lndevents

Having met the owner of White Syke Fields (WSF) Charlotte, back in January when she was just starting to advertise the barns and I created a photo shoot there, we’d kept in touch about her proposal to do an official launch of the venue so more people became aware of the ability to rent it.

Charlotte wanted to invite a lot of collaborators who had done bits – such as photo shoots, to join forces and show just some of the things you could do at the venue.

Having discussed the possibility of hosting supper clubs together in the past, I offered to assist by styling a large dining set up in one of the barns so visitors could visualise how their own intimate set up could be if they hired the place. 

I wanted everything to have an extra special touch so I contacted All Things Borrowed to use Hannah’s fabulous furniture to use two of her Dawson tables and her mix and match chairs to seat 20 guests.

I then asked Bethan from Bureau Botanay who I’d worked with on the original shoot there in January, if she would be interested in helping me dress the tables with bud vases of flowers and brass candle stick holders as I’d acquired some gorgeous jewel toned candles.

With thanks to Dom’s Kitchen for the loan of crockery and cutlery and Louisianna’s bar for the loan of glassware, the table was really coming together but to add the finishing touches, I asked Heidi from The Embroided Napkin Company if I could use some of her different designs.

Heidi had some samples of some beautiful napkins which had menus printed on them. This would be such an elevated touch for an intimate event so I mixed those with some monogramed napkins in a matching colour scheme.

I then asked Carolyn from Gray Starling Designs if she could provide a stationery suite so I added name cards, menus to the place settings which didn’t have those napkins, and table numbers.

The last fitting piece was a stunning cake from Where The Ribbon Ends which matched the stationery beautifully. 

Below are some images captured by Lissa Alexandra, which I have the permission to share with thanks to her and WSF. If you would like anything similar putting together for a private event then please do not hesitate to get in contact. 

Louise and James, 21st September 2019

It was really exciting to hear from Louise and James as, although I am happy to travel anywhere in the world to be part of a wedding, I rarely make it out of Yorkshire haha.

Louise and James were getting married in Hexham Abbey and then using James’ family farmland to host a marquee wedding so I jumped at the chance to be involved.

Having family not too far away meant I could take advantage of staying with them and keep it affordable for the couple so it was a win-win scenario.

With Louise and James being a bit more remote, we did our first consultation via the phone (if only I’d embraced Zoom earlier) and then when I was next up in the North East, I mixed business and pleasure and got to meet them face-to-face.

The couple had a great idea of how the day was all going to look but the caterer was a family friend who was going to prep everything in advance and then enjoy the day as a guest so they just needed someone to oversee the agency staff they had booked and make sure the bar and food service ran smoothly along with my usual timeline running.

On my site visit the day before the wedding, I was blown away by the views from their marquee. The couple had booked a Papakata Sperry tent, which was sitting on top of a hill in one of the family owned fields, overlooking Hexham and beyond.

The sun was shining and the forecast remained set to stay the same for the whole weekend – this was going to be a good one!

Arriving on the morning of the wedding to do a hand over with the caterer Clara, the final bits that had been done to the marquee overnight looked fab.

The agency waiting staff arrived not long after so we went back through the handover whilst we still had Clara present and everyone was completely sure of their roles for the day.

I then set about some finishing touches; laying out outdoor seating, signage, the cake and meeting the photographer and videographer who had come to take some shots whilst the marquee was clear.

Guests began to filter up to the site just after 2pm and were greeted by canapés and fizz, with Louise and James making their grand entrance in an old Land Rover Defender (my favourite).

After a lovely, sunny, outdoor drinks reception I asked guests to take their seats ready for the announcement of the couple’s entrance. This has to be the best entrance I’ve ever seen in terms of vibe and enthusiasm. The couple had picked a track to walk into which was cranked up loud, all the guests stood on their chairs or even some on the tables, and swung napkins round like they were about to take off.  Things like this keep me buzzing about working wedding days for years after.

