Esc Weddings Top Tips from recent magazine interview

1. What qualities should couples look for in a wedding planner?
First and foremost you should like your chosen wedding planner!! You are entrusting them with running the biggest day of your life!!!
A wedding planner needs to be well organised, able to juggle a lot of tasks and have a meticulous eye for detail.

Always ask for references from their previous clients. Good Wedding Planners have happy past clients and they will be happy for you to talk to them.



2. What are the main issues you cover when helping couples pick their wedding venue?

The most important factors in choosing a venue are location and availability. A couple will have an idea of the time and area in which they wish to get married which limits the huge choice of venues in the UK (and abroad). A wedding planner will have expert knowledge of venues in their area and nationally which speeds up this time-consuming task.


Try not to pin all your hopes on a certain venue and date, you will need to have a 2nd and possibly 3rd choice of venue, or be prepared to change the date. Holding your wedding on a week day may mean you have more chance of booking the time of year you want, and can be cheaper. However, consider your guests who will need to take a day off work to attend….

3. Do most couples like to have a wedding theme nowadays? How do you help them pick a theme to suit them?

A wedding should be personal to the couple which often means there is a perfect theme for them, without them even knowing it. When meeting couples I ask them lots of leading questions to determine their likes, dislikes and personal style and can from there suggest many suitable themes, be it unusual or subtle. A theme does not have to be wild or extravagant and can be as simple as a colour used in a few areas, or perhaps related to a hobby the couple share.

4. On the day itself, how does a wedding planner help with making sure the day runs smoothly?

The wedding planner removes all the stress from the couple and their families, leaving them able to relax and enjoy the special day.

All suppliers still need to arrive; deliver or set up and the planner will oversee this, while dealing with any issues as they arise.

The planner will have set the timeline for the day so will know who should be where - particularly the wedding party who can find the day stressful and confusing – and will direct and reassure them

The planner will be able to spot any incorrect, missing or unfinished elements and rectify them before the wedding party and guests are aware.

The Wedding Planner’s experience with dealing with suppliers, often ones that they have worked with before means they are able to lend a hand when needed. They also make sure all suppliers are looked after for the day, as they often have to work long hours and their basic needs can be neglected by couples un-experienced in managing events.

 These are just guideline questions, so feel free to add anything you like. Also Sian, would it be possible to get your top three tips for brides?

1. Remember it is YOUR day and you can not and will not please everyone – especially where families are involved. You do not have to invite everyone, follow the same wedding format as everyone else, and you can wear whatever you want! Add personal touches to the day. Your guests are there as they think you are wonderful and want to share in this day that is all about you

2. Give yourself as much lead time as possible and never underestimate the amount of hours that go into planning a wedding. Most brides LOVE the lead up to their wedding and enjoy all the organizing, meetings and selections. You do not want to spoil this special time by being stressed and rushed – you may also end up making rash decisions that you regret afterwards and would have done differently had you had more time. Sit down and plan what you want to achieve at your wedding before you start making bookings. You are then more likely to be able to stay within your budget and you have the time to shop around.

3. Pick your suppliers wisely and make sure you have references or some sort of guarantee that they are going to deliver the service you expect. Make sure you have everything in writing then confirm by phone a week before the big day.

Top wedding make up tips

Although I would always recommend a make up artist for the bride on her big day, (when else will she get a chance for such a treat!) for those brave brides who will be doing their own make up, Rebecca Clark from www.rebeccaclarkmakeup.co.uk has generously shared her top tips with me...

One of the key concerns for a bride (and perhaps groom) on their wedding day is that they look their best. No doubt you’ve sworn to lay off the carbs, taken out gym membership and started popping vitamins that vouch to give you glowing skin, hair and nails!

Whilst all these things are worthy, one area where you can have more control on the final outcome is with your wedding make-up.

For brides who choose to do their wedding make-up themselves I have outlined some key considerations and top tips when deciding the look for the day:

• Exfoliate before the wedding day. If you have old, flaky skin, the foundation will clog.

• If you have a spot on the day don’t squeeze it! Once squeezed it’s much harder to conceal. Instead dab on some anti-redness eye drops as it shrinks the capillaries and makes the spot less red. Follow this up with your foundation then concealer. The best concealer is Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage. Pop an anti-inflammatory if it’s a painful one!

• If you’re planning to fake-tan adjust your foundation accordingly. Trial the fake tan before the wedding to ensure the product suits your skin.

• Apply your make-up in natural light or by a bright lamp.

• Look for a foundation that does not contain talc – this will appear ghostly white in photos.

• Avoid using light reflecting highlighters, such as Touché Éclat, around the eyes as this reflects rather than conceals and creates panda eyes in photos.

• Use a primer under foundation to provide a smoother surface and longer lasting make-up. Laura Mercier does the best primer I’ve found.

• If you are prone to an oily t-zone apply a mattifying lotion over your moisturiser and under your foundation. Number 7 does the best one on the market - Shine Free Make-Up Base.

• Set your base with a loose translucent powder. MAC’s Transparent Finishing Powder is great.

• If you don’t normally wear make-up and aren’t comfortable in it this won’t change on your wedding day! You should look like ‘you’, but more polished. Consider using tinted moisturisers instead of foundation. The Laura Mercier tinted moisturisers are excellent.

• Decide which feature you want to highlight – it’s better to go for lips OR eyes, not lips AND eyes.

• If using an eyeliner, opt for a gel (most premium brands do these). They’re very hard wearing and won’t budge with the first tear. You should also use waterproof mascara for the same reason.

• Highlight underneath the arch of the brow with a light cream/ white matt shadow to lift the brow and make the eyes pop.

• Highlight in the corner of your eyes to make your eyes appear more wide apart.

• To make lipstick last longer, line and fill in lips with lip liner before applying the lipstick.

• Add a touch of highlighter above the cupids bow to make the lips appear fuller

• Make sure you pack key make-up in your bag for touch ups - lipstick, mattifying papers and an eyeliner (you can vamp up your eyes for the evening).

• Finally, the wedding day itself is not the day to experiment with new make-up or new looks. Make sure you trial your make-up before the day, even if you’re doing it yourself.