The Discovery Call – What to expect

by Corrie McDonald | Oct 11, 2023 | Venue Styling, Wedding Design

The Discovery Call – What to expect

The discovery call is an essential part of planning your design, venue styling & stationery and helps you to offload any styling stresses you may be experiencing.

We will chat through any initial inspiration you have, look at the products & services best suited to your specific needs and I ensure you end our call with all the answers you need!

First things first… I know you’re pretty snowed under with allllll the other wedding/life to-do’s so our call won’t take long! Typically our chat will last around 15 minutes & calls are available during evenings & weekends to work around your wonderfully busy world.

here's what to expect...

Brief Intro

I’m always excited to hear about your engagement story, where you met & what you do for fun! I’l also give you a brief background of my expertise & my passion for designing & styling fabulously creative Soirée’s!

A beautifully styled wedding table set with white plates and candles.

Your Initial Ideas

You may be raring to go with a Pinterest board brimming with inspiration or have no clue where to begin with a vision for your day. We will use this time during our call to explore your styling thoughts & I can share some initial suggestions. No idea is too crazy so I’m keen to learn about your lightbulb moments but if you’re totally stuck for inspiration, I’m here to guide you through the all the styling possibilities.

Service Suggestions

I will talk you through my services & suggest the right products to bring your vision to life! We will also chat through the investment you wish to make so I can be respectful of your budget when creating your proposal.

Not sure where to start when it comes to budgeting? Click here for my ultimate wedding budgeting guide!

THESOIREESTYLISTSBRANDINGNOVEMBER2022HIRES-52

My Process

I’ll give you a brief timeline of my seamless process that will guide you from booking confirmation to set-up on the day. Understanding my process ensures you know what’s around the corner at every stage of your booking… the perfect tool for keeping those wedding planning worries at bay!

Neutral wedding table styling and floristry

Questions?

We will wrap up our call with any questions you may have or any parts of our call you wish for me to expand on.

No question is too silly at this stage so feel free to ask away.

Next Steps

I’m now armed with all info needed to create your bespoke proposal which will be sent to your as a PDF via email within 5-7 working days. You will then have one week to review your proposal & I will be available on email or the phone to answer any additional questions you may have. As soon as your proposal is sent, your wedding date is provisional held while you take time to review the details.

Book your Complimentary Discovery Call

Simply complete the enquiry form & a link to my calendar will be sent to you to choose a day/time that works best for you.

book here

THE

dreamteam

Big love to these talented souls for being part of this blog post…

Safrina Smith Photography

Marta D Weddings

The McHendry’s

Hawkstone Hall – editorial shoot

by Corrie McDonald | Sep 22, 2023 | Venue Styling, Wedding Design

Hawkstone Hall – editorial shoot

Nestled within the hills of the rolling Shropshire countryside, you will find the magnificent, Grade 1 listed, Hawkstone Hall & Gardens Estate; A truly sumptuous venue perfect for an editorial photo shoot with Charlotte Palazzo Photography & many more talented suppliers…

Ceilings gilded in gold, sweeping staircases, intricate detailed arched windows & breathtaking marbled floors; Hawkstone Hall offers a combination of heritage & modern luxury…a perfect space for Charlotte Palazzo to showcase her timeless photography style.

I was beyond excited when Charlotte invited me to be part of her editorial photo shoot aptly named “Petite Dauphine”. Her vision was to embrace the joys of romance in full bloom with a colourful yet delicate palette & a touch of French blue. Charlotte wanted to draw inspiration from the BBC TV drama Marie Antoinette but didn’t want to take anything literally from the drama, just little nods to the style & elegance. Overall the shoot was to provide a dreamy yet bold hint of French romance & hues, working in harmony with Hawkstone’s impressive interior features.

DESIGN & STYLING

The bridal gowns were a huge inspiration for me during this entire shoot so I brought elements of the exquisite embroidery design through the table linens and crockery. Other styling elements were kept very clean & minimal to create a backdrop for the dreamy floristry by Sarah at Hope & Flora Style. Sarah is quite possibly one of the calmest people I’ve ever met & watching her gracefully go about her work on the day was quite inspiring!

