missingout on the big day ...By Mary Ferguson

CHILDREN are becoming increasinglyunwelcome at weddings, according toresearch.

A poll by WeddingChaos showed that13 per cent of couples planning awedding are refusing to allow children tothe event, concerned they will ruin thebig day.

However, just over two in five bridessaid they would accept children, but onlythose of their immediate family.

David Cartlidge, co-director ofWeddingChaos said: “To limit thechildren to immediate family only couldbe a compromise, the bride and groommay have their own children, or theymay want to avoid confrontation withclose relatives or the restriction maysimply be down to economical reasons.”

The research highlighted the two

major factors which have fuelled thetrend of having a child-free wedding –the fear of the children spoiling thingswith noisy and disruptive behaviour, andthe additional cost involved in feedingchildren, who often don’t eat the mealanyway.”

Wedding planner Kathryn Lloyd saidchildren at weddings are like marmite –you either love them or hate them.

She said: “Usually our clients have apretty strong view one way or the otheron children being included at a wedding.We are finding a trend for more couplesnot to include children however this isoften a result of the type of celebrationthey are planning, we are finding clientsare doing more elegant eveningcelebrations in formal surroundings.”

She added: “Kids can be wonderful atweddings as it is after all the start of anew family of which children are often apart, but they need proper facilities andcare.

“Offering to arrange a reputablecreche service or baby sitters for yourclients can add work in the planning butmake things so much more manageableon the day.”

David Cartlidge

Wedding expert launches new awards schemeA NEW awards scheme voted for bythe industry has been launched bywedding expert James Love,pictured left.

The Wedding Retailer Awards willtake place at Boreham House nearChelmsford, Essex on September 27.

Guests will enjoy a four coursemenu before the award ceremonybegins, and will be entertained bythe number one Luther Vandross

impersonator in the world. A charity auction will be held for

the Helen Rollerson Cancer Charityand dancing will continue late intothe night.

James, who is a wedding plannerand author, said: “I am really excitedabout the awards and I think thatthey will fast become the mostrespected wedding awards in theUK. And the ceremony will be ‘the’

event in the wedding industrycalendar.”

The ceremony will feature 18awards and all winners will receive alaser engraved glass trophy ,photographs and visual icon fortheir website.

For award category details, tobook a table or to enter yourbusiness, visitwww.theweddingretailerawards.co.uk

weddingprofessionalnews 7

Laura (left)with business partner Amy onher wedding day The happy couple on their wedding day

By Mary Ferguson

A MANCHESTER event planner hasorganised her most challengingwedding yet – her own.

Laura Kelly is co-director of iloveEvent Management and planned herbig day together with businesspartner Amy Hapgood.

The wedding took place atThornton Manor in Cheshire, afterKit Stockton proposed to Laura in an underwater restaurant inDubai.

The bride wore a BenjaminRoberts dress and main course at dinner was deluxe fish and chips, with entertainment for 140guests provided by The ThreeWaiters.

After dinner the room was turnedaround for the evening, featuring awhite illuminated dancefloor, whiteilluminated bar, chocolate fountainand a beatboxing band.

Amy said: “Having controlled

dozens of events, includingweddings for up to and above 400guests, you’d think the day wouldhave been a breeze, but acombination of nerves and emotionmade it a really tough task.

“I knew all eyes would be on meto pull off a flawless event and I wasdetermined to make Laura thehappiest bride ever.

“Thankfully, it was a perfect day,and I only cried twice.”

Laura added: “Havingexperienced so many fantasticevents over the years, I had beencollecting ideas for my ownwedding for a while.

“It came together like a dream. “I’m so pleased that I could sit

back and enjoy the day whilstsimultaneously proving tofamily and friends that Amy and I run a very successful company and are really good at what we do.”

How Laura’s daycame togetherlike a dream ...

weddingprofessionalnews8

Split themefor £70kreceptionBy Mary Ferguson

A WEDDING planner has organised areception to remember for a generouscouple – five years after they got married.

Toni Davey, director of Isis Events, puttogether a £70,000 party for Bruce andXinMei Collins, after meeting the groomwhen he was best man at a previousclient’s wedding.

The event took place at the couple’shome, dressed in two themed styles toincorporate XinMei’s Chinese heritage.

A huge marquee, which took four daysto construct, ran from the house to thepool, then down to the tennis courts –where 135 guests dined before enjoying avocal performance by the host’s daughter.

Chinese lanterns were hung around thepool and silk cushions were scatteredeverywhere, while wrought iron whitegarden furniture was hired for an Englishtouch.

As guests arrived, a string quartet playedbefore Chinese Lion Dancers made theirway down the path to surprise guests tothe sound of beating drums.

And after dinner, people made their way

out to the garden area, greeted by a hugefireworks display.