After speeches – which I have to say had the best bridesmaid speeches I’ve ever seen with a 15 minute poem from them all about their life with Louise, Clara’s amazing food was served and then it was onto the evening entertainment. I was told James was in a band himself so music was a big focus for this day.

The couple were having three bands and they had a professional music technician on site all day with music interludes for parts of the day (such as the entrance to the marquee). What I didn’t appreciate however was that James was actually the lead singer and the couple had first met when Louise went to one of his big sold out Hip Hop Hooray gigs.

James surprised Louise when the first dance turned into an usher grabbing a chair for Louise to sit on whilst James grabbed the mic to sing the rest to her. Do not picture anything cheesy – this was an upbeat version of Elton John’s ‘Guess that’s why they call it the blues’ with all the guests piling in and lifting Louise and James high onto shoulders…. Another unforgettable moment for me to witness and it wasn’t even my day, but a big reason why I love weddings so much.

Evening cocktails were served between musical interludes by Quaff Box and food by the Little Fishy to keep guests well fed. Once these last bits were underway, it was time for me to clock off and if it hadn’t been for the drive home, I would have liked to stay and party with them all night as the atmosphere was something else.

With big thanks to Sean Elliott Photography for allowing me to share these images.

Lots of Love…

“Ellen was amazing, from start to finish nothing was too much and she helped make the day unbelievable! Would highly recommend! She is so lovely and felt like a friend rather than a supplier!”

— Louise and James

Sacha and Matt, 10th August 2019

It’s always really exciting for me when I get invited to work at different locations and so when Sacha and Matt had decided to get married at Sacha’s dad’s farmhouse, I was thrilled to be asked if I could co-ordinate the day.

Our first meet up was at the house so I could see the layout and their plans for where things would happen on the day. The original house had been extended to a more modern barn style but everything flowed really nicely and good thought had been given about how to accommodate the guests should wet weather happen.

Banking on good weather, the ceremony was going to be outside the original house front, under a beautiful large tree, with a custom made arbour backdrop that the couple were having made. Their friend was going to conduct the ceremony and then the drinks reception would move to the side of the house before the wedding breakfast and evening reception again moving, this time to a marquee on the lawns.

When I came for a site visit the day before the wedding, Sacha had done an amazing job at styling the marquee. The couple had chosen a completely transparent structure, which can be a bit of a greenhouse but is breathtaking on an evening. There was green foliage running down the centre of the trestle tables with each table setting looking stunning and very thoughtful favours for guests in the guise of wooden spoons which had the couple’s illustration on one side and their wedding date on the other… when I first met the couple, I had no idea that Matt was actually a famous baker and it was only through a chat with their photographer that I found out, so this was a spot on gift!

On the day, unfortunately the weather forecast was looking against us and we kept having torrential downpours, which meant that having the ceremony outdoors was looking unlikely.

The indoor option was all set and ready but collectively we decided to push back the ceremony (the beauty of a non-legal one is that you can do things like that) another half hour because it had been Sacha’s dream to use outside.

The weather worsened and Sacha had come to terms with the fact it was going to be inside so I went round to start seating guests. Little did I know that her dad must have been a weather mystic because when I came back to collect her, he was pleading with her to not give up on her dream and give outside a go as he could see the rain stopping.

So back round I ran again and rushed the guests back outside to take their seats on bales of blanketed straw and Sacha could finally make her grand entrance.

The ceremony was brilliantly emotional and although the rain seemed to want to prove her dad wrong, by erupting into one massive downpour about five minutes from the end, it didn’t take anything away from the beauty of it all and rainy photos always lead to more fun shots anyway!

As I helped move chairs from what would have been the indoor ceremony area, guests gathered in there to shelter from the rain and have yummy canapés and fizz from Babaganoush whilst photos were being taken and catch ups were being had.

Finally with the weather playing ball, we managed to organise a fantastic group confetti shot, which then led into Sacha and Matt directing the way to the marquee.

Speeches and dining were intermingled with some fantastic slide shows and funny stories before moving on to what some might have argued was the talking point of the day… the cake!

