TWIA – Best Wedding Planner
In January the UKAWP had the pleasure of attending The Wedding Industry Awards national awards ceremony in London. As judges since its inception this is always a vibrant evening to attend. This year was especially sweet as we had 4 members amongst the national finalists competing for the “Best Wedding Planner” award.
- Regional Winner, South West – Melanie from Bellissimo Weddings
- Regional Winner, Midlands – Valerie from Benessamy Weddings & Events
- Regional Winner, North West – Debbie from Better Together Weddings
- Regional Winner, East of England – Caroline from Caroline Gould Weddings
It’s a strange moment indeed rooting for all 4 members to win but of course there can only be *one winner which in this case was the lovely Caroline Gould. *Valerie was awarded highly commended which was lovely especially as one of her sisters flew in from New York for the ceremony! We would like to say a huge well done to all the regional winners, members and non members alike, the standard of which was phenomenal and made us proud to be part of the wedding industry.
But for now we’d like to introduce you to the lovely Caroline.
Prize awarded by TWIA
East of England Regional Winner and National Winner in the Best Independent Wedding Planner category.
Why did you decide to put yourself and your business forward to TWIA?
I was lucky enough to win the regional award in my category in 2014 so decided it was only right to come back and defend my title! I was encouraged to enter the awards by fellow wedding suppliers and just thought why not?! I am so pleased that in both years of entering every single one of my clients has voted for me…
How and when were you notified about your TWIA achievement?
It was very surreal. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the awards ceremony as my 6 year old daughter had chicken pox (how unorganised!). I was following the awards on Twitter and saw that my colleague and fellow UKAWP member Val from Benessemy Events was highly commended, I was so thrilled for her and busy tweeting my congratulations when I saw a new tweet come in announcing the news that I had won.
How did you feel when you found out?
I just had time to let out a little yelp before my good friend Helen from Amelie’s Kitchen who was at the awards ceremony phoned me and we had a little scream down the phone at each other (she also won a national award!). I spent the rest of the evening on social media and phoning friends and family to spread the news! Thrilled doesn’t even cover it!
What does it mean to you getting this award status?
It’s such a fantastic accolade. To know that what I’m doing for my clients is appreciated and valued – there’s no better reward! The wedding planning industry is not subject to legislation, so this award will not only encourage confidence in my skills and expertise but help establish my company as one which offers quality and a completely professional, bespoke service. It’s brilliant to get recognition within the industry as well. The judges are people I really respect so to have their seal of approval as well is fantastic!
How will you use this award status in your business?
The logo is on my website and the trophy sits proudly on my desk! I’ve had my busiest year yet for enquiries! January and February are always a busy time for new clients, but this year has been a bit crazy, I seem to always be out meeting potential clients for consultations, writing up proposals or creating the initial files for new clients. I also seem to have developed a niche with clients from Australia getting married in Suffolk – I’m currently working on three!Any words of advice to other planners out there looking to be the best in their field?
Just keep doing what you’re doing. Sometimes it can feel quite isolating when, as a wedding planner, you are working alone a lot of the time. Surround yourself with great people, there’s a reason why I’ve continued to be a UKAWP member every since I started my business – they’re a really supportive group and whilst we don’t see each other as often as i’d like, I know that I could call any one of them if there was anything I needed. I’m also really lucky to have a fabulous network of suppliers locally that I can meet up with more regularly for some much needed company and support. I think i’m also lucky to work with such genuinely lovely clients – it makes my job an absolute joy!
