10 ‘Must-ask’ questions when visiting your potential wedding venues

When visiting potential wedding venues there are many aspects you need to look into to ensure it is the right venue for you. The first two and most obvious are ‘is there a date available that works for me’ and ‘is the venue in the right area’. You may need to be flexible in these areas if you have a certain date or particular venue in mind but if your answer is yes to these two, then you are well on your way.

However, before you get carried away, be sure to ask the following questions to ensure there are no unwanted surprises in store for you:

1. Are you licensed for civil ceremonies? Not all wedding venues hold a licence so you may need to hold the wedding elsewhere then move everyone to the venue for the reception
2. What are your minimum and maximum numbers? Make sure the reception room has enough space for all your guests. You also don’t want a room to be too big if you are holding an intimate wedding as the guests will ‘rattle around’. A venue may have a minimum number of guests required or there may be a charge if your numbers are lower than this.
3. Where are the photo opportunities? The venue will suggest the best places for your location photographs or there may be beautiful areas hidden away that you want to utilise for unusual wedding photos. Taking your wedding photographer along to the venue is a great way to plan what works best for you.
4. Is furniture provided? Ask if tables, chairs & linen are provided within your hire charge and check them to see if they suit your theme / colours. If not you may need to hire them in, which could incur a hefty cost which you need to allow for in your budget.
5. Do you have the option of a DJ or band if you prefer?  Some venues do not allow a band due to the noise levels or can not fit one in so  worth checking, especially if you have your heart set on a meatloaf tribute band
6. Do they allow outside suppliers? Many venues have in-house caterers who cater for all the venue’s weddings. There may also be affiliate suppliers who you have to use in certain areas, particularly with florists, DJs and photographers so worth checking early if you have already chosen particular people/companies you want to work with. 
7. Are there any other restrictions? As well as noise restrictions, some wedding venues do not allow naked flames, so no candelabras or even tea lights and many can not allow fireworks due to neighbour and proximity of animals.
8. Are there any other rooms you can use? For old or very young guests, you may want to consider having a children’s room or a chill-out room where the quieter guests can have a cup of tea and a sit-down when the disco becomes a touch over-whelming.
9. What time does the bar close / does everyone need to be out by a certain time? If you are expecting to party till dawn you will want to make sure this is possible as many venues close the bar at 11pm with all guests off the premises by midnight.
10. How many bedrooms are on site and if needed are there local hotels & taxi firms? At many venues you are able to take all the bedrooms which is the perfect way to extend the celebrations with everyone in the same place for the morning after. For guests who cant stay on site you will want to check there are plenty of hotel options nearby, ranging in prices. You may also want to lay on a mini bus or cars for the end of the night, or contact a local taxi firm to have on stand by to take guests back to their hotels

Being an experienced wedding planner with expert knowledge and experience with venues, our services can save you a lot of time on your venue search. Going to several venues and checking all these points can be very time consuming as well as confusing as they can all merge into one. Please contact us on hello@esc-weddings.co.uk if you have any questions. 

Wedding Wet Weather Contingency Plans

As we all know the British Summer can be somewhat unreliable to say the least. If you have an outdoor wedding reception planned, it is imperative you also have an indoor retreat at your wedding venue where you can escape the extremities and keep your guests from shivering in their sling-backs and getting soaked in their suits.

However, there are items you could hire for your wedding that will keep the light shower or slightly chilly Southerly breeze at bay and allow your guest to continue quaffing the bubbly and munching on canapés in the great outdoors.

Outdoor heaters to keep Aunty Flo from freezing

Beautiful brollies can add to the glam and make wonderful props in photos:

Wedding photo thanks to www.samanthajonesphotography.co.uk

Pop-up Gazebos to huddle under and escape a passing shower, or how about a beautiful Raj Tent:

Esc Wedding’s sister company; Esc Events www.esc-events.co.uk specialises in providing these items and many more and ensure your champagne reception is not a wet wash out. They can also help with Valet Parking, Mini buses, Coach transport, Bridal Cars, Garden Furniture, Security, Flambeaux, Radio Hire and other event support services.

Shopping for THE dress

Wedding Dress Shopping

I had the pleasure on accompanying one of my most adorable brides shopping for THE wedding dress in London recently. We visited a few boutiques and were treated to reasonable service, enjoyed a champagne lunch and were chauffeur driven around London – well it is such an important day after all! All was very pleasant until we arrived at Phillipa Lepley in Fulham Road www.phillipalepley.com and that is when the real afternoon began.

Phillipa Lepley’s bridal gowns are exquisite, the service impeccable and my bride was made to feel like the first and most important woman to enter their shop. The sales assistant was wonderful and even the coffee cups were interesting!  There was a huge range of prices of gowns with one gorgeous sample going for a little as £600 and our favourite being a trifle more costly at £12,000, but worth every penny!

We enjoyed a fabulous 90 minute appointment, which flew by, and tried on at least 15 beautiful gowns. Our favourite was ‘Daisy’ which was adorned by the cutest white flower. Unfortunately there are no photos yet available of Daisy keep your eyes pealed or go and try it for yourself. 

Photo from www.phillipalepley.com

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.

Surrey Wedding Magazines

I am looking forward to seeing Esc Weddings in the Surrey and Hampshire Wedding publications. First one comes out in Surrey Life next week. Followed by Your Surrey Wedding and Your Hampshire Wedding.

Esc Events launches Esc Weddings

Farnham based event-management company Esc Events are continuing to go from strength to strength even in the downturn of the economic climate. This month sees the much anticipated launch of the new arm to the company; Esc Weddings.

Having organised high-profile parties, weddings, awards ceremonies and functions within the private and corporate sectors for over a decade as well as providing event support to numerous prestigious weddings throughout the UK, Esc events have introduced Esc weddings to offer full event management exclusively to the bridal market. The demand for wedding planners is increasing as a necessity to the busy women of today’s professional society and the service is no longer seen as a luxury only for the rich and famous.

Esc Weddings will be able to offer help on as many aspects of organising a wedding as the bride & groom require. Using their wealth of knowledge and resources they will pull together required suppliers including the venue, marquees, flowers, transport, entertainment, catering and all aspects of the design and theming. For those couples who decide to take on this mammoth task themselves, Esc Weddings can offer a reassuring ‘on the day’ service to give the couple piece of mind so they are able to relax and enjoy their wedding while Esc Weddings takes on the task of running the day.

The Esc Weddings team consist of wedding planner Sian Gray who has had a 10 year career in events and weddings as well as being trained by The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners. Sian brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to Esc Weddings. Having project managed many logistically challenging events Sian has the organisational skills needed to juggle all aspects of even the most demanding wedding.
 Esc Director Clare Wickens has worked in the events industry for 14 years. Clare’s expertise is her creative and stylish flair. Teamed with her eye for perfection, Clare’s wedding designs are imaginative and unique to each bride she works with.

Managing Director, John Wickens is very excited about the new venture and has every faith in his knowledgeable and creative team