If you’re a professional baker then only the best is really going to do for your wedding. Sacha let Matt take full control of this aspect and in turn he enlisted Phil Khoury, one of the top pastry chefs at Harrods.

Because the marquee was so hot, I had suggested (before I saw the masterpiece) that Phil just set the cake up in the house and we walk it across later… little did I know that it was going to take another few hours before the wedding to construct to perfection and it was SO delicate that walking it more than a few feet was not an option.

Phil has a whole Instagram story highlight dedicated to how he made this creation so I urge you to go and look (instagram @philkhoury).

The pressure was then on Kieran the photographer, to make sure he gave the cake cutting shots the justice they deserved. Added to this spectacular event in itself, the cake had indoor heavy-duty sparklers hidden in some of the tubes so several of us had to coordinate our lighting and then move quickly out the way. Luckily everything went to plan and guests were absolutely wowed.

The evening reception then took off with music from Just For Tonight and evening food served from a really cute little horse trailer by the Toastie Club.

Weddings like this just go to show that the weather can never ruin a special day and it was absolutely wonderful to bear witness to.

With thanks to Kieran Paul for allowing me to use the following images.

Lots of Love…

“As a complete control freak I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to let go and relax on the day. Ellen allowed me to do just that and organised everything to perfection. It wouldn’t have been the same without her!”

— Sacha and Matt

Gina and Daniel 3rd August 2019

When I first met Gina and Daniel, they were interested in my help with styling Barmbyfield Barns for their wedding.

I’ve worked at the barns a few times now, done two full plan packages there and got married there myself so I hold it dearly in my heart and it means I know the layout really well and what I believe are areas to concentrate your efforts on and which can be left to show the barns natural beauty and save your money.

That said, I’m not a stylist and this was probably the first time a couple had wanted me to do this without any other packages involved.

In case anyone reading this is unsure of the difference, a stylist will hold their own stock which you will use as part of the booking with them, they are trained or finessing with experience, their ability to showcase their items in the best possible way and because they’ve tailored their skills to styling alone, they are a lot more experienced in that. Clients buy into the looks they can put together with their stock so you’ll find affinity to a certain stylist because you also want your event to look the same or similar.

A planner who offers styling is different. They will work with other suppliers who are all experts in their own product/skill and already know how to make that certain aspect look fantastic so the planner just brings the concept together by making sure the overall look is what the client wants. Because we don’t own our own stock, it means a client will need budget to pay the planner and budget to pay for the things they want to achieve said look, rather than having it all tied in together in the first place but it means the client can have whatever look they want and might feel a planner is better for them as they need direction in other aspects.

It doesn’t necessarily mean using the planner route is more expensive as stylists will individually price their stock and you can pick as much as you want/ they have to offer so you could end up spending just as much with one person than if you shopped around. Additionally, as with any supplier, your price is accordant to your experience and offering so there will be variety in cost depending on how ‘big’ that stylist is.

I love styling events but the reason I’ve chosen not to focus just on that route or to hold my own stock is because I also love networking within my industry and finding different suppliers to suit the clients tastes or theme. I want to vary this all the time and not offer one look based on my own tastes but instead draw out what my clients are.

With this in mind, Gina and Daniel very much became guinea pigs for me to run this as a standalone package and I quickly found that offering it via a pay per hour package wasn’t really working so now it’s a bespoke price based on how far my clients are in their styling journey.

We focused on a wildflower theme. Gina had already decided she’d like that look for the centerpieces of her tables and I’d seen some beautiful inspirational images of flower garlands hanging down walls. We focused on these being on the whitewash walls only for the larger installation but two mini hanging garlands to frame the cake table and the present table. The fantastic Deluxe Blooms brought this all to life.

I love pressed flowers so on agreement with Gina, I enlisted Gray Starling Designs to create a seating plan made from individual hanging frames which had the names in calligraphy on the glass and pressed flowers inside the clear glass.