Although the event came together well,it wasn’t without its difficulties.

Toni said: “Delivery and set-up was a bigchallenge as although the house andgrounds were extensive, the area down theside of the house was not, so no lorriescould get passed.

“Everything had to be handballed offthem, except the piano and airconditioning, that came with a pallettruck.”

The day before the party, the coupledecided they would need air conditioningafter all, and after a frantic search, Toniand her team secured three units for just£1,000.

She added: “The biggest thing I learnedfrom this event was to be prepared foranything. The night before the party, wehad two extra guests arrive who said theywere not coming, and although theinvitations stated cocktails and canapés at4pm, people started arriving at three.

“Luckily though we were all ready –apart from a few waiters whipping off theirjeans and getting into their uniforms.”

London wedding planner MarkNiemierko is branching out on hisown with a new company.As one half of Smith and Niemier-ko he was responsible for organis-ing big-budget, high-profileweddings, and he told WeddingProfessional that his newcompany – Niemierko Weddings –will also be aimed at stylishcouples with high standards.He said: “Offering a bespokeluxury service to each client, I’maiming for the company to be

even more elite and exclusivethan that of Smith and Niem-ierko. Having previously arrangedthe weddings of Russian oligarchs,Premiership football players andhigh society couples from bothNew York and Paris my experienceand knowledge of the industry issecond to none. After a greatexperience at Smith andNiemierko it was time for a freshapproach."� Mark is pictured with one of hisprevious clients.

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weddingprofessionalspecial feature10

JAMELIA and footballer Darren Byfield heldtheir wedding at Eastlands Estate in WestSussex, where in-house planner HollyOfford helped create the couple’s dreamday.

Holly said: “The couple approached meseven weeks before the wedding, which isquite a short lead time considering wenormally have about nine months.

“However because we have such a goodrelationship with our suppliers, they wereall happy to step in at short notice and itdidn’t cause any problems.

“Jamelia had been to New York andbought a book on weddings – in it she hadseen an image she loved and she asked usto recreate it.

“Although the image looked like amarquee, it was actually a room withdraping, but because of the number ofguests we had to re-create the image in amarquee in our grounds.”

The wedding breakfast for 220 was heldhere, then everyone moved inside to thefunction room for dancing. A further 100guests arrived for the reception, so Holly

installed an extended bar within anothermarquee.

“There were no problems or challengeson the actual day but one of the difficultieswhen working with celebrities is that theytend to be very busy people, so it’s hard topin them down during the run-up.

“Jamelia was travelling around a lot, andespecially with such a short lead time, wehad to do a lot of the planning viatelephone and email.

“It also meant that she trusted me tomake a lot of decisions without her, butthat’s the whole point of having a weddingplanner.”

Jamelia and Darren decided to havetheir wedding at the same time as Wayneand Colleeen, to minimise any mediaattention. No extra security was needed atthe estate, and although some paparazzishots were taken from over the fences, thecouple managed to have a very privateday.

Holly added: “We had a great workingrelationship and Jamelia is such a fun girl.And the day itself was just perfect.”

Wayne and Colleen’swedding may havegrabbed the columninches, but whensinger Jamelia tied theknot on the sameweekend, it took justas much planning.Mary Fergusonreports.

Guests at the wedding

Holly createsJamelia’sdream day

weddingprofessionalspecial feature 11

COMPLETE Events provided themarquee structure for the wedding,which was draped and decorated toresemble a night sky.

Clear panoramic windows, a bluecarpet and square tables with silverchairs all added to the theme.

Shelley Godfrey of CompleteEvents said: “Holly came to us witha very clear idea of what Darren andJamelia wanted and we were onsitebuilding for about a week, but thatwas partly due to our busyscheduling. The style and look thatthe couple chose for the marquee isvery popular, and we have noticedmany brides moving away from silkand ivory in a bid to buck tradition.

“The night sky design makes the

marquee take on the feel of anightclub, so it’s very popular withyounger couples.”

Ken Buist was responsible forcapturing the day on film. He said:“I put a lot of effort into capturingbeautiful moments and was reallypleased with the images I achieved,as were the couple. My style is afusion of reportage, fashion andportrait – but is ultimately aboutexpression.”

He added: “Weddingphotography is different from afashion shoot or paparazzi.Although Jamelia’s wedding was atough job – there were somebeautiful images and the couplewere stunned.”

Success is in the detail ...

Darren and Jamelia and, below, the couple walked down a white carpet. Pictures: Ken Buist Photography

SuppliersCaterer – RED AnywhereMarquee – Complete EventMarqueesFlorist – Euphoric FlowersPhotography – Ken BuistPhotographyVideographer – FX FilmsWedding Cake – Peggy PorschenCrèche – Artfull Splodgers

Thetablecentrepieces

weddingprofessionalnews12

THESE past weeks have been filled withwonderful opportunities and exciting newprojects.

