The Art of Marquee Weddings: Secrets from Susie Evans

 Step into the stunning world of marquee weddings with Susie Evans, founder of Susie Evans Wedding and Events Co. In this episode, we unpack the unique challenges and endless possibilities that bespoke marquee weddings present. Susie shares her journey into the wedding industry, revealing how her passion for creating memorable experiences evolved into a successful career characterized by a commitment to personalization and luxury.

Discover the ins and outs of transforming blank outdoor spaces into breathtaking celebrations that reflect the unique vision of each couple. Susie emphasizes the importance of understanding logistics and having contingency plans in place, especially when dealing with the unpredictability of nature. With over a decade of experience, she provides invaluable insights into the preparations necessary for a marquee event, including hiring vendors, coordinating logistics, and ensuring an unforgettable ambiance with strategic lighting design.

We also explore how marquee weddings allow couples to customize every element down to the finest detail, with a focus on creating immersive guest experiences. Susie encourages brides and grooms to break away from traditional formats and celebrate their love story in a way that resonates with their personalities.

If you’re looking to create a marquee wedding, or if you're an aspiring wedding planner eager to edge into this niche, this episode is packed with expert advice and inspiration. Tune in for an insightful discussion that will help you plan the wedding of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others discover this episode!

🎧 Listen now and get inspired!

Chapters

• 0:50 Introduction to Susie Evans
• 6:57 The Appeal of Marquee Weddings
• 16:45 Overcoming the Challenges of Marquee Weddings
• 25:55 Key Elements and Logistics for Success
• 34:30 Creating a Memorable Guest Experience
• 42:20 Advice for Aspiring Wedding Planners

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:28

This is Ben Connolly.

Speaker 2: 0:29

And I'm Jack Bowie. Thanks so much for joining us again at Winnie Empires, because of course, we are all about the world of weddings and the visionaries behind them, and today we're thrilled to have Susie Evans, who's the founder of Susie Evans Wedding and Events Co, joining us. Hi, susie.

Speaker 3: 0:46

Hello, good morning. Well, good night for you, but morning for me in England.

Speaker 1: 0:53

Thanks for joining us, Susie. I hear it's 7.30 in the morning over there. Are you having a morning wine or are you on the coffee?

Speaker 3: 1:00

I've got the wine. I mean sorry, coffee.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Is it a single malt latte, maybe?

Speaker 3: 1:09

Possibly, I couldn't tell you.

Speaker 2: 1:13

Find a bit of Kahlua, you know, a bit of an orange espresso martini. Maybe not at 7.30 in the morning, though it's a bit of a stretch.

Speaker 1: 1:22

It's classed as coffee, so it's okay.

Speaker 2: 1:24

Okay, all right, good. So Susie is well known for her mastery of marquee weddings, crafting unforgettable celebrations at private estates and family homes all across the UK, and she's got a client list that includes celebrities and European royalty. Susie is an expert at turning a blank canvas into a bespoke dream venue, so in this episode, we're going to uncover the secrets behind marquee weddings. So, from navigating the complex logistics to designing breathtaking spaces that leave guests in awe. So if you guys have ever wondered about how to transform an empty field into a luxurious wedding venue, then this conversation is for you. So grab your notebooks and let's get started. So, susie, I thought we'd kick off with maybe just your journey and how you got into weddings and what drew you to specialise in these sort of marquee weddings.

Speaker 3: 2:20

Absolutely. I've been planning weddings now for 14 years, come from very financial backgrounds and I was one of those people that got married myself and in the process started sort of my wedding journey. So I initially started off about 17 years ago with a wedding design company so a lot of decor things and moved into the production side of things, sold that business about 10 years ago but in the meantime I did a diploma in wedding planning and kind of moved into that field. More so Because I just loved the experience of working with couples and taking that journey and just yeah it's then, just as you know what it's like as a planner, you just evolve and learn what you like, what you don't like and absolutely love, love, love marquees and so I've been doing it, probably marquees specializing in the last six or seven years.

Speaker 1: 3:14

Susie, what is it about marquee weddings that you love so much?

