Journal

Carrie Almond 10/20/23 Carrie Almond 10/20/23

The seasonal Wed & Prosper Round Up for 2023!

The Wed & Prosper seasonal round up 2023. Exactly what we got up to over the 2023 wedding season on the Isle Of Wight.

So now that we have had a chance to breathe after a truly hectic 2023 wedding season, we figured it was about time to shed light on exactly just what we have been up to over the last 6 months and give you the seasonal Wed & Prosper round up for 2023!

But first we want to give all our couples (all 73 of them!) a huge shout out and congratulations again- wow what weddings you all had, some epic moments and memories made!

So, the break down, here it goes….

We worked on 73 weddings in total, of which included:

16 weddings fully planned from start to finish, including every single logistic, layout, cutlery counts, power outlet, supplier, timetable, zoom meeting, you name it. If a wedding needs it, then we organised it!

23 couples employed us for our on the day coordination service- we made sure every couples dream day went to plan. Which allowed them and their families to fully invest in the day, enjoy every second and therefore make more memories! Just ask the couples- it’s worth every penny!

26 of them had us for set up and styling. We made sure the couple’s vision and Pinterest board came to life, that everything looked perfect and ready to go, even when the weather took a turn! Have you thought about who will be setting things up the morning of your wedding, whilst you’re getting ready?

26 weddings fully set up and styled!

From moving tables and chairs into place, to laying tables, decorating the aisle and more, we loved getting to see the individual style of each of our couples.

52 weddings hired our props, from the green velvet sofa to gold candlestick holders, archways, and backdrops. All delivered and picked up again! Who needs a gym during wedding season huh!

3 weddings we provided full floristry for, from credit card buttonholes to huge installations and everything in-between. We did a lot more floristry across other weddings, but these 3 were our big ones! We hope to grow this area for 2024.

Bouquets & buttonholes

From making credit card button holes to larger installations, church flowers and everything in-between.
We can’t wait to create more floral in 2024!

These figures don’t include our Final Countdown service where we tied everything together in the last 6 weeks leading up to weddings, so that the couples could fully relax knowing everything was taken care of.

We also provided stationery design for 12 weddings- personalised menu cards for guests, table plans, signage, banners and more, all designed by Rachel and sent over to Ravenprint for printing.

So what are some of our favourite moments from this season (though we literally loved every single wedding we worked!)

Making large installations- Rachel loved balancing on ladders, making trees, chandeliers, ginormous hanging floral hoops and transforming venues, even if Carrie hated watching her being up so high! We can’t wait to get involved with more installations over the 2024 season, flower clouds, greenery everywhere and massive broken archways!

Brides and Grooms conducting speeches together…and including shots! A memorable speech for Carrie was when the Bride and Groom called out the suppliers-including the chef David Rogers from All About Catering out of the kitchen and then Carrie. The couple said thankyous to them personally and then joined them knocking back a shot! They did this to every supplier on site at that time! It made some great photos and got the guests going, ready for the evening celebrations to start.

A huge jamon carved in front of the guests as they arrived, by Kev Hendy from Seasoned Kitchen and his chefs, teamed with sherry and a variety of fresh Island produce, and a DJ playing Ibiza vibes was a seriously cool moment within the historical ruins of Appldurcombe House. It was great to see this venue used in a different way from the norm. The lighting Provided by StageGear also set the tone of the evening perfectly.

Rain didn’t stop our play- one of our first weddings of the season was, well to be honest, a total washout! But… it ended up being so beautiful, with extra candles and lighting everywhere. We managed to solve all issues- at one point the catering tent was totally flooded and the poor staff were literally wading through water up to their knees! And emergency call to SDC Marquees who provided extra covers and matting to keep the guests safe and dry ensured we could hide all this from the guests! The couple and guests still had the best day ever, even if we had to contend with many room changes and extra logistics!

under the ruins at appldurcombe

We are strong believers that lighting is an important part in creating the right atmosphere and vibe.

So, some points to mention from this season…

What we’ve learnt- Having an experienced caterer is possibly one of the most important parts to ensuring a successful wedding day. Cooking and plating food, for 100 plus people, at the same time, keeping it hot, to a high standard, often in a tent, in a field, in the middle of nowhere is quite a hard task- leave it to the pros sit back, sip your drink, concentrate on your speeches, and enjoy!

Our biggest advice- Always, always have a plan B!! This summer more than ever has shown that the British weather doesn’t always play ball. If you have in your head what could happen then it won’t come as a shock or a surprise when it’s put into place. We also suggest you have an experienced on the day coordinator to put the plan b into place for you. Making it much more stress free for not only yourself and family, but also the suppliers on site that day.

What we hope for 2024- We would love to see some more beautiful venues become available for the island- especially venues perfect for the winter months with onsite accommodation-that’s not too much to ask for right? We also hope to meet and work with new suppliers – if there is anyone we haven’t met yet then please get in touch as we are always looking to expand our suppliers list for our clients. We should also mention that we are completely independent planners- what does this mean, I hear you say?! This means that we never take commission from any of our suppliers, we work for you as the couple to get you the best rates, the best service and the best fit for your day.