It goes without saying that we havebeen concentrating our efforts on themarketing of the company and we areextremely happy with the progress that weare making and the way in which theprofile of Giles Sherlock continues to rise.

Some of the exciting things that wehave been getting up to include beinggiven the honour of being asked to giveprofessional advice during a live onlineweb chat, and working with one of theUK’s leading consumer wedding magazinesto offer our services in a readercompetition.

Every opportunity that presents itselfseems to open another door and the word‘excitement’ doesn’t even begin todescribe the jubilant mood in our office atthe moment.

Any business owner will understand justhow much administration is involvedduring the beginning stages; from all the

legal documentation that needs to be putin to place, to balancing the companyaccounts, so I cannot express just howthrilled Germaine and I were when theenquiries started to roll in and we beganbooking wedding clients.

It was a feeling of pure exhilaration toget our teeth back in to what we do best –planning and designing amazing weddingsand special events.

We are delighted to say that 100 percent of the clients that we have met so farfor a consultation proceeded with bookingour services and we are now working onweddings throughout 2009. Our hardwork, passion and enthusiasm for theindustry that we love seem to be payingoff.

As with any new business we have had afew teething problems. We have hadongoing technical problems with ourtelephone and internet services and rightin the middle of it all we also foundourselves faced with the task of having tofind a new company to support us with

the maintenance of our website and ouronline marketing.

But all’s well that ends well – after hourson the phone to the telephone company,our telephone lines have now beenrunning smoothly with no problems forthe last couple of months and the internetis chugging away happily.

We were also extremely fortunate todiscover an amazing web design andsupport company who we met at therecent re-launch of Hedsor House. Theyhave turned our online marketing in to afinely tuned machine which has resulted ina number of confirmed clients and areduction in the number of headachetablets Germaine and I were previouslyrelying on before we met them.

The coming months are set to be just asexciting with our first wedding takingplace in January at One Great GeorgeStreet, and we will be getting stuck in withour competition winners who are beingannounced in the magazine in lateOctober.

Last issue, Amanda Sherlockdescribed setting up weddingplanning company Giles SherlockEvent Design, with businesspartner Germaine Giles. Fourmonths down the line, she tellsus the hard work is paying offand the bookings are rolling in.

Passion pays off for pairAmanda (left) and Germaine

Balladtakesnumberone spotBALLAD ‘Amazed’ by Lonestarhas beaten Bryan Adams andRobbie Williams to top a list ofthe UK's most popular firstwedding dance tunes in 2007.

UK wedding DJs voted fortheir top ten wedding songsand the Performing RightSociety then sorted the tracksby number of uses into the finalchart.

Number two was Everything IDo, by Bryan Adams, followedby Robbie Williams hit Angels.

James Blunt was at numberfour with You're Beautiful, whileAerosmith's Don't Want To MissA Thing came in at five.

Shania Twain was the onlyartist to appear in the list twicewith Still The One, at six, andFrom This Moment On, at nine.

Number seven was Truly,Madly, Deeply, by SavageGarden, while Van Morrison'sclassic Have I Told You Latelyreached number eight.

Rounding off the list at tenwas Whitney Houston's I WillAlways Love You.

weddingprofessionalasian weddings 13

By Dominic Musgrave

THE stately homes of England arebecoming venues of choice for a newgeneration of Asian brides, according to awedding planner.

Raj Somaiya of Manchester-based PayalPrestige said they are among the fewpreferred venues that offer enough spacefor Asian celebrations – which are typicallyup to five times the size of an average UKwedding.

In the last four months Raj has organisedreceptions at Blenheim Palace inOxfordshire, Cliveden in Berkshire,Harewood House in Yorkshire andKnowsley Hall on Merseyside.

He said: “Asian couples don’t just invitefamily and friends – they invite wholecommunities, so a wedding becomes aget-together of almost everyone they haveever known.

“But we just can’t find enough largevenues. That’s why the Asian market ismoving towards country estates whichhave the right amount of space as well ascar parks that sometimes need to take over120 vehicles.”

The trend is welcomed by Britain’sHistoric Houses Association. PresidentJames Hervey-Bathurst said: “We aredelighted whenever we can help bridalcouples and their families to find the right

venue for their wedding.“It is particularly welcome that more

and more Asian families see historic housesas the right place for a wedding, becauseof their romance, tradition, hospitality andspirit of continuity. That is the way theirowners see them too.”

Nicholas Bromley-Davenport ownsCapesthorne Hall, set in 100 acres ofCheshire parkland.

He added: “Couples are growing boredwith the same old hotel circuit. They arediscovering more romantic and photogenicplaces that offer alternative benefits ofcountry space and exclusive privacy.”

