ALL IN THE DETAIL

Our experts share venue styling inspiration to help couples plan their dream wedding

Rea Shaw at Confetti Sweethearts

When did your passion for styling start?

After styling my wedding in 2014, I started my own stationery business, which has grown into wedding styling and prop hire.

What do you offer nearlyweds?

I offer wedding styling services, coordination of styling and prop hire. I have a handmade collection, which includes fabric signs, cake stands, table plans and wooden ladders. I also offer dried flowers and plant hire to help couples looking for an alternative way to style their venue. There’s also hot foil stationery with all the colours of the rainbow on offer to fit in with your colour scheme, which includes everything from save-the-date cards and invitations to on-the-day details.

What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

Couples are being braver and are add more personality to their weddings, which means we will see great colour palettes and bolder designs. Expect more statement décor, such as

Bryony Marriott at Bobbi Wren Events

When did your passion for styling start?

I decided I needed a change in 2020 to delve into my creative side and give something to others I feel passionate about. Bobbi Wren Events has given me the drive to inspire and is completely rewarding.

What do you offer nearlyweds?

I have grown from creating ceremony backdrops and chairs to full venue styling with an abundance of bohemian-inspired décor that I collect, rejuvenate and style. This includes table styling, ceremony aisles, lounge areas, draped ceilings and all the little details.

What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

The boho style is here to stay, and it’s all about building on textures, whether that's minimalist touches or full ethereal cascading drapery from neutral palettes to more dusky colourful tones and disco balls for that party vibe.

What is your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part is the actual styling! After months of planning with a couple after many conversations, creating a concept board and meeting other industry professionals to create a fully complemented look is so rewarding.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples?

Create a focused Pinterest board or inspiration gallery before finding your favourite stylist and suppliers. Consider if they meet your vision and book the team as soon as possible so that they are available.

Discover more about the company: www.bobbiwrenevents.co.uk overhead installations and backdrops, giving couples and their guests a more immersive experience. We see a strong influence of home interiors being incorporated, enabling the couple to add their style. Décor trends we are seeing are disco balls, colourful dried flowers, floor arrangements and stylish black metal.

What is your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part is developing a design brief and making my clients' visions come to life. I enjoy all the brainstorming, sourcing, and bringing an idea to life, whether for a real couple or a styled shoot. Seeing it all styled after setting up on the day is very rewarding and makes all the effort worth it.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples?

Venue styling is essential to any wedding as it sets the tone for your day while matching your colour scheme and vibe. A simple space can be transformed into your dream location with just a bit of magic and help from the experts. We’ve hand-selected companies around the East Midlands who can help your vision become a reality. www.photographybyroberta.co.uk www.photographybyroberta.co.uk

One piece of advice, which will make a huge difference, is ensuring your wedding planning feels fun. Planning can be a long process that takes up a lot of your time, so it’s essential to ensure you’re enjoying as much of it as possible. Plan the day together, involve your loved ones and keep everything light-hearted. Check out: https://confettisweethearts.com

Yasmin Gilbert at Sparkle Occasions

What do you offer the nearlyweds?

Established in 2020, we’re a professional and friendly team who focuses on the quality of our work coupled with a high level of customer service. Our popular Sparkles Package includes a selection of our beautiful styling items for the main sections of the wedding day. You will also receive an initial and follow-up consultation, plus the team will deliver and set up your selected items before returning to pack down. The SelfStyle package allows you to choose the desired items and collect them from our base in Leicestershire before returning them to us.

What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

We love to offer our brides something different, so we’re continuously looking at new products to bring into the business. We’re one of the first Midlands-based styling companies to have audio guestbooks, full silk floral moon gates, cake florals, high risers and scented sand candles.

What is your favourite part of the job?

I love it once our team has finished setting up the ceremony space or the wedding breakfast room – often both. We stand back to ensure we are happy with the finished result and make any tweaks if necessary.

What’s one piece of advice you can share with couples?