Speaker 3: 3:20

I think it's the challenge more than anything. Like when I do a venue wedding, I do think, god, this is so much easier. Why don't I do this? At the same time, I think you know you're essentially building a venue from scratch, so from the ground up, and the challenges of all the logistics and bringing all the different vendors in and making it bespoke. Essentially, you've got free canvas to do what you like within reason and budget.

Speaker 1: 3:47

And why do you think that marquee weddings are so appealing to high-end clients on on private estates and stuff like that?

Speaker 3: 3:54

I think it's that personalization and it's that kind of bringing the family together and it's almost a heritage. It's where they, you know, a lot of the time it's where their family home, where they grew up, um, they feel it's very personalized, um, what they don't realize normally is the stress that it comes with it and that's, I think it's it's bespoke element to it, probably the key, key thing for them. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:14

I agree with that. I also. I also think too, um, as a former wedding planner, you don't have that restriction on, I have to use this caterer or I have to, you know, use this bar provider or whatever it's it's.

Speaker 3: 4:25

You can absolutely pick what you want, whether it's food trucks you know, a lot of time they have all their own wines and it's they've been in no corkage and it's just trucks. It's like a lot of the time they have all their own wines and it's like they have no corkage and it's just actually, do you know what at this time? We want to start at this time, and it's all so much flexibility.

Speaker 2: 4:39

Yeah. Yeah well, Go Ben.

Speaker 1: 4:43

So, susie, for people who are interested in the marquee wedding side of things Jack's laughing at me here so for people that are interested in the marquee wedding side of things, what are the biggest challenges that you face with marquees as opposed to traditional?

Speaker 3: 4:59

venues. I think that the biggest thing is probably people underestimating the cost of a marquee wedding. So it comes to the budget. So I probably think you know, nine out of ten clients will say, oh, we don't have the venue fee, you know, don't have any of those costs. It's like, no, no, but you have to build your venue essentially. So you might not have the venue hire, but you have to build the venue and essentially the I would say, uh, having a marquee wedding here in the, especially in the UK, you're looking at sort of 25 to 30 percent more than it would be generally at a venue.

Speaker 3: 5:28

Um, and also it's a logistics. So whilst you might have the most beautiful large garden, open plan, everything, it's always it's always the um logistics of getting people, the access for the suppliers and building. Especially if we're building huge structures, it's not just on the back of a van and put a few poles up, it's a huge, long, massive, you know big town lorries and things that need to come in. So that's probably the biggest logistic and I don't think people realize the time it takes to build these. So we're normally in at least a week before building structure and then it's the aftermath as well for the d-rig. So it's yeah, I think it's. It's the logistics of it which are probably the biggest thing to overcome.

Speaker 2: 6:07

I think there's plenty of planners that haven't I think there's plenty of planners that haven't.

Speaker 2: 6:14

Welcome to Australia, sue. I'm in nature today. I think there's plenty of wedding planners that haven't done a marquee wedding yet and don't know all of these logistics like power and water and toilets, and you know all these things. Can you rattle off, I guess, the kind, the kind of I don't know, let's say, core elements that you, you know all the time, have to bring in and and that's an added, an added thing that people may not consider yet yeah, and I think, sort of along with that, it's also thinking about all contingencies of the weather as well, especially, I mean, here in england.

Speaker 3: 6:48

Obviously we don't have the summers that you do, and so we had to almost guarantee rain. So, and I think the key thing is the structure. It's deciding what structure and also the type of like. Whilst it might look really flat to you, it's probably on a gradient, so you've got to think things like that. But obviously the toilets, the power is a big thing, um, and toilets people again, if they've got five toilets in our house, well, that's great, but you do not want 200 guests traipsing through your house and they're not fit for commercial use in terms of flushing every two minutes. So, um, I think those kind of it's like the power, the structure and definitely the toilets, um, and obviously the catering tent is where you've got to think. They've got to build a full kitchen, um, so it's not just again a few frying pan, you know, the ovens, the whole, oh, so much has to be brought in yeah I think also oh sorry, ben, can I just ask something?

