Supplier Spotlight – High Times
High Times offer Wedding Planning packages from £95 as well as a fantastic array of Wedding Entertainment and Wedding Photography packages. High Times can be found in our East Midlands Wedding Planning and Entertainment Categories and you can also meet Emma, the lady behind High Times, in person at our Budget Bride Live Events in the East Midlands area.
We caught up with Emma to find out a bit more about her work in the wedding industry…
What is your favourite thing about working in the wedding industry?
I love organising and I love art, photography, history of art, interior design and this is the only job I know if that allows me to indulge in all of my loves and get paid for it! The wedding industry is also full of small cottage industries so there is a real team work attitude to suppliers when working on a wedding and I have many friends now who have other wedding related businesses. We all get together at Christmas for our own Christmas parties!!
What inspires you in your work?
At the end of every wedding, knowing that you’ve been part of such an amazing day in a couple’s life…cliché, I know, but it is as simple as that!
What has been your favourite wedding that you have ever worked on?
Too many to mention as there have been so many weddings which had small/large elements which I just thought where fantastic… But saying that, there was one wedding where the couple were really quite young but the groom had done an amazingly thought out proposal and this had been very much part of the wedding. The bride was American, so you can imagine there was so much detail and wedding ideas not even over here at the time. Plus the couple were just so lovely!
Do you have any trend predictions for weddings going into 2014?
Whatever it is, it will have been popular in the US the previous year! Colour-wise, bright colours are going to be trending which I think is a reaction to all the pastels and vintage style of recent years. Quirky weddings are also going to be popular either with unusual venues, over the top floral arrangements, coloured bridal shoes and personalised cake toppers…
What would be your best tip to Brides to Be to keep their weddings on budget?
Firstly, put a list together of all the elements to a wedding – venue, dress, stationary, flowers, cake, entertainment, etc – and order them according to how important that part is to your day. Spend the budget you do have on the most important elements to you. Then put it all into a spread sheet and stick to it!! I’m happy to forward a reliable spread sheet to anyone in need – emma@high-times.co.uk. Also know your limits or your friend’s/family’s limits; if the entertainment is a really important part of the day, don’t rely on your friend who has DJ’d at the odd party to give you the evening you want. Likewise, if you’ve always imagined an amazing sugar-crafted cake, if Auntie Beryl says she’ll make it, politely turn down the offer (unless of course she’s a professional cake maker!).
When you’re not busy planning weddings, what’s your favourite pastime?
I come from a family business and a family of entrepreneurs so to be honest, I enjoy looking at new business opportunities in the wedