Wedding Venue Sales Masterclass - Hotel du Vin, Exeter

NEW DATE ANNOUNCED!

On Wednesday 6th March 2024

we will host our next Wedding Venue Sales Masterclass

at the Hotel du Vin in Exeter.

The award-winning team of consultants at Hazel Parsons along with business coach Amber Leach from Audacious Lives Coaching will share with you proven techniques to generate leads, increase conversions and enable you to book more weddings!

Where? Hotel Du Vin, Exeter 

When? 6th March 2024, 9.30 am - 4.00 pm

Cost? £250.00 per attendee

What’s included?

Morning session

Part 1

• Setting yourself up for success - The basics behind what makes a good salesperson.

• Understanding your couples, what they expect and want, how to use this in your business.

• Why people love authenticity and the truth behind why people don’t book you.  

Hosted by Hazel Parsons  - Hazel Parsons Wedding Venue Consultancy

Part 2

• 6 win, win steps you can take to instantly increase conversions.

• The effortless upsell.

• Generating extra revenue through successful sales techniques.

• Creating enquiry emails that create excitement, and anticipation and inspire confidence for your couples to book.

• 3 ways you can handle customer phone calls that will entice them into booking.

• Perfecting the wedding show round and making yours stand out from your competitors.

• Why timing is key.

Hosted by Hazel Parsons  - Hazel Parsons Wedding Venue Consultancy

Mid-morning break

Part 3

.Create captivating content that resonates with your couples. 

Explore the art of producing compelling material, from editorial photo shoots to capturing behind-the-scenes content of wedding days. 

Understand your couples and learn how to tailor your content to boost inquiries. 

Hosted by Amber Leach - Audacious Lives Coaching

Sumptuous buffet lunch and refreshments

Afternoon session

Part 4 

• Embark on a thorough workshop that delves into how venues can effectively utilize organic Instagram content to boost leads and sales, specifically targeting newly engaged couples. 

• Explore strategies to engage this audience and optimize your online presence for meaningful results without relying on paid advertising.

• Learn how to build an online network to boost your engagement and reach more of your ideal clients.

Hosted by Amber Leach - Audacious Lives Coaching

Meet the experts:

Hazel Parsons - Award-Winning Venue & Wedding Business Consultant
Hazel Parsons is well known in the wedding industry as a super-connector. Her eponymous consultancy provides wedding venues with targeted business development advice, sector-specific consultancy, marketing, sales and staff training support. 

With over 20 years of experience within the industry, she has combined her flair for organisation, creativity and attention to detail with the commercial acumen that has spearheaded her success in hospitality, to create the leading consultancy she runs alongside Rebecca Edwards today. 

Previous Keynote Speaker at: Bridelux Symposium, The Wedding Academy International Wedding Conference, Cornwall Wed Meetup, Devon Wed Meetup, South West WedMeetup. She has been featured by the BBC, in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Wedding Industry Journal, The Metro, The Ultimate Wedding Magazine and in Wed Magazine.

Amber Leach - Liberty Pearl Photography & Founder of Audacious Lives Coaching

Amber Leach is an award-winning, wedding, commercial and family photographer, marketing consultant, and business coach. She has been featured widely in the media, BBC Spotlight, HuffPost, The Guardian, Tatler Magazine, and The Metro, and has been published in over 40 broadsheets, international wedding magazines and blogs. She is one of the leading female photographers in the UK and won the award ‘Top 50 UK Wedding Photographers’ in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, has captured over 400 weddings across the UK and Europe. Amber's wedding photography Business Liberty Pearl Photo & Film Collective has been running for over 10 years and has a team of 14 photographers, videographers and editors. Before working as a photographer, Amber had a successful career as a marketing and PR professional within the arts, music, and education sectors for 10 years. Amber is a self-taught photographer and launched her business against the backdrop of being a single mum. 

Amber has worked with over 1000 businesses training them on marketing, social media and business strategy. Liberty Pearl Photo & Film Collective is a recommended supplier with over 20 wedding venues and planners across Devon & Cornwall.

Amber has been the keynote speaker at the following international conferences and events: The Societies Photography Convention London, The Photography Show UK, The Malta Institute of Photography, Enterprise Nation, She Means Business, Christian Creativity Network.