Speaker 2: 7:43

um, I've done quite a few marquee weddings and I I think it's also important to think about the kind of different spaces you know and that that may maybe even making the toilets a moment, or you know an area, an area off there where there's tall tables or whatever, but, um, you know, making the whole experience enjoyable, I think, not not forgetting and I think it seems like parking as well.

Speaker 3: 8:05

It's, yeah, especially a lot of the private states I'm at. They think oh, there's been loads of parking, some of them on such, especially here in england. They're all like fit really narrow lanes or they're private states but they don't have parking all outside on the streets or anything like that. They might not have the or might have a field, but actually access to the field is a nightmare. So if it's raining you have to get all the tracking down. And then it's the lighting people. A lot of people forget about lighting. So it might be great during the day, but guests leaving you, you know, late at night it's like how do? It's all the safety aspect as well.

Speaker 1: 9:54

That kind of leads me into the question I was going to ask is like what are some of the common mistakes that couples and that planners make when they're organising a marquee wedding?

Speaker 3: 10:05

I think one of them is like backup power. So again, you can't power a kitchen from your kitchen, for example, you can't just plug it into the wall. It all works. So there's always a generator involved. But I always have a backup generator and they're linked up. So if one generator fails and it does happen, and it has happened um, it'll automatically link into the other one. Um, and it's the wet weather contingency, rather than going, oh, we'll be okay, just a few umbrellas. But've got to think the structure, the type of flooring you've got. If you haven't got a decent flooring, water suites, I mean. I've had all sorts of disasters over the years when I first started out. You just sort of go in, go in, it'll be fine, it'll be fine. And then we've had heavy rain and leaks and floods and all sorts. I think the kit and the power as well.

Speaker 3: 10:51

It's the amount of power that's drawn and it's knowing what the limits are for everything, whilst you work with an electrician, but you still need to have a basic knowledge of it and people just don't even think about it.

Speaker 1: 11:01

Yeah, I've worked over in the UK and that sort of thing and I know what the weather is like. The weather was especially precious when I was there, so that was good, but how do you handle everything that the weather throws at you over there?

Speaker 3: 11:18

For the last two years. We've had awful summers, in all honesty, so we've had a lot of rain and it's tested my patience and I thought I had the weather gods in my contract, but they've taken a walk for the last couple of years. As I say to couples, we have to have plan A, plan B, sometimes a plan C, depending on the scenario, but we need to make plan B just as good as plan A and almost always prepare for the worst, because when it does happen it's not such a shock. And I think people again, it comes down to budget because generally you have to spend a bit more to have your plan B working well. But yeah, key is we just have to embrace it and make this that guest experience. You've got to ensure that you've covered every angle, yeah.

Speaker 2: 12:06

I think something else that people forget is just how much you have to dress a marquee. You know, like they. I think clients forget that, don't they? In that, you know, this is what you're weighing up quite often, with going to a venue that's got its own atmosphere and furnishings and things like that, to, oh, we'll put 150 or 200 people in a tent, it's like then we really need to dress it, we're, you know, in order for it to you know it might be flowers it might be, you know we have a real difference in marquee structures in terms of quality.

Speaker 3: 12:40

So you've got the local run family companies who have the marquees which are a lot cheaper to the. It's obviously the high end and it's a completely different experience in terms of look, you know, because you've got the linings and so many different linings to choose and, like you say, it's then the florals and if we're doing a big structure, you've got to fill that structure um, because it will look really empty, and then you've got to get all the furniture and all the lighting and it's yeah and creating moments.

Speaker 2: 13:03

You know lounge areas high table areas, those sorts of things to really break it up and make it interesting. And the floor. You know People forget about the floor and the dance floor and, oh my God, all these things Sort of giving me reminders of my last one. My last one wasn't great, actually, it was probably my worst bribe that I ever had. This is one of my last marquee readings and but anyway it's behind me.

Speaker 1: 13:35

You need a sip of wine after that, Jack.

Speaker 2: 13:37

Yeah, I know, I went back there in my brain.

Speaker 1: 13:42

There's a bit of reminiscing going on there.

