Len & Nuala
Nuala & Len are both professionals working long hours in the finance sector, with busy social lives too! 2007 was extra busy for them as every few weeks they were off at the weekend to another friends wedding!
Nuala was great to work with as she had been an events manager in her native Ireland so she had lots of experience in putting weddings together & knew the importance of detail!
When we met the first thing we had to do was finalise the venue for the reception, Nuala had already looked at many of Edinburgh’s venues but nowhere had ticked all the boxes!
Nuala and Len finally decided on the George Hotel in George Street as it was close in proximity to the Cathedral where they were to exchange their vows. The Kings Hall could accommodate the potential 160 guests with comfortable room to spare.
To create the ambiance Nuala wanted, I brought in a lighting company to colourwash the room in pinks during the day and magenta for a more intimate feel for the evening entertainment, the transformation was amazing!
Next step was the linen, Nuala wanted something different from the hotels choice of white or beige, so I sent for samples from various linen companies until we got it just right! To get the correct shade in the chair ties we ended up using 2 colours on each chair, but the end result was magnificent!
On the tables Nuala went for alternating high & low floral displays from her own florist, which worked very effectively & maintained the theme throughout the day. We compiled our own table plan and co-ordinated this with the table names, place cards and menus.
The moral of this wedding…….
See your venue as a blank canvas that you can put your mark on!!
Create your own theme!! Nuala had been to so many weddings that had different themes from Tuscan Vineyard to Thai to Cosmopolitan, but she had firm ideas in mind what she wanted for her own day – classic, chic & contemporary, with a little help in finding the suppliers to help her achieve this she created the wedding she had envisioned.
Look at the package the venue has in place, often they will offer to include table linen & flower arrangements in the price, plus do place cards and menus for your tables, this is ideal if you are working on a budget but please insist on seeing samples as they may completely clash with your overall effect, it is surprising how a menu printed on a white piece of A4 paper can quickly spoil an otherwise amazing table setting!! Bear in mind that often it is the small details your guests will remember!
Learn to negotiate!!
Wedding Co-ordinators are there to listen & to advise, they know the suppliers best suited to your requirements. They will save you time & money in narrowing the search & on the big day make sure your instructions are carried out to the letter!
