On today’s blog post, I thought I’d switch things up a bit and have a guest blog post. In our 13 years of making cakes we have worked with many amazing wedding planners. Those that stand out to us are those that put their clients at the centre of all they do and treat their suppliers with kindness and dignity.
Lindy Dowling is an awesome luxury event planner we’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of times and every time has always been a delight! She attracts clients from all walks of life, as she is always calm, lovely and unflappable. She tells us a little about herself and her plans for the future.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Lindy, I’ve been planning weddings and events for a very long time now, predominantly covering London, The Home Counties and The Cotswolds. I have experience with all budgets and pretty much every wedding you can imagine over the years and I have loved being a part of each one.
I’m a calm, confident, positive person. I take pride in the experience I have and love nothing more than planning new events, meeting new clients and developing long lasting relationships along the way.
How did you get into wedding planning?
I had my own floristry business for a short while, after taking a break from my City job of 10+ years. Luckily I met a wonderful planner at a wedding fayre, who I then began working alongside. She gave me the motivation to set up my own business. I’ve always been incredibly organized and reliable as well as being very passionate about weddings, so it felt like a natural progression for me to break into the wedding planning industry.
What is a typical day like for you?
First tea! I start my day by checking emails, my to-do lists for the weddings I’m currently working on, followed by calls or meetings with my lovely clients and suppliers alike. You won’t find me on social media much. I’m quite old school in that respect and humble with my work. Predominantly my day is spent liaising with suppliers and working on my client’s schedules and budget sheets – very glamorous!
Your most favourite wedding to date?
I come away from every wedding thinking it’s my new favourite. I’ve been incredibly lucky to plan many glitzy, glamorous and high profile weddings over the years. However, some of my most memorable weddings have been those with a simple ceremony at a London Town Hall, followed by a classy, elegant reception. I love having the ceremony in a separate location away from the reception – it allows for the wow factor when guests arrive full of anticipation (and a glass of bubbly) at the reception.
Five tips for couples looking to get married;
1. Set a budget and aim to stick to this throughout the planning process. If you don’t have a clear budget set, it’s too easy to be dazzled and before you know it your costs are spiralling out of control.
2. Be realistic about guest numbers and invite those family and friends who are important to you – not just because you feel under pressure to have them there. It’s your day after all.
3. It’s never too early to start work on your table plan. Most of my clients find this the most stressful part, but it doesn’t need to be if you begin this way ahead of time.
4. Book your Photographer asap! The best photographers get booked up super fast, so it’s always key to book at the very beginning of your wedding planning journey. I always say ‘After the big day has been and gone, you’re left with wonderful memories, a wedding ring and your photos’. Don’t scrimp on the photographer as it’ll end up being so much more important as years go by. I still look at my Grandparent’s wedding album now – it’s something I’ll treasure forever now they’re gone.
5. Take time out to enjoy the planning process. Book a weekend away before your big day – just the two of you and relax, leave the plans at home and enjoy each other’s company.
What lessons have you learned along the way?
Gosh, I could write a book on my experiences and the lessons I have learnt throughout my time as a wedding planner! That’s why I value my experience so highly. I get countless emails each day from people wishing they were a wedding planner, regarding the profession as being uber glamorous with days spent sampling cakes and wine. In reality it is extremely hard work and much more labour intensive on the day than you would imagine. Most wedding planners will tell you the day after a successful wedding you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Name your top 5 venues and what venue would be your dream venue to work with?
The Wallace Collection, The Savile Club, Claridge’s, Aynhoe Park and Petersham Nurseries. I don’t really have a dream venue in mind which I’d like to work with, as for me it’s more about finding my dream client. I’ve been extremely lucky over the years to have worked for so many lovely clients, whom have become friends.
What has been the biggest wedding catastrophe you successfully averted?
One of my clients bridesmaids left her dress in a taxi on the morning of the wedding. After numerous calls, I was able to track down the driver whom I arranged to meet to collect the dress. Luckily the bride was none the wiser! I also remember fixing a damaged wedding cake alongside a wonderful florist many years back now. Again, my clients had no idea and the cake looked great!
What are we to expect from you in the future?
I don’t have any grand plans to expand or evolve. My future plans are to continue to create wonderful, memorable, timeless events for my clients. After all – it’s always about them for me.
