Black Diamond Weddings is a unique Wedding Planning Company that specialises in weddings and events for every beautifully unique couple. Based in Hampshire we travel all over the UK and also provide help with planning weddings abroad. We are proud to a be regular Rock N Roll Bride Vendor!
Packages are designed to suit everyone from as little as £350.00 and we are happy to add any extras you would like help with, whether that’s Venue/Supplier sourcing or just some helpful advice.
Planning and Design Consultation
This is the perfect package for a couple in the early planning stages. It could be you’re not sure where to start, what design element you want or you just don’t have the time to extensively search every venue, photographer or caterer in your local area.
Or it could be that you have lots of fantastic ideas, but you would like help and advice in sourcing the right suppliers and guidance, in how to go about achieving your dream wedding.
To make your vision a reality we would discuss colour schemes, table settings, lighting, furniture, glassware and everything else down to the smallest detail to ensure that the design exceeds your expectations.
If you would like help with ideas for your wedding, please take a look at my Pinterest boards where I’ve saved over 7000 images!
This years Pantone colour of the year is….Greenery! So it’s a fall back to nature for this seasons wedding colour trends and they are stunning! The runway has brought us earthy tones with pops of bright colour which dictates what we will be seeing in fashion, interior design and weddings in the first half of 2017.
Masses of foliage, natural tablescapes, succulents, greenery walls and large hanging foliage chandeliers. Less manicured and more adventurous. Looks great with crisp white and natural wood.
Forests, green backdrops and a great base colour. Earthy tones and lots of moss. Looks great with ivory and lighter shades of green.
A cool blue green shade which feels calming and tropical. This refreshing colour looks great with white, grey, hazelnut and coral.
This relaxing denim-like blue will be very popular this season. Use it as a base colour with reds and hot pinks or keep it serene with white and greenery.
This strong colour is bold and beautiful. Use subtle colours like blush pink and white, or match it’s richness with burgundy.
This warm colour is calming and perfect for spring. Looks stunning with metallics and blush pink.
This peaceful colour sits well with hazelnut. This subtle pink is soft and works everywhere in a wedding colour palette. Looks great with stronger pinks, ivory, burnt gold and rose gold.
This fun and tropical colour is adventurous and lively. Perfect for giving an uplifting feeling to your wedding. Looks great with gold, burnt orange and aqua tones.
This red based orange is fun and confidant. It’s fiery heat will bring a theatrical feeling to your day and looks fab with bright yellows and vibrant greens.
This sunny shade gives us a feeling of warmth and relaxation. Perfect with muted grey, and splashes of coral.
Do you love these mood boards but don’t know how to put these ideas into your wedding or where on earth to source the suppliers to get the look you want? I’d love to help you design your wedding day! From as little as £350.00 you could have your perfect wedding designed for you and a list of all the essential suppliers to make your dream day a reality! My Planning and Design Package covers everything you will need to ensure that you have the most incredible and unique wedding day.
All pictures sourced from Pinterest.
Hey there!
Thank you to everyone who emailed me with your queries. So many of you requested topics for me to cover in my newsletter that I’ve chosen the most popular for today’s newsletter and the rest will follow.
Wedding day timelines can be a rather tricky to get your head around. There are so many different ways of doing it depending on your location, wedding party size, how long the event is etc. The most important thing to remember is be organised and prepared!
Your wedding day will not stick religiously to your timeline, you will need contingencies in place in case things don’t go to plan such as:
If one of your suppliers is running late it can have a knock on effect to other areas. Keep all of your vendors up to date with whats happening so they can change things their end to help the day run smoothly. If you don’t have a Wedding Planner you will need to allocate this important job to someone in your wedding party. (If you have a wedding coordinator at your venue, they will come to you asking what’s happening if anything is running late with your suppliers. They only deal with vendors once they’re on site)
I make a separate timeline for each supplier and give them a copy so they know how the day will run. Some of your suppliers might be charging by the hour so it’s important to keep your budget in mind if you have to change timings.
Send these out to your suppliers 1 week before your wedding to allow any queries or changes. Always remember to add as much detail as possible!
