A collection of some fantastic, unique, lovely, splendid suppliers to help you in your wedding planning!

With so much experience in this tight-knit industry, I have had the pleasure of working with some truly brilliant suppliers. I’ve always paid attention to the other suppliers that I work with, who is keeping the couples very happy and who isn’t. It can be so valuable for me to know who I might want to collaborate with, or even better, if I can help a couple to find a good business to work with, and with that in mind – these are some of my favourite suppliers.

Why do I recommend these suppliers?
These are people and businesses that I my couples rave about. These are the suppliers with whom I have built relationships based on trust and consistency/reliability. These are the suppliers, who in my opinion will bend that little bit further to help you get the service that you really want. Please feel free to peruse and get in touch with anyone you would like to, you can always get in touch with me here if you would like any more specific help!

Videographers
I have three of these, not only because I respect wedding video as an important medium, or because it is hugely subjective, but also because I just like too many of them! A good videographer is amazing to work with, and unfortunately I have worked with some less than helpful ones! These three businesses/individuals all offer something slightly different from one another and crucially for me; they all keep my couples very happy!

Hushabye Film – Run by Jade, her work is fun, funky, modern and personal. Her work is always contemporary and stunning visually,  she also happens to be pretty amazing!

There is also Ultimate Visuals – headed by Andrew. I find his work to be so professional – almost classic or Spielberg-esque in style. He certainly goes the extra mile at every wedding.

Now and Forever Films – Sue and Terry are a couple who have many years of experience in making beautiful wedding films for their many couples. Their style is a little more traditional and they are great to work with.

Toastmasters
Toastmasters can be a great way to help bring calm, order and a touch of timeless elegance to your wedding. Particularly recommended for very large weddings or if you want to add a little class and formality to your day. These two are both fabulous to work with, professional, patient and calm and definetly worth looking into – Robin Powell and Stephen Hall will both help to ensure your day runs smoothly.

Caterers
Well, food is always important! I think most will agree, good catering can be a substantial portion of a diy wedding budget and it can be a great idea to think about all the different possibilities for feeding your guests, I have an entire article about it here if you re after some ideas.

I have worked at events catered by the exemplary Créme Catering many times over the years. I have always enjoyed their catering and service at weddings and they are such a friendly team. When I moved to my village a few years ago, I was delighted to discover that Créme were based just down the road from me! Definitely get in touch with these guys, they offer such a great range of services.

Paul from Clock House Catering is a seasoned professional and provides outdoor catering options at all kinds of events. Always bringing expert advice and quality ingredients, I always love it when Paul and his team are catering a wedding!

Cake
You can actually have the cake that you want and eat it, amazing right?! I mean, then you wont have it, but thats what photos are for! A truly special cake can make a real focal point at your wedding reception. It is also a wonderful event for your guests to see and grab some pictures, not to mention the leftovers which will probably last a while.

I would like to introduce you to the fabulous Nina, who created the elegant, luxury Erzulie Cakes. When I first met Nina at a styled shoot, I was utterly blown away by the sheer elegance and the deceptive simplicity of her cake designs. The cakes tasted so balanced, so light, so good! Nina also happens to be not only professional, but all also a creative, warm and kind person.

Magician/Entertainment
Wedding entertainment is so subjective, with some couples going all out and others keeping it really simple. They are so many ideas of different things to do at your wedding, from bucking broncos, to vintage fairgrounds to anything you can imagine really! Here is a little list of people I just love to work with and who always keep the crowd entertained!

Lee Smith is one of the best know magicians in the area, he has performed all over the place and deserves all that praise! You can see great examples of his work on his website here.

Celebrants
I have an entire blog on why you might find a celebrant a great solution for own event and these two recommendations were the contributors for it, I found their knowledge and ability to answer questions or alleviate any concerns very impressive. Both of these ladies are professional, friendly and pretty passionate about what they do. You can read more, including from them here

Ali Moore and Kelly Hawes official sites are both here, or you can find the links in the above article too!

Flowers
The difference that good use of flowers can make when decorating a venue can be astounding. A good florist will be able to guide you on what might work the best for your space, they understand availability of flowers at different times of the year and can often work around a specific budget. Never underestimate the effect the right flowers can have on ambience, not to mention brightening up your photos!

Amy from April Flowers, in Oakley, Bedfordshire has so much passion for her job, this combined with her experience means she will definetly be able to point you in the right direction for your wedding. Her bouquets and centrepieces always bring a little extra flair, here arrangements really are stunning.

Lesley from Woburn Wedding Flowers is a preferred supplier at some really great venues and there is a reason for that! I love her creativity and how she sometimes tries slightly unusual colour combinations which always end up looking amazing together!

