Monthly Round Ups

Monthly Round Up | June 2016

Wow. June has literally flown by. I mean, the last time I looked, it was the end of May and I was in the final preparation stages for two weddings, one corporate event, and a friends wedding, which were all within a two week timeframe. If there were ever a time to be the most organised Planner, this was it!

It’s been a phenomenal month, and I have loved every second of it, so I’m excited to share some snippets of what has been happening in my world this month with you today.

BUSINESS

I’ll start at the beginning! The first week in June was spent finalising all of the smaller details for my upcoming events. With the lovely weather, I spent lots of time in the garden at home arranging on the day stationery from Megan Riera, putting together Order of Service booklets with the most gorgeous custom dyed silk ribbon from Kate Cullen, and preparing photo booth props, cushions and decor details for a corporate summer party. I also accompanied one of my Brides to her final floral meeting with the lovely Rachel at Green & Gorgeous. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of visiting Rachel’s flower farm in Oxfordshire, you should definitely add it to your To Do list! Acres and acres of beautiful blooms grown especially for your wedding, and the ability to walk through the farm a week or two before your date to select exactly which florals you’d like to include within your designs is such a special touch. Not to mention the scents floating around – perfection!

H&J renewed their vows at Greyfriars Church, Oxford, followed by the most beautiful reception at the Bodleian Library. It was the first time I’ve had the honour of attending one of my couples Ceremonies, as I’m usually busy co-ordinating the Reception setup during this time, but we weren’t able to access the Reception space until later that afternoon. It was truly a joy to witness such a heartfelt Ceremony, and the Bride surprised the Groom with a performance of a song close to their hearts along with the Choir. The Bodleian Library looked spectacular for the evening, with stunning table arrangements by Joanna Carter, luxury stationery from Megan Riera, and blush pink glass charger plates from Duchess & Butler. It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside such an amazing team of suppliers. Here’s a sneak peek at a few images from the day by Julie Michaelsen.

The following weekend was the long anticipated wedding of my gorgeous couple E&S. I have been working alongside them for two years planning their festival inspired wedding in Oxfordshire, and I feel sad that it’s now over. They have been an absolute pleasure to work with, and I truly hope we stay friends now that my work is done! Their wedding weekend was spectacular, and I loved working alongside such a great team – both at the venue and externally. Everyone worked super hard to bring so many logistical elements together to make this day happen, and I am so grateful for having such a supportive and motivated team around me. We spent a day and a half in raincoats and wellies setting up each different tent and area, before the rain finally stopped and the sun shone in time for a 2pm Ceremony on Saturday! A special thanks to Things by Laura and Merrie & Bright for being incredible on Friday, and to my Assistant Esmee for being my right hand woman on the day, especially when we nearly didn’t have any flowers due to the florists van breaking down on route! Who says being a Wedding Planner is glamorous?! Needless to say, everything came together in the end, and here’s a couple of sneak peek images from the day by Martin Beddall Photography.

The rest of the month has been spent preparing for a special tipi wedding at Aynhoe Park which takes place this weekend, and also final meetings for a country wedding at the end of July. I love seeing all final plans come together, and it’s such a privilege to be so closely involved in orchestrating each couples special day!

FAMILY

Although this month has mainly been spent working, I managed to sneak a day off for Father’s Day, which we spent as a family together with my parents at the Blenheim Palace Flower Show. It was a beautiful day, and I always love visiting Blenheim. There were flowers aplenty, with lots of local growers showcasing their best blooms. We also enjoyed a date night one Friday, venturing out for dinner and drinks in Oxford – a rare occurrence, but something we always plan to try and do each month!

Last weekend we spent a few days in Leicestershire for our friends wedding, for which I was a Bridesmaid. It was my first time ever being a Bridesmaid, and it was such a lovely experience – both families were so welcoming and I honestly felt like one of the family for the weekend. Caylie & Ben’s wedding was held at Ben’s Uncle & Auntie’s house in a marquee on their grounds. The marquee looked gorgeous when it was set up, and the thunderstorms miraculously parted over the marquee and outdoor Ceremony at just the right time! It was lovely to see Zena Birch again, who conducted the most special Humanist Ceremony, and I’m looking forward to seeing the images from Holly at Belle & Beau Photography, whom I’ve adored the work of for a long time! I already adore the sneak peek Holly has posted on her Instagram from Saturday of the Bride & Groom, which you can see here.

HOME

When we were at the Blenheim Palace show, we finally purchased some chairs for our summer house, so I’m looking forward to them being delivered in a couple of weeks, ready for my birthday! The garden is starting to look gorgeous now that all of the flowers are coming into bloom, and the colours are super pretty! Our pizza oven build is well underway, and should be finished (weather dependent!) this weekend, so I’ve been practising my pizza dough skills ready for a summer of dining outdoors. Any recipes or tips for cooking with a wood fired pizza oven would be well received!

Phew! Hope you’ve all had a wonderful June, and I look forward to catching up with you again at the end of July!

Jeni x