Coffee, Chat and a Glass of Prosecco at Scorrier House

Wedding Networking Event at Scorrier House, Wednesday 29th November 

As we all catch our breath after a busy wedding season it’s the perfect time to catch up with the rest of the South West wedding tribe! Join us for a wonderfully relaxed evening of wedding networking from 6.30pm until 9.00pm. Re-connect with other industry pros, grow your supply chain, meet new businesses and rediscover opportunities to collaborate or refer clients.

Tickets are £35pp or grab an early bird before the 16th of November for just £30pp.

This event is open to all to attend,  as long as you run, own or work within a wedding business.

Book now to avoid disappointment, our wedding networking events always sell out! Looking forward to seeing you there, All the best Hazel & Beckie.

We get a good mix of businesses attend each year, but here is a snapshot of who you might meet…

• Wedding planners

• Event companies

• Venue owners

• Wedding and event managers

• Caterers 

• Bridalwear 

• Groomswear

• Florists

• Stationers

• Marquee companies

• Event hire

• Photographers

• Videographers

• DJs

• Bands

• Entertainment companies

• Event childcare

• Bar companies

• B2B services - for example - marketing, accountancy, design, website services, digital agencies, insurance, HR

Wedding networking is back this winter!

Wedding Networking - Coffee & Chat Event

On Tuesday 8th November, The Barn at Pengelly will host our wedding networking, coffee and chat event from 10am - 1pm.

Generate more enquiries for your wedding business this winter. Make sure you are at the next Cornwall Wedding Networking Event! Meet other wedding venues, caterers, event companies, industry experts and a wealth of other wedding suppliers.

Activities on the day include:

Arrival - Tea, Coffee, Cake & Networking

(Catering by Debbie Thorpe)

Talk - Using Tik Tok for your wedding business - Hanna & Tabitha, Unscripted Marketing.

Talk - Digital wedding marketing trends - Mark, Director, MIHI Digital

Open Q & A throughout the event - Weddings where next? - Hazel Parsons, Director, Out of The Ordinary Events

Welcome Talk & Showround - from the Team at The Barn at Pengelly

Finish

Tickets are £35.

***Spaces at this event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.***

Tickets include tea/ coffee and cake.

Please note - this event is open to ALL wedding businesses

Weddings Trends set to continue after lockdown

Post-lockdown wedding trends

We are set for a surge in weddings after many couples had to postpone their celebrations during the coronavirus pandemic. This is welcome news for wedding businesses after a very challenging year. From the rise of wedding tech to elopements, we discuss some trends that wedding businesses can tap into.

Mid-week and out of season weddings

More couples may be willing to consider midweek weddings, to ensure they can get married sooner rather than later. Couples may also be interested in booking weddings outside the traditional wedding season, again to avoid having to wait a long time to get married, especially if they were due to marry during lockdown and opted to postpone their big day.

Small – and large – weddings

Small and intimate weddings will continue to be popular. The pandemic has made small weddings much more socially acceptable, and couples may prefer to keep numbers down in order to allow them to spend more per head.

At the opposite end of the scale, some couples will opt for large parties and celebrations and couples who have waited for the restrictions to be lifted will be going all out. Expect to see free bars and couples spending extra on entertainment, styling, florals, décor and catering.

Elopements

We also expect elopements to be popular. Lockdown has kept us all in our local areas, and as international travel continues to be tricky, couples may choose to travel within the UK to get married. Scenic areas of the UK are ideally placed to benefit from this trend.

Hybrid weddings and wedding tech

Many couples getting married during lockdown relied on technology to help them celebrate with friends and family who could not be there in person. We expect hybrid weddings – with guests attending in-person and others joining virtually – to continue to be popular. Live streaming and entertainment that can help to connect virtual and in-person guests will become part of many weddings long after the Covid-19 pandemic. Wedding tech is definitely here to stay.

Covid-19 has changed our lives in so many ways and weddings are no exception. Wedding businesses that can tap into some of these new trends will reap the rewards.

Managing the post-lockdown wedding rush

Wedding venue: Camel studios

We expect a busy few years for wedding businesses as the backlog of weddings postponed by Covid-19 clears. We discuss what wedding businesses need to do to get ready for the rush.

Some industry commentators expect over half a million weddings to take place next year. There are significant opportunities, but businesses will need to manage the rush of bookings, enquiries and correspondence from couples whilst running a large number of weddings. 

