Bright, Bold & Vibrant Real Wedding in Birmingham City Centre

A day in the life of a Wedding Coordinator

DIY Wedding Edition

This wedding was like know other - the rule book was most definitely thrown out the window and I absolutely LOVED IT.

Harriet & Sam came to me a year before their wedding date as they knew they required help on the wedding day coordination assistance. They had chosen a complete blank canvas warehouse wedding venue in Digbeth, Birmingham called The Printmakers. A DIY, graffiti covered, unique & quirky venue in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, THE wedding venue for untraditional edge to your day. The couple first met at Moseley Folk Festival due to their combined love of music, festivals and glitter (maybe just Harriet on this one). They knew they wanted a wedding venue which was different from the norm, a natural blend of cool and quirky, somewhere they could totally make their own and be big enough to hold 300 people – yep it was a bigun. This was a huge DIY project with so many friends and family members involved from the very start. The couple wanted to plan their own wedding but quickly realised they would need a wedding coordinator on the day, one that understood the intricacies of a DIY wedding. With two different venues (venues that didn’t have wedding venue coordinators in house), lots of suppliers and nearly 300 guests in total it was a no brainer that I came on board.

These guys opted for a bespoke package to also include some additional meetings in the year running up to the wedding day, as they knew they wanted extra support to help with suppliers, décor options and overall knowing they were on the right track. We had video chats, met for a coffee and I visited them at both their ceremony venue and reception venue. These where ideal opportunities for the couple to update me on their epic plans so far, offload everything and a space for them to ask me as many questions as they wanted.

‘Naomi was there for everything we needed, answering our questions and going so far as to calculate our table settings on her own table in her own home whilst we were stressing about it, instantly putting our minds at ease.’

Think of me as ‘Your own DIY Wedding Coordinator’ who will do whatever is needed even using all my own tableware on my dining room table to show the couple how we could make it all fit.

During these chats, I created and updated the whole day timeline with supplier contact information, including absolutely everything that was going to happen on the wedding day from friends’ involvement, supplier logistics and my own step by step instructions as their coordinator to ensure a smooth, seamless and stress-free wedding day for all involved. Having a dedicated DIY wedding coordinator for the last few weeks is invaluable purely to ensure every detail has been thought of & pre-planned for.

We had a meeting at their ceremony venue, Moseley Dance Centre (Pictured below and above). Another unique wedding venue in Birmingham with character and stunning architecture. I met the couple, the bride’s mother and the venue owner so we could discuss their plans and work out the ceremony layout, timings and logistics for on the day. We all left this meeting feeling lighter, excited and with a plan in place.

On the wedding day it was a 10am start The Print Makers in Digbeth. The venue was decked out with Steamadelica ceiling streamers, glitter curtains on the front of the bar and DJ booth. The Bride’s sister had drawn illustrations which were printed on their welcome sign and also their very own personalised pint glasses. The best wedding colour combination in my opinion is a bit of everything and they nailed this. There were pinks, orange, green, purple, yellow – and oh my did the guests get the memo, there were so many fabulous brightly coloured outfits.

I checked in with the caterers, the venue, bar manager, AV and lighting technicians on arrival going over the day’s timings. We tested all the music & mics as the couple had multiple playlists for different parts of the day coming from different speakers. We had flowers delivered, the cake, a pinata to attach to the ceiling, name cards and children’s boxes to put out. I went over the whole table plan for 200 guests ensuring everyone was sat in the right place. We had evening food delivered and refrigerated. All in the space of about 1.5 hours, it was an intense few hours however there was lots of excitement & anticipation. That morning wedding buzz filled me with enthusiasm for what was to come.

Knowing the venue was set and ready, I headed to the ceremony venue, Moseley Dance Centre where I met with the venue owner and checked in with them.

The couple had made their own canapes, delicious and beautiful charcuterie cones. The venue and the wedding itself had huge community spirit and teamwork where everyone came together to help. I was also fully invested in being apart of this ethos by adding the finishing touches to the canapes and with the help of their friends, we poured 200 + prosecco and served canapes after their incredible celebrant-led ceremony which was full of colour and live music. The highlight for me was the planned singalong to ‘That’s Amore’ to finish the ceremony (this was a surprise for the wedding guests). There were solos, backing singers and placards held up giving the congregation their que in join in. Untraditional and epic. Whilst the final pictures were happening at Moseley Dance Centre, I dashed back to the venue and the rest of the day was beyond cool:

·       I met all the suppliers personally throughout the afternoon. I always make a point to make your wedding suppliers feel welcomed and at ease. I showed the suppliers our green room, storage area, offering drinks and snacks on arrive. A tub of celebrations went down a treat.

·       Music on, drinks ready (which were being served from a red caravan, the same caravan that was part of their love story at Moseley Folk Festival), I awaited the arrival of a few friends who had extra décor that we put up together.

·       Then was the confetti tunnel outside for the couple’s grand entrance. There was SO much confetti, loads of brightly coloured paper swirled above the couple and venue for hours after. I think about 20 confetti canons were discharged throughout the day. The groomsmen absolutely loved this.

·       Stunning family style vegetarian food was served to the tables from caterers Caneat. Absolutely delicious food consisted of warm flatbreads wrapped in tea towels, rustic colourful salads and hearty hot main course.

·       Guests utilised the graffiti courtyard and outdoor caravans that had built in seating. One of these turned into an interactive expanded dining experience. Kaye Winwood invited audiences to engage with unique sensory environments and objects.

·       Personalised cocktails were ready for when the wedding guests moved back outside for the room turnaround. Then it was all hands-on deck to remove about 20 tables and 200 chairs whilst the ceilidh band set up and did their sound check. We had 45 minutes to get this done and with my direction and help, the venue managing the cocktails, the bar staff (they were incredible), and even the sound technician offering to help move tables, we all smashed it and the venue looked ready for an insane party.

·       What followed from then on was the most colourful, bold and joyful party full of dancing, singing & pinata smashing.

·       Half-way through the night, I put out all their cold evening food which they had provided themselves, it was all on platters ready to go. Proper cheese and onion cobs with crisps & pate. Delish.

I left about 12am on a huge high, I had a feeling the 4am late license was going to be worth it!!!

It was the kind of wedding were absolutely everyone was more than willing to help, a huge joint effort and so much love for the couple was truly apparent. For the couple, knowing that I was the sole point of contact for all these kind people to come to and ask questions to on the day or ask for help, was a huge weight lifted. The whole day was a vibrant celebration of love.

This wedding couple had a style and spirit that simply can’t be replicated. One-of-a-kind wedding and that’s how I roll.

I wish I could do it all again.

xx

Venue - @printmakersdigbeth
Photographer - @nikkicooperweddings
Caterer - @caneat
Band - @ire_ish
Unqiue dessert experience - @gulp.kayewinwood
Streamers - @streamadelica