A gorgeous rustic venue situated on the Essex/Hertfordshire border which boasts a rural yet cosy feeling, with nooks and open pasture land to accompany it. The barns at Lodge Farm is a gorgeous and laid-back all-in-one venue, and if you're looking to get married somewhere which ticks these boxes, I highly recommend a visit.
With separate ceremonies, drinks reception and partying areas, you'll be spoilt for choice on where to let your vision come to life.
And speaking of vision, I know just the people to help...
Molly (The Tiny Planner) & Eram (Boom Blooms) are regulars of this chilled-out, chic venue. Molly has a huge talent for executing other people's visions perfectly, and I wanted to put her skills to the test with the help of Eram.
Molly labels herself as a non-traditional, and creative wedding planner. She loves to work with couples who like to 'push the boat out' with their visions, and display their eccentric ways to those they love. I tasked Molly to put together a table design a little quirky in nature, but stunningly gorgeous at the same time. Molly enlisted the help of Eram, one-half of Boom Blooms.
Molly nailed the brief, and on the day of the shoot, I was able to pick her brains - scroll down for the exclusive interview with Molly to learn more about her and what it's like to be a luxury wedding planner.
Wedding planning 101 – An interview with a top-class wedding planner
Molly was able to talk about the process of working with a planner, what you might get out of using a planner, how she defines the luxury market and so much more!
Wedding planners do so much behind the scenes, and I really wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of it. I wanted to help my clients understand the value that a good planner can provide, and how by working with a planner they can come away from their wedding day having zero wedding regrets (warning, wedding blues are a serious thing!).
I had the pleasure of getting to know and interviewing Molly who owns TheTinyPlanner Co. She was able to provide valuable insight on what goes into working with her clients and how she gets the best out of their visions.
Molly explains that the first obstacle to tackle is overall style. She needs to get a good feel for what you really like and dislike before helping to nurture your vision into reality.
“One of the first obstacles we tackle is overall style. This doesn’t necessarily mean colour palettes and table linens. I mean more of the overall expectation from each creative department on the day. What I personally do is have my clients fill out prompt sheets which are usually multiple-choice question sheets (with images) for each supplier.
For example, photography; I will have a collection of the different types of photography - light and airy, dark and moody, documentary, editorial etc, and have them [clients] mark against which styles they like. From here we can start working on what kind of supplier would suit them best for each department rather than just always recommending my favourites”.
Molly demonstrates here that a good planner will put your vision and your tastes at the forefront of their planning. They use what you really desire to frame and shape your day, rather than just using a cookie-cutter plan for each couple. Molly understands that each couple she serves is totally different.
As we know, planning a wedding is no small feat. If you've given it go yourself, you'll know that you'll need to become a financial budget guru, a project team leader, a vision stylist, a timeline coordinator, an admin liaison, a Pinterest expert, and a never-ending fountain of creative ideas. Luckily, Molly is all of these and more.
“I think as a planner (much like any of us in the industry) I end up wearing a few different hats. I am primarily a planner, meaning I work through the logistics leading up to and on the day of my couples' weddings.
But I am also a stylist and a writer and sometimes even a friend to my couples. I think I would class myself as a creative individual who just really wants to bring to life the most unique experiences for my clients. Whether that be just on the day, a full plan, styling help, or even just a little inspiration”.
When I spoke to Molly her passion and desire for helping really came through. It was very interesting from a photographer's perspective watching another supplier from the front end describe her process on how she brings it all together.
One of the biggest terms and obstacles couples might face when planning their wedding is budget. I remember from my own planning experience, you kind of want someone to tell you what your budget should be, but no one can tell you that.
It's something that you and your partner need to work out together. Molly explains how once the total budget is set, she then assists couples work out where to allocate their money depending on what is most important to them, basing it first off of 'norms' of where couples might usually allocate their budget.
"In terms of budgeting, clients usually come to me with a pre-determined total in mind. We then split it up into general budget percentages, depending on what the clients' focus points are.
We change the budget up according to couples' preferences, but first base this off of averages."
Once the budget has been set, and roughly split up and you have expressed your likes and dislikes with regard to style, it's time for Molly to help you find your suppliers. Molly reverts back to the trusty prompt sheets to see where she should begin her search. This helps with the next step, finding your dream team.
"In terms of how I find suppliers, I have favourites but I send over prompt sheets to each of my couples for each sector to get a feel for what style they really like, to get a really good feel for the style they want. I then set about a tailored supplier search off the back of the initial prompt sheets. If a client was very specific about the kind of supplier/look they were after and I already had a perfect match in mind for them, I’d be able to then recommend that supplier."
As suppliers, we usually build up a circle of people whom we know like and trust. And when we know someone would be a perfect match, it's hard to not sing about them from the rooftops! Although from the outside looking in, photo styles, venues, table decor and flowers might all look similar, each supplier has their own signature twist and personality. Finding a match isn't just aesthetics, it's also about ergonomic experience and effectiveness.
The service is tailored to the couple. And as you climb the scale of wedding suppliers across the industry, you can see a clear difference in the service provided. The suppliers become very niche servicing a smaller portion of clients well. They tick the boxes on personal design, ergonomics and have their processes nailed down to a T. The supplier does all they can to look after you and create the best possible experience for you and your partner. You can of course, expect to pay prices that reflect the look and feel of this more luxurious experience.
In essence, you can expect a whole other level.
Molly talks about the luxury wedding industry, what it means to her and how she feels couples should look at the word luxury.
“With the luxury industry, I think there is a lot more attentiveness"
She goes on to say that if you are looking at luxury wedding suppliers you should already be expecting top-quality materials, food, linens and design. In addition to this, you should measure luxury by the delivery of what you are receiving and the attentiveness of your suppliers. This is what sets them apart.
All of the above luxury qualities help to build trust between yourself and your suppliers. After all, it's the most important day for a lot of people, so trust, and delivery on your word should be number 1 on any top wedding suppliers list.
Molly believes in friendship and communication, in building relationships with her couples and in nurturing and guiding them through the planning process. The trust she builds with her clients is an essential component of her being able to execute your day without a hitch.
When you work with Molly you can expect a relaxed experience whereby you get to know each other first before diving into planning specifics.
Molly believes in being upfront with her clients and providing them with facts and figures that don't change drastically throughout the planning process. This enables her to create an ultimate stress-free experience.
"...going into planning a wedding, you will either really love it or really hate it. And you don't really know until you're doing it. And if you're not that type A person, then it can be really difficult to take on such a mammoth job. Even if it's just reassurance for them, that I've got it under control, there's a lot of support and love there.
I do find that the type of couples that I work with, we remain good friends and the relationships we build are very important."
So all in all, the experience you can expect working with Molly or other awesome wedding planners will take your wedding planning to the next level.
The key takeaways here are to do what you value and don't let your values be compromised. When you're looking to plan a high-end wedding, your suppliers should not only deliver premium and quality materials but their personality, their processes and your trust in them you should match, if not exceed that.
And remember, a higher price doesn't always mean luxury. If you don't have the helping hand of a planner, then be on the lookout for the incredible service which should embody your top-wedding-team.
If you don't already know me, I'm Dannie.
A wedding photographer & videographer based in Oxfordshire. It's important to me to build purposeful relationships in life, whether that be with my own friends and family, clients or other suppliers in the industry. I often find that what is important to me, is important to my couples. I believe sharing mutual principles is often given when choosing your suppliers. It's not always necessary, but know that the journey you have together will be more fulfilling and satisfactory when you share it with people who want the same for you, as you envision.