where do we go from here...?

Around this time every year I start to breathe a little easier, and I feel like I can reset. Maybe it’s the end of a busy wedding season, or maybe it’s the change to Autumn that gives everything a different perspective, but this year especially it feels like there’s a shift...

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve found this year really hard. A slower year in many ways on the wedding front, which brings its own worries. The increased pressure from social media, changes in the industry that haven’t sat right with me, and more and more “competition” now right on my doorstep (I use this word lightly as I don’t like to see it that way, but when new wedding planners pop up in town offering everything that I do… I can’t ignore that it’s been having a huge effect on both my living and my confidence!). 

I’ve said very publicly that I’ve almost felt like giving up at times. But that’s the absolute last thing I would ever want to do. I believe so strongly in what I do, and the couples I have worked with in 2026 have filled me with confidence that I’m still on the right lines.

I see little glimmers of hope. People who feel the same way I feel and want the same things I want. Couples who struggle with the same things I do. Gaps that desperately need to be filled.

So we re-assess, we come up with a new plan, and we work out what we want to do next...

​If this is going to make any sense, I think I need to tell you a little more about me.

I am someone who is intensely passionate, fiercely loyal, and incredibly determined. Unless it’s something I just don’t want to do. In that case, I can switch off so fast and never give it the time of day again.

I am open-minded, hard-working, but pretty easy-going. Unless I call bullshit. I don’t take any crap and I stand firm on my principles. 

I’m a typical millennial who is struggling a little to get her head around the modern world we live in. I have what we call the “millennial ache”. I long to go back to a simpler time, before technology took over our lives and social media stopped us being very social at all. Before everything was governed by aesthetics, injectables, products we must buy. Don’t get me started on AI. I still listen to my favourite emo albums from 2006 and I long for Christmases with tacky lights and patterned carpets. 

Now do you see why I’m a little at odds with the current wedding world?!
Everything online. Everything trending. Businesses aren’t just businesses, we’re content creators. We need followers, we need metrics. Brides are not just brides, they are on a pedestal. People getting married don’t just need a ring and an updo, they need a house deposit and a vision board that looks like Vogue magazine. They are being drip-fed information from wedding influencers who don’t actually speak for the rest of us. And it’s exhausting trying to keep up, or know where I fit in.

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Don’t get me wrong…
I’m not saying I’m anti “clean girl” vibes. I’m not anti “maxxing”, or any of the recent trends really. I’m not anti anyone or anything. I’m trying very hard to get on board with a more contemporary way of thinking, but I really feel like something is missing…

When I started working in weddings, everything was simple. Basic. You could argue pretty boring. A bland function room, your standard centrepieces, nothing too exciting. I was passionate about showing people they could be having weddings that would make them really happy. A better choice of flowers, more exciting colours, awesome food options and interesting entertainment. Not because it would look good online. Not because I wanted anyone to spend any more money. Just because I knew weddings had the potential to be so much BETTER.

I also knew so many great suppliers who could make all that happen. Florists who didn’t just make a dainty posy wrapped in ribbon, but who could do wilder flowers, bolder colours, contemporary styles. Stationers who didn’t just type in a cursive font and whack a bow on the top but who could make invitations that suited any given vibe. Street food trucks. Modern wedding cakes. Singers whose repertoire went beyond Ed Sheeran and Christina Perri. 

I saw myself as the matchmaker between the couples who wanted more and the suppliers who could provide it. Pretty much what a wedding planner should be, right?!

But then that wasn’t enough. It stopped being simply about how good you are at your job and it became more about editing reels, looking flawless and filming yourself 24/7. Something I’ve still not got the hang of because (and I can’t stress this enough) I think it’s fucking weird and I don’t want to do it.

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So, where are we now?

As the pressure to perform becomes more intense (for us as much as for our couples), and my desire to participate gets lower and lower, I’ve been having a re-think. And I don’t believe I am alone.

My priorities when it comes to weddings haven’t changed: more choice, more diversity, more inclusivity. We don’t want overwhelm, but we do want options. I care about my couples having stunning, exciting weddings. I care about suppliers being noticed for the incredible work that they do.

But what I’m feeling more than ever is the need for things to feel less performative and more real.
Connection. Personality. Knowing you are doing enough. And making careful decisions that come from the heart rather than the internet.

When I’m at a wedding what I really want to see are the hugs, holding hands, the reunions of friends and families from around the world. I want to see people dancing wildly, singing loudly, and sitting around the firepit contemplatively. I want to see brides who feel their absolute best - not because they had to lose weight or change their face or squeeze into a dress because it made them look more like a celebrity, but who are GLOWING because they knew that being themself was always more than enough. I do want to see amazing décor and fancy venues and cool "stuff". But I want to see people prioritise time over ‘things’. Quality over quantity. Laughter. Stories. Feelings. No more “speeches must only be two minutes” or “the next couple will be here soon”. Just genuine, feel good weddings that have real heart and proper guts.

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This is why for the last few years I have leaned into more DIY weddings...
The weddings people are having at home. The ones in marquees and tipis that have been a real labour of love. The ones that take a little more imagination, but that are so worth the effort.

I have loved the rustic barns and the urban warehouses that have been transformed with a little help from some industry pros or a creative couple with the patience to make it work! The venues that give you flexibility and freedom, rather than dictating your day down to a tee.

And, most importantly, I've loved meeting the couples who have the determination to make things work and do their wedding day their own way. The people who have shared the same ideas and values that I do. They want things to feel natural. They want to have fun but they don't need to make a fuss. They want it to look great without it feeling like a photoshoot. They care more about getting married and sharing their story with their mates than they do about following rules set by someone they have never even met. 

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I want your wedding to look and feel amazing. But I want it to be about YOU. Whatever décor you decide on, whatever food you fancy, whether you’re super traditional or want something completely unique. I think it should feel authentic, sentimental, and original. And you should never feel out of your depth.

That’s why our motto has always been memorable, meaningful AND achievable. And that’s how it will always stay.

So there’s a little insight into what I’m all about and what we will continue to offer here at WWP. We’re leaning right into our feels, we’re de-influencing where we can, we’re keeping our feet firmly on the ground. We’re excited to see where this will take us and who it will bring our way.

If you are looking for help planning or co-ordinating a wedding and this sounds like a little bit of you, please reach out to us as we are ALWAYS here for you!