Hannah & Richard

Gawsworth Hall, September 2011

Hannah contacted me 4 months before her wedding at Gawsworth. Fortunately I had not only worked at the venue before (so was aware of some very strict rules they had) but also with the marquee company and the caterer, all of which made Hannah’s life a little easier.

This was important, as she and Richard lived in London and were not only planning their wedding but also the christening of their gorgeous little girl, which was going to take place as part of the wedding ceremony.

Hannah still had a couple of suppliers to source – most importantly a generator as they hadn’t realised they would need one, so we got that organised quickly!

Hannah also wanted someone to perform some opera for her during the wedding breakfast, so knowing a great trio we got them involved. They went down a storm, with guests standing on their chairs and waving hankies in the air – not quite what you would expect from opera!

We had two wonderful best men who gave one of the funniest speeches I have ever heard – and I have heard a few. It was a really fun day, and despite the early finish (10.30pm) everyone made the most of it and had a ball. 

"Quite simply I could not have managed without Andrea.

I was completely amazed when it dawned on me how much work goes into planning a wedding. The hours involved and the numbers of decisions to be made really is astonishing, and many things can only be sorted relatively last minute.

Having someone there with her level of knowledge and experience to check everything
had been done and to liaise with all the suppliers, was a major comfort.

In short I cannot recommend Andrea highly enough. She is professional, experienced, really enjoyable to work with and I would say absolutely excellent value for money."

Hannah

Angharad & Anthony

Nunsmere Hall, August 2011

Angharad and Anthony had contacted me in December 2010 to discuss fully planning their wedding for them as they lived in Singapore but wanted to get married back in the UK. As they lived so far away, had demanding careers and an 8 hour time difference to contend with it was sensible to have someone to do all the leg work and logistical planning for them.

They both showed great attention to detail and were full of interesting ideas that they wanted to incorporate into the day. We talked a lot by email (best I don’t add them up!) and a few late night/early morning phone calls, plus on the rare occasions when they were home we would meet up and schedule full days of meetings with suppliers and the venue.

On the day, all the months of hard work paid off with the marquee at Nunsmere looking stunning using a palette of reds, oranges and yellows with a multitude of Singapore Orchids, plus lanterns in the same colours on the decking and under brollies.

Sadly the British weather did its usual trick, but it didn’t stop us using the beautiful grounds in between showers. As we had so many guests travelling from overseas most of the guests stayed at Nunsmere the night before, so we had a couple of great vintage coaches to transport everyone to the church. Anthony being a car nut loved the Rolls Royce Phantom and as a surprise for him we had a giant scalextric to play with after the wedding breakfast.

Music was another important feature of the day so we had a fantastic 8-piece band to entertain everyone in the evening. Fortunately the weather cleared in time for us to do something that was very close to the bride’s heart – she had always dreamt of having Chinese lanterns at the end of the day and sure enough we were able to make this dream come true.

The perfect end to a wonderful day.

“Thank you so much for everything…the whole day was sooooo special, every minute was exquisite”

Angharad & Anthony

Jonathan & Phillippa

Nunsmere Hall, July 2011

Jonathan and Phillippa contacted me at the early stages of their planning. They had booked the venue and a couple of suppliers but really wanted someone to guide them through the whole process to ensure every eventuality was covered.

Phillippa chose a stunning colour scheme of coral, green and ivory – beautiful and very on ‘trend’. I introduced them to some fantastic suppliers – a stationer and florist – both of whom were very important to them, plus I had a bit of a quirky idea, which immediately appealed - an ice cream parlour for guests to enjoy in the evening!

It went down a storm and I even got to sample some - delicious! This was a very special wedding as I became very close to this couple who had been through an emotional year. I was delighted when they had glorious sunshine and an amazing day at a gorgeous venue.

“Thank you again for all your help and support during the planning and throughout the day of our wedding. We really would have been lost without you! Would love to keep in touch and to share our photos with you. We are also here to sing your praises to everyone whenever you need us to! :)”

Phillippa

Sian & Derek

Walcot Hall, June 2011

Sian contacted me just a few weeks before her wedding after being let down by another planner and though her venue was further than I normally travel, I loved Sian’s personality and plan for her day.

This was going to be a fun, fun wedding – there was so much going on: A Bag Piper as a surprise for the groom, garden games, tipi sweetie stall and an outdoor casino (yes, really, outdoors!), photo booth, competitions as well as live music, with decorations throughout the garden.

Even though we had a Plan B, we so needed a beautiful day so I was so delighted when the day dawned sunny and hot; it was perfect for everything that was planned.

Everyone had a great time, children running around the gorgeous grounds and Derek loving his surprise – such a lovely family to work with and the day went just as planned – helped a little by the glorious weather.

“Andrea, you truly were a lifesaver. I was determined to do everything myself as I love planning and although stressful at times I thoroughly enjoyed it. You certainly eased the pain towards the end, you helped with so many unforeseen issues that arose and you also helped with so much the week of the wedding when we had already decamped to Walcot. Thanks so much for everything.”

