Oh, what a year!

Well, it’s January 2nd and i’m starting the year as I mean to go on by keeping you all updated on what is happening here at Just Bespoke. 2012 was a crazy year in so many ways and on a personal and professional level it is going to be a hard one to beat. From moving house, celebrating our first wedding anniversary and enjoying some lovely holidays, to working with the most incredible couples, securing some amazing PR coverage and heading into 2013 with a to-die-for client list, New Year’s Eve was spent celebrating the successes – both big and small – and giving ourselves a pat on the back for everything that we have achieved!

Of course, it hasn’t all been plain sailing…the blog hasn’t been updated since May, our website needs a bit of a re-vamp, our expenses remain untouched, and networking has taken a back seat . However these are the perils of owning your own business. You have to prioritise and work out what needs to be done today and what can wait to be done tomorrow, or next week or next month…

We aren’t complaining though. It really has been an incredible 12 months.

So, to give you a flavour of Just Bespoke’s 2012, here’s a look at some of the weddings that have kept us busy.

In the Navy | Nadia and Jonathan
Our first wedding of the year was the cross-cultural marriage of Nadia and Jonathan. Nadia lives in Saudi Arabia and Jonathan is in the Navy so they didn’t have a UK base and needed some help with their London wedding. The day itself was a beautiful fusion of two cultures with a traditional ceremony at a London Mosque followed by an English-style reception in the heart of Canary Wharf in London. Nadia and Jonathan did a ‘first look’ and it was lovely to watch them see each other before the ceremony for the first time. There were lots of traditional elements throughout the day from Nadia’s attire, through to the food and drink which was served, and these were complemented by some English touches including a routemaster bus, a great pop band and Nadia’s white wedding dress which she wore after the ceremony. Nadia and Jonathan were lovely to work with and we wish them lots of happiness for the years ahead!

Sean Gannon Photography

An Entertainment Extravaganza | Katie and Dan
Katie and Dan wanted an English style wedding at Katie’s family home in the heart of Essex. In the weeks leading up to the big day, we experienced a typical English summer – torrential rain. In fact, this continued right up to an hour before the ceremony when the sun came out and we experienced one of the hottest days of 2012. Their wedding will be remembered for a being a colourful and personal affair, full of music. Both Katie and Dan love to dance and this was reflected in the varied entertainment throughout the day from the London Gospel Choir in the church, the Jazz band during the drinks reception, and the Abba Tribute band and Rock/Pop band in the evening. I will look back on Katie and Dan as having the best wedding breakfast entrance as husband and wife that i’ve ever witnessed and hope they continue to lead a fun and happy life together!

Paul White Weddings

A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Joanne and Rob
There are some couples who you click with immediately and Jo and Rob are one of them. They came to me early in the year as they wanted help planning their wedding. For personal reasons they had a short time-frame for their big day and we started work immediately on creating a Midsummer Night’s Dream affair at the gorgeous Hengrave Hall. Jo and Rob desperately wanted their wedding breakfast to be held outside in the courtyard and we had a nervous wait to see if the weather would be on our side. Fortunately it was and guests enjoyed an amazing day full of trees imported from Germany, a celebrity DJ and fireworks. We can’t say much more as their beautiful wedding is going to be featured in a leading wedding magazine later this year so keep your eyes peeled. Jo and Rob have become great friends of Just Bespoke and I feel very privileged to have met them.

Lucy Davenport

Romance in the Ruins | Andi and Stu
When Andi told us where she was getting married, we were even more excited for her wedding day…the Ruins at Cowdray Park is such a unique venue but it would also be our first outdoor ceremony. The day itself was full of sunshine and Andi and Stu had a stylish and elegant affair which started in the ruins and ended in a marquee in the grounds. The couple had stunning florals, tasty food and a beautiful sparkler send off – and not to mention two gorgeous designer dresses. Their wedding couldn’t have been more suited to who they are as a couple – it was magical, full of personal touches and a great way to end the Summer.  A beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple!

Pippa Mackenzie Photography

A Multicultural Marriage | Reshma and Luke
Reshma and Luke are such a gorgeous couple and we were really excited to be part of their wedding day. They were having an Indian / English fusion wedding complete with two ceremonies, 250 guests, surprise performances from Bollywood dancers and Dhol drummers and authentic Indian cuisine. The wedding was one of our most complex to date, but it was also one of the most interesting and enjoyable weddings that we have been a part of. Reshma and Luke are two of the nicest people we have had the pleasure of working with and they deserve every happiness for the future.

Immi Photography

Winter Wedding in the City | Tiffanie and James
Our last wedding of the year took place the day before New Year’s Eve and it was a great way to end 2012. Tiffanie and James live in the US and so all of the planning and decisions took place over email and Skype. In fact, up until 10 days before the wedding, I hadn’t seen or met either of them. Their wedding involved two fantastic venues – The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College and Claridge’s, and it was a beautiful winter wedding with an ivory, blush and metallic colour palette. We had linens flown in from the States, some of the best suppliers in the industry, and bridesmaids in Monique Lhuillier dresses – it was beautiful. And as many of the guests had flown thousands of miles for the wedding, as well as planning the wedding day itself, Just Bespoke also planned a number of activities for guests over the Christmas period, including two private drinks parties, numerous sightseeing excursions, football matches and afternoon tea. Tiffanie and James were great fun to work with and I will miss our weekly Skype calls but wish them lots of love for the years ahead.

Marianne Taylor

It’s been a busy old year and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such lovely clients, at some amazing venues, with a fantastic team of suppliers by my side.  Just Bespoke is still in its infancy but I have big dreams and exciting plans for the year ahead and I look forward to taking you all on the journey with me.  Thank you to all of our clients past and present who have entrusted us with your wedding day – it is a huge honour to be part of such a special day and we love every minute of working with you to achieve something so personal and unique.

To our clients, our team of suppliers and our staunch supporters, Happy New Year to you all…2012 has been a rollercoaster of fantastic-ness so thank you for coming along for the ride…but hold on tight as 2013 has just begun and it is going to be a blast xxx