Food is oneof the mostimportantingredientsin Asianweddings.Why then,asks AnitaPatel, do somanyvenues getit wrong?

VENUES across the UK, particularlyhotels, are content to miss outcontinually on what is a lucrative sourceof additional income.

An example arose in the Tania-Tapeloffices just a few weeks ago. We wereasked by a client to find them awedding venue that would meetspecific criteria, and their overall budgetfor the event was between £25,000 to£32,000 for approximately 100 guests.

Through a mixture of enthusiasmand the desire to offer the widestpossible choice, we compiled a targetlist of no less than 100 possible venues– from major hotels to beautiful statelyhomes. We then proceeded tonegotiate with each of them, seeking toconfirm that they could meet ourclient's needs of outside catering andallowing an Indian ceremony.

After just a few days, our list hadbeen reduced to fewer than ten.

When it came to the rejects, inalmost every case the sticking point wasthe same – not the lack of availabledates, or cost issues, but food. Or morespecifically, our client's wish to bring inoutside caterers for their weddingbanquet.

Most of the venues trotted out theusual line: We have a fineEnglish/French/Italian/Hungarian/Russian chef who will be able toprovide the style of food you need, andwe don't allow outsiders into ourkitchens.

Which is fine if these venues havedecided they simply do not want thisbusiness – therefore I can only wonderif these venues fully appreciate the

absolute importance of food at Indianweddings?

While it might be a fairly extremeexample, this is certainly not a one-off.Time and again I deal with clients whoare desperate to use a particular venuebut, equally, do not want tocompromise on the need for a fullyauthentic menu. In almost every casethey will take their money elsewhere.

Our experience on numerousoccasions over the years is that thevenue insists on a deposit suggestingthey can accommodate the menurequirements, and then fail almostevery time to meet the expectations ofthe family for authentic Indian food.

Having sat in on tasters with clients, Isee the reactions first hand and they arethen forced at that stage to take atraditional English banquet becausethey cannot afford to lose theirdeposits.

Really the venues who insist on thisscenario should be in a position to offerfood tasters prior to any commitmentsbeing made by the clients so aninformed decision can be made, but inmost instances like these, the hotelinsist on a booking first.

When it comes to Indian food, themyriad number of subtle variations interms of preparation, flavours, regionalstyles and overall presentation are suchthat no single chef could be expectedto meet every need.

Those hotels which have sought tomeet the Asian marketplace half way byusing one specific Asian caterer alsoseem to miss this point – but that'sanother story.

Why venues miss out

An Asian wedding at Harewood House

Raj Somaiya

Asian couples areopting for statelyhome choice

weddingprofessionalnews14

MOST overseas couples will comethrough the internet rather than anyother source as they are unlikely to befamiliar or have access to magazinesand other local sources.

Finding out their needs can be atough one as the option of a face toface meeting can sometimes not bepossible and I’ve had many a longconference call at an unearthly hour.

Access to conference call facilitiescan help or alternatively cheapinternational dialling numbers cankeep the cost down.

I’ve learned over the years never tomake any assumptions aboutetiquette, tradition, format andstyling. Even though most plannerstend to work on some unconventionaland often unique weddingcelebrations, often without realising itwe work from some kind of fairlytraditional basis and build on that.

With the international client, it canbe a lot of fun and hard work in equalmeasure trying to work out whattraditions the couple are applying andwhat we have to organise for them.

This can be made morecomplicated but also so special andpersonal, when the couple themselvescome from two different parts of theworld and bring two lots of traditionswith them.

It is good to ask as many questionsas possible about rituals and customsthat will be taking place. For oneceremony I had to arrange for somevery last minute heating of coals onwhich incense was burnt; there was aquick dash with the tray from thekitchen to the arms of the dancer asshe announced the bride.

It’s also good to know whetherthere is a chance you’ll have extraguests pitching up on the dayunannounced and if you’ll have anylanguage issues with any of the guests

– that way you can plan for translationin some way if it’s needed.

Make sure that costs and paymentsare sorted early on, particularly whendealing with clients who work in adifferent currency.

Setting up a sterling account issomething that I often recommend asI have encountered many suppliers,particularly smaller companies whowill refuse a bank transfer from abroador who will have to pay charges attheir end for incoming transfers.

Despite, some fairly big challenges,I love the international client as quiteoften it gives us a chance to show offour great organisation skills asplanners.

It’s a great opportunity for us toshowcase all that’s good about the UK– I love it when I get the chance toshow off London and all it has tooffer.”

Kelly Chandler

Tips on dealing with‘international’ clients

The West country Wedding Awards are now open for entries for 2009.Following the success of this years ceremony, wedding planner Samm Riley isinviting even more West Country businesses to put themselves forward forrecognition. To enter, visit www.westcountryweddingawards.co.uk.