Sian

Jane & Steve

Iscoyd Park, May 2011

I was delighted to recommend the stunning Iscoyd Park to Jane and Steve when they contacted me looking for some help with planning their wedding.

Jane was happy to do a lot of the legwork in finding suppliers but they wanted my input to actually make all the ideas they had a reality and to careful plan the logistics.

This was to be an action packed wedding, there wasn’t to be a dull moment for guests, plus Steve was passionate about ensuring they had wonderful food and drink throughout the day. Fortunately we had Rupert from The Fine Dining Company to create a sumptuous 5-course meal and we then had wines to match every course. This all required me working closely not just with Jane and Steve but also Iscoyd and Rupert to pull of quite a complicated day.

The pièce de résistance though was when Steve secretly contacted me wanting to arrange a surprise for Jane, but as we had so much entertainment already, there was no time for anything else. So I came up with the idea of having a plane fly over during the drinks reception with a banner declaring "I love you Mrs Burgess" - what a fab surprise! A wonderful heartfelt, emotional day that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

“Just wanted to say a big thank you for everything you have done for us. You were brilliant”

Steve

Jo & Rob

Salmesbury Hall, June 2010

Jo and Rob contacted me in August 2009 as they lived in Amsterdam, but wanted to get married back home. The logistics of trying to plan a wedding from overseas and Jo’s very demanding job meant they would need my full planning service. Plus they weren’t just planning a wedding; this was going to be a wedding weekend!

So the hunt was on for the perfect venue, when they saw Salmesbury Hall they were smitten, it didn’t have any accommodation but not too far away was the wonderful Wolfen Mill, a group of gorgeous cottages that we could take over for the weekend and that fitted the bill perfectly.

After a lot of hard work and many, many emails we reached the day before the wedding. Guests gathered from all over the world and joined Jo and Rob for a lovely relaxed pre wedding barbeque at Wolfen.

On the day buses ferried the guests to Samlesbury and what a day, the weather was picture perfect! Everything went to plan, from the petal shot on the lawn, to the stunning singer for the ceremony and drinks reception, the fantastic cake of local cheeses and an amazing band that had the dance floor filled all night. Just a shame England couldn’t manage a win that night in the world cup!

A truly special wedding weekend celebrating love, family and friends.

“On this, the most important day of our lives, we were completely free to enjoy the day safe in the knowledge that everything was under control. We felt like we were going to a party rather than giving a party and every single one of our guests told us afterwards that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Andrea was always there in the background, a reassuring presence - if any hiccups came up we never knew…and she even arranged for the sun to shine!  We will miss Andrea, she has been a big part of our lives for the last year and we have loved working with her. It is really sad that we can’t have her at our side to organize us now”

Jo & Rob

Tony & Fi

Oakley Hall, Shropshire, April 2010

Tony and Fi contacted me shortly before Christmas 2009, with less than four months to go until their wedding they realised that they definitely needed some professional help. They were busy professionals who travelled a lot with their jobs plus they weren’t planning a simple affair! So I stepped in to help them tie up the loose ends, source a couple of suppliers and work out the challenging logistics of a day to be filled with music and dancing.  

On the day we were blessed with unseasonably warm spring sunshine, perfect for the gorgeous setting. Guests were entertained from the moment they arrived with the day featuring a saxophonist for the drinks reception, pianist and bass during the wedding breakfast, opera singer during the comfort break, a ‘strictly hour’ complete with a fantastically choreographed first dance and professional dancers and then another band to take us into the evening, it was amazing, everyone quite literally had a ball!

“Many thanks for all your help especially on the day. Everyone we have spoken to all had a superb time and it definitely would not have been anywhere near as good without you”.      

Tony & Fi

Katy & Henry

Capesthorne, August 2009

I was very impressed by how organised Katy and Henry were when I met them; they were planning a gorgeous wedding reception in a marquee in the grounds of Capesthorne. However they still recognised that for them to really relax and enjoy the day they would need someone else to take charge and ensure everything ran, as it should.

And it did! The weather was amazing and I am proud to report that everything came together exactly as planned; their casks of local ale went down a treat along with the delicious food. It was a beautiful English country wedding.

"Our reason for booking on the day coordination was to ensure that the day ran smoothly and that there were no hiccups. This was done particularly well and the day was perfect. We felt that Fabulous Day were always on the ball and on hand with useful and imaginative suggestions. As we were having a marquee wedding there were a number of issues, which we hadn't originally contemplated and Fabulous Day pointed these out to us, which was great!

Additionally, we found working with Andrea to be particularly enjoyable and commend her for this. Whilst being professional and thorough Andrea maintains an approachable and friendly persona, which makes it a pleasure to work with her. It is worth mentioning that a number of our other suppliers commented on how friendly and efficient she was."