I often talk with my couples about remembering that the day is theirs – not their parents, sisters or friends. It’s their wedding, so the day should reflect their personalities and style.

Check out: www.sparkleoccasionsevents.co.uk

Jackie Aimson at Dreamdécor Hire

When did your passion for styling start?

I have always been creative and passionate about making things look nice. So when my daughter asked me to style her wedding, I had that lightbulb moment and knew this was exactly what I wanted to do. I finally left my previous career in project management to start a completely new one in venue styling.

What do you offer nearlyweds?

We officially started the business in February 2020 – little did we know what was just around the corner. Maybe it wasn’t the best timing, but we have gone from strength to strength since then. We offer a professional but friendly service covering the full range of venue styling services, everything from set up only to the full service incorporating our beautiful décor and props in various themes, styles and colours. What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

Couples are starting to make decisions while considering more ecofriendly and environmental factors. Also, prepare for the return of glam mirrored disco balls; what’s not to love as the light bounces around the room and gets your guests into the party mood?

What is your favourite part of the job?

Delivering couples' visions on their wedding day and seeing those happy smiling faces from clients and other suppliers we work with is so special.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples?

Trust your suppliers to get on with their roles on your special day; you have chosen them for a reason – they will do an excellent job for you.

Discover: www.facebook.com/dreamdecoreventhire

Tara Knott at Tara Knott Styled Events

When did your passion for styling start?

I have a background in event management and worked in this field for 15 years. I was always so interested in the production of things and loved to see the transformation of a space. My events portfolio focused a lot on large gala dinners and events; I wanted this to be my area of focus and threw myself into any opportunity.

What do you offer nearlyweds?

I started my business in 2012, initially running a hire service that grew into full styling with a collection of services, including fully styled, partial style or dry hire. My prop collection ranges from table scaping décor to neon lights, posing station backdrops and beautiful linens.

What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

So many couples are opting for monochrome weddings to achieve a timeless and classic look. On the opposite side of the scale, full trendled colour with bright seasonal blooms, posing stations and colourful stationery is becoming popular. While wave boards are still trendy, we’re seeing the introduction of different shapes and textures with pillars to display cakes and flowers on or used as a posing station to use up dead space in a venue.

What is your favourite part of the job?

I love seeing it all come together from the initial idea, designing and curating a tablescape. Being part of a couple’s wedding day is a real privilege.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples? We’re big on repurposing as much as possible between the ceremony and the rest of the day, so talk to your suppliers about this to limit waste and help with your budget.

Discover more about your company: www.taraknott.co.uk

Janie Dowling at Orange Tree Weddings

When did your passion for styling start?

As soon as I could choose my path in education, I decided to study all creative subjects, and I now have a degree in Fashion Knitwear. I’ve worked in retail merchandising, and friends always come to me for advice on styling for special occasions! I love expressing my personality through my style, which translates to my love of styling venues to reflect my couples’ unique personalities!

What do you offer nearlyweds?

We started 10 years ago, and it has always stood out amongst other wedding suppliers. Our speciality is blank canvas venues; we can completely transform even a very basic venue. There is no ‘off the peg’ option from Orange Tree Weddings, as our main ethos is that every couple deserves a unique wedding that reflects them.

What up-and-coming wedding trends can we expect?

Mood boarding is one of my favourite things to do for my clients to get them excited about styling possibilities. Within the wedding industry, sustainability will continue to grow and people will become more conscious of waste. Single-use plastic, latex balloons and unnecessary wedding favours need to go!

What is your favourite part of the job?

My ideal client gives me a few images of fun and colourful ideas for their wedding before completely trusting me to go wild and get creative for them! Seeing it all come together on the day is so satisfying!

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples?

Think outside the box! Look at what you wear, what art inspires you, how you decorate your home and your favourite painting as this could inspire a fantastic backdrop for your big day. You don't have to do what has been done before!

Check out: www.orangetreeweddings.co.uk