International clients can be a real challengefor wedding planners, as UKAWP directorKelly Chandler explains.

Take That have been voted the top band to perform at wedding receptionswith 50 per cent of brides and grooms-to-be opting for the comeback kings ifmoney was no object. Research by The National Wedding Show also revealedthat three out of ten couples dream of Abba’s cheesy tunes at their reception.The top songs for the first dance are Frank Sinatra’s ‘I get a kick out of you’and ‘I don’t want to miss a thing’ by Aerosmith.

A DARING couple had their heads in theclouds when they tied the knot 1,000feet above ground on the wing of anaeroplane.

Katie Hodgson and Darren McWalterssaid their vows while strapped to the topwings of biplanes operated by stuntpilots Team Guinot.

Rev. George Bringham — flying aheadof the couple — married them over anairborne communications system and thebride wore a full wedding gown.

Special microphones relayed theceremony to Rendcomb Airfield nearCirencester, where the wedding guestswere waiting.

On the wings of love ...

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THE couple’s attention to detail was immaculate – especiallywhen it came to colour. Orange, brown and gold aresynonymous with the couple’s life together and they’ve usedit to decorated their home and parties over the years.

The ceremony took place in the auditorium, which wastransformed by white canvasfor an intimate ceremony for 70guests using orange lighting and curtains of orange andbrown Singapore orchids suspended in test tubes fromcopper wiring.

The order of ceremony was printed on to metallic brownpaper with a transparent orange insert and placed on eachchair along with small hand made brown paper confetti bagstied with orange ribbon. The boys wore suits that weretailored for them especially by Scott Dunn Bespoke Tailoringwith orange lining and stitching, and the wedding party hadmango calla lily button holes with copper wire detailing.

The ceremony was followed by a sparkling reception in thesame room where pianist Johan Cromhout, who was flown infrom South Africa, played on a baby grand piano while arolling projection of photos from the couple’s life togethershowed in the background.

Each glass of Graham Beck Brut sparkling from Robertson,Capetown, contained a marinated wild Australian hibiscusflower. At the end of the reception, guests were asked tocollect their place card before heading to the restaurant forthe breakfast.

The place cards were small traditional African spoons withorange and gold beading to which a set of seven cards wereattached.

The top card showed the guest’s name, the second cardwas a thank you from the couple, the third to sixth cardsshowed the name of a London tube station with either starter,main and dessert, and the last two cards showed a picture ofthe happy couple by illustrator James Daw and a quote.

The ladies also received a small goody bag of ElizabethArden products.

The colour theme continued in the restaurant where thedouble height ceilings were bathed in orange and thesuspended glass dining room that hangs over the restaurantglowed like a giant orange pod.

Each of the six foot round tables were dressed with brownfloor length cloths with cream napkins and tall retro orangewater goblets.

The centrepiece of each table was a head of 120 rosesgraded from orange and apricot at the top through to creamat the bottom. From beneath the head came a dress of 120

mango calla lilies cascading down to the table. Table names were in the form of tube signs, with each tube

station holds a special significance for the couple. Guestswere required to find the correct station for their starter and itsoon became apparent that they would be changing tablesfor each course. William and Dorian wanted to make sure thatwith so many international guests, everyone would get thechance to meet everyone else.

Each guest had an individual menu printed on transparentorange paper at their place setting. The menu had Englishand South African influences and had been chosen and tasteda year in advance in order to remain seasonal and have thebest produce available.

The starter was a Pressed Guinea Fowl and PistachioTerrine, Red Wine and Saffron Cape Pears served with softtoasted Brioche. For the main; guests ate Cumin Clay BakedLamb, Preserved Lemon Tagine, Green Herb Cous Cous anddessert was a very English Eton Mess with Almond Biscuit.The wines served were a Wild Rush Colombar SauvignonChardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon and Tinta Barocca,both from Rietvallei, Robertson, South Africa.

SuppliersVenueCommonwealth ClubFlowersWilliam Clarke FlowersPhotographerKelvin BrownPhotography

TailorBespoke TailoringCompanyPianistJohan CromhoutLinenNorthfieldsGlasswareJones Hire

By Mary Ferguson

ROB Jordan, business developmentmanager for The Commonwealth Club,helped the boys plan their big day.

As director of William Clarke Flowers,William had been providing floristry for thevenue for years, so already had a goodrelationship with the staff.

Rob said: “He rang me pretty much assoon as he got engaged, 18 months beforethe wedding.

“Of all the weddings I have done, I wasleast active with this one as William didpretty much everything himself as he hasbuilt up so many relationships withsuppliers through his own business.”

