Meet Your Wedding Planner!

As much as it's been sliding down the to do list, I thought it was important you got the opportunity to know me as much as I get to know you (of course, if you'd like to spare me the personal cringe, we could just grab a coffee instead - that would be much more in my comfort zone, ha!). I would much rather it all be be about you and your celebrations so this one's for you! Firstly, hello and thanks so much for stopping by. If there’s one thing about me you should know, it's that I am much happier beavering away in the background than being the centre stage. Being a wedding & party planner suits me down to the ground. The focus of the day is always you meaning I am perfectly content ensuring everything runs seamlessly, away from the spotlight.

But were here now as much as I kicked up a fuss, I even actually had a hoot creating these images of me with the lovely Joanne Jacobs. I’ve worked with Jo for some time and always admire how comfortable she makes couples feel and I’m always in awe of how incredible her images are but this time was a little different as I experienced this first hand. Possibly, I may have been the most difficult, ‘won’t stand still for long’ client she has had and there’s a good chance I wasn’t her trendiest client, with my insistence on carrying around my ‘practical pink bag’ - which I don’t think she saw the value in as much as me, (it was great for putting essentials in, was roomy and I didn’t mind if it got mucky).

So that’s all the fun I had creating but now I’ll tell you more about me. I really love people, I’m incredibly interested in the make-up of people, what makes them tick and what’s important to them. Maybe it’s another version of nosy but when you speak to me, I am completely invested in getting to know you. It's really important too actually, because so many of the decisions you make with your plans for your party or wedding, will all come back to your personality. It's my ambition to become an extension of your friends and family, to know instantaneously the suppliers I will shortlist for you in some cases, where I just know you'll click with them as much as you'll love their products and services. That to me, it's what's really important anyway. You need to be able to trust your wedding team, and as the saying goes, 'they could be the brightest, most beautiful flower in the garden but there will always be someone that doesn't like flowers'.

Im Jessica, or Jess whichever, i'm not fussy and I’ve been working in the industry for the past eight years, focusing on weddings and celebrations for the last five in particular. I’ve worked a variety of businesses which has given me a really well rounded view of the industry. It's always been hospitality for me, i'm not very good at much else. Before I began working, I had a lovely 4 years doing a degree in Events Management. I fully intended it to be a party party party 4 years as a fresh out of school 18 year but unfortunately for me and my ideas, I chose a university where our class size began at just 50 people and just 15 actually made it to graduation. They were strict. Lecturers knocking on our physical doors (6 of us on the course lived together so it was 6 birds with one stone) to drag us to 9am lectures and with most of them running experienced events consultancies, we were free labour for most summers too. Looking back now, I couldn't have been more lucky with that, I was exposed to more situations than any other degree would have given me. Because of this, I found it relatively easy to gain work straight away in events so worked in agencies, hotels before moving onto a country estate wedding venue and I think that's where The Wedding Help was born for me, although I only realised this probably 3 or 4 years in.

My mind works quite practically, so to do lists are very much in my language. I'm logistically minded but have a great creative flair too so for precision planning and delivering seamless weddings & parties this skillset really does serve me well. I would describe myself as a logistical planner, spreadsheet keen and always always up for a challenge!

My family & friends are incredibly important to me too (I know everyone says that, but i'd much rather be on a dog walk with them, than going shopping or on a wild night out so that's my idea of fun!) my sister is a midwife so often our schedules clash but we love what we do, so make it work. My minds a little bit a million miles an hour so i'm always on the look-out for new ways to learn and make The Wedding Help the best it can be, not only for myself but for my clients too. I strive to make myself the best kind of support you could wish for on your wedding day.

If you've made it this far we really need to have a coffee so if you would like to have a chat I’d love to hear from you – just get in touch.

Jess X

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