There’s lots of software out there to choose from to help you but I’ve found that Excel Spreadsheets are still the best. My timelines I make for each wedding are huge! They cover 7 full days and are colour coordinated so I can read them quickly. I know where everyone is and where they need to be next every minute throughout the day (Now you can understand why people hire professionals, we’re always prepared!)
The timelines below are a simple guide only. As long as the start and ending of the wedding is on time everything else can be moved around.
Morning Weddings
If budget allows you might be having a wedding day that lasts much longer with an evening reception starting at 6/7pm. Just remember the longer the wedding day, the more food, fun and entertainment you will have have to provide to keep the party going.
You might prefer to have a light brunch between 11 and 12 followed by entertainment which will last until the evening reception guests arrive. You could lengthen cocktail hour if you are providing canapes to accompany the drinks or you may be having your reception in a different location which will add travel time to your itinerary.
You certainly don’t want any bored or hungry guests! If your reception runs into the evening/night everyone will be wanting food again, so don’t forget to budget for this with your catering team.
If you really want some great sunset photos captured with your photographer or you want to celebrate into the night with your guests but you don’t fancy having an all day wedding, you could always opt for a late ceremony. Bare in mind that this option isn’t usually very child friendly.
If you are having a wedding with no ‘End’ time a good way to show your guests the party has finished is to use one of these signals:
If you are having an all weekend wedding then you will need to have your timelines set in place for each day and night and they will need every detail included to ensure nothing gets forgotten.
And lastly, please have a Plan B in place. Especially if you’re having an outdoor wedding!
I design a full timeline with every couple for each package that I offer. My job is to be in charge of it so my couples can sit back and enjoy their day knowing I’m running around in the background bossing everyone about!
If you don’t fancy working on your wedding day please get in touch!
Anything is Possible!
Sarah x
Venue searching is one of the first parts of the planning process and also the most time consuming, so you’ll want to make sure you know what you are looking for in your ideal venues.
Some couples know want they want, others are open to suggestions as they’re not sure exactly what they want or what will suit their budget/location/season/overall size.
There’s so much to consider when deciding on your venues:
So much to think about!
As a Wedding Planner I have numerous spreadsheets and contacts to help make these decisions much easier and quicker for my clients, plus lists of questions to ask the venue. Here’s a few of them to write down:
These few questions are a good starting point. Don’t forget to really look at the upkeep of the venue and watch how attentive the staff are. Does the decor look tired? Is there adequate lighting? Are the staff polite and understanding of your needs?
I also have many other in depth lists of questions for venues when it comes to:
The lists really do go on…..
And don’t forget, if you are having an outdoor wedding or you’re getting married abroad, there are many different areas to cover on top of the usual questions!
But try not to feel overwhelmed, I’m here to help you!
Each of my packages include my help and my lists!
Or if you don’t want the full packages, for just £150.00 I can source your venues and up to 3 additional suppliers and go through everything with them for you.
Anything is possible!
Now you’re probably thinking ‘What is she on about?’ Well I’ll tell you…
When you are designing the overall feel or theme of your wedding you want to include the 5 Senses to encourage your guests to feel differently as soon as they approach your chosen venues. Whether that feeling is nostalgia, luxury and exclusivity, or simply designing a fun and open atmosphere, first impressions are critical into pulling your guests into the mood and atmosphere of your wedding.
#1 Sight
Lighting, decor, colours, layout, are all important as these are what your guests will notice first. Different colours invoke different emotions and will have the biggest impact on people. By using lighting correctly you can create an event flow around the rooms which will determine how you will move guests throughout the event.
#2 Sound
Music, volume, vibrations, effects, will set the tone and energy for the room. Cocktail hour or welcome drinks would suit upbeat music but not too loud as this is the time for your guests to mingle and get to know each other. Relaxed music would be great for when your guests are eating, then to get the party started for the reception… go for it! To suddenly change the tempo and atmosphere is a great way to let your guests know the next stage of your event is starting. You don’t always have to have someone standing in doorways shouting over your guests to move them into the next room.