Speaker 2: 13:45

So what about, like permits and permissions and things? What are some of those things that planners may not realise if they're considering a marquee wedding?

Speaker 3: 13:54

Yeah, obviously they differ in different countries and different states and things. But over here we have like a temporary events licence notice that's required if certain criteria you need for them. But generally, like if alcohol's being sold, obviously there needs to be a licence for that um, but it really it kind of depends on the situation and where they are and what they're doing. But if it's a what we class as a party, so nothing's been sold, nothing, there's no tickets to anything, you and it's on private land, you can get away with a lot more um, not get away, it's the wrong word um. But you know you don't need the permits there.

Speaker 3: 14:31

But I think for me I always obviously not really so much a permanent thing, but I think it's especially in private states a lot of got neighbors. They're so far away, but obviously, as we all know, noise, travels and I think the best thing is to ensure that, whether you get on with your neighbors or not, and whether they're miles down the road or not, I think it's making sure that you let everybody know, because it's just not just about the night itself, it's the traffic, increased traffic, loads that are coming in before and after. So it's just keeping the peace with everyone, because the last thing you want is neighbours turning up on the doorstep on the night of the wedding.

Speaker 1: 15:05

Yeah, yeah, susie, how do you coordinate all the vendors and like everything that goes on? Like I know, in Australia, wedding vendors is like trying to wrangle stray cats Like it's a challenge. So have you got a system for that?

Speaker 3: 15:19

I work with the right ones. So I think it really is key and I only do full bespoke planning. So obviously over the years I've done on the day coordination, partial and things, but and that's probably harder because you are picking up somebody else's planning process and journey but I now do full bespoke. So it's working with vendors generally that I've always worked with before that know me, I know them and I trust them and they're they always the ones I work with, always go above and beyond. So actually it takes the stress from me and without them, to be honest, they're, they're the ones that create the day. You know, whilst I project, manage it, I think you know everyone's. I'm assuming you've done amazing, done amazing. It's like, yes, I have. Actually it's my team around me that have created this. So, yeah, I think it's about who's around you, that's, I'm working with the right ones definitely yeah, well, you heard it here everyone, surround yourself with awesome people.

Speaker 1: 16:14

I guess that's might be why you're listening to our podcast. What do you reckon jack, jack's and jack's gone silent. What did you say?

Speaker 2: 16:25

I turned it off because there was a train. Dogs, glass trains, it's all happening. I was just going to say yeah, yeah, and if you're wanting a wedding photographer in Queensland, I know I happen to know a good one, oh do you, oh, do you. So let's talk about lighting in a marquee. Have you got any sort of tips around you know doing really beautiful and effective lighting in a marquee? Have you got any sort of tips around you know doing really beautiful and effective lighting in a marquee?

Speaker 3: 16:55

yeah. So those people that know me and sort of the clients that have worked with me know that I go on and on about lighting. Um, because I think it has the biggest impact of anything, because you can really change the atmosphere of and you kind of need it to change. So you know, throughout the day you have very different lighting to what you have at the night and during the night time, so from candle light. But I tend to layer up my lighting. So rather than just have oh, let's have that, let's up here that you know just have some up light, as I tend to do a lot of layering up. So it changes throughout the whole day and then at night time it then changes again and we kind of take everyone on a journey. But it's a very visual thing that they don't realise what's going on. But we probably put quite a bit of budget onto lighting generally because I think it makes a huge impact. It really does.

Speaker 1: 17:43

Yeah, I generally put a lot into lighting as well, susie, yeah, as well, susie, yeah, so in I guess lighting is one of the the key components in in creating atmosphere in in a marquee. So have you got any other sort of tips and tricks for everyone you know looking at marquee weddings on how to create atmosphere and and what they can do to really make it something special?

Speaker 3: 18:10

yeah, I think jack sort of touched on it earlier it's almost creating areas within that marquee.

