A wedding planner that does so much more than planning - Rachel from The Capston Second
New year, same us - with the same exceptional standard of suppliers you’ve come to know us for by now! We’re kicking off the new year with Rachel from The Capston Second, a wedding planner who offers friendly support & guidance and specialises in sustainable wedding planning. We chatted to her about what wedding planners actually do, and, as part of that job description, what her expert advice is for couples!
Matt Badenoch Photography
Tell us about your business – what do you do?
I love to help couples in any way I can to put together their dream day. Whether that’s a one off planning session to work through your budget or being there on the day to ensure everything runs smoothly, my services are totally flexible.
I usually describe myself as a wedding planner as most people know what that means, but I don’t think that really does justice to the exact service that I provide. The couples I love to work with are generally creative and want to do lots of the planning themselves, they just need help with certain niggles, whether that is finalising their timeline, sourcing particular suppliers that meet their exact needs or coordinating everything on the day. That’s where I come in!
Think of me as your wedding accomplice, helping you with the bits of planning that are driving you mad, sense checking and reassuring you about difficult logistics or working behind the scenes on the day, all to help you have the best wedding you can while you still get to make the fun decisions!
Will Fuller Photography
Why & how did you start?
I’ve worked in events ever since uni, starting out organising high-profile charity balls for celebrities and sports stars. They were very exciting but just over five years ago decided that I wanted to work for myself and join the brilliant and creative wedding industry.
Nothing beats the magic of a wedding day coming together and I’m so glad I made the switch.
Who or what inspires you?
I feel so privileged to work in such an innovative and exciting industry and I’m constantly amazed and inspired by the creativity around me. I’m lucky enough to call some of the incredible humans creating this work pals and they inspire me on the daily!
Talk us through a day at the office/studio/wherever you work from.
I know some people find it isolating but I absolutely love days spent working at home. I feel like I’m so often buzzing about, a day when I can get my head down all day at home is a real treat.
Every day is a bit different and I generally don’t have a schedule, I just get up in the morning and prioritise, working around venue visits, meet ups with other suppliers or whatever I have on. In the evening I might have a meeting with a couple, either a consultation to see if they’d like to book me or a planning session. I’m working on carving out more time for social media planning!
What’s your fave part about what you do?
I feel like it’s such a privilege to meet couples at such a special time in their lives. Sometimes the excitement of wedding planning can be overshadowed by logistical annoyances and I love the feeling when I solve those niggles for my couples and restore fun to the process!
What are you excited about for your business?
I am so excited about all the couples have booked with my for next year, all right up my street and I can’t wait to work with them on their weddings.
I’m also planning to take on lots more one off planning sessions in 2020, I think it’s one of my favourite services to provide so I’m hoping to spend lots more of my time meeting more couples and helping them iron out any creases in their wedding plans.
Who are your fave 3 wedding suppliers?
This is a cruel question! Three?!
As I have already mentioned, I LOVE the wedding industry and it’s incredible to meet and work with so many talented people. So if I must choose, I’m going to pick the suppliers that I’ve booked for my own wedding - surely that’s a ringing endorsement if ever there was one!
Lisa is an incredibly talented photographer but also a lovely human and her calming influence swung it for me when I was carrying out the near impossible task of choosing our wedding photographer.
Shelena’s floristry is just gorgeous and I’m so excited to see what she creates for our wedding!
I love the ethos of the Rewritten brand and they made choosing dresses for my bridesmaids so straightforward and fun. They made the trying on appointment so special, I love this brand!
What’s your top advice for couples getting married?
I’m a strong believer that wedding planning should be fun. If you are coming up against logistical problems or struggling with any element, get help! You can book one-off sessions or bespoke help which are totally affordable and will get you back on track to enjoy the planning process again.
To come and chat to Rachel about your wedding plans, make sure you grab your tickets to our London show now! Feb 7th-9th 2020, Truman Brewery, Shoreditch - we can’t wait to see you there