Natalie Ellen... Wedding Planner
When did you start in this business and what did you do before?
Natalie Ellen Weddings was born in late 2018 after I took the leap and finally handed in my notice at my previous role. After 10 years in the PR industry I decided that I needed a change and I knew that weddings were my calling. I trained with the best in the industry and haven’t looked back since – I love helping couples bring their perfect day to life!
Do you have a particular style or do you reflect the client’s desires?
It’s important to me that my style complements the vision of my clients. I have to feel confident that I can do justice to the wedding my clients deserve and I’m a big believer that styles must align in order for that to happen
My clients tend to be modern couples who are veering away from tradition – they want beautiful, elegant weddings with personal touches throughout and that suits me and my style perfectly
What can a wedding planner do that a best friend or venue manager can’t?
So much! A wedding planner is there for you every step of the way, starting with narrowing down your venue options and taking you right through to de-rig the day after the wedding
Your planner should be thinking and dealing with every little detail on your behalf and will always have what you want front of mind. While venue managers are absolutely the right people to have on side and in the know about your wedding day, ultimately their priority is the venue. You will always be the first priority of your wedding planner and they will do everything in their power to make your wedding day exactly as you wish
I personally love it when couples have friends and family who are super supportive and want to help with the wedding plans, but remember that those closest to you should also be able to enjoy the lead up and all the celebrations on the big day too. You don’t want your best friend and your mum having to dash out to deal with any last-minute mishaps on the morning of the wedding!
Where do you get your inspiration?
Ooh from all over the place! I love wedding designs that feel fresh & exciting and I’m lucky enough to work with some really creative & talented suppliers who always have amazing ideas about how to bring a brief to life. I also often look to our friends across the pond in Australia for some seriously epic design and floral inspiration. I don’t know whether it’s the better weather or overall attitude, but those Aussies seriously know how to inject style & fun into a wedding!
What is your favourite flower?
This is such a hard question because I LOVE flowers! I’d say the one flower that always calls out to me is an anemone – I can’t get enough of those delicious inky centres and think they add real character & depth to any bouquet
What sort of information do you need to know when meeting with a prospective client for the first time?
When you enquire, I’ll come back to you straight away to set up an initial consultation call. That call will last around an hour and it’s an opportunity for me to get to know you a little as a couple, tell you about my services and then ask you some questions to see what you’d like from your wedding day. This is the first call, so I really don’t expect you to have all the answers (and I’m here to help you figure it all out anyway) but it’s always super helpful to have a clear idea of budget and when you’d like to get married – even just ‘summer next year’ is totally fine!
What sort of lead time do you need when taking on a project and can/would you do more than one wedding per weekend?
It really depends on where you’re at with your wedding planning and which of my services you’re interested in. For full planning I’d always say it’s best to have a full year, but it can absolutely be done in a shorter time scale – you’ll just need to be ready to make quick decisions! For my ‘lead-up and big day’ service, I usually come on board 6 weeks out from the wedding date to take over communication with your suppliers and sort any last minute bits before the day itself
As a one-man band, I limit the amount of weddings I support with each year so that I can really dedicate myself to my couples and their wedding day. That means I’ll only take on one wedding per weekend
Do you have fixed prices or is each package tailored to the client?
Every proposal I create is bespoke to the couple and their needs. I do have rough price guides listed on my website (a ‘starting from’ price for each of my three services) as I know this is helpful to know in advance, but you will always be provided with a specific quote based on your planning needs and a really clear indication of what I’ll do for that fee
What is your favourite type of client / style of wedding?
This is probably a really cliché answer but my favourite client is ALWAYS the couple who puts fun at the top of their list when I ask what’s most important to them. They’re the ones who know how to throw a party!
What is the most fun part of your job?
Nothing can beat the feeling of seeing everything come together on the wedding day – from the emotional moment the groom sees the bride for the first time to the drunken dancing as last orders are called, it’s amazing to see all the hard work pay off and the couple having the best day of their lives!
What is the most important part of your job?
For me, it’s making sure I really get to know my clients well. It’s so important that a wedding day reflects the personality and style of the couple and it would be incredibly difficult to make that happen without knowing and understanding the bride & groom well. That’s why I like to see my couples face to face where possible and I always like to make our catch-up meetings fun, whether that’s with coffee & cake or cocktails! Planning your wedding should never feel like a chore, it's exciting and I’m a big believer that every step of the way should feel like a celebration!
What makes you laugh?
Alan Partridge, Friends (never gets old) and my husband. Not necessarily in that order...!
I've worked with Natalie on many events and in several countries! Can't wait for the next adventure x