Looking for an award winning wedding planner in Essex?

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WINNER OF BEST Wedding Planner in ESSEX 2023

When looking for a wedding planner or wedding coordinator in Essex, there is so much choice that you might not know where to start, it’s a minefield right?

Luckily for you, the folks over at the Essex Wedding Awards chose their planner of the year and guess what… it’s ME!

#donttakeyourselftooseriously

I understand that choosing your suppliers can be stressful, there’s a lot to choose from and also you don’t really know which ones are best to use, that’s where I come in. With a range of services available to suit your needs and budget, we work together closely to make sure that all of that hard work you have put into creating your dream wedding day, does not get missed - which I know for a fact is a couples biggest fear.

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Let me talk you through my preparations for this award… it’s emotional!

I was due to find out if I was through to the finals by mid October so I had started thinking about booking time off to attend the awards ceremony (just in case I was lucky enough to be chosen) and I went through this awful emotional ping pong of ‘Ah, I’m not going to win anyway’ to ‘No! You DESERVE to win, you’ve got this!’ to ‘I’m definitely not going to win’ to manifesting good vibes and positive outcomes with daily mantras ‘You ARE going to win!’.

I even came across a TikTok that told me some extra good news was coming my way in November (as I’m sure 40,000,000 other people did too) but I still didn’t read too much into it. Anyway, I found out I was in the finals so it warranted a little shopping trip to find an outfit for this black tie event and I quickly found this stunning little number from Quiz for a bargain £39.99 - now I have no issues with the fact I am short but I did have to pay to get it shortened otherwise I’d have looked like a fish trying to get around, not a good look!

I then toyed with the idea of getting my hair and makeup booked in but honestly, I think I’d convinced myself I wasn’t going to win so what’s the point in spending even more money? I ended up doing my own and instantly regretted it as trying to do a smoky eye look when I’ve been mainly working from home for the last 3 years and living in my natural ‘shabby chic’ look was a challenge I can tell you, eyeshadow EVERYWHERE!

Anyway.. onto the night itself and I dragged my other half along (to be fair, he actually wanted to come and support me), he was convinced I was going to win and wanted to be there to see me celebrate (as well as enjoy a few cheeky pops of course!) Here he is looking rather delicious even if I do say so myself!

The time came for the ‘Wedding Planner of the Year’ category and I was lucky enough to be sat on the table with another local wedding planner, Hayley Jayne Weddings & Events. We were both so incredibly nervous but I think we helped each other through it all. Another lovely Wedding planner Louisa May who I know, was sat on the other side of the room unfortunately, it would have been great to have all sat together.

Anyway, we worked out that the cameraperson would stand near the winners table before the announcement was made and who could I see standing by ours?…. Mr Cameraman! Even then, I convinced myself they were there for the other Hayley and not me so when they read MY name out, I literally didn’t know where to look. I started crying and shaking instantly (drama Queen, I know) but I was absolutely gobsmacked. How I made it up onto the stage to collect my award I have no idea?! My next thought was ‘OMG I’ve not walked in heels for years, please don’t fall!!!’

After composing myself and getting lots of ‘well done’ hugs, we quickly headed to the bar to get only the finest prosecco available and we toasted to my new award! I even got an enquiry within 15 minutes but I think that was just good timing, that or word got around super-fast (we’ll go with the latter)!

This is me trying to look awesome and definitely not pulling it off, more like ‘I’ve had too much to drink’ pose or ‘who is going to help me up from here?!’

So there you have it, my adventures winning the 2023 category of Wedding Planner of the Year in Essex. I hope you enjoyed my little journey and if you feel like we are vibing and you want to talk further about me helping with your planning… get in touch HERE

Love, Hayley

(Essex Wedding Planner of the Year 2023)

P.s. I do cover the whole of the East of England too

Struggling to choose your Make-Up artist?

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If you are in Essex or Suffolk, with so many local make-up artists around, it’s really hard to choose the right one. Let me help you.

I recently caught up for a virtual meeting with the gorgeous Emily Chantal MUA to talk about our all time favourite subject… Weddings! Emily is a local Make-up artist whom I have had the pleasure working with last year on a stunning beach shoot. Emily is a highly experienced MUA, a real friendly & warm person who will make you feel at ease on your day. She covers the whole of Essex & Suffolk but can also do destination weddings (as long as I can come with her. No? It’s worth a try!)

Sharon Cudworth Photography

What are the benefits for a Bride when it comes to you working at the same regular venues?