Here are some areas to consider which will help you to make the most of the opportunities:

• Training

Ensuring your teams have the right skills is important. Investing in your people will ensure that your staff and business will achieve more. Many businesses have been using their cultural grant to invest in training during downtime when they may have had to close during the pandemic. However, it is never too late to focus on training. You will reap the benefits from using training to upskill in areas including sales, business development, customer service, upselling and the practicalities of running a wedding and managing a couple’s expectations.

• Systems

It will be absolutely crucial to have good systems in place. This should include accountancy, billing, contracts and CRM systems.

• Virtual assistants

Virtual assistants are a useful way to keep on top of customer enquiries. These computer bots respond to customer enquiries and can be built for your website and some social media channels include them in their chat function, for example, Facebook messenger.

• Technology

We have spent a whole year using technology to stay connected and run our businesses. As things open up again, now is a good time to cherry pick the elements that work and use them to enhance and support what you do.

• Keep it simple

Make sure your wedding suppliers team is primed and ready to go to, having information for couples readily available or prepped ready to re-send.

• Outsource

Don't be scared to outsource. You will still need to promote your business even when you are busy and time-poor and if you don’t have time to do that in-house, you could consider using an external resource. You are likely to need flexible staffing, so should consider working with outside wedding coordinators, staffing agencies and using other wedding businesses to help you deliver and grow.

• Communication

You will give the best service when you think about things from the couple’s point of view. Communication is a key issue that couples are looking for. They are planning one of the most important days in their lives and they will need regular reassurance and planning support. This can be done with regular group emails, once a month live events or Q&As and venue specific supplier Facebook groups.

The key message for businesses wanting to capture part of the wedding market is: be prepared, get ready for the rush!

Weddings the way forward?

By Nicola le Couteur Bisson of Cornish Celebrants

There is some welcome news in the wedding world – a chink of light at the end of a very dark tunnel for couples and suppliers alike.  Legal ceremonies (marriages and civil partnerships) can go ahead in England from 4th July 2020 with a maximum of 30 guests who are able to travel to attend the nuptials.  There are still restrictions – guests must follow social distancing guidelines whilst attending and – and this is a big one – any reception must follow the guidelines for public gatherings, no more than 6 in any group, which is not the party most couples have dreamt of.

So is there a way forward both for couples and the wedding industry until these guidelines are relaxed further?  We, at Get Wed Online, have been putting our collective heads together to come up with some ideas.  Whilst we, along with other wedding suppliers, welcome the relaxation of the rules, it does leave a big gap in what is usually included in a wedding celebration – the reception is not allowed to go ahead in its time-honoured format!!  So, in the meantime what can venues do to capitalise on this relaxation of lockdown?

You could offer to host the wedding of any of your couples who are wedding-ready (ie given their Notices of Marriage giving the name of the venue) and then offer them the option of a Celebrant led celebration at a later date with all their guests.  Saturdays already booked up?  How about being flexible and offering a mid-week celebration instead – could a Tuesday or Wednesday become the new Saturday?  Think what else you could offer to entice them to say yes to that mid-week date.

Or how about incorporating Zoom into their ceremony to allow more guests to participate in the proceedings?  The couple could have their nearest and dearest physically present (social distance compliant of course) and then the internet could connect them to other guests, everyone dressed up and wedding-ready. 

With receptions – including the glass of fizz and canapes immediately post-ceremony -  are off the agenda at the moment, how to celebrate afterwards whilst the current restrictions are in force may require a bit more imagination.  How about offering the couple a romantic dinner for two delivered to their room following the intimate ceremony, and to share the menu with the rest of the guests, add in zoom and they can all eat together, drinking the same wine,  and speeches and toasts could still be enjoyed.

As and when restrictions are lifted further, think outdoor ceremonies - social distancing is so much easier to maintain when out in nature, and the virus doesn’t spread so easily outdoors.  Consider asking your couples to undertake the legal ceremony first, followed by a Celebrant led wedding celebration – no licensed area required so venues can use garden areas previously not utilised.

You may need to rethink the catering – if social distancing and “Bubbles” are in place,  think picnics  - your guests can sit in family groups to eat – everyone together but apart.  Consider teaming up with fellow - planners, marquees, caterers, florists, etc to offer packages to help couples visualise their day – after all some may have planned the wedding once and may be feeling very low at the prospect of doing it all again.  There are some amazing clear structures being built which would allow groups to be in their individual bubbles, whilst feeling part of a wider group.

We are going to be strange times for a while yet, so we all need to think imaginatively to allow our celebrations to take place joyfully and inclusively.

