Wedding Planner Reveals What ACTUALLY Goes Wrong on Your Big Day…

Planning a wedding and feeling overwhelmed? This episode is a must-listen.

In this episode of Totally Absolutely Engaged, we sit down with Hollie from Hollie B Events, an award-nominated wedding planner, to uncover what really happens behind the scenes of weddings.

From last minute disasters to the truth about DIY weddings, Hollie shares insider secrets, real stories, and practical advice that could save your entire wedding day.

Whether you're newly engaged or deep into planning, this episode will completely change how you approach your wedding.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why most couples underestimate wedding planning
• The #1 mistake couples make with suppliers
• What actually goes wrong at weddings
• DIY weddings: are they worth it?
• Venue coordinators vs wedding planners
• Hollie’s “hold hands” rule for your big day
• Wedding horror stories & real-life lessons

Key takeaway:
The right planning, people, and preparation can make or break your wedding day.

Follow us for more wedding tips and real talk every week.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:06

Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of Totally Absolutely Engaged.

Speaker 3 0:10

Hello, and today we have Hollie, owner of Holliebee Events. Uh gaining experience working with uh Maverick Venues as part of the events management team. Hollie has now taken her passion for hospitality, and you went alone in 2023. As recently as this year, Hollie was a regional finalist in the TWIA Awards. Oh, you've done your root art, haven't you? I haven't talked about myself yet. In the category of uh best newcomer. Woohoo! Yeah, which is a big thing, actually. That's absolutely a good award. Um, and um I suppose where do we start really? Just obviously you do many events, but what made you go with sort of weddings predominantly?

Speaker 0:50

Yeah, so my background is weddings, obviously coming from a venue perspective. I always love weddings. I mean, you guys know it. It's just getting the joy from the day dot meeting the client until the very end, and it's super successful. And you build that relationship, especially as a one-to-one personal planner or coordinator. I'm really big on having confidence with both of the like both partners. It's not just about bride or just about partner one, it's really about making sure both of them enjoy the experience and feel like they can have those conversations with me, as you probably know. Wedding planning.

Speaker 3 1:20

I mean, that's most venues' problems, absolutely. They normally favour the bride, actually.

Speaker 1:25

Yeah, or they just have that combo at six to eight weeks before, have that one planning meeting, do the average timeline, and it's just like churning out weddings. But yeah, that's why it's important just to put that on.

Speaker 3 1:36

So, what services are you offering then? I think that's the best thing to start with, really.

Speaker 1:40

So, obviously, predominantly weddings, so full planning, partial planning, if you've got predominantly majority of their um supplies, but then I can come in and support them through the rest if they're having a ah getting married, I don't know what I'm doing now. Um, and then on-the-day coordination, which is not just on-the-day coordination for me. So it is from booking, we get you in for your first planning meeting, which is a bit different for majority of people, whereas they again get them into that six for eight well mark that started then, whereas I'm for let's start from when you book me. So we have that planning meeting, see where you're at, and then we go through their timeline, what they've made. I create a realistic timeline that's not ChatGPT, that's not TikTok, that actually works for the logistic of their wedding venue, family, and lifestyle. And then from there, I'll reach out to all their suppliers. Really important that I just introduce myself, say, hey, I'm here, I'm gonna run the wedding. Not that I'd stand on anyone's toes, but where are we at? Ask them to send all their contracts through. Okay, so I do all the contract checking in my on-the-day coordination. Really important. I found it super, super important that I don't want to get burnt on the wedding day, the clients don't want to get burnt on the wedding day. Let's make sure everyone's aligning from it, might be the photographer that's their actual day's seven hours, but the bride and groom in their timeline's like, yeah, we're doing that sparkler photo at 11 o'clock. Well, what are we gonna do? Yeah. Well, how's this gonna work? Or it's just standards, you know, making sure that I'm there on the day. I mean, you've experienced it yourself, that we're in the peak of wedding season, florists are tires, caterers are tired, everyone's tired. Someone to be there and make sure that when you've paid thousands and thousands of pounds for caterers, that you don't get 18-year-old lads with the sleeves rolled up chewing gum, that the standards are there, left hand, right hand, everyone's smiling, remembering it's someone's wedding day, it's just reinforcing that positive attitude through the day. Um, and then venue sourcing, catering sourcing. So if someone's really struggling to find a venue they love or a venue that fits them or their family or whatever it may be, then our venue source for them. Catering source. And does that happen a lot? Of course.