William and Dorian wanted to bucktradition a little bit so they met with all theguests before the ceremony and they allwalked up to Trafalgar Square to watch thetrooping of the colours, before headingback to the venue.

“They were aware that some people hadflown around the globe to be there so itwas nice to make introductions.

“The guys acted like ushers, making sureeveryone had a seat in the auditorium –you wouldn’t find a bride doing that asthey are so concerned about making a bigentrance in their dress.”

Rob said there were no real problemswith the wedding, and that even the partshe was worried about turned out ok.

“William had the idea that he wantedeveryone to change seats halfway throughthe meal to make it more sociable, but Iwas worried about the logistics – wouldpeople take their drinks with them? Wouldthey need new napkins?

“But it actually went really smoothly andnone of the guests cared about the details– they were just happy to mingle.”

Rob is expecting a lot more of theirbusiness to come from civil partnerships,but said that people’s perceptions aboutthe unions need to change.

He added: “The pink pound is actuallyvery classy and elegant – a lot of peoplehave the wrong idea and think it’s allabout flamboyance and pink.

“It may be because it’s still a fairly newconcept, but same sex couples seem keennot to make too much of a big deal oftheir day – civil partnerships are stillbuilding up to be mainstream.”

Rob Jordan

‘Civil partnerships are still building up to be mainstream’

When London floristWilliam Clarke marriedpartner DorianLangridge at TheCommonwealth Club,everything was plannedto the finest detail.Paola Cubillos reports.

The future bright for couple

AFTER some very emotional speeches, the guests allwalked down to the Embankment where they werejoined by a further 40 guests for an evening cruisealong the Thames.

Waiting on board was a seven tier fruit cakeweighing almost 50kg made by Dorian’s sister back inOctober of 2007.

The shape was an inspired leaning mad hatter witheach layer designed in a different retro pattern in thetheme colours for the day. Fourteen individual minicakes were sent to South Africa, America and Canadafor those who could not attend on the day.

The day in its entirety was caught on camera byKelvin Brown, who the boys met when he snappedthem unawares at another civil partnership and theyloved the resulting picture. Guests on the boat werealso entertained by over three hours of songs aboutLondon that the couple had sourced.

After 18 months of organising, the happy coupletook a well deserved holiday driving a Mustangconvertible along the Californian coastline.

Just cruising ...Above: thecentrepiece.Right: thewedding cakeand, top right:the groom’sbutton hole.

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BASED in Nottinghamshire, Jonquil Morelyspecialises in designing exquisite one-offbridal creations. Her focus on the entirebridal outfit allows complete continuity,from headdress and jewellery, to the gownand coat, through to handbag and shoes.

She has been designing bridalwear since2000, and has exhibited at The NationalWedding Show seven times.

She said: “I love to design for themedweddings. I recently designed the entirebridal party’s outfits for a ‘Lord of TheRings’ themed extravaganza.

“I take my inspiration from history andin particular the Edwardian and Victorianperiods. I am also intrigued by unusualfabrics and patterns. Many of my designsoften have a gothic influence which resultsin romantic and opulent gowns.”

Jonquil said she tries not to followtrends, as the clients that come to her arelooking for something completely original.

“However, silver is definitely a popularcolour for 2009. Parasols are proving a hitfor summer brides and tints and coloursare playing a much more prominent role.Wedding dresses are becoming moreadventurous and it is about the completeoutfit whether that is a trouser suit or a fullon gown and cloak.”

She added: “The bridal market ischanging so much – brides are pushingthe boundaries on what a wedding outfitshould or should not be, and this gives meas a designer great scope and variationwhen designing and sourcing fabrics andcolours.”

In a special feature for Wedding Professional, Grace Dewhurst looks at two of the couture designersexhibiting at this season’s wedding shows.

Jonquil Morely and one of her Jonquil Bridal creations

Theme dream for Jonquil

BASED in Staffordshire, Sarah Willard ispassionate about fashion and the art ofcouture and specialises in pureunderstated elegance.

She trained in couture techniques inLondon in the 1990s and subsequentlystudied Fashion and Design, launching her own business at theNational Wedding Show in February2005.

She said: “I am heavily influenced byvintage eras in particular the 1920s and30s. The dresses in those periods oozedsoft, feminine glamour and madewomen look and feel incrediblysexy.

“I tend to take ideas with hemlines,patterns or fabrics and add them intomy designs with a modern/contemporary twist. I usually cut mydesigns on the bias which gives a soft,flowing shape.”

Sarah said that she has noticed asignificant move away from strapless gowns, with lace and vintage styles proving more popularthan ever.

Vintage inspired accessories, beadedflowers on combs, wired laceheaddresses and fascinators, flowersmade from fabric and petals pulled from silk flowers, accessorise Sarah’sdesigns.