Zoom Weddings - Pivoting During The COVID-19 Lockdown

Is Now The Time For Zoom Weddings To Take Off In The UK?

At a time when legal weddings cannot take place, either in a Church or at a Register Office;  when the country is in lockdown and we all have to keep a social distance, how do couples who were hoping to officially tie the knot decide what to do?

The options for couples to get married in #Lockdown are limited, you can either postpone, re-arrange or cancel your booked wedding date. With limited options available to couples, a team of Cornish Wedding Businesses have partnered together to offer a unique alternative.

We have partnered with the team of “Cornish Celebrants”, Nicola and Denise, creative wedding blogger, Marie from “Eeek!”, Richard from “I do Film Weddings” and Verity Westcott from “Verity Westcott Photography” to offer virtual wedding days and celebrations on a new platform called ‘Get Wed Online’.

Having spent the last few weeks helping couples to postpone and re-arrange their wedding plans, we felt that somehow a couples special date could still be celebrated – virtually.  The idea for Get Wed Online was born.  Together, the Get Wed Team want to bring some joy to couples during this difficult time. 

Whilst the ceremony isn’t legally binding, their virtual ceremonies will allow couples to mark the occasion of their planned wedding date, and if they wish they can share the ceremony with friends and family.  This could turn a day, potentially one of sadness and disappointment, into a uniquely memorable one.  Even couples separated by circumstances can enjoy a virtual celebration to mark their day.  Every couple will have the opportunity to have an edited highlights video of their celebration.

The celebrations do not stop there! They will also facilitate other events such as birthday parties, proposals, renewal of vows or anniversaries.  As these are such unusual times with family members potentially having to stay apart, they have designed a celebration especially for them,  the Family Ties ceremony.

Given the current sacrifices, our Key Workers are making to keep us safe and well, the Get Wed Team felt that we would like to take this opportunity to give something back and say ‘Thank You’! Once a month, the ‘Win Your Wedding Competition’ for Key Workers will be run and the winner will receive a free online ceremony. Key Workers can either nominate themselves or can be nominated by a friend, colleague or the wider public. The winner will be presented with the Friends and Family package from the Get Wed Online website. 

If you would like to nominate a key worker for the ‘Win Your Wedding Competition’ or if you would like to nominate yourself here https://www.getwedonline.com/win

To start planning your wedding celebration head to www.getwedonline.com

Credits -

Photography credit - Verity Westcott Photography

Videography credit - I Do Film Weddings

5 Useful Resources For Wedding Venues During COVID-19

With weddings, events and mass gatherings currently on hold in the UK, it leaves the wedding and events industry wondering where to go next. We have put together our Top 5 resources to help guide and support venues through the lockdown period and beyond.

1) Support and advice for you and your couples on cancelling or postponing their weddings. Rocks and Frocks Weddings have put together a really informative article to help guide us all through this, click HERE to find out more.

2) Guidance and advice from The Money Saving Expert on Employment, Self Employment and Small Limited Company Coronavirus Help click HERE to find out more.

3) Three Key Employment Issues During COVID-19 from the experts at Cloud Legal, click HERE to find out more.

4). Key information on contracts, COVID and Force Majeure from the Cloud Legal team, click HERE to find out more.

5). A thought-provoking article from Liene Stevens at Think Splendid on ‘How Wedding Venues Can Avoid Negative Reviews During COVID-19’, read on for some brilliant advice.

We are continuing to help and support our wedding venues over this time. to stay up-to-date with our latest information and advice join our Wedding Venue Academy Facebook Group. If there is a specific question you would like to ask or would like to hear how other venues are managing this is a great safe space to do this in.

Best wishes

Hazel & Beckie x

Photography credit for the image directly above - Verity Westcott Photography

A Free Webinar For Hospitality Businesses - Tuesday 28th April

In these strange and unprecedented times, we’ve found ourselves looking towards tech innovation. At a time where both businesses and individuals find themselves doing everything online, there are opportunities that exist for the business community...

Learn how to accelerate your business to increase profitability using virtual assistance at our Virtual Assistance Webinar - Tuesday 28th April at 3.00pm

Have you ever wondered what the benefits are to including a Virtual Assistant to your website and enquiry procedure?

Have you thought about it but have no idea how to implement it or where to start?

If so, then join us on Tuesday 28th April at 3.00 pm alongside guest speakers Wo King, Founder & CEO of Hi9 and Greg Welch, Managing Director of Gendall, a creative consultancy based in Falmouth. Organised by the Acceleration Through Innovation 2 programme. 