Hawkstone Hall Editorial // Petite Dauphine

STATIONERY

A sweeping, elegant typeface paired with bold botanical illustrations gave a timeless yet modern edge to the invitation suite & the exquisite bridal wear continued to spark my imagination!

For table stationery, I used a tactile linen cardstock for the menus to elevate the simplicity of the overall place setting.

DREAM TEAM

Concept, planning & photography: Charlotte Palazzo

Design, Stylist & Stationer: moi !
Venue: Hawkstone Hall
Flowers: Hope & Flora Style

Cake: tspcake
MUA: hannahdoramakeup
Hair: hairbyhollydaybell
Model: @justalexroberts

Model couple: @lausandjack
Dresses: @millia.london @130atelierbridal @dollybluebridalshrewsbury

Dress Designers:

Blue Dress Camille @millia.london

Dress Mist with Bow Cape @Watters from @130atelierbridal

Ornate Dress with pearl Cape @wtoowatters from @130atelierbridal

Floral dress with sleeves from @dollybluebridalshrewsbury

Strapless dress with large bow on the back from @dollybluebridalshrewsbury

Accessories: Flower hair vine and flower earrings @laurellimebridal

Accessories: All crowns and clay flower earrings @megantheresecouture

Pink Shoes: @di_hassall @harrietwildeshoes

Blue Shoes: @harrietwildeshoes

Suit: Models Own

Assistant: @fran_macenroe

Ok, now what?

I’m here to help you…

Get in touch

Not too sure what level of Design & venue styling support you need? Let’s chat!

To find out more, head to my contact page below or you can email me directly at [email protected]

contact me

Explore my services

Learn more about my Design & Venue Styling services & how I can help

Find out more

Wedding planner or wedding designer – what do you really need?

by Corrie McDonald | Aug 14, 2023 | Venue Styling, Wedding Design

Wedding planner or wedding designer – what do you really need?

Let’s be honest, planning a wedding isn’t really something you can knock out in one evening in front of Netflix…. & we all know the career/family/travel/children/social plates still need to keep spinning while planning is in full swing; It’s therefore no surprise why the modern day couple opt for support in the form of a Wedding Planner/Designer/Stylist…but what do these roles cover & how can they help?

THE WEDDING PLANNER

Typically, a wedding planner will begin by saving you time by sourcing the perfect supplier dream team. They may help find your venue, photographer, caterer, dressmaker etc. & then work closely with each supplier to ensure they all deliver on the day.

A wedding planner will also handle things like logistics, admin & creating a timeline in the run up to your day.

Some planners will also be there to coordinate your day, ensuring the day-of timeline is implemented & your soirée runs smoothly.

THE WEDDING DESIGNER

A wedding designer & stylist creates the look & feel of your day. From researching the perfect colour palette, to designing your tablescape with intention & personality; every tiny detail will be considered & implemented to ensure your design comes to life on the day.

Some designers & stylists also source & produce decor and manage any suppliers who contribute to the aesthetic of your wedding e.g. lighting/furniture.

Some planners are also designers & stylists or outsource elements of their role, while designers & stylists generally focus on the look & feel of your wedding.

So what support do you really need?

You may need a Planner if...

– Time is seriously not your friend & you don’t even know where to start with finding the perfect venue.

– There seems to be too much choice when it comes to other key suppliers & you don’t want to risk appointing the wrong dream team.

– You need someone to help with the general admin that comes with appointing all suppliers.

– You don’t want the stress of worrying suppliers won’t find the venue or your dad will wander off to the toilet just before you’re about to walk own the aisle; you’re in need of someone to take the reins on the day.

You may need a Designer if...

– You’ve booked your dream venue & other key suppliers such as photographer, caterer but when it comes to creating an overall look & feel, you’re starting to feel wedding stress kicking in!

– You have an overflowing Pinterest board full of alllll the things & you’re struggling to decide which colour palette is your vibe.

– You want to add your personality to your styling but design isn’t your forte.

– You don’t know where to source the right floristry/crockery/linens/signage/lighting/furniture/stationery & you don’t have the time to traipse around wedding fairs looking for the perfect napkins.