Speaker 3: 18:15

So I always think and it doesn't matter what the budget is, it's almost you want that impact moment, you want people to walk in those, those doors or you know, open stuff, whatever it's going to be, walk in that front and go oh wow and not expect it. So I think a lot of people do lots of little bitty bits, but actually do you know what, if you have even just make one big impact in the marquee. So I generally use, for example, something like a bar. So whether it's bespoke or a standard, you know hide bar, but we make something of that. So they walk in and there's that real visual point for them. Creating soft furnishing, it's like layering up different textures as well, so changing things up a bit, mixing different chairs and just having those different elements of the space so that you can and if we can, we create that night time. We just have like reveal walls and things that you walk into almost like a nightclub and it's yeah I think it's about creating different spaces.

Speaker 2: 19:06

Definitely yeah I love that. Different moments what about this sort of multi-day celebrations? How do you deal with those in terms of I don't know, do you, do you reset and and create different moments like how does that work?

Speaker 3: 19:19

actually all of mine are multi-day. Now it's very, very popular over here, um, but they tend to. As I always say, let's try. If you've got the space, let's use different areas if we can. So again, again, it's weather dependent, but also people forget oh, we'll just do everything in the same space, that's great. But what if you've got a cream carpet?

Speaker 3: 19:38

So day one, you don't want all your guests walking in for a welcome party and it gets completely trashed for the wedding day. So it's thinking of all those things. But it's also what's important to them. So, like the welcome party, rehearsal dinner, it's a. Do you want everyone there? Do you want big, you know? Do you want just a small, intimate, you know, group? But it's again, it's creating.

Speaker 3: 19:59

You need to engage your guests. You want them to feel like they're experiencing a journey throughout the weekend rather than just turning up, having a drink, having a chat, going back doing the same the next day. So it's actually trying to mix up the day. So we tend to start quite informal for day one, because generally most people have only just got together so that all they want to do is talk and have a few drinks. But I also say is finish that early people go oh yeah, we'll finish 10, 11. I said it won't fit if you say 10, 11, it won't finish. 10, 11, it'll be 12, 1 or 2. Because people and I said you do not want your guests as much as you're having the best night. Finish on a high that first night, but a bit earlier it's. Yeah, really key. And don't ever underestimate day three, because people turn up hungover. They're not drinking, they might eat a little bit and think, oh, this is all a bit, but give it a few hours. They're back on it and they will not stop.

Speaker 1: 20:49

Sounds like a regular Monday for me. Susie Sounds like a regular Monday for me.

Speaker 2: 20:56

Susie, okay, can you share a memorable wedding that you've done, that's, had an experience with a celebrity or a high-profile client?

Speaker 3: 21:06

Difficult one because obviously, as you can imagine, they're all under NDA. So there's only so much I can say with all the ones I've done, I think the biggest thing with all of them, because a lot of my clients are quite discreet anyway what about Meg and Mark? Yeah, I didn't do that one. Yeah, you know, what's really humbling to it is, I think, the ones I've done. They genuinely, genuinely like can't describe it they loved, loved the whole experience and how discreet it's been. And the fact is and they've all finished quite early, which has been great, but they, I think it's just they're quite small and intimate.

Speaker 3: 21:46

So then the numbers are 100 or less. They've, all of them have been and they've what the biggest memory for me is, normally it's like towards the end of the night when they're all on the dance floor and I thought there's no cameras, there's no video, it's nothing there or everyone's gone home in that respect, but they are just embracing their time together with no one watching them, apart from me in the corner. But it's, that's probably been my big you know, I think every one of those where I've done sort of very high-profile clients and I've just stood in the corner and thought they're just normal people. They are just normal people and they're actually really enjoying that moment without anyone looking at them or watching them. But they've all been probably my easiest clients, believe it or not.

Speaker 1: 22:26

I love how you said small and intimate 100 people. Small and intimate over here in australia is about 10 people tops yeah, I know I'm the same most.

Speaker 3: 22:36

I just say most marquee weddings we tend to find they're kind of 150, 200 over here, anything like. I've got a wedding of 75 this year. I'm like wow, it's really small, I love it yeah, all right all right.

Speaker 2: 22:48

So what advice would you give a wedding planner who wants to go into marquee weddings?