– Listen and learn about future-proofing your business

– Upskill yourself and your team on increasing productivity and efficiency within your business

– Take part in a Q&A with industry experts

– Sign up for more bespoke workshops for your business with the industry experts

The interactive webinar will offer you generation insight, assist with your customer engagement and accelerate your business to increase profitability.

Follow the link below to book your complimentary place. 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-use-virtual-assistance-to-interact-with-your-customers-webinar-tickets-102330952634

Delivered by ATI2, ‘How to use virtual assistance to interact with your customers?’ is a fully-funded webinar. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ATI2 is 3-year £3.4 million project led by the University of Plymouth which supports business innovation across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

The Law has changed – Civil Partnerships For All!

So what does this mean to you as a venue owner?  Surely it’s just a wedding by any other name?  Well actually no it isn’t - and whilst the numbers may not be great it is important that you do not treat this couple’s day as a wedding.  Yes, there will be similarities – it is, after all, a day of celebration.  But more than anything these couples will be celebrating their equality – they are not bride and groom, becoming husband and wife - they are equal partners in their legal union.  The Wedding rule book needs to put to one side and you will need to listen to the couple about their vision for the ceremony and be creative to help it happen. They may wish to enter the ceremony together or be accompanied by their family and friends, there may be no giving away - this is one of the outmoded patriarchal elements of marriage the couple may be escaping!  More than anything they will want a more individual ceremony including rituals or elements which celebrate their choice to be together but equal.  Welcoming these couples to your venue will give you a chance to become creative and refresh your offer – this can only be helpful for all of your couples!  

The legal part of a Civil Partnership is the signing of a document called a Schedule – the couple, two witnesses and a Civil Partnership Registrar all have to sign the document – no words need to be spoken and no ceremony is required.  As this is such an official paperwork exercise it is a great opportunity to offer the couple a celebrant led ceremony – a Celebrant will work with the couple to get to understand their vision and will write a bespoke ceremony which can include rituals and spiritual elements, and of course can take place anywhere in your venue, no license required.

Guest post by Nicola Le Couteur Bisson from The Guild of Cornish Celebrants

Important Changes To Marriage Law In The UK

The rules on where couples can get married in the UK are soon to be relaxed.

Earlier this year Theresa May launched a two-year Law Commission review that will look at opening up the choice of locations for couples to get legally married in. At The Wedding Venue Academy - Coffee and Chat Event we hosted at Chycara in June we asked wedding expert Nicola Le Couteur Bisson from The Guild of Cornish Celebrants to explain exactly what these changes might mean to licensed wedding venues. Here’s a roundup of her top tips and information on the forthcoming review.

These are some of the conclusions to the Law Commissions Scoping Report in 2015 regarding Marriage Law and will form the basis of the 2 year review.

• Should all marriages have to take place in a stated location?

• Should there be any restrictions as to the types of location where a marriage can be solemnized?

• For example, should marriages be able to take place outdoors?

• Who, if anyone, should have to agree or authorise the chosen location and what, if any, criteria should apply?

• If the current restrictions were retained, are any smaller changes needed to make the system more rational or efficient?

• Should marriage ceremonies have to take place with open doors?

• Should the ability to solemnize marriages be extended beyond those currently able to do so?

• Is a ceremony necessary to solemnize a marriage?

• What types of ceremony should be allowed?

Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers at the moment – the review is set to last for 2 years and will take information from a wide range of interested parties.

As a Venue Owner you can start preparing now for the proposed changes. Take a look around your venue and grounds with a fresh pair of eyes, the changes may mean that you no longer need a structure for a legal wedding to be conducted, so is there a focal point in the grounds or garden that would work, a glade in the woodland, a beautiful wall swathed in wisteria? Let your imagination run riot, then look at logistics – how will you get guests/seating/props there? What is the ground like? Electric? Lighting? Why not try it out using a Celebrant led ceremony. Competition – if you are a licensed venue you have built up a huge amount of expertise in how to run a wedding day – not everyone will want to go to a venue which may be cheaper but who will not have run such an important event before, do not underestimate how much your experience will count to couples, you can help – as you do now – to alleviate their stress! There may some interim legislation which may allow you to undertake legal ceremonies within the grounds of your licensed property without a structure being involved – we have heard nothing definite yet – but by doing some strategic planning now you will be ahead of the curve!