A wedding can take between 200-450 hours to plan, design & implement, so if appointing a professional to give you a gentle guiding hand sounds like the perfect plan, I’m here to help!

If you’re in need of a Wedding Planner, I work alongside some fabulous one’s & I’m always happy to recommend one that will suite your personality & the level of service you need.

If you’re in need of a Designer & Stylist… well you’re totally in the right place so pull up a chair!

Thanks Photography legends!

Charlotte Palazzo

Safrina Smith

The McHendrys

Ok, now what?

I’m here to help you…

Get in touch

Not too sure what level of Design & venue styling support you need? Let’s chat!

To find out more, head to my contact page below or you can email me directly at [email protected]

contact me

Explore my services

Learn more about my Design & Venue Styling services & how I can help

Find out more

The value of investing in a Venue Stylist

by Corrie McDonald | Jul 13, 2023 | Venue Styling, Wedding Design

The value of investing in a Venue Stylist

Venue styling; A service that at times isn’t graced with its own little box on the wedding planning spreadsheet (sobs).

Investing in a venue stylist however, is becoming an essential service for the modern couple who are adamant they want to save time planning their wedding, reduce the stress of spinning all the venue styling plates & don’t want to waste even a smidge of their venue styling budget.

Below are just a handful of challenges I regularly hear from clients before they hire me & how my Venue styling service helps to:

SAVE TIME | REDUCE STRESS | PREVENT BUDGET WASTE

“ I don’t need a wedding planner because we’ve already booked the big things like venue/caterer/photographer ourselves, but I have no time to manage the ever-growing list of suppliers needed to style the venue. My work/travel/family/social schedule is making it impossible to manage this part of wedding planning. ”

I hear you; It takes me an average of 92 hours to research, design, source decor, manage suppliers, travel, style a venue & clear up the day after. I totally get why you can’t find the time to bring everything together due to your wonderfully busy world and I’m all for making this part of wedding planning a hell of a lot easier for you.

“ We have guests arriving from all over the world in the week leading up to our wedding & we will be too busy socialising with them to manage all venue styling suppliers. “

I’ll be really honest with you, your wedding day will go by in a flash & having a meaningful conversation with every guest on the day (without being interrupted for photos/first dance/cake cutting etc.) is pretty unrealistic.

The days leading up to your wedding therefore become vitally important when it comes to creating precious pockets of time with your guests; so meet those long distance relatives at the airport, book that last brunch as a Miss with your girls & I beg of you, don’t miss the pre-drinks with guests arriving the night before. Let the week running up to your day become an extension of your soirée & a stress-free one at that!

“ I just want to focus on styling myself & keeping calm on the morning of my wedding instead of stressing over the venue set up & the name cards being in the right place! “

Making memories with your bridal party, not rushing off after your hair appointment, not missing your wedding bouquet arrive & generally having the space to just relax & breath…these are just a few moments my clients never missed when they left the venue styling in my creatively organised hands.

” Our venue requires us to have the space clear of all decor by 8AM! We can’t possibly manage the clear up this early after our wedding and we were planning on having breakfast with our guests! “

No one wants to be picking cigarette butts out of candle holders or locating missing napkins with the hint of a hangover at this hour. Venues all have different ‘de-rig’ times (some as early as 2am!) so I make sure I’m there with my team in good time to do the dirty work; your only job is enjoying your breakfast/hangover as newlyweds…& maybe leaving me a slice of wedding cake ; )

LET'S HEAR IT FROM THE

Newlyweds

” Corrie’s style, taste, talent & exceptional eye for detail meant that I could relax completely & utterly. It was especially nice knowing that the morning of my wedding I didn’t have to worry about what everything looked like “

LUCY + MATT - MANCHESTER UK

” I was s happy that I could spend the day before the wedding & the morning relaxing & getting ready instead of worrying about table decorations & name cards etc. “

louise + peter - cheadle, cheshire

” Not only was Corrie really easy to work with & communicate with, she is patient & happy to take on last minute requests “

claire + james - wyresdale park