She added: “Taking a bride on acreative journey and making somethingtruly beautiful and unique that reflectsher style and personality on herwedding day is the best part of my job.”

SarahWillardand,right,one ofherdesignson thecatwalk

Sarah loves the creative journey

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WHEN Sharon got married in a dream ceremony inCyprus, she was bitten by the wedding bug in a bigway.

Returning to South Yorkshire after herhoneymoon, she left her accountancy job behindand set up business as a wedding planner in therural town of Penistone.

Running Fairytale Weddings from her home, shehas spent the last year helping couples prepare fortheir big day, organising everything from the dressto the venue, transport to flowers – and everythingin-between.

Sharon says she is the only planner in Barnsleyand is working hard to convince people of thebenefits of hiring someone to take the stress out ofmarriage arrangements.

She said: “People around here need convincingof the benefit of wedding planners. The workingprofile of the area is changing and more and morecouples have less time but high expectations –which is where I can help.

“If I ran my business in London I would havemore customers, but I’d also be up against morecompetition.”

Sharon advertises on local websites and in localnewspapers and is looking into strengthening hernational presence by advertising on bridal websites.

She also exhibits at local wedding fairs.“Word of mouth and netwroking has been very

successful for me so far and I’m a member of somelocal business groups. My suppliers and I also worktogether to promote each other.”

Wherever possible, Sharon stays loyal to Barnsleysuppliers, although admits she sometimes has totravel further afield for the right dress.

She also conducts regular ‘mystery shopper’ tripsapproaching suppliers posing as a bride, and saidshe has been shocked by some of the service shehas received, but mostly it is of a high standard.The bridal market has changed and generally I canfind what I want in the area – I tend to use thesame suppliers as I trust them and we have greatrelationships.

“Barnsley may be smaller than the citiessurrounding it but it has a lot to offer brides-to-beand the service is often a lot better than in citycentres.”

She added: “In the last year I have increased inconfidence, learned to carefully vet any suppliers Itake on and I’m looking forward to the next 12months.

“I promised myself I would have my ownbusiness by the time I was 40 and now I haveachieved that dream.”

Barnsley is better known for whippets than weddingplanners, but Sharon Woolsey-Hibberd is carving a successfulcareer in the town. Mary Ferguson paid a visit to find outmore.

How bride Sharon wasbitten by the weddingbug in Cyprus ...

Sharon Woolsey-Hibberd

Gina’s hoping to get massage message acrossBy Mary Ferguson

A NEW massage company has launched inthe capital, specialising in high-endfunctions and wedding receptions.

Divine London are offering their servicesat weddings across the UK, and have evenhad interest from abroad.

Gina Varela, a former actress, set up thecompany with her partner after moving toLondon from New Zealand.

She said: “Unlike some massagecompanies, we don’t charge the guests forour services – it’s all complimentary.

“And we put a lot of emphasis onappearance – we picked the uniforms so

they will fit with any theme and our staffare well qualified and articulate.”

Divine’s routine consists of a 12-minuteshoulder, back, hand and arm massage,aiming to relax guests and provide ‘timeout’ from the celebrations.

“We don’t do Indian head massagesbecause when people have had a drink it

can actually be quite dangerous. And weare not intrusive either – we don’t rovearound interrupting people, we have adesignated area so guests can come to us.

“People are happy to queue – massageis a luxury than no-one ever affordsthemselves the time for.”

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A FIVE star hotel in London has reported anincrease in demand for civil partnerships –because it is small.

The Howard, part of the Swissotelgroup, is located in WC2 and can host upto 120 people for a wedding or civilpartnership ceremony and reception.

Food and beverage manager JamesAswin said: “We are ideal for more intimateevents and as civil partnerships tend to besmaller affairs, we can accommodate themwell. It’s unusual for a five star hotel tooffer such intimate facilities and we arebecoming very popular as a venue for civilpartnerships.”

The rooms in the hotel look out over theThames, and one of the wedding suites hasa patio area that can accommodate up to60 people for a private celebration.

The Howard is an intimate weddingvenue

Increaseddemandfor hotel

BEING asked to describe a typical Americanwedding is as difficult as being asked todescribe a typical American. A countryknown as a ‘melting pot’ encompasses awide range of cultures and ethnicities.

Today’s wedding professionals canexpect to deal with a diverse clientele andmust be knowledgeable about manyreligions and cultures.

It can be enough of a challenge whenthe bride and groom are of two differentbackgrounds.

But when each is a blend of two ormore ethnicities, the wedding consultant iscalled upon to mix many customs in atasteful and harmonious way.

Interfaith marriages, though sometimesperformed in a house of worship, havecontributed to the trend of ceremoniesbeing held at other venues.

Having the ceremony at the same placeas the reception is very popular. Often theceremony will be held outdoors followedby the reception inside.