Oh so many! Being familiar with surroundings means I know my way around, silly things like knowing where the plug sockets are, where I can and can’t set up, timing restrictions, bridal prep room, and a really important one that Brides can easily forget about when looking around the venue…lighting.

Sharon Cudworth Photography

Speaking about lighting - how does that affect the make-up application?

Massively! If the room is too dark it can mean that additional lighting will be needed so that the room can be prepped on the wedding morning. Lighting is a huge factor in making sure your make-up looks as flawless as it can be but don’t worry, I will always come prepared however if you can factor in the lighting when looking at Bridal Prep rooms, it makes it much easier.

What’s the biggest request you get when doing a Brides make-up?

100% Natural Looking. My style is very natural yet polished but I can tailor the look depending on the Brides style. An experienced artist will be able to pull out and enhance your best features. Each wedding is different with their themes and my expertise lie in being able to adapt my style based on that theme. I like to take everything into account, not just simply applying your make-up.

Sharon Cudworth Photography

How can a Bride get longevity out of her make-up?

This purely comes down to the experience of your make-up artist, I believe that by applying quality skincare and luxury products in thin layers to ensure a lightweight feel for extra longevity. I spend time and care on your look, I do not rush but take care with your application and concentrate on the finer details of your make-up, all completed with high quality setting sprays to maintain your look.

What’s really exciting is I now offer a ‘stay on’ service which means that I stay on site with you through the high’s of the day, correcting any tear smears and smudges along the way. This has been a really popular service as Brides really value the importance of looking flawless all day long.

How soon before the day should a Bride have her trial done?

I would strongly suggest that trials are done no sooner for 3-6 months prior because by that time, all the finer details of the day should be finalised and your skin colour will be more realistic to how it’ll be on the day.

What if I wear fake tan, will this affect the application?

Not at all, because on the day I can do a colour match and will come fully prepared with my kit & products.

Why is bridal make-up more expensive?

A lot more time goes into planning your bridal look as well as only using luxury products. There’s also the administration side to think about, travel time and general overheads. I also provide a mini touch-up kit which includes all of your essentials for the day (lipstick. blotting sheets, cotton buds etc.) I am also a member of the training academy, I am fully insured, then of course I need to cover my wages, it all adds up which contributes to the overall cost but I do believe there is a MUA for everyone out there, you just have to find one that you are happy with.

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Emily, as always, a huge pleasure talking to you! I can’t wait to visit you to get my make-up done and with me being Vegan, I know you are constantly increasing your kit to include cruelty-free and Vegan products which is wonderful to hear! - Hayley

How can you contact Emily? Use Emilys contact form on her website here. But make sure you also keep up to date with all of her wonderful tips on Instagram.

THANK YOU EMILY! XOXO

The not so easy task of choosing a supplier

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How do you choose a supplier for your wedding or event?

Whether you are getting married or hosting an event, one of the first questions you will put on social media will be along the lines of ‘can anyone recommend a good photographer/cake maker/band’ etc. Queue the influx of messages with conflicting information and over 50 suggestions of who you should use. Then your best friend messages recommending the amazing photographer she used for her wedding. You double check the pictures and yes, they are out of this world and they come into budget (winning!) so if your best friend likes them and the pictures are wonderful, they must be good, right? No.

Whichever supplier you are using, they come with their own personality, style, vibe and attitude, much like yourself. I cannot stress how important it is for you to see eye to eye with your supplier. You are going to be spending a lot of money with them, and in some cases, time. If you don’t really gel, how do you expect them to have the same visions as you? The same goes in reversal, a good supplier will ensure they get to know you prior to agreeing to taking on any work, after all, they want to provide you with the best possible standard that reflects their style and if they don’t feel they can offer you that, will gladly refer you onto another supplier who they feel can deliver what you envisage.

If you have booked a venue where they provide you with a list of their recommended suppliers (regardless of whether you can ONLY use these suppliers or not) make sure you do your own research. Some suppliers will have paid to be part of the preferred suppliers list and actually the venue does not know much about them, simply that they have attended a number of times there. Of course this is not the same for all venues which is why I say, do your research first.

Using a wedding or events planner means we will have worked with our recommended suppliers over and over and over, we will have tested their integrity, attitude, reliability, standards, feedback, the works! The same as they will have done with us.

One thing I promise at Amae Weddings & Events is that if I recommend a supplier to work with, I would trust them with my own wedding or event. You are in safe hands.

Contact Hayley