Speaker 3 3:39

Yeah, so it's just like I mean how many people actually like just panic from the off and just. But my venue. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3:46

A lot. Is it? Yeah, I have it a lot.

Speaker 3 3:48

It surprises me because I always think, oh, brides pretty much enjoy planning.

Speaker 3:51

Yeah, they do, but people have lives. But the thing is, they have full-time jobs. They have full-time jobs and then they come home to the evening. Both partners are absolutely shattered, and they're like, Oh, should we look at venues? And then they're like, Oh well, Coronation Street's on, so I'd rather do that. Because and then it just keeps going behind, and then they panic at like eight months before the wedding, they're like, We have done that.

Speaker 1 4:10

So, how would you go about sourcing the venues then? Do you just get a feel for the couple and then go, Well, this venue will suit you, like your style or yeah?

Speaker 4:17

So, my process is essentially we jump on a call with both clients, um, and I basically go through a whole list of questions, and they're really rogue. Like, some of them are genuinely like if you're a multimillionaire, where in the world would you get married? Obviously, they're looking at a UK wedding, but I want to know what style they're feeling. Do they want, do they want a rustic barn? Do they want to have a a venue with a double deck of bus in the middle of it? Do they want a boho wedding? Do they want that stately home? And I need to know what their feel is. Do they want that formal wedding?

Speaker 3 4:46

So you start off with the ultimate dream and then sort of.

Speaker 4:49

For budget, all those things, and then I present to them five venues. So I'll venue source across the UK. They might be like, Yeah, we're happy to travel, we're happy to travel X amount from home, or we want to keep it in Sheffield, we want to keep it in Scotland, wherever it might be, and then I'll start venue sourcing. And that's not just wedding venues. I think clients go on hitched or Google and they put in wedding venue in the East Midlands, and it comes up with the top five, and they go, Oh, yeah, this is our options, but it's really not. I don't know. Airbnbs are great. There's family homes that people promote, there's fields that you can hire and build marquees and TPs from. So there's loads, there's absolutely hundreds of options out there.

Speaker 3 5:25

Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 5:26

That's why it's so overwhelming.

Speaker 3 5:28

It is.

Speaker 1 5:29

So, do people tend to go for the full planning option then?

Speaker 5:32

I think your most popular no. Most popular is defo on-the-day coordination. Oh, is it? Yeah, 100%. I get but loads for on-the-day coordination, um, which I obviously love. But the full plan is a lot of my couples meet me after they've but their venue or a few like suppliers, so it's partial planning and then on-the-day coordination dafo, my most popular. Um, I of course have quite a few on the full plan, but I'll only actually take on six couples a year, really. Okay. I can't do more than that.

Speaker 3 6:00

Well, that was gonna be one of my questions, actually. How many, how many can you actually plan in one go anyway? That is and a full wedding if you're doing that.

Speaker 6:07

Yeah, it's a lot of work.

Speaker 3 6:08

That is if we're struggling to do one.

Speaker 6:10

Yeah.

Speaker 3 6:11

The brides are struggling to do one and you're doing six. Exactly. It's quite a message.

Speaker 6:15

Yeah, it's it's who you know, what you know, and when you've done it for so long, you just it's kind of normal for me. Like that is my job, that is what I'm there to do. But it's for me, I don't want to push myself. I could definitely do more, but I don't want to for the sole fact that I don't want to be stretched. I want the client to feel like they can ring me or text me and they're not gonna have four to five working days.

Speaker 3 6:35

Keep the standard up there, basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 6:37

Yeah, it's really, really important. And then they have confidence that they can talk to me, communicate with me, and just book confidently, really. So, on the day, how does the process work then with you?

Speaker 1 6:47

With me, on the actual day. On the actual day.

Speaker 6:48

Is this full plan or coordination?

Speaker 1 6:50

For the one, what did you say that most people go for? For the coordination, yeah.

