Behind the veil of the wedding professionals at Holkham Hall
by Rachel Gilbert
When I say I work in weddings, a lot of people assume my job is glamorous. It has its moments — stepping into a stately home on a regular basis, sampling food from high-end caterers and liaising with expert suppliers — but it is a lot of hard work and can be stressful.
Like any sector of the hospitality industry, COVID changed the face of weddings. I only started my current role in June, joining co-workers that had cleared many pandemic hurdles. They rebooked countless couples, organised weddings for 15 people and spent countless hours deciphering government guidelines.
When I joined the Holkham team, I was thrown straight in at the deep end with a wedding in my first week. I used to think the thought of spending so much money on flowers or a band was ludicrous, but I quickly found myself sucked in, and understanding how important the little details are on the big day.
Fast forward six months and our little team of three, dubbed “Belle’s Angels,” by one of our regular caterers, has pulled off one of the busiest wedding seasons ever. During this time we delivered 63 espresso martinis served simultaneously, hosted our first Jewish wedding for more than 150 people and welcomed more than three thousand guests in a tight window of time.
I still don’t think my job is glamorous, but it is certainly far from boring. No day is the same, and no day is spent desk-bound. Myself and the other weddings coordinator juggle a myriad of tasks including maintaining the bar in the Lady Elizabeth Wing events space, scheduling staff and showing potential couples the different venues we offer.
Holkham has a wide array of options for every style and taste, ranging from the magnificent Marble Hall to the more rustic Temple, which is tucked away in a wooded area. Most of our couples opt to hold their ceremony in the Hall, before moving into the more modern Lady Elizabeth Wing.
Marquee sites are also very popular, with the choice of the Temple, a grand lake marquee, or the private walled garden — there really isn’t a bad view on the north Norfolk coast. A bespoke wedding at Holkham allows couples to tailor the perfect day, with many couples sticking with a traditional ceremony before a more relaxed reception.
From the day a couple books a wedding with us, someone is on hand to guide them through the planning process. With that said, I am constantly amazed by how seamlessly a wedding can come together.
Each supplier operates their plan with such professionalism, the couples need never worry about things going wrong. My biggest tip to someone about to embark on the planning process is to trust your suppliers. Your florist, caterer, photographer and musicians do this every day of their lives and are passionate about their craft — trust them to deliver.
On a day to day basis, I find myself calling suppliers to see when they will arrive, meeting with couples to discuss updates, or conducting consultations with newly engaged brides. On a wedding day however, everything gets switched up a gear.
Wedding days are full on, but run smoothly with a great team. Sometimes we are problem solving — last minute table plan alterations are a pandemic special. However, most of the time, we are able to enjoy watching a couple’s dreams come true.
Before we open the doors to the reception room, and guests flood in, we sneak the bride and groom in for a quick look. Seeing their faces light up when they see their vision come to life is a special moment — and a sigh of relief when the up-lighters are the right colour. The day is always over quicker than I expect, and usually ends with me chasing after the couple with a card box or a veil.
Reminiscing the next morning is always a highlight, with the couple nursing sore heads. Planning a wedding is such a personal process, by the end, some couples feel more like friends. We always send them on their way with a box of cake and a car full of flowers, knowing we will have done our best to give them the day of their dreams.
www.holkhamweddings.co.uk
@holkhamweddings
Niamh Walter – Wedding Coordinator
“Belle’s angels” – Niamh Walter (left), Belle Hutton (centre), Rachel Gilbert (right)
Describe your day to day job role.
My job can entail anything including answering enquiries, telephone consultations with prospective couples, planning meetings with brides, showrounds with couples that potentially want to book with us, lots of team meetings (lots of drinking coffee), talking with suppliers and planning weddings.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
I think sometimes when we have a wedding, coordinating all of the different parts can sometimes be quite challenging, and working with the different departments to ensure everything runs smoothly. I think probably the most challenging part is making sure the bride is on time — they’re always late.
What is your favourite part of working in weddings?
I really enjoy seeing the families coming together and celebrating the couples. Especially after covid, seeing families get together for the first time in a couple of years, it’s really lovely to see everyone enjoying themselves and obviously celebrating the very special couple on their day. Having a part in that couple’s day is really lovely.
What advice would you give to a couple planning their wedding?
I would say have a lot of trust in your suppliers. Don’t sweat the little things — there are so many things you might stress about that you won’t even think about on your day. Work with your wedding planner or coordinator and enjoy the process, it’s meant to be fun — not stressful!
Do you have a favourite memory from on the job?
One of my favourite memories is being with the team after a really heavy slog of five events in eight days and we all sort of sat down and collapsed together and went over what had happened in the last week. It was just really lovely to all sit down and think about how many weddings we had down, how many couples we had helped and to reminisce on that with the team.
What type of wedding would you have?
I would get married in a church and then have a marquee somewhere in the summer or autumn. I lean more towards autumn because I love the pretty colours and the deep reds and oranges you can get in the flowers. Sometimes September can be the nicest month of the summer. Definitely a marquee with lots of fairy lights and lots of gin.
Emilia Hudson – Senior Weddings & Event Manager & Stylist
Describe your day to day job role.
