Reviewing your enquiry process
It feels as though we've barely had time to recharge following Christmas and yet the hype of Valentine’s Day's been and gone - A date that seems permanently tattooed on the backs of our eyelids in the wedding industry. Although this is significant in everyone’s love story, it's never a good time to become complacent as a wedding venue with the amount of enquires you receive and handle. Engagements will...
Hothorpe Hall and The Woodlands {Case Study}
“We've had just over 300 enquiries in January 2018, as opposed to 128 in January 2017” -Nicola Firth, Managing Director, Hothorpe Hall and The Woodlands Today I’d like to share with you a client case study detailing exactly how I’ve worked with one of my ambitious venue clients who invested in my 6-month ‘Refine and Shine’ programme. Please step forward - Hothorpe Hall. Hothorpe Hall and The Woodlands is a privately-owned exclusive use...
Showcasing your venue through real weddings this 2018
As a wedding venue, the beginning of the year is all about capturing exciting new bookings. A great way to do this is to reflect on your successes from the previous year and look at new ways to inject some excitement into what you do and how you are portrayed to your audiences. As everybody now knows, image is everything. It’s a daily sprawl of trendy blogs and social media posts...
The importance of a Brochure
Not all wedding venues and businesses need fancy brochures, but if you’ve decided it’s something you need, then make sure you do it properly. Who needs a brochure? Frankly, not everyone. Just because most venues, hotels and suppliers have elaborate upmarket ones, doesn’t mean you need to as well. But if having one flatters your business, then you should go with your instincts. A brochure ultimately serves as an expanded business...
Keeping ALL your wedding guests happy – how your venue can best host children
With an increased focus on relaxed, family friendly weddings and events, more and more venues who want to get ahead and beat the competition need to look at how they provide for children. Today’s blog is brought to you by Stephanie, childcare expert and owner/founder of Safe & Sound Events, who is the go-to provider for many an independent wedding planner (myself included) seeking the most professional, varied, creative and...
Nurturing your dream team
I talk a lot about the importance of team collaboration and team spirit in running a successful wedding venue in the modern wedding market. And my blog today is sticking to that theme, by giving you some inspiration for nurturing and securing the ongoing loyalty of your absolute dream wedding team. So what do I mean by your dream team? I’m talking here not about your internal team (although they...
Warmwell House – Venue Launch
Today’s blog post is dedicated to showing you the details of one of our most exciting projects of the year, helping to launch the charming Dorset manor, Warmwell House to the wedding market. Warmwell House is a Jacobean manor in Hardy’s Dorset. Privately owned and a very much loved family home. The Ross-Skinner family took the decision to host special weddings and celebrations (alongside an existing glamping business) to secure a...
One thing you MUST DO this autumn!
The crazy season is over (for most anyway) and there is a small window of opportunity to regroup and restock before (dare I mention it?) the Christmas season is upon us… I’m all about making every minute count, maximising opportunities and making the most of your hard work to help you SHINE for your future brides and grooms. To this end, the one thing you absolutely need to do this...
What makes a brilliant venue?
Ask the Wedding Planners – Straight-Talking Answers! As a consultant dedicated to helping venues shine more brightly in the industry, I talk a LOT on my blog, in my training programmes and via the talks and presentations I make about what venues need to do to keep relevant and appeal to modern couples. Today I throw open the doors to some trusted industry colleagues and fellow wedding professionals, specifically independent...
Wedding Venue Expert, Consultant & Trainer
It's been a long while since I've introduced myself fully. With many new followers, community members and venue connections joining me of late, it felt like a very good time to tell you more about this wedding venue expert, consultant and trainer ... How long have you been in the events & wedding industry and how did you get started? I’ve been in event planning for 23 years and wedding planning...