Speaker 6:53

Yeah, okay. So we would have already gone through timelines. I would have checked with all your suppliers that they're all happy. I will rock up in the morning. One day I'll learn boundaries. My contract says 10 hours, but every time it's like 14, 15 hours. Can't help myself, honestly. Um, and then I'll be there with the logistics of the day. So the whole point is that the bride or whoever can sit in that hair and makeup chair and relax and not think, oh, is the florist arrived? Is my partner even here? Is the cater arrived? Oh, they're asking where they can plug in. Oh, the where's the marriage license on site? All these questions. And the everything they've planned is in their head. Okay. They might have a wedding Bible or a wedding function sheet or whatever it may be, but who's managing that? Who's making it go from A to B? You give it to the bridesmaid the week before, she has no idea, she's not even married herself.

Speaker 2 7:37

You know? Yeah.

Speaker 7:37

It's that one person to say, right, let's say Holly's downstairs, everything's being sorted, you know the chairs are straight, there's no wonky cutlery, the napkins are the right way around, the menus are the right way around, the bottles of label, the wine labels are facing the door, so when people walk in, they can see it. It's really small details. And then it's also making sure that the groom or whoever partner be is on the morning can have a drink with his boys and not think, have I put those flowers in the right position? Is she gonna walk downstairs and be like, they're the wrong way around? What have you done to ruin the day? It's just it's just to give everyone peace of mind. It's genuinely so that they can just be like, it's been sorted. We both know the plan. She's there to manage the supplies. So when they arrive, if some venues have check-in, sign in, sign out, as you know for suppliers, they're on site, they've already been sent all the public liability because I would have done it, it's all in one folder. If the vows somehow go missing, I've got an extra spare in hand. It's just so you can breathe. Yeah. My whole job is invest in your piece.

Speaker 3 8:34

So in the venue, if there is already a wedding coordinator, how do you work with that venue? How do we write a number one question? That's gonna be the first question, yeah.

Speaker 8:41

Yeah, so venue coordinators coming from that background myself have a very different job to what I do. Okay, so some venue coordinators, ACET, they're absolutely amazing, like will be there. Some venue coordinators don't want you there. Don't want me there, but also don't do exactly what I do.

Speaker 3 8:58

Yeah.

Speaker 8:58

So a lot of venue coordinators will get you down the aisle and then be on calls in the office or be on site but not really have the involvement. They won't move flowers, or they might move flowers, but it's just putting it where they want. They won't have the relationship, they won't do anything to do with the bride, like helping her get in the dress or get dad or whoever it may be. It's basically to have that personal relationship, and so that actually everything that's happening, they churn out weddings. They churn out weddings. It's hard for them to be like a lot of the time. This is awful to admit, but a lot of the time, like you'll be like, Who's the who's the groom? I've met him like once like who is that when you work for a venue, but when you have that personal relationship, you know who you've got to know him, haven't you?

Speaker 3 9:41

And do you get to know him quite way before? Was this with video calls or do you go around to the house?

Speaker 9:46

Both. So I try ideally like to a first-plane meeting in person, be it at my office in Luthborough, or we meet at a wine bar or whatever we want to do. Like, if you want to meet in a restaurant and have dinner, sure. Not a problem with me. But that's the thing. Like, I'm super chill. We if the client lives in Scotland, obviously we'll jump on a Zoom, or there might be parks like last year. I was in Scotland a few times. So it's like I might actually be in the area. Like I'm going to Wales at the end of the month, and uh, we are in March, right? Yeah, we are in the box. Right. I'm going to Wales at the end of the month. So there's a few venues. So I've got two weddings next year, and I'm going to both the venues and meeting the clients there because I'm already there. So I'll just kind of work it round what's going on in my diary already. So it just depends. It just depends. But I go here, there, everywhere, clearly. Across the country. Across the country, London, Scotland, Ireland, you know, namely. So you have to travel with it. Yeah.

unknown 10:38

Yeah.

Speaker 3 10:38

That's gotta be one of the bonuses, surely. Yeah, definitely. Do you have your own team of suppliers then? Because when you're obviously planning the day from scratch.

Speaker 10:47

Yeah.

Speaker 3 10:47

So I You must have favoured suppliers.

Speaker 10:50

Yes, yes. I have favoured suppliers like anything. It's all about trust. It's people I've worked with that have been amazing. But this has been across the country.

Speaker 2 10:58

Yeah.

Speaker 10:59

So that I have got suppliers list that I keep to myself and chat with Brides and Greens when they book me. Um and I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. Um, but there is also suppliers that they might want to find, and I just have to vet them.