There really is no such thing as a normal day when working in events, and the variety is one of the reasons I love my job so much! If I am working in the office, I might be helping clients remotely, or holding a tasting or meeting in person. There is always lots of admin to do and I can often be found amending orders or creating floristry and styling proposals for clients.
If I am working out of the office, you’ll probably find me at an event. Working for a full-service events company means we often play different roles on the day. If we are providing the florals and styling, I might be delivering bouquets or setting up an installation, and if we are providing the catering or planning, I’ll be at the event all day to ensure everything runs smoothly and to time.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
When working on someone’s wedding day, it’s one of the most important days of their life and so you want to make sure that every element is perfect. You’re often juggling lots of different things and coordinating a range of suppliers in order to bring the couple’s vision to life. And of course, you want to ensure everything is what they’d dreamed of and more. There is always that moment of anticipation, when they see everything for the first time, but any stresses are soon made completely worth while when they are happy and celebrating!
What is your favourite part of working in weddings?
I am really lucky to have a job which I enjoy so much. The variety of each day means that nothing ever gets repetitive or boring and I love the countless opportunities there are to be creative. I have always been obsessed with styling and interiors, so a job which allows me to create colour schemes and scroll Pinterest for inspiration every day really is the dream!
If I had to choose one favourite thing though, it would probably be helping my couples bring their dreams to life. The moment they see everything for the first time and are so excited makes all the planning and hard work in the run up to the event totally worth it!
What advice would you give to a couple planning their wedding?
Take your time and enjoy the planning process. There is lots to think about and it’s easy to get stressed, but try to enjoy it and come to decisions together! Work out a budget early on and try to stick to it. Think about what’s important to you both and decide on your non-negotiables and prioritize looking for these first.
It’s so important to spend time finding suppliers you both love and trust. They are going to be a part of one of the most important days of your life and so it’s important to find someone you gel with and whose style and ethos you just love. It’s worth noting that lots of suppliers get booked up quickly and so once you’ve found your dream vendor make sure to get them booked in for your date. Try to start looking early to avoid disappointment.
If you are feeling completely overwhelmed, why not consider a wedding planner? They might seem like an extravagance you can’t justify, but trust me, they could save you costly decisions and expenses further down the line and are invaluable in helping you plan your day.
Do you have a favourite memory from on the job?
It’s hard to choose a favourite, as I’ve been lucky enough to be part of some amazing events and work alongside some wonderfully talented suppliers. Nevertheless, seeing some of the couples I work with finally have their dream day after having to postpone multiple times due to covid is certainly up there.
I am also a big fan of a wedding weekend, and they always tend to stick in my mind. The whole weekend has such a beautiful narrative and by elongating the celebrations there is the opportunity for so many brilliant and special moments. By the end of the weekend, you tend to know most of the guests by name and it’s wonderful to not only have built such a strong relationship with the couple, but their families too.
One of the corporate events which I loved being a part of was The Financial Times Festival in 2019. We completely styled and created bespoke florals for the members area at the festival, and we worked with them from the point of concept right through to the execution of everything on the day. It was absolutely amazing to see it all come to life. I just loved being able to work collaboratively with the team to design such a beautiful set up.
What season would you get married in?
After working in the wedding industry, I often wonder what my own wedding day would be like and where and when I might get married. When thinking about which season, I guess I’d probably go for September, I just love the autumnal tones and florals available at that time of year!
Carrie O’Donnell – Event Pianist
Describe your day to day job role.
I am a wedding and event pianist so my day-to-day role varies quite a lot, and a lot of my work is done before the wedding. I have meetings with all of my couples to discuss their music choices prior to their wedding day, so a lot of my time is spent practicing and learning new song requests. I also have to do all of my own admin and marketing, so I have to make sure that I am organised!
What is the most challenging part of your job?
I really love being able to follow my passion of performing music as my job and I am really proud of the business I have built up over the years. I think one of the most challenging parts of my job is probably doing everything myself. As there is only me in my business, I do all of my own marketing, promotion, admin, meetings, performing etc, so I just have to make sure that I am really organised with a big spreadsheet and lists!
What is your favourite part of working in weddings?
My favourite part of working in the wedding industry is being part of a couple’s special day and being trusted to provide the music for one of the most important parts of their lives. I love seeing the emotion that music brings to a wedding, especially for during the ceremony. I also love that I get to work in some of the most amazing venues around Norfolk and Suffolk, doing what I love!
What advice would you give to a couple planning their wedding?
I think that the most important piece of advice would be to plan a day that you both want and something that shows your personalities. I would also say to plan early, as a lot of suppliers can get booked up quite far in advance, and also consider having live music during your day as it really does enhance the ambience and atmosphere!
Do you have a favourite memory from on the job?
There have been so many beautiful weddings that I have had the pleasure of playing at, it’s hard to just pick one memory. The thing that I love about weddings is that each one is always different. I love seeing the personal touches people add and seeing what music people choose. Music evokes so much emotion and I love being responsible for creating this at each wedding. I love that a certain song can mean so much to a couple. There have been times where I have had to write a piece of music out myself due to not being able to find sheet music, because I know how important music is to the wedding day.
What season would you get married in?
If I was to get married, I think it would have to be in the summer, as I love the sun and warmth, although there is something magical about a winter wedding as well.