Katy & Henry

Clare & Guy

Thornton Manor, June 2009

Clare and Guy came to me on recommendation from a friend whose wedding I was also working on. They needed some direction with their planning and assistance with sourcing suppliers. It was really important to Clare and Guy to be great hosts and no expense was spared in ensuring their guests had a good time; together, we ensured there would be plenty of food and drink, and put in place an amazing entertainment line-up, including a caricaturist, an incredible singer for the drinks reception and a great live band, who performed in their own nightclub area of the marquee for the evening. A real show-stopper was the 6ft tall ice sculpture of the Empire State building, which was also a vodka luge - dazzling! This was a truly fabulous wedding.

"Dear Andrea Just to say thank you for all your help and support. We really don’t know what we would have done without you. Thank you so much."

All of our love Clare and Guy

James & Rachael

Knowsley Hall, May 2009

This was my first full Orthodox Jewish wedding and it was fascinating to learn about all the traditions involved! I worked very closely with the bride, her parents, the caterer and the venue on this one and it went really well, despite the Rabbi and half the guests being delayed by a road accident - a huge and unforeseeable challenge! That aside, it was a meticulously planned, beautiful day with gorgeous flowers, great food and a stunning venue..

“I would not hesitate in recommending Fabulous Day because you offered such a professional and comprehensive service. You did exactly what you said you would in your initial offer of service. In fact I would say you most certainly ‘went the extra mile and more”

Marilyn - Mother of the bride

Katy & Martyn

Hillbark, May 2009

I have always loved Hillbark and was delighted when Katy and Martyn approached me to provide full planning for their wedding there. With them both having demanding careers they simply didn’t have the time to do all the work required. Music was a big feature of this lovely vintage themed wedding and I worked hard to ensure the whole day was filled with it, beginning with a beautiful soloist at the church, on to an amazingly versatile string quartet who played throughout the drinks reception and wedding breakfast, then finished off with a great band whose infectious music kept the black sparkly dance floor filled all night. This was a beautiful, elegant wedding with lots of “Wow”!

"Thank you so much for everything you did to make our wedding so special. We couldn’t have done it without you. You made the whole experience of planning the wedding so much more stress free and we both thoroughly enjoyed the day knowing it was in safe hands."

All our love Katy and Martyn

Suzanne & David

Nunsmere Hall, June 2008

Suzanne contacted me just four weeks before her big day. She had booked Nunsmere, a stunning venue, which offers excellent service, but was now struggling to bring everything together and was really stressed out – could I please help?! Having worked at Nunsmere just a couple of months before, I knew the team really well and was confident that, between us, we could give Suzanne her dream day. I was also thrilled to be included in a big secret – her Mum had arranged fireworks as a complete surprise for the bride, groom and all the guests, so I was asked to support with that too. It was the perfect end to a very beautiful and emotional day. I earned myself a new nickname that day: Wonder Woman, as that is how Suzanne saved my details on her phone!

"We thought that you did an absolutely fantastic job for us on our wedding day and in the weeks leading up to it and that we would not have had the wedding that we wanted and that we did end up having, had you not been so involved. The same is true for my family and particularly my Mum and all the help that you gave to her with the fireworks.  Your discreet efficiency made the day run smoothly and took all the stress away of worrying about arrangements and suppliers! We enjoyed working with you enormously and somehow you even managed to overcome the fact that I’m a complete control freak and assume all the responsibility without me even noticing.”

Suzanne

Kara & Danny

Marquee at Gawsworth Hall, May 2008

Kara’s Mum approached me after hearing about me through a friend. Her daughter was getting married in fourteen months and she was helping her plan the wedding and with them both working full time they felt they needed some additional help with sourcing suppliers, liaising with the marquee company, venue and caterer. After heavy rain all week, the skies finally cleared to the most gorgeous summer’s day, perfect for this quintessentially English Garden wedding; guests were greeted by the sound of the jazz duo drifting across the gardens as they strolled from the church to the beautiful grounds of Gawsworth. Chilled Pimms was waiting for them and many had fun playing croquet. Having worked with this couple and their families for so long, I admit a few tears were shed when it came time to say goodbye. But they did have a fabulous day!

"Andrea, A heartfelt thank you from all of us for all that you have done over the last few months. We could not have done it without you. You have been there to guide us into the place we are today. Always so very, very organized, calm, reassuring and patient with us. What fun we had too! We are eternally grateful that you have made everything come together.”

Bride’s parent

Caleb & Kerry

Thornton Manor, March 2008

Without doubt, this was the biggest challenge I had faced as a wedding planner: to plan, from start to finish, a three day wedding celebration for 350 guests in a mere ten weeks! But what amazing clients Caleb and Kerry were to work with; I don’t think I have ever met anyone with such zest for life as this couple! They had some outrageous ideas the majority of which, I am delighted to say, I was able to turn into reality, to give them the weekend they had dreamed of.

This was a truly amazing wedding, which I am incredibly proud to have been such an integral part of, and it is certainly one I will never forget; all the hard work paid off!!

"Andrea was amazing. She was easy to work with and produced a stunning result…. She is the best! Thank you Andrea. See you at the reunion.”