Speaker 3 11:10

Yeah.

Speaker 11:11

Like as we know, some sources or directories aren't solid sources. They're getting paid to go on there, they're getting paid to be the top of the leaderboard, they're only getting on there because of X, Y, and Z. So it's actual trusted recommended suppliers that I'm going to be.

Speaker 3 11:24

See in the work and stuff. Yeah.

Speaker 11:25

And it's just knowing how to vet someone and that they're not just a Facebook group chat anyone who's on one supplier and using fake images, you know?

Speaker 1 11:33

Yeah.

Speaker 11:34

Makes sense. Perfect. What is your biggest piece of advice to your couples then? I mean, it would obviously be get out of a wedding coordinator, but that's a boring piece of advice. So we won't say that. Um, don't stress about the small things. Okay. So it might be my bride is or client, whoever it may be, is so stressed about getting from A to B, or how are they going to achieve that, or the menus might be the wrong way around, or the bud vases are not the way they expected it. You don't need to stress about the small things. You're there to get married and enjoy your day. And sometimes you just overthink it. Don't get me wrong, I overthink everything. So I get it. But you just have to breathe. You have to know that you've got someone that you can trust on the wedding day that's going to deliver it. And knowing you have honest, fun suppliers to get you through the day is really important. Like picking suppliers is massive, and it does make or break your wedding day.

Speaker 1 12:28

Yeah. We say this all the time, don't we have faith in your suppliers? Yeah. As long as they're the right ones, obviously.

Speaker 3 12:32

I mean, if you're working with venues that you're not necessarily used to working with, I take it you would look at their recommendation list and always do it that way. Yeah. Always, yeah. Get to know the venue as well.

Speaker 12:42

Yes, always recite visit, no matter if full plan or on day, I'll always go.

Speaker 3 12:46

So you go every nook and cranny basically.

Speaker 12:48

Pretty much. And I basically draw out a full plan so of literal visuals of where flowers should be, bud vases should be, so I know things need to move from A to B. Because there's there is a lot of wedding, so I need to make sure that.

Speaker 1 13:01

What are your thoughts on um DIY brides? Do you think they're making their life harder? Yes. 100%. Yeah.

Speaker 13:07

They are 100% making their life harder, but they definitely can be saving money. Um it depends what they're doing, how DIY they're going. If they're ordering our fancy name cards and they're just writing out a name card, yeah, it's fine, isn't it? But if they're doing all the florals, they're steaming all their florals, like faux florals, silk florals, by the time you've done it, you should have just got some faux flowers. And they're not even faux flowers. I know people might think they're expensive, but they're actually not. Like they're they're not when you comparison, like buying off Sheen, buying off Timo, buying off these. And then all the work then that you have to put into the stuff. But how are you gonna get it there on the venue? Like most venues only let you in on the morning. You're lucky if you get it the day before. Who's doing it if you haven't got a stylist?

Speaker 3 13:49

Like I mean, we deliver a lot of our items sort of in the morning, through the night, but then in the morning, or something. The amount of brides that we see stressing out. Yeah, and overputting, just getting like their chair. They've never done a chair tie and all of a sudden they've got to do a hundred of them. And you just see them and you think, oh, yeah.

Speaker 14:04

I know, why are you doing it to yourself? Yeah, it's just again, it's just that stress factor. Like, if you had a coordinator to like explain these things, like I always say to people at wedding fairs or whoever I meet, but I am a human, like I know I have a business, but I am a human. Like, just voice note me saying, Hey, I know we're met at the NEC, I know we've not booked you, but I'm really stressed about this. What's your advice? And I'd be more than happy to voice note people. Like, I do it all the time. Yeah, like people just reach out, like da da da, and then you build a relationship with them anyway, but yeah, DIY brides, go you, fair play, go fly fair play.

Speaker 1 14:40

Wouldn't do it myself, yeah. Fair play. And what is your biggest ick then?

Speaker 3 14:44

DIY brides.

Speaker 14:45

No, imagine. No, um, my biggest ick is 100% um chair covers. I hate them with the parts. I hate them. What a rogue ick. Why? Spandex chair covers.

Speaker 3 15:00

This is horrible.

Speaker 15:02

Oh my gosh, they're awful. It's 2026, not 2000. I hate them. Have you seen them? No. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 15:10

When they cover the full chore, when they cover the full chair, and then it goes around the legs at the bottom.