Trends to watch out for-

Local, seasonal, fresh cut, colourful flowers- we will be using local suppliers such as Carisbrooke flower farm for our fresh stems- follow us on this over the next season, I’m sure Rachel will be making it her 2nd home-she loves being in the flower fields.

Black chairs- we have been begging Isle of Wight Suppliers for clean cut elegant black chairs to hire for a cool monochrome look and we have heard on the grapevine that Coast and Country have taken this on board and will have them available for 2024 season- we can’t wait to see them in situ in their tri tent!

Artisan ice cream- Island Ices, the perfect cool (literally) addition to your welcome drinks or cocktail hour. Hand made to order rolled ice cream right in front of you, gives the added theatrical twist and entertainment value-guests can even give it a go themselves! Delicious and who doesn’t like an ice cream in one hand and a cocktail in the other! Apparently, they may be able to do Frosé (frozen rosé) as well! We are sold!

Wedding weekenders- We see this with our planning clients more and more. You have your whole family and closest friends on the beautiful Isle of Wight- so why not party all weekend! Friday night drinks and meet and greet at your accommodation? A restaurant for the boys and a separate one for the girls? Sunday brunch on a beach and sea dip? Boat hire? Private yoga session the morning of your wedding? Mini Sunday festival? Private chef? So many possibilities and we can help with it all! Hook up with The Smoking Lobster, The Compass Bar, The Hut, Isle of Wight Pilates or boat charters like EML Charters.

The dress- we see bows, pockets and splits in the skirts being big for 2024 and still staying as a strong vibe is the change up for brides, buy a dress which has 2 looks, a removable skirt or topper, taking your look from day to night.

Which takes us on perfectly to a major development in 2023, the opening of our sister company 1840 by Wed & Prosper, which opened its doors on the 17th September, which we’ve only just realised was the exact same date we started our wedding business 6 years ago! The new company being a 3am idea by Carrie which has now become a reality with a beautiful luxury bridal boutique.

a new bridal boutique has come to the isle of wight

So now we head to autumn and winter when the time comes to put all the plans together for 2024 and 2025 couples, get props spick and span, visit our venues and spend time reviewing the plans for the business.

We thank you for being on this journey with us, we are literally doing our dream job, it requires blood sweat and tears but we love it and look forward to 2024 season and beyond.

We need to thank our team, both our freelancers and staff for all their hard work this season, we couldn’t do it without them all.

Carrie & Rachel

Carrie Almond 7/11/23 Carrie Almond 7/11/23

The Isle of Wight or Sicily? How we make your wedding day vision come to life!

When couples come to us with fresh new ideas on how to use a venue, we get a little bit excited, and our minds start whizzing around with creative ways to make their vison come to life!

So, when J & F told us they wanted to make their wedding day at Appldurcombe house feel like we were in the Mediterranean or Sicily (which is where they later honeymooned) and for it to be one massive non-stop party…for 200 people may I add, we quickly set to work on everything needed to create their day!

With the Bride being a well-known interior designer-she had a vision for Appldurcombe that many others wouldn’t have thought of. The Drinks reception was to be held around the ruins instead of the front lawn-she loved the texture of the walls, the light that came through and how we could transform it into a alfresco bar. It was perfect for welcome drinks with the DJ spinning Ibiza beach club tunes, The Seasoned Kitchen serving up a giant leg of jamon with a carving station filled with freshly made breads, Isle of Wight Tomatoes, oils and more! Together with Mixologist IOW bar team pairing it with the perfect pour of crémant. The Party had started! Rachel built trees to look like they were growing out of the walls and intertwined with the stonework, using some silver birch trees hired from Busy Bee it made the building come alive. Transforming later as the sun went down surrounded by firepits and with drink flowing under the romantic lighting.

The lighting played a big role in creating the perfect atmosphere and vibe, it always does with any wedding or event, but this one needed to go to the next level! Carrie who planned every detail for the couple, teamed up with Stage Gear to design every festoon string and uplighter placement around the entire venue- many of it being the first time certain areas had been lit up before.

Making sure the guests got to experience every inch of the venue we had the stunning lemon drizzle cake from Miss Dotty’s on display in the ruins on one of our barrels. A quick top up of crémant as they walked through ready for the first lot of speeches, alfresco style. Speeches took place in an alcove of the ruins, which Rachel again dressed with vines and branches to create a focal point. Speeches ended with the couple cutting the cake so it could be whisked away and cut up ready to serve for dessert.

The feast would take place on the lawns with the view of the magnificent house set behind the Bride and Grooms place settings. A festoon clad stretch tent perfectly placed and provided by Marble LDN made sure that all guests had a view of the front of Appldurcombe. This stretch is currently the only one of its kind on the Isle of Wight (which they have given us full access to BTW!) As guests walked down into the entrance of the tent, they were able to see The Seasoned Kitchen chefs at work behind the massive BBQ’s, turning over the lamb and smelling the taste sensation that was about to grace their plates!