Speaker 3: 22:54

I think the key is experience. Go and get as much experience as you can with other planners who are either local you know, or to you, but not necessarily doing marquee but really highly logistical weddings. So where there's a lot going on, the more experience. So I think my biggest thing that helped me many, many moons ago was working with caterers. So I used to do front of house and just extra bit of extra work every now and then and go work with them or just shadow them, because I think, like especially a marquee wedding, caterers probably have the hardest job because they're having to create a full menu for 200 guests and I mean literally at the end of the night.

Speaker 3: 23:33

I think I'm so glad I'm the planner and not the caterer, because I see the stuff they have to clear up and it's just, it's a long, long cumbersome day for them and I just I think the key is experience. Just go and get it. Go and shadow people that you admire, want to work with and just, yeah, get, just be open to doing as much as you can. The more hands-on experience you get, the better it will be for you, definitely.

Speaker 2: 23:56

I think that's really excellent advice because I think a lot of people don't understand the level of work that's in the, in that sort of building and bumping out. In my youth I worked on Cirque du Soleil and even though one of my jobs was in the VIP tent, we all had to build it. We all had to build it and we all had to pack it down. You know which was the first couple of weeks of our working in the VIP tent, but you know that was hard hats. You know the proper boots on.

Speaker 3: 24:25

You had to start off. You know, like the weddings I used to do many years ago, I was putting all the chairs out. I was doing that, I was like helping run the bar. I was doing this and you know, you've got to be hands-on and you know, now obviously I do take a step back and I've got teams that do that and I kind of can over see it all. But um, doing all that has given me where I am today. It gives you the experience yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:48

So, suzy, I've got a two-pronged kind of trends question for you now, so brace yourself, I'm holding on. So the the first part of it is what are, what are the trends that you see emerging and what are the current trends when it comes to marquee weddings?

Speaker 3: 25:12

so I'm going to stop you with the word trend if I'm going to be honest. So in the luxury market we don't talk about trends. Um, so I would say, like, the word luxury to me is almost bespoke. So whilst you get everything over pinterest and you know australian, us states, there's obviously so much out there and I think in the uk it's harder to do a lot of things as well. We just don't have the vendors out there that do what you guys do. But for me, I think that I hate using the word trend. I think it's immersive.

Speaker 3: 25:46

Events are key at the moment. They are really, and I think again, almost immersive is a new word for luxury being overused because they think, oh, it's so immersive, it's like no, it's just flowers and a tree, there's nothing. There's nothing immersive. It was immersive but it's. It's just a normal kind of standard setup. But immersive to me is actually really engaging the guests. So from when they walk through that door to turn up to right to the end, that that there's so many different things, elements, again, it's layering up elements as well. So we do a lot of where we have actors in, we have performers in, and it's engaging those just, but not just pockets of it.

Speaker 3: 26:24

You don't want to overwhelm the guests either, but I've seen a real rise in trying to create experiences on the day rather than just having drinks, and we're moving away from the kind of tradition of we go and say, ok, we'll have the first dance, we'll cut the cake. It's like you've got to. Why have you got to? So we kind of like step back and go what do you want from your day? What's you know what's really important? I mean, there's always been element of tradition and timings, but we actually start. We're there'll always been element of tradition and timings, but we actually start.

Speaker 1: 26:58

We're starting to move away from it now, making a really bespoke experience, yeah, yeah, let me just answer your question because it's yeah, I just I struggle with the word trends, but and and that's totally fine, because I do as well from a photography standpoint, trends just annoy the hell out of me. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to take the word trend, I'm going to turn it into word style. So, have you got? Have you got, a signature style? That's something that you find that you always do. That is is just this is a Susie Evans event.

Speaker 3: 27:25

I'm quite well known for again that word bespoke. So when you look at my grid of Instagram, there's no, it's not beautifully curated in terms of every wedding looks the same. So we really embrace what the couple wants. So you know, everyone thought I did a wedding last year and they refer to the pink bar wedding, um, and if you look on the instagram it appears everywhere. But that's kind of almost really taken off because I know the production company ended up having so many inquiries on the back of it. So it's, I think people and I I'm sort of known for doing that immersive and guest experience is probably key. So, rather than it was, I think, with the budgets everyone talks about, oh, beautiful, beautiful flowers, everything but actually with those budgets, your weddings will generally, the settings will be beautiful. So, yeah, I can talk about that. It's the food, the drink, the immersive experience, the guest experience. That's what I'm quite well known for over here.