Speaker 1 15:14

It's a chair condom. Yeah.

Speaker 3 15:16

Basically.

Speaker 1 15:18

Oh my gosh, I'm saying.

Speaker 3 15:18

Now it's a nick for everyone.

Speaker 1 15:20

Now I'm not really thinking that's broke. Well, I'll share it camera because I've got actually no clue what you're on about.

Speaker 3 15:27

Really? Well, you're flash it up.

Speaker 15:30

You're gonna you're gonna be like, oh okay, yeah. It's when they have conference chairs and they have to cover the ugly design. Uh yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Okay, fair enough. I agree. Yeah, just just invest in a chivari chair. And if you don't like chivari chairs, hire your chairs, and if it's not in budget, I'm sorry. Like oh god, I'm sorry. I just I just will literally burn the condom chairs. Yeah, but people think they need them. I don't know if this is venues spreading false rumours. People are like, oh I know I need to get chair covers. I'm like, who told you this?

Speaker 3 16:03

Well, it comes in packages, doesn't it? Some venues, probably the cheaper end venues, shall we say? They'll just say, Oh yeah, we provide free chair covers. And that's where you get included.

Speaker 2 16:12

Get rid of them. Like them love.

Speaker 3 16:14

So careful not to say a venue then. So careful. I know you call them out, call them out.

Speaker 16:21

They know they're gonna love that ick. That's such a different one. Gosh, chair covers. Why? What do most people say?

Speaker 3 16:27

Oh, we've had everything. We've had all sorts of um I can't remember.

Speaker 16:32

I would have never even thought to cold canapes when the caterers don't deliver, and then I'm upset because I don't want to eat at cold canopés and no one else does. I could get one for England to be fair. Should we get a list out? Yeah, literally.

Speaker 1 16:44

Pull your list out. Right, shall we head into customer questions then?

Speaker 3 16:48

Cool then.

Speaker 1 16:48

Yeah? You got anything to add, Paul?

Speaker 3 16:50

No, no, let's see what you cover here.

Speaker 1 16:52

Perfect. So we've had people write in on TikTok and Instagram. Stop.

Speaker 16:56

So do you say, oh, we've got a wedding planner coming on?

Speaker 1 16:58

And they've asked some people. Why don't you do this? Are you ready? So first one is in from Bonnie. She says, What is the most stressful thing you have experienced at a wedding? The most stressful thing.

Speaker 17:11

The most stressful thing I've experienced at a wedding. So it's I would say um when couples don't book the supplies for the right wedding day. Because it happened. I mean it happened to me like two days two days ago. Like, yeah. Um I've had it a lot when I worked for Van News um that they thought like flowers have arrived in the morning and we're like, there's no wedding, who's this for? It must be for the next one. And it's for like the week after or the month after.

Speaker 2 17:39

Yeah.

Speaker 17:40

So or a photographer's knocking on the door and they're like, Oh, I'm here for Carrie and James, and they're like, then or till next month, and they've just put the wrong date.

Speaker 3 17:50

We've had it with the wrong nightmare. Yeah, they've literally got saying date, wrong year.

Speaker 17:54

Yeah, so it's in the closure not.

Speaker 3 17:56

Yeah, we have done. Because you you send the customer like for in our in our circumstance, we we speak to them 12 weeks before.

Speaker 2 18:02

Okay, yeah.

Speaker 3 18:03

Then four weeks before to confirm all the items, the date, the address, the groom's name, bride's name, blah blah blah.

Speaker 1 18:08

Yeah.

Speaker 3 18:09

So you'd think then you'd catch them, and then the week before, we'd find the venue, or we'd speak to them and say, Right, we're becoming, blah blah blah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you come and then they say, Oh no, this is uh the wrong year.

Speaker 18:22

How on earth did they not notice? That's why contract checking. Yeah, contract check. I I've every single person I do. Every single person.

Speaker 1 18:31

Oh my god, that's ridiculous. Check your dates, guys.

Speaker 18:35

Check your date.

Speaker 1 18:36

Right. Next one is Carla. She says, What is the most common thing that goes wrong at weddings?