Venue Dressers
For some couples, this is all part of the fun. However, for plenty of others, it can really be worth calling the experts in. Not only will then have great ideas of how best to utilise and decorate your space, but they will take care of all of the hard work on the day! It saves you and your wedding party decorating at your venue at the crack of dawn, so enjoy mimosas at home instead and let the experts get on.

Joanna from Stardust Events is absolutely wonderful, she is full of energy and enthusiasm and her and her team have worked at almost every local venue that you can think of. Stardust offers a great range of items and lighting to hire and they are always interested to hear ideas from their couples.

Alice runs Fleur De Lace who are based in Letchworth. Her and the team work tirelessly to ensure that you get the wedding decoration that you want and her passion and creativity can lead to some wonderfully bold ideas!

Hair and Makeup

Great hair and beauty artists are worth their weight in gold. The depth of knowledge required would surprise anyone who knows nothing about it (like me!), but the difference a brilliant hair and make-up can makes cannot be understated. Make up and hair that holds well through the day, doesn’t feel too heavy and stays looking too great takes great skill. Make sure you do a trial to find the right people for you and make sure you check these ones out too.

Niki runs Niki Makeup based in St. Albans. She specialises in natural Bridal make-up and can expertly create any glamorous Wedding Make-up style to create a look that is still you but the best possible version!  Hairstyling services are also available by request, which makes her a bit of a rare find.

Angela was a previous bride of mine, she is absolutely lovely and also works as a freelance makeup artist for weddings and events. Angela Longdin Makeup Artist is based in St. Neots and I have no doubt that she will make you feel relaxed whilst she makes you look (even more) beautiful.

DJ’s
A good DJ can make or break an evening reception. DJ’s are usually a lot of fun and some of my favourite suppliers. You don’t want one that will dictate the music to you, but most couples need and appreciate some expert guidance. Actual performance is certainly provided by all of my recommendations. I have worked with some amazing DJ’s and all three of my favourites offer much more than DJ’ing, all three have different specialisms available and hire out other essential evening elements such as lighting and dance floors. Check out lovely James from JSB Events, the brilliant Mark Bluemark Entertainment and the amazing duo from New Decade!

Music
Atmosphere is key to any great event and for me, this means great music. You can use music to help the day flow, to set the tone, to entertain. At an elegant wedding you might have a string quartet for the ceremony or a vocal guitarist for your drinks reception, or possibly you are having festival style wedding and want to a load of local bands! Here are a couple of names to get you started.

The Sam Lewis Band are based in Hertfordshire and have a deservingly brilliant reputation! Sam is a great guy and the band is fantastic for evening wedding receptions, but Sam is also the man to go to to find so many other music services. He is a wonderful guitarist and vocalist himself and will play solo beautifully throughout the day before the band breaks out in the evening.

Cheryl and John are a husband and wife team who again have an amazing local reputation and have performed all over. They run a luxury string quartet (or trio/duo) called Ariella Strings based in Milton Keynes and bring a subtle touch of class to every event.

Wedding Stationery
Good stationary really does matter, the invitations are the first indication that your guests get as to what sort of wedding you might be planning. The table plan is what each and everyone of your guests will study and the name place almost always ends up being pocketed as a keepsake! So good stationery can be very noticeable.

Tracey runs Tiggity Boo from St. Albans and offers a beautiful range of stationary for every kind of wedding and most budgets too. I find her designs quite innovative and a little different for the usual expected wedding stationary options.

Louise owns Louise Kane Stationery based in Bedfordshire. Her designs are beautiful and have been featured in Vogue, catering for large and small events and being able to help with all of your stationery needs.

Outdoor Bars
Its Got a Kick are a brilliant option when you need a bar for any event. Dry hire and DIY venues don’t usually offer a bar, many always waive corkage fees and mobile bars are the perfect solutions to keep provide libations and help to keep things merry! My personal favourite is a rather ingeniously converted horse trailer It’s Got A Kick, they offer a variety of drinks packages as well as cocktail options. The bar is run by the professional and lovely Leanne and she will be able to help with any enquiries should you get in touch.

Honeymoons
I am a pretty big fan of independent traveller councillors, I feel like they give the advantages of using tour operators, but with a much more bespoke and personal service offered. Definitely worth looking in to for your honeymoon options! One of my favourites is Kirstie Timmins whose knowledge of travelling to all kinds of places is always impressive, you can contact her here.

My supplier list does update regularly and I always looking for suppliers who go above and beyond and who can bring something completely different to the table! If you have used a supplier who was particularly excellent, feel free to let me know as we love good connections in the wedding industry! Happy hunting! -Esmé