Speaker 1: 28:16

Definitely yeah, yeah. Um, I've got a bit of a habit of going rogue as well, suzy, so I'm going to ask you a question that that isn't on the on our list. Um, you, you're uh, you're in a quite of a niche market with regard to the marquees and putting it all together and managing everything that you do. So, within that niche market, what do you think has been the most effective marketing tool that you've used to build yourself?

Speaker 3: 28:43

just putting out there what I do. It's so I think it's just being really and talking. I know my ideal clients to the point. I know where they shop, I know where they live, I know how they talk and I know where they go on holiday and you know right, so I can picture them, I can see them in their kitchen. It's got that level of detail and whilst I don't live that life, I'm very good at adapting and understanding that lifestyle that they live in.

Speaker 3: 29:15

And I'm just really, really honest and I think, and I always, whenever I speak to client, whether I win them or not, I'll always dig deep into how they found me and why did they want to talk to me? And if they did, did win, if I did win it, I'll then actually find out okay, what made you choose me? Because it's sort of well, I've won it, brilliant, but actually I want to know why I've won it. So, and they generally, if you ask the questions, I'll be really open and I'd say nine out ten times it's because of my um, probably approach and very friendly, approachable, and just say it how it is. Honesty in terms of they'll say I've got a budget of 150,000. I'm like that's brilliant, but you want to do four days with that. That's not going to happen.

Speaker 3: 29:52

And just being realistic with budgets, and yeah, I think it's for marketing. You know I'm, you know I'm not quite marketing at all and I tend to. I don't pay for any marketing, but I just put out there what I'm, what I do, what I'm good at, and just keep to that same try and keep saying you know, I do other weddings as well, but actually my niece is a, she's a marquee. So that's what I focus on and talk about.

Speaker 2: 30:14

Great Ben, you got your famous question.

Speaker 1: 30:19

It's back to me, you're doing so well.

Speaker 3: 30:22

I'm relaxing.

Speaker 1: 30:26

I've got a bit of a guest question that I ask all of our guests at the end of the show. If you were to walk outside and run into an 18-year-old version of yourself, what advice would you give yourself around success and business, knowing what you know now?

Speaker 3: 30:44

Biggest error mistake I made is not knowing my worth. So for years let me say 14 years ago we didn't have the planners like we do now. We didn't have the coaching, mentoring, all the supports, so I just always was in my own little bubble and I stayed in my bubble for too long, I think. Um, so I think it's go out and just do it. Just go and do it, because the biggest regret is not doing it. So we can all make mistakes. We all make them and I still make mistakes, even to this day, and I'm still learning in my job.

Speaker 3: 31:15

But I think knowing your worth and value your worth and charge the bloody right amounts because it's driving me insane. Now I'm, you know I'm here and you know I have been there. I'm not going to lie, I'm completely honest in terms of you know I have under charge many, many years ago and years ago and that's why it's taken me so long to get to where I am now, whereas obviously lots of planners are coming in and proving successful quite quickly because they are charging their worth and they're doing really well, but the ones just don't do what I did and yeah, it's my biggest bugbear at the moment.

Speaker 2: 31:48

That's good advice.

Speaker 3: 31:48

I love that.

Speaker 2: 31:50

So if you want to plan a marquee wedding with Susie, all you need to do is go and hopefully find her on her website and maybe she'll have availability. I think she's pretty popular susieevansco, and it's Susie with an S-U-S-I-E. We'll pop it in the show notes as well. Plus, you can find her on LinkedIn, instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for your time, susie. It's been lovely getting to know you. Thank you, it's been fun cool.

Speaker 1: 32:16

Thank you very much. Lovely to meet you. We'll get you.

Speaker 2: 32:19

We'll get you back because there's plenty to learn and share about marquee, so we'll get you back in the future for sure fabulous.

Speaker 3: 32:25

Look forward to it.