#3 Touch
Fabrics, textures, comfort, climate, this is how you get your guests to interact with the environment. Silks, glass, feathers, ice, leather… there’s so much to choose from! Remember when you are designing the layout, the more comfy the space, the longer your guests will linger there.
#4 Taste
Think balance. Try to find the perfect balance between salty, sour, sweet and bitter. I’m always trying to match these perfectly during tasting menu designs. Don’t forget your drinks selection is just as important. Use your menu to make your guests think about what they are tasting. Seasonal, regional, use your food and drinks to help with your overall theme.
#5 Smell
This sense is underrated and powerful. Fragrance, emotion, ambiance, your sense of smell is linked to emotion and memory. Simple ways of using smell: Scented candles, incense, miniature bottles of perfume as favours, aftershave in the bathrooms for the men to use… and the intense smell of the food. Or you could go more complex: spritzers or fragrance controlled scent machines. Just remember it needs to be subtle.
These are the elements that will allow your guests to interact with your wedding. If you design it correctly your guests will feel relaxed, excited and confident to get involved with your entertainment and engage with each other perfectly!
http://www.blackdiamondweddings.co.uk
Anything is possible!
You’re buzzing with excitement! Ready to explode with love and happiness at everyone around you! You’re now at the start of your wedding planning journey and getting ready to design and create the most perfect wedding day of your dreams. You’ve drunk your body weight in booze from so many toasts with your friends and family, looked at every beautiful wedding blog, fantasied about your perfect wedding day and even dreamt how amazing your cake will taste. Then reality sets in and it’s time to sit down and talk with your fiance about budgets, spreadsheets, guests lists, contracts, suppliers, insurance and all the seemingly boring grown up stuff…..
That’s where I come in! The grown up stuff doesn’t have to be boring, tedious and extremely stressful, in fact if you hired a Wedding Planners full package you won’t even have to deal with the less fun parts at all! It’s our job to take away all of your stress, worries and help in any and every way we can. We know what to do and when to do it. Wedding Planning is our lives. And we never get bored of wedding talk!
Your wedding will be one of the most important and expensive days of your life! You would still have full control but we would be there to hold your hand along the way.
(Pic by Markus Emmrich)
A Wedding Planner can help you avoid costly mistakes and negotiate deals with your suppliers. We know what should and shouldn’t be in contracts and we know how much things should cost. The amount of wedding suppliers out there is daunting and it’s our job to know who can give you the best prices and the best results.
We already know the best suppliers in the industry to go to plus we can do searches and checks with all of your chosen suppliers that you have in mind/booked already. We only deal with the most trusted and professional companies as we have to look after our own reputation too.
We will create all the schedules for the run up to the wedding and the timeline of the main event itself which we make sure everyone sticks to. We organise every supplier and liaise with them every step of the way so everything is streamlined and everything runs on time.
All Wedding Planners love lists! Budgets, timelines, guest lists, spreadsheets you name it, we have a template for it and it will cover every detail you can imagine plus lots that you won’t have even thought of! We have lists of questions for each supplier so that you know you are hiring the very best and we even have that all important list for the Photographer so they can get great shots of every important detail throughout the day.
We can make even the most luxurious and stunning Pinterest board come to life within your budget. If you’re not using Pinterest yet or want a visual help with styles and ideas, I have pinned over 7000 images to help others! Check out my page here.
Wedding Planners are all about perfection. It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to organise the perfect wedding and we think of all the extra little details that usually get overlooked. We bring couples ideas to life, we make the impossible possible and we don’t even break a sweat!
Surprisingly a big part of our job is negotiation and mediation between family members and friends. Weddings bring out the best and sadly the worst in people. Jealousy, trust issues, estranged family members, crazy mother in laws (MIL) we’ve seen it all. Which is a good thing as we know how to diffuse troublesome situations and help the engaged couple deal with the emotional crap that is sometimes thrown at them. No it’s not fair but emotions will be running high and sometimes it’s great to have a professional come in and make everyone take a step back and get a different perspective.
