Our Planning Blog

Join our Founder and CEO Val Mattinson for news, event and wedding planning advice, design and styling inspiration.


We’ve all heard the phrase ‘your wedding, your way’. Personally, I’m thrilled to see more and more couples abandoning convention and planning the wedding they want rather than the wedding tradition dictates. One option that’s becoming increasingly popular, especially for destination weddings, is the symbolic ceremony.

Why a Symbolic Ceremony Might Make Sense for Your Caribbean Destination Wedding

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘your wedding, your way’. Personally, I’m thrilled to see more and more couples abandoning convention and planning the wedding they want rather than the wedding tradition dictates. One option that’s becoming increasingly popular, especially for destination weddings, is the symbolic ceremony.

Apr 07 2022


Being best man is a huge honour and an even bigger responsibility. The list of duties is long, and they play a vital role before, during and after the wedding ceremony. You need them to understand how to do their job well – don’t leave anything to chance. Simply forward this link and I’ll do the rest!

Top Tips for Your Best Man (From a Wedding Planner)

Being best man is a huge honour and an even bigger responsibility. The list of duties is long, and they play a vital role before, during and after the wedding ceremony. You need them to understand how to do their job well – don’t leave anything to chance. Simply forward this link and I’ll do the rest!

Mar 08 2022


If you’re getting married in Barbados, you’ll want to make the most of the island while you’re there. If your guests are treating your wedding as the perfect excuse for a holiday, they’ll be looking for inspiration too. My family are from Barbados, so it’s a destination close to my heart.

6 Things To Do In Barbados

If you’re getting married in Barbados, you’ll want to make the most of the island while you’re there. If your guests are treating your wedding as the perfect excuse for a holiday, they’ll be looking for inspiration too. My family are from Barbados, so it’s a destination close to my heart.

Feb 18 2022


Congratulations on your engagement! Excited to get your wedding plans underway but don't know where to begin? Well here are my 7 Top Tips to help you get started.

7 Top Tips to Kickstart Your Wedding Planning

Congratulations on your engagement! Excited to get your wedding plans underway but don't know where to begin? Well here are my 7 Top Tips to help you get started.

Jan 27 2022


Even before I fell in love with organising luxurious weddings throughout the Caribbean and around the world, destination weddings and elopements had my heart. Watching a couple get married is always special but celebrating with them in an incredible location takes things to another level.

Is a Destination Wedding Right for You?

Even before I fell in love with organising luxurious weddings throughout the Caribbean and around the world, destination weddings and elopements had my heart. Watching a couple get married is always special but celebrating with them in an incredible location takes things to another level.

Jan 26 2022


There’s a quote by Maya Angelou that perfectly embodies my approach to planning weddings. ‘I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

3 Ways to Ensure Your Wedding Guests Feel Extra Special

There’s a quote by Maya Angelou that perfectly embodies my approach to planning weddings. ‘I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

Dec 15 2021


On average, couples in the UK spend around about a year planning their big day.

Wedding Planning Checklist - 12 month Countdown

On average, couples in the UK spend around about a year planning their big day.

Feb 25 2021


You’re engaged! Congratulations! Whether you've been dreaming of your wedding day for as long as you can remember or you can barely wrap your head around all the wedding vocabulary, the first few weeks and months of being engaged are fun and exciting. Then wedding planning reality sets in...

Why Should I Hire a Wedding Planner?

You’re engaged! Congratulations! Whether you've been dreaming of your wedding day for as long as you can remember or you can barely wrap your head around all the wedding vocabulary, the first few weeks and months of being engaged are fun and exciting. Then wedding planning reality sets in...

Feb 20 2021


If you were due to get married in 2020, I probably don’t need to tell you how stressful a last-minute change of plans can be. You’ve weathered one of the biggest crises the wedding industry has ever experienced and likely dealt with numerous curveballs. However, a global pandemic isn’t the only thing that can throw things off course when you’re planning a wedding. Life happens, and even the most organised couples sometimes encounter bumps in the road.

Curveballs and Crises - What to Do When Wedding Plans Change

If you were due to get married in 2020, I probably don’t need to tell you how stressful a last-minute change of plans can be. You’ve weathered one of the biggest crises the wedding industry has ever experienced and likely dealt with numerous curveballs. However, a global pandemic isn’t the only thing that can throw things off course when you’re planning a wedding. Life happens, and even the most organised couples sometimes encounter bumps in the road.

Jan 14 2021


I’m writing this post in the midst of the UK’s second lockdown. COVID-19 has certainly kept us on our toes this year. As I type, wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations are not permitted to take place in the UK. Once lockdown is lifted and weddings can go ahead, the restrictions on numbers will remain in place. Whatever happens in the next few weeks and months, it seems small, intimate weddings will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

6 Reasons to Love Small, Intimate Weddings {Plus Advice, Inspiration and Ideas}

I’m writing this post in the midst of the UK’s second lockdown. COVID-19 has certainly kept us on our toes this year. As I type, wedding and civil partnership receptions and celebrations are not permitted to take place in the UK. Once lockdown is lifted and weddings can go ahead, the restrictions on numbers will remain in place. Whatever happens in the next few weeks and months, it seems small, intimate weddings will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

Nov 28 2020