This was replicated for the table numbers, which nestled amongst the wildflower vases and candles.

Gina had seen a hanging garland installation at another wedding at the barns and wanted to replicate something similar, so using the colour tones that she and Daniel had picked for their own day, I found an Etsy seller who made me some bespoke pom-poms made from tissue paper.

I underestimated just how long these take to put together and was in a slight panic when, by day one of set up, I’d only managed to complete that section of styling and nothing else but with all events, you learn as you go and I definitely know what to do now if anyone else wants these. 🙂

The finishing touches were to intertwine the pom-poms with fairy lights and to hang the seating plans from crates I’d seen at the barns, so they looked like they were suspended in the air.

My saviour Harriet who works at the barns, has so much better handwriting than me, so she wrote up the timeline for the day on one of the blackboards for me and her and the owner include furniture layout in the price of hire so they had taken care of the ceremony room layout of chairs.

Mid-way through working with Gina and Daniel, they decided they would welcome my support on the day too so luckily for me, I got to see their day through to the end. It was one of the most fun weddings I’ve worked and it always feels special to know your ideas were right when the bride cries with happiness as to how it looked!

A big thanks to Laura from Hip to Heart for giving me permission to use these images.

Lots of Love…

“I didn’t know what I wanted, but somehow Ellen managed to get all of the information that she needed out of us (me) to create a stunning room for the wedding that was totally in line with my style and personality. She kept me so chill in the run up. On the day, everything was spot on, I loved every second of it and I didn’t have to worry about a thing. I’m sure it would have all been fine if I’d had to arrange everything on my own, but it wouldn’t have been the day that it was — thanks to Ellen”.

— Gina and Daniel

I was really excited to hear from Anna and Diego; firstly they weren’t York based and I’m always keen to hear from people further afield, and secondly they were getting married at a venue I’d not worked before which is always a refreshing change for me.

We met up in Newcastle to discuss their plans for the wedding, which they’d, very much cracked on with and just needed help coordinating the day. A lot of barn venues operate on a DIY basis but it still varies hugely in how much is included at the site. For this particular one – Deepdale Farm, couples pretty much get the space and the in-house barn and that’s it. Everything else has to be hired in.

Anna and Diego wanted a festival vibe to their wedding and had encouraged guests to camp over in luxury bell tents to really get into the spirit. The furniture for the venue came from Blacks (now event furniture prop hire) and they chose the rustic trestles to blend nicely with the barns.

When I popped down for a site visit the day before the wedding, the pair had decorated the barns beautifully with coloured lanterns and streamers hanging from festoon lighting, with bud vase flowers filling up the tables. 

Like any festival, the weather was unreliable for the day so there was a lot of running in and out of the barns due to torrential downpours but it absolutely couldn’t put a dampener on the day – especially the ceremony which I think all the guests will all agree was the highlight of the day.

The couple booked Louisa Starr as their celebrant. I’ve known Louisa for years but never had the pleasure of working with her until this wedding. It was absolutely bonkers but in the most brilliant way. I had to keep dipping in and out in between other tasks but from what I saw, there was running up and down the aisle from the couple as a quiz was undertaken and then everyone joining in for a congregated song of Toto’s ‘Africa’ 

There was so much laughter and a sure talking point for the rest of the day.

Anna and Diego booked the awesome El Kantina to cater both the day and the evening do, who provided authentic Mexican food – another fantastic talking point as it was so tasty.

Their band, The Royale were so lovely to work with in pre-wedding chats and got the whole dancefloor packed from the beginning, ensuring that upbeat feeling stayed until it was all over.

As someone who also chose to have a festival wedding including a Mexican feast, this made me very nostalgic in all the right ways and I was really honoured to be a part of it. 

Laura from Hip To Heart – another wedding industry friend I’ve known for years, was their photographer and has given me permission to share these images.

Lots of Love…

“Ellen was an absolute star on our wedding day — we had a couple issues with the venue and she got them ironed out straight away and had our backs the whole time. We were so grateful to Ellen as it would have been an entirely different experience had we not hired her!”