Speaker 18:42

Common things that go wrong, I would say in-house sound systems. Oh, okay. So when the venue provides a sound system, they're normally quite old. I found that it's when people don't hire PA, which is fine because I get it, it's a huge cost, but the mics aren't working, they're connected to the wrong number on the mics. Obviously, there's a signal and receiver.

Speaker 1 19:03

Yeah.

Speaker 19:03

And it's like the venue doesn't have a clue because it's normally hide from a DJ or hide from someone that just stays there all year.

Speaker 1 19:09

Yeah.

Speaker 19:09

So everyone's looking like how we've got 20 minutes of speeches. All the speeches are meant to be now.

Speaker 3 19:14

Yeah.

Speaker 19:14

What are we doing? So that's one thing I always check in the morning for So have you become skilled at literally PA systems. So like that's a huge one. Like just make sure when your venue says, Oh yeah, we have microphones. Like what microphone? Are they on a stand? Are they not on a stand? Yeah. All the questions, does this connect to like Bluetooth? Is it an a cable? Is it an old school iPad? Pod cable? Is it things that you just wouldn't?

Speaker 3 19:40

Yeah, I wouldn't have even though.

Speaker 19:41

Like this would have just gone like over my head.

Speaker 1 19:42

I wouldn't have even thought to ask this stuff. I think a lot of people say that to me about a lot of things I ask. Yeah.

Speaker 3 19:47

So have you got a lot of hidden skills like sewing? Is that that's another one, isn't it? Where are you splits?

Speaker 19:51

Have you ever had a clutched? You had a clutched? Oh my gosh. Get get yourself clutched. Clutched is not I'm not this is not an ad, by the way. This is not an ad. Like I just love them. Um clutched is like, you know how you get like fabric taped, like sticky closures, no emergency things. Clutched is like a glue you put on your body and it is stuck to you. So any like dress straps that are falling. Oh my god, anything that's falling. It is when I tell you, nights out, weddings obviously, any event clutched in my bag. I go on site with, you know, like a toolkit, but it's like a double stacked toolkit with so much. I've got suit, I've got ties in there, I've got extra socks in there, I've got clutch in there, I've got pins in there, I've got a whole I've got tablecloths in there. Honestly, when I tell you like literally, there's everything in there. No chair covers.

Speaker 2 20:40

I'm not sure why you asked me if I have clutch.

Speaker 20:42

Because you never know though, like do you like if you're because sometimes like your suit, if you've not been your fitting properly, things can pop. Men try and go to the gym before their wedding, they grow, whatever. And it's just like like under here. I've had it in the middle. I've had it where like it could split here, and it's like we've had to sew it. Yeah, I suppose. But you could just clutch it together and it'd be sorted for the day. And it wouldn't move. Oh, so you can stick the fabric itself again. I'll have to show you. I won't show everyone all my secrets. What a dream. Okay, I'm gonna have to.

Speaker 3 21:14

So you take your suit back and then you slightly put the bloody hell, you don't want to.

Speaker 1 21:16

Yeah, yeah, because a hide suit. Sorry, don't do that. Okay, next one is in from Casey. She says, I'm a bit of a control freak. Will a wedding planner make me lose control over our wedding? No.

Speaker 21:28

Your wedding planner works with you. The whole point is that they work with you. They're not taking over your wedding. That I'm not, I'm not there to take over your wedding. It's your wedding, not mine. I'm just there to support you through the process. You be a control freak. Everyone says to me, Oh, I do that with bridezalers. No, I don't want with bridezalers. The only reason you get a bridezille is because they're stressed out and no one's helping them. And if you're there to guide them and support them, there should be no stress because everything's already being done.

Speaker 1 21:54

Yes, uh, love that.

Speaker 3 21:55

True.

Speaker 1 21:56

That's it. Bridezalers don't exist. Right. Liz says, what is one thing every couple should prioritize on their wedding day? Holding hands.