Carrie who was coordinating the day made sure the couple got their big napkin waving entrance. The napkins were a special touch for the couple, as they were all sent over to the Island from Kenya by the Brides cousin. The bright colours together with the seashells, rope, vintage bottles, and natural greenery designed by the Bride and Rachel made the tables come to life. The Father and Mother of the bride made every place setting name card and the table plan with shells they had been collecting from Bembridge beach- and with 200 guests, that was a lot of collecting-but they looked amazing, and we are all about those personal touches! The rustic wooden tables and the cross-back chairs supplied by SDC fitted the brief perfectly and worked well in the stretch tent, and for the feast which was placed upon the tables.

The dinner finished with more speeches, including one by the bride - we always love this #girlpower! Her phone battery had died moments before, and so she had to come up with her speech on the spot, she totally nailed it! Whilst she was making her guests laugh, they were presented with a piece of the lemon drizzle wedding cake paired with a freshly shaken espresso martini from Isle of Wight Cocktail Co served by the Mixologist IOW team- the perfect way to end any meal! 200 espresso martinis out within 20 minutes is a serious operation and all suppliers worked together to make it happen smoothly. A conveyer belt of cocktails- Carrie and Rachel also got stuck in!

The Great Hall would be left for partying the night away filled with disco balls galore! It would also provide a plan B back up which thankfully wasn’t needed, but we will always make sure you have one just in case- (see our last blog about a previous wedding at Appldurcombe when it rained…hard! Why you need a wedding planner?)

As the sun went down, we left them to it, partying the night away with Hey Mr Wilson keeping the dance floor full. More drinks, including Local wight knuckle beers were being served up under the lights of the ruins and the firepits were creating a place for people who needed a timeout to catch up with friends away from the party.

We really, really enjoyed watching the outcome of all our hard work come together throughout the day. The vibe was exactly how it was supposed to be, the love and laughter throughout the day was heartfelt and the suppliers worked together to create one of our smoothest weddings to date- Go Team!

Photographers for the day and Images below by Adrift Visuals

FULL LIST OF SUPPLIERS FOR THIS WEDDING BELOW

Venue: Appldurcombe House

Planners, stylists, props and coordinators, greenery and tree building: Wed & Prosper

Stretch tent: Marble LDN

Stretch tent lighting: Marble LDN

Furniture, fridge trailers, luxury loos and catering tent: SDC Marquees

Power, lighting and PA equipment: Stage Gear Rentals

Catering: The Seasoned Kitchen

Bar: IOW Mixologist

Cocktail bar: IOW Cocktail Co

Flowers: The Flowering Cactus

Guest transport: Southern Vectis

Cake: Miss Dotty’s

DJ: Hey Mr Wilson

Photographer: Adrift Visuals

Firepits: Luke Churches

Catering equipment: Coast and Country

Carrie Almond 6/20/23 Carrie Almond 6/20/23

Why Do I Need A Wedding Planner?

Why do I need a wedding planner? There are many reasons you need a planner and coordination team on the day of your wedding but I would say the British weather is the main one!

You may set your heart on an outside ceremony, they are beautiful and we love doing them, we even do sun dances to try and make this happen, with the whole team watching the weather forecasts daily on the lead up. However we all know that sometimes the British weather doesn’t play ball. We plan for this months ahead of your big day, ensuring there is a plan B you are comfortable with, working with suppliers so they know both plan A and B. The weather at the weekend of this wedding was the perfect example! Friday a few showers then sunshine, Saturday we were splashing through torrential rain, Sunday basking in beautiful sunshine!

So plan B was executed with all suppliers, the bride and groom knew what would happen with no surprises and we made it happen. Walkways, room changes, floral installation changes and even on Saturday morning a quick call to SDC for emergency matting as we had huge puddles and slippy walkways. On the day itself our team were onsite and could judge gaps in the rain to put games outside, light Firepits, move the photobooth, cocktail and dessert tables all whilst the bride and groom knew what we would be doing and the guests didn’t bat an eyelid as let’s be honest they don’t know what the plans would have been anyway.

Team Wed & Prosper went into rainy day overdrive…

We created a last minute cloakroom and buggy park under a walkway marquee before guests entered the Plan B ceremony room.

Carrie made sure the bride still looked perfect before she walked down the aisle, and made sure her dress stayed clean and dry! (see hilarious image below!)

Tash lit extra candles to create extra romantic lighting and ambience in the darker spells and helped the bar team get the wine opened on the tables in time.

Rachel moved all the florals and created extra backdrops and displays for the photographers to use for the formal portraits when the rain didnt let up to take shots outside.

The cocktails still got drank, they partied hard, and the venue was full of love, laughter and new memories- the rain didn’t even get mentioned! Maybe just between the suppliers!

So in short, having a planner isn’t a luxury, we are there to guide and support and ensure that whatever the weather your day goes to plan, whichever plan that may be!