Hiring a wedding planner is like having your very own PA in the world of weddings. You can have us help you as much as you want, whether it’s for a design consultation, budget planning, wedding day coordination or our full planning packages. If budget allows we can even duplicate your diary and make all of your appointments/meetings/lunches/waxing/spa breaks, you name it. Here’s an idea of what’s included in my most popular package:
The Diamond Package
Design Creation
Venue Sourcing
Supplier Sourcing
Detailed Budget Planning
Detailed Personalised Timeline
Wedding Day Co-ordination
Full Administration
Arrangement of Appointments
Etiquette and Tradition
Handling of RSVP’s
Honeymoon
Pre and Post Wedding Celebrations
Click here to check out my website
Booking a venue with an onsite coordinator is great and very helpful. But remember that’s all they are allowed to do and usually all they can do. They come as part of your wedding package and help you with any questions you have about the venue and types of suppliers you are allowed there. They will usually give you a list of recommended suppliers which can be great as they’ve worked with them before, but be wary as sometimes the venue receives commission from these companies if you hire them, so they might not be the best choice for your wedding. If you haven’t hired a Wedding Planner you will need to do research on these listed companies.
Having a Wedding Planner helping you means you have more time to enjoy your engagement. No-one wants to be sat at their laptop at 2 in the morning searching 500 local Photographers and wondering when everything will feel fun and magical again. You don’t need to shed tears over the seating plan whilst your fiance is trying to sneak out the door to his mates/pub/quiet corner somewhere. You get one lucky chance to experience this magical and wonderful time in your life, make it fun, happy and stress free!
The National Wedding Show is the biggest wedding fair in the country and I’m very pleased to say that I will be exhibiting in the Rock N Roll Bride Collection area! Specialist wedding suppliers, from bridal wear and accessories, stationery, venue styling and photographers all hand-picked by super-blogger Kat Williams. This is the place to find your perfect alternative wedding suppliers to make your dream wedding a reality.
Highlights of Spring 2016 TNWS in London
Come and have a chat and grab one of our goodie bags
Bloody Mary Metal
Boho Vintage – Stand G19
Clare Tamin Photography – Stand G20
Nichola Ruby – Stand G21
Gin Fizz Photography – Stand G22
Patchwork – Stand G25
Craig and Kate Photography – Stand G29
Black Diamond Weddings – Stand G27
Caroline Arthur – Stand G16
You’ll find creative classes with professionals to help you design or DIY stationary, crafts and help with themes and the Designer Flower Market will have demonstrations from the UK’s leading Florists and will be full of all kinds of flowers and styles to help you make the right decisions for your big day.
Start the celebrations with your best pals at the Champagne Bar and finish off at the Rock N Roll Cafe after a long day of wedding planning and shopping.
Kat Williams herself will be at the show in the Rock N Roll Bride Collection area! Come say hi and enter the many competitions that will be on offer!
For the Wanderers, Adventurers and Marvellous Millennials
Lifestyle, Weddings / May 26, 2016
Sarah Huxley is a modern day #girlboss who knows how to juggle life as mum, business and everything in between. She is a wedding planner based in Hampshire providing luxury planning services for the Rock/Metal/Goth/Boho/LGBT and unique couples in the UK. Literally the most fun job in the world if you ask us.
We just had to hunt this fun loving girl down to find out more. Here’s what she had to tell us…
Tell us a bit about your journey to getting where you are today?
I started off as a florist about 12 years ago. I loved the world of flowers and weddings. The excitement of helping couples choose their flowers and décor based on their interests and personalities kept me motivated. But sadly the wage of a florist wasn’t helping much with mortgage payments, so I entered the world of Retail Management.
Fast forward 10 years, I’m now a full time mother and was missing the beautiful world of weddings. After a lot of online research I came across the UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planning. They are the only online Wedding/Event Planning Academy to offer official NVQ’s and Diplomas. After two years of hard work with them I qualified Spring last year!
As a wedding planner you must witness love everyday. What’s the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for you?
My boyfriend surprised me with a night away in the New Forest for our anniversary. No work, technology, or distractions. Just us and nature. It was perfect.
What has been your highlight since launching the brand?
Being asked to exhibit at The National Wedding Show this September in London. I’m very proud to say I will be in the exclusive Rock n Roll Bride Collection area! Come say hi at stand G27 opposite the Designer Flower Market.