Speaker 22:08

Interesting. Go on. Okay, so post ceremony, you come out, oh my gosh, we're married. Right? Adrenaline through the effing roof. Literally, like, what what we're married? Like we've been speaking about this for a year and now it's officially happened. Post then, everyone's trying to talk to you. Oh my gosh, uncle that you've not seen in six years, trying to say, Well done, congrats. Hold hands. If you let go of each other, you won't see each other on your wedding day. Just walk around holding hands together. Stay together, be with each other. You want your wedding day to be together, not opposite side of the rooms or one in the bar, one in the garden. Stay together, hold hands. Then you get to talk to everyone together. You make sure you cover all ground. You make sure when your photographer needs you, you can go together. You're not both going, oh, he's gone here, he's gone there. Obviously, if you go to the bathroom don't I mean, fair, go to the bathroom together. You know what I mean? You're married now. But if you stay together, it makes everyone's lives easier. Photographers, caters, venues, coordinators, it just stay together. Hold hands. You're in love. You might get sweaty hands in July, but who cares? You know?

Speaker 1 23:08

Oh, that's such a cute one. I like that. Okay, this is your final one. It's from Pete. He says, What actually qualifies you to be a wedding planner?

Speaker 23:17

What actually qualifies me to be a wedding planner? Probably about 500 weddings, I would say. I have experienced all types of weddings from village halls to stately homes to half a million pound budgets. I've worked with everyone. I've worked with all works of life. I've done it where you everyone's different, aren't they? Some people can splash however much money on a wedding, and that's just normal for them. Some people have saved up 10 years to be in that stately home. And you just have to work with them as people. So for me, seeing all the weddings, experiencing all the horror stories. Was it Pete? Pete. Pete, all the horror stories. Um and just knowing exactly how weddings should run and also how they feel. The feeling of a wedding is more important. To know that people are calm, to know the parents, to know the people that want parents want to be involved. It's their first time living too, you know? So making sure everyone at the wedding is comfortable, happy, and also if there is questions, there's someone to talk to. Yeah. So yeah.

Speaker 3 24:13

And it's just experience as well. It is. There is no qualification, is there?

Speaker 24:17

I mean, I've got my level two in wine, I've got a child management degree. What's what other formalities can be?

Speaker 3 24:22

Nothing can prepare you for a huge cock-up at a wedding and then learning from it, basically.

Speaker 24:28

Working in events, you just have to think on your feet.

Speaker 3 24:30

You must have I've been handiworking in a venue as well.

Speaker 24:32

Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 24:33

You would have seen pretty much everything. Yeah, yeah. The good, the bad, the ugly. Yeah, literally. Too much.

Speaker 24:40

Yeah, we won't go there.

Speaker 1 24:42

Right? Anything you want to add?

Speaker 3 24:43

No, not really.

Speaker 24:44

No, how can people find you then? Social media, my website, searching Hollybee Events. Yeah. Yeah. So it's Hollybee Events. I my Instagram is now holly.bee.events because everyone thought my name was Hollybevents. HollyBevents. So my name is Holly.bee.events. Um yeah, just reach out and again just chat.

Speaker 3 25:05

And is it just you or do you if if there's an assistant? It's just me.

Speaker 25:08

I have recently uh took on Florence. Um so Florence is um an event assistant. So I'll be running the weddings, all my clients know that I'll be there on the day. Um Florence helps me with all my admin and my big, big wedding, so fall plan, she'll be coming on as a coordinator to get me through the day because sometimes have to be a lot.

Speaker 3 25:27

What is like the maximum capacity for yourself to budget people? Uh no, just to be in control. And like is if if you've got 300 guests, yeah, that's gonna be hard for one person to control.

Speaker 25:38

Yeah, so at the minute, my biggest wedding this year is 240. And there's two of us going. You need help. Um because I hiding a lot of cats, isn't it? Yeah, like that is a lot. I need a megaphone at that point. Yeah. Um, but to be fair, people do follow suit. Um, so once you say take your seats, it is just ushering people in. But then again, it's someone says make sure they don't walk in with drinks in hands.

Speaker 3 26:02

Yeah.

Speaker 26:03

It's those sorts of things. So I do tend to all the bigger ones.

Speaker 3 26:06

But it's everything, isn't it? I mean, it moves the flowers from the table. There's all of a sudden there's double the table.

Speaker 26:11

Yeah, I'm not a stylist, so yeah. Depends where they're like where we're going. Again, yeah. But yeah, I'm a lovely Florence. She's she's a great gem and shout out to Florence. Go, Florence. Go out, Lauren, go, Fuzzy Park. She'll hate me saying that. My love her, she's incredible. No one steal her from me, please. Well, thank you so much for coming on.

Speaker 1 26:31

No, no, it's been a pleasure, and we will see you next week.