You can find out more about The Guild Of Cornish Celebrants here - www.cornishcelebrants.co.uk or chat to Nicola at the Coffee and Chat Event.

Image Credits Toby Lowe Photography

2019 Wedding Networking Dates For Your Diary

October 2019:

National Association of Wedding Professionals Discovery Road trip:

7th - 11th October in Cornwall and Devon. 

Morning networking events. The Discovery Tours run for 2 hours and provide the perfect opportunity to view an utterly fabulous wedding venue, network with other wedding businesses and hear an informative talk from a wedding industry expert.

• Monday 7th - The Alverton, Truro, Cornwall 11am - 1pm

  Guest talker - Peboryon

• Tuesday 8th - Brickhouse Vinyard, Mamhead, Devon 11am - 1pm

  Guest talker - Peboryon

• Wednesday 9th - Trenderway Weddings, Looe, Cornwall 11am - 1pm

  Guest talker - Jax Bakes & Cakes

• Thursday 10th - Powderham Castle, Exeter, Devon 10am - Midday

  Guest talker - The Velvet Daisy

• Friday 11th - The Greenbank, Falmouth, Cornwall 11am - 1pm

  Guest talker - The Velvet Daisy

Tickets cost £10 per person to non NAWP members. If you are interested in attending, please email the team at info@nawp-uk.com. The full list of venues and events can be found on our website.http://www.nawp-uk.com/nawp/18/DISCOVERY%20MEETINGS

Tuesday 15th October - Devon WedMeetup - Paschoe House, Devon

Evening networking event.

EVENT ITINERARY

• 6.30pm - Arrival drinks & canapes

• 7.00pm - Welcome & first presentation from Paschoe House

• 7.25pm - 8.00pm - Speed networking

• 8.00pm - Quick break

• 8.15pm - Appleby Events & Director of Development for the NAWP -Tracy Butterfield - Driving better business results through diversification

• 8.40pm - Founder of Pomp and Ceremonies - Jessica Sey - Pomp and Ceremonies - Wedding legislation - the facts and updates

• 9.00pm - Finish 

Tickets cost just £38.00 per person and include any third party booking fees. You can find out more and book your tickets here www.wedmeetup.com.

November 2019:

Monday 11th November - Cornwall WedMeetup - Pentillie Castle, Cornwall

Evening networking event.

EVENT ITINERARY

• 6.30pm - Arrival drinks & canapes

• 7.00pm - Welcome & an introduction to Pentillie Castle

• 7.25pm - 8.00pm - Speed networking

• 8.00pm - Quick break

• 8.15pm - St.Petrocs - Lois Wild - Sustainable & Compassionate Wedding Days

• 8.40pm - Digital Marketing Guru - Lucy Thornton - 10 Super Productive Ways Pinterest can Boost your Wedding Business

• 9.00pm - Finish

Tickets cost just £38.00 per person and include any third party booking fees. You can find out more and book your tickets here www.wedmeetup.com.

March 2020:

Tuesday 3rd March 2020 - South West WedMeetup - Rockbeare Manor, DEVON

Wedding marketing conference & trade expo for aspirational wedding businesses …

EVENT ITINERARY

THE MORNING

• 9.30am Arrival, Tea & Coffee, Meet the Exhibitors and Visit the Wedding Business Helpdesk

• 10.00am - Welcome

• Presentation - Wedding Dates - Rising to the Challenge

• Presentation - Bridebook - The UK Wedding Report

• Tea & Coffee, Meet the Exhibitors and Visit the Wedding Business Helpdesk

• Presentation - Madeleine Jones - Making Your Business Shine - Getting To Grips With SEO
  
  
  

CHOOSE YOUR WORKSHOP:

• Workshop  1 - Katherine - Oh So Social - Facebook For Wedding Pros

• Workshop 2 - NAWP - Pricing For Success.

• Workshop 3 - Bride Magazine - more details coming soon!

THE AFTERNOON

•  1.00 - 2.00pm - Buffet Lunch

• 2.15pm - Meet the Experts, 10 Tables of 10:

Get to grips with those areas that you may struggle with within your business, with advice on:

• Branding

• Social media

• Increasing your bookings & conversion rates

• Advertising

• Blogging

• SEO

• Wedding trends

• Creating awesome visual content for your clients.

• Exhibiting at Wedding Fairs & Shows

• Networking

Tea & Coffee, Meet the Exhibitors and Visit the Wedding Business Helpdesk

Presentation - Eco Weddings and ever-growing market

5.30pm - Finish

THE AFTERPARTY!