Clearly you are well travelled, where is your favourite place in the world?
Venice is the most beautiful and magical place I have been to. I hope to one day plan a wedding for someone there!
Tell us what a typical day in your life looks like?
Every day is so different because my job is so varied, but I can ensure you a lot of paperwork and emails are involved. My three year old son James takes center stage in my life, so if he’s not in pre-school then the work has to wait till my partner is home from his work. On days where James is at school then it’s mostly chasing things up, meetings with suppliers, clients and somewhere in amongst all that there’s the usual housework, cooking and general running of the home. So a typical day in my life as a wedding planner is very busy!
It can be hard to juggle personal life and business, what do you do to switch off from work?
The only time I really switch off is on a Sunday. I have to have a break one day a week to focus on my family and re-charge so I’m ready for the next lot of challenges.
Who/what inspires you?
Strong independent women, nature, architecture, music and my son.
You are obviously very creative, what do you do to get inspired?
Take time out for myself and take a breather now and then. Then I throw myself into Rock n Roll Bride blogs, up and coming wedding trends, Fashion and interior design trends. I love making online moodboards and I also enjoy making real moodboards with different fabrics, paints, textures etc. My office is full of them at the moment!
Are there any sources you go for support with running your business?
The Wedding Planners Lounge is a great place of like minded people and is full of useful and inspiring information. The UKAWEP are great mentors and are the guys behind #WedBizHour on Twitter every Tuesday 8-9pm. My old tutor Zoe is the person usually hosting the Twitter hour and she is amazing!
What are your plans for the brand in 2016?
To be THE planner for unique weddings in the UK.
Did you always know that one day you would be a working artist?
Yes. Art and English were the only subjects I was any good at in school, well I should say the only subjects I actually took an interest in. I applied for Art College in Oxford (which is where I grew up) but my portfolio went missing! A whole years worth of work! I was devastated. But luckily for me the College saw my talent in the one and only picture I took with me for my interview! And I was accepted into the College.
For people aspiring to run their own company, what advice would you give?
Research every avenue open to you and add yourself to social media groups of likeminded people. Having mentors will be incredibly valuable! Also start your marketing early on. Don’t wait till you feel confident enough. Throw yourself straight in there and have fun with it! You make the decisions now 
So here I am writing my first blog post and wondering where to start? Well… at the beginning of course!
I’m Sarah the owner of Black Diamond Weddings. Providing luxury planning services for the Rock/Metal/Goth/Boho/LGBT and unique couples in the UK!
I am a fully qualified Wedding Planner who trained for two years through The UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planning (UKAWEP). They are the only training institution in the UK to offer specialised courses in Wedding Styling and Event Design and the only Academy to award graduates with accredited Diplomas and NVQ’s.
I can’t stress to you how important it is to do your research on the qualifications of your chosen Wedding Planner. Some ‘professionals’ have paid up to £1000 for a 1 day course! Crazy!
But of course qualifications aren’t everything. Not only do you need to like their previous work, you must like them as a person! You could be working with your Wedding Planner for 2 years+ so it is extremely important that you have similar tastes and get on well together. Your chosen Planner needs to be someone you feel you can trust and is with you every step of the way, whether it’s guidance you need, full planning or someone to design your big day.
(Also it’s great to be able to talk non stop weddings with us, we never get tired of it!)
I’ve met some very talented wedding suppliers but my favourites are the wonderfully and beautifully unique ones! Unique weddings are what I specialise in. Don’t get me wrong, I love ALL weddings but if you want a wedding that is eccentric, colourful, exciting and different to other weddings you’ve been to then I might just be the person you’re looking for!
I enjoy working on everything from small intimate gatherings, overseas celebrations and large weekend festival weddings!
Everyone’s special day should be unique to them. If you want a black wedding dress, great! If you want your male best friend to be your bridesmaid? Wonderful! I love working with couples that want to show the world who they are and I feel privileged when I get to help them achieve their extraordinary dreams.
Nothing is too difficult, whether you want top chefs, street food, fairground rides, sports cars or acrobats, anything is possible!
Anything is Possible! 