— Anna and Diego

Matt and Alana are one of the sweetest couples I have had the pleasure to work with.

When I first met them they were so humble and unassuming, I knew that no matter how many guests they’d invite to their wedding, it was going to feel a really intimate day because it really was about the two of them.

Alana worked as a chef so food was going to be an important factor to the wedding so who better than to book the Hog and Apple to provide the wedding breakfast. 

Their cake was being made by a friend, which is always a lovely personal touch if you have such talented people around you – and this one was gorgeous. 

The barn at Deighton has enough detail for couples not to need to go overboard on budget. The most sensible areas to spend your wedding budget on when you don’t have to decorate, are good food, good music and if florals are your thing, then beautiful flowers to bring colour and life to DIY venues.

This is exactly what Matt and Alana did, hiring the Leatherneck band for entertainment and The Petal Studio to bring in the sunshine in the form of gorgeous sunflowers and pink roses and peonies to name a few. 

The weather kept dry which meant the couple could get married outside and later once speeches and the meal were over, garden games could continue before the band were ready and we all enjoyed the cake cutting and first dance.

The day was such a sweet one, which you can really see in the photos that were expertly taken by Foxtail Photography which Louise has kindly given me permission to share. 

Julie and I have known each other for a few years now, from having horses together at the same yard at one point but it wasn’t until she was a guest at another wedding I’d helped plan, that she approached me about helping her with her own.

Both Julie and Adrian had made great headway with their planning but wanted support in the finishing touches so I created a bespoke package designed to help them with some styling aspects and coordinate their day.

They had already designed their invites and stationery suite for the wedding day but they wanted some signs that were significant to them as a couple so I enlisted one of my favourite designers Gray Starling to create five beautiful large canvases which I strategically placed around the venue at points to take guests on a journey both metaphorically and literally!

Julie and Adrian also asked me to come up with some favour ideas for guests because they couldn’t provide alcohol at the venue so after some discussions about things that were meaningful to them, I recruited the amazing Poppy Pickering to handcraft chocolate dogs in a split of white and milk chocolate which were beautifully packaged to fit the theme.

The lakeside-wedding venue is an offshoot of the Gilpin’s main hotel. It is a picturesque, boutique venue and as its name suggests, sits right on the side of a lake. The staff there are very experienced in running weddings so my support on the day was more about the personal touches and providing support to my couple.

People often wonder why you might want a planner when venues have coordinators included but we work in different ways. A venue coordinator will be there to make sure things are logistically in the right place at the right time such as the dining set up, the food (in these scenarios the food usually comes internally from the venue rather than an outside caterer) and a room change around whereas a personal planner like myself, is there for the couple. We are there to ensure they are where they need to be on time and ensure their needs are met throughout the day. The venue will work to our timetable and there is no reason we can’t support each other in providing a successful day for the couple.

That’s exactly what happened on Julie and Adrian’s day. Although it chose to rain (of course it did, it’s England), which meant we needed to execute a last minute indoor plan, nothing could ruin how beautiful it all looked. It had been Julie’s dream to get married in the arbor outside by the lake but the hotel had a stunning, panoramic room which, with the bi-folding doors opened out and breathtaking florals by Brackens of Bowness made a substitute no one could be upset about!

The day went without a hitch with highlights such as Julie and Adrian executing a well rehearsed Foxtrot first dance, and the most amazing cake, which had model versions of Julie and Adrian in a boat on the lake.

Many thanks to Julie and Adrian for sharing their images with me. Taken by Rachel Winter Photography.

Lots of Love…

“Ellen was invaluable in the six-months prior to our wedding. She was always available no matter what time of the day or night I contacted her. She managed to source exactly what I wanted for my gifts to our guests. Always with a smile and a calm word. A very level; caring lady who obviously wants her bride to have the best day possible. No job was too big or too small, managing all my suppliers in an excellent manner. They would all very happily work with her again. An absolute delight”.

— Julie and Adrian