THE AFTERPARTY - WEDDING BIZ DINNER ON TUESDAY 3RD MARCH

A truly splendid evening of fabulous food, great company and a fantastic afterparty.

• Drinks reception 7.00pm

• Followed by a delicious 3 Course Meal

• Carriages at Midnight

You can find out more and book your tickets here www.wedmeetup.com.
Led by industry gurus Hazel Parsons, Jennifer Granlund and Rebecca Edwards, these events are a must for established and aspiring wedding businesses alike.

Work with us!

Would you like to target a different level of clientele? Would you like to increase your Net profit margins? Are you looking to re-structure or redevelop your venue? Would you like assistance putting together your pricing and marketing strategy for the Christmas proposal period?

Then let us help. The team at Hazel Parsons have over 17 years of experience in running and managing venues and know exactly what it takes to make those bookings happen. Speak to Rebecca or Hazel about the next steps…

Call - 07900954051

Email - me@hazelparsons.com or Rebecca@hazelparsons.com

Find out what our clients say - www.HazelParsons.com

Photography credit - Venetia Norrington Photography

5 Top Tips For Planning An Event

You’ve been given the task of event planning but where should you start?

If you’re not an event planner, the job of organising an event can often be quite overwhelming. You may find yourself putting together to-do lists, searching the Internet for ideas and spending a good amount of time trying to find a venue, one that can accommodate your needs and suit your budget. There re so many things to consider.

We’ve been organising events across the UK for the last 6 years, everything from Collection Launches, Film Retreats, Awards Evenings, Christmas Festivals, Weddings, Trade Expo’s and Business Celebrations, so believe us when we say there are tried and tested techniques that ‘WILL’ make your event planning so much easier.

We work with event venues across Devon & Cornwall training the owner's and their staff in wedding & event management and our team have experience in planning over 800 events. The tips we are about to share, are the foundations and initial building blocks for any event no matter how large or small, we use them day in and day out as part of the event planning process.

So here are our TOP 5 TIPS to get you well and truly started with planning your event.

• Set Yourself targets

Always start with a clear idea of what you want to achieve. In this instance, what is the event? What would you like the end result to be? This will allow you to be targeted with how you plan out the event and source suppliers and budget both time and resources.

• Check Dates

When would you like the event to happen and where is your preferred location? Make a list of dates that would potentially work. If your planning a celebration event avoid other public celebrations like Fathers Day, Christmas Eve or The World Cup Finals. If you are planning a business event, do a search for business events in your County on that date, check what comes up. Ensure you pick a couple of viable dates that don’t clash with your competitor's events. You want your event to be well attended, give yourself the best possible chance.

• Decide where would you like the event to take place?

You need to have a good idea of your ideal location and then put together a tick list of what you NEED and what you WANT the venue. If the venue is your place of work or private house then make a list of the facilities you have and any additional that you may need. If you are sourcing the venue this will allow you to create a list of your top 3 to visit and request quotes.

• Setup an event spreadsheet

This will be probably one of the most important things you do. This spreadsheet will allow you to manage time, jobs, budgets, suppliers and planning. It doesn’t need to be anything crazy, often simple is best. Have a sheet with the event timeline and tasks with who is completing them and when, a sheet with the event day setup and timeline on for you to fill in as you go, a sheet with the supplier types you need then populate it with contact details, quotes and final pricing and a final sheet for the budget. You can prioritise jobs by highlighting them in the timeline with urgent in a different colour, for quick reference.

• Budget

If you are planning this event for you, make sure you set yourself a realistic budget to work with. If your boss has given you this role, ask them what the budget is and try to manage their expectations with the budget you have been given. Allocate out the budget to the various elements of the event that have costs associated with them. If you aren’t sure how much something is likely to be, request quotes. You will soon get an idea of whether it will work within your budget or if the event design may need to change. Keep the budget up to date, putting in actual figures as and when you have them.

These 5 simple steps will allow you to start planning and organising your event, there will be many other elements you may need to consider, these will stand you in good stead. 

If you feel you need more assistance then contact me on me@hazelparsons.com or call 07900954051.