Officiates of some religions, such asRoman Catholic and Orthodox Judaism, donot perform ceremonies outside their placeof worship. Those of other faiths, such asProtestant or Reform Judaism, may performceremonies at other venues.

Interfaith couples often hire anondenominational minister who will

customize a ceremony to represent thebeliefs of both. Or they might engage oneof each, such as a Reform Jewish rabbi andan American Catholic priest, to co-officiate.

Every couple want to make theirwedding unique, and they know thatincorporating one’s heritage is one of themost effective ways to personalise awedding.

Whether it’s an invitation printed in twolanguages or a croquembouche alongsidethe traditional wedding cake, when theheritage of both bride and groom play apart in the wedding, it marks thebeginning of a successful merger of twofamilies.

At the same time, it makes theirwedding “different.”

And we all know wedding clients expecttheir consultants to make their weddingdifferent from those of their friends.

But one thing remains the same. The “typical” American bride wears the

traditional white gown. Whatever her race,religion or culture, she has alwaysenvisioned herself in the long white gown.

Even the tattooed, body-pierced, spike-haired bride seems seldom veers from thenorm when it comes to the dress.

Forty-year-old brides on their secondmarriages may start out thinking they’llwear something else, and then findthemselves irresistibly drawn to thetraditional gown. It’s the one trend thatseems to be here to stay.

Even a few of my Asian brides haveworn the traditional bridal dress of theircountry of origin for the ceremony andthen changed into the white “Western”gown for the reception.

There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ American wedding – but every bride wantsto wear a white dress. New Jersey based planner Jean Picard explains.

Why white dressesnever go out of fashion

Jean Picard

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MICHAEL Thomas from Cornwall andJennifer Morgan, originally fromEdinburgh, first telephoned me in February2007.

They were planning to marry inSeptember 2007 and, having both comefrom big families and opposite ends of thecountry, they wanted a traditional weddingaccessible for both families.

The brief was clear; they wanted anelegant, romantic and tranquil setting for120 guests, 28 of whom were childrenwith on-site accommodation and amplecar parking. They also wanted a whitewedding with a dominant colour of red tobe featured throughout as a symbol oflove.

The bride and groom allocated themajority of the budget to the catering, asboth families enjoy sitting down andhaving good food together.

Michael, Jennifer and myself had adetailed meeting with our executive chef,Fergus Martin, and he designed a threecourse menu that drew elements fromScottish and Cornish cuisine which wasrequested by the couple.

Michael and Jennifer were invited to acomplimentary full tasting of the weddingbreakfast together with two guests. Thisgave the wedding party the opportunity tosample the breakfast, choose wines tocomplement the food and make anychanges to the menu.

The menu included Cornish crab saladwith garden leaves for starter, pan friedfillet of Aberdeen Angus steak with herbmashed potato, roasted carrots, greenbeans, Swede and Cote du Rhone jus andfor dessert summer pudding with Scottishhedgerow fruits.

After the midday wedding ceremonyeverybody headed off to the reception atThe Willows and was greeted with a glassof Champagne or chilled Cornish meadand canapés. Whilst photographs weretaken, a saxophonist entertained theguests.

Later on, everyone made their way toThe Willow’s restaurant for the threecourse wedding breakfast. Guests were

directed to their seats and, in keeping withthe white and red colour scheme, thechairs had white covers featuring whiteribbons on the back; each table had aflower arrangement with red roses andwhite lilies and the table was scatteredwith red rose petals.

Once the traditional speeches had takenplace and the wedding breakfast wascomplete, the bride and groom cut athree-tier white wedding cake, bejewelledwith crystal beads.

The bride and groom took to the floorfor their first dance and the disco got thecelebrations going even more.

At 9pm, an Italian banquette was served

which included porketta carved by chefwith foccacia and ciabatta bread andaccompaniments. Roasted vegetable tarts,crispy carrot and spring onion cakes withfeta and black olives and salmon coulibiacwere served to keep hunger at bay andspirits high.

The dessert station featured a chocolatefountain, Scottish pancakes with ice cream,strawberry and champagne jelly in shotglasses, a fruit basket and cheese platter.

As most of the guests stayed overnight,the couple were able to enjoy a latebrunch with their guests in the courtyardat The Willows before leaving for theirhoneymoon.

As wedding planner at Wyboston Lakes in Bedford, one of Laura Footner’sbiggest challenges was to bring together two families from opposite ends ofthe country. She tells Wedding Professional how she did it.

Laura Footner

Laura helps couplebridge the distance

The happy couple toast their special day.

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Welcome to the new Wedding Professional venue directory, providing comprehensive information onwedding venues, if you would like to advertise please call 01226 734710 or e-mail kam@whpl.net

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