On the search for your perfect event space, check out Lacuna

NEW The Wedding Venue Academy - Coffee & Chat Event

We have received so many requests to organise a wedding venue informal networking event and advice session, So here it is…

On Tuesday 23rd July Chycara will host our very first informal wedding venue academy, coffee and chat event from 10am - Midday. This event is an excellent opportunity to chat with other wedding venue managers and owners based in Devon and Cornwall, explore this beautiful venue and meet a few industry experts who will be there on the day offering support and advice on:

Wedding legislation

Venue Marketing

Sales Techniques and day to day wedding business problem solving

***Spaces at this event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.***

This event is FREE to The Wedding Venue Academy Members or costs just £5 per person to non-members.

Book your tickets here

Are you a member of our Wedding Venue Academy Facebook Group yet? If not you should be, it’s free to join and gives helpful advice and tips each month for you to use. Find out more here . It is completely FREE to join.

Highlights From The 2019 South West WedMeetup

Informing the UK’s wedding industry, connecting wedding professionals, showcasing wedding businesses, marketing workshops and more!

Earlier this year we ran our second South West WedMeetup at the Deer Park Country House partnering again with the super lovely Jenny Wren Weddings and Event Planning.

We founded the WedMeetup events in 2013 after realising a real need for industry-specific seminars and networking. In 2014 we decided to partner with Jenny Wren Weddings and Event Planning to offer the WedMeetups on a more regular basis, following strong demand. Since then the events have grown, evolved, flourished and developed a strong client following across the South West.

The 2019 South West WedMeetup saw us welcome both familiar and new faces and allowed us to introduce and connect wedding businesses, venues, planners and venue owners to a range of speakers and industry experts. Over the two days, we heard presentations from Sarah George from Bride Magazine, Terry Lewis from Wedding Marketing Mastery, Sam Moore from Wild Tipi, Kylie Carlson from The Academy of Wedding & Event Planning, Aleisha McCormick from Bridechilla and Janie Cooksley from Lower Barns, covering a range of different subjects from ‘How to Stay Focused & Motivated in Your Business’ to ‘Digital Marketing’ and ‘How to Inspire Brides to Book’ to name just a few.

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A session with industry experts including Yvonne Morris from CloudLegal, Brendan Sleeman from WED Magazine, Mark Worden from MiHi Digital and Nicola Le Couteur Bisson & Denise Whitehair from The Cornish Celebrants and our team of consultants.

A new aspect to the South West WedMeetup this year was to offer sessions where attendees could book to ‘Meet the Experts’ of a variety of business areas including Tracy Kendall from Keeping it Vintage discussing ‘Wedding Trends 2020’, John Harvey from The Samphire Club discussing ‘Networking’, Venetia Norrington Photography discussing ‘Visualising Your Brand’ and Craig Bracefield from Bracefield Films discussing the ‘Power of Video’. Other topics covered were ‘Advertising’ by Brendan Sleeman from WED Magazine, ‘Upping Your Conversion Rates’ by Hazel Parsons Wedding & Events Consultancy, ‘Importance of Your Brand’ by Heather Skjervik Graphic Design, ‘Working with a Wedding Planner’ by Jenny Grandlund from Jenny Wren Wedding & Event Planning and ‘Stress Management & Wellness at Work’ by Charlotte Lodey from The Palm Tree Club.

The event was captured on camera by Venetia Norrington from Venetia Norrington Photography and on video by Craig Bracefield from Bracefield Films.

Click image below to see more!

Find out more about the WedMeetup events and keep up to date with our forthcoming events over at www.WedMeetup.com

You can follow the event on Twitter or Instagram following the #SWWedMeetup hashtag.

Each WedMeetup is headed up by Industry Gurus covering a range of informative topics created specifically for wedding businesses. This combined with our kick-ass approach to networking allows you to learn new skills, build new connections, generate referrals and take bookings.

New For January 2019 - The Wedding Biz Surgery

We haven’t left the fabulous wedding suppliers out. Oh no, we just wanted to create consultancy sessions that would allow you to get the most out of it for your business. The Wedding Biz Surgery will give you access to a 30 minute 1:1 appointment with one of our wedding biz doctors completely free of charge, in fact all you need to do is book your appointment time. The surgery will take place on Tuesday 29th January at the Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall you can either attend in person or request a call.

Book your appointment here

NEW for January 2019 - The Wedding Venue Surgery

We have just released the first Wedding Venue Surgery date, it’s taking place on Tuesday 22nd January at the Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall. So what does this mean? This means you can access 30 minutes of 1:1 time with one of our expert venue consultants completely free of charge all you need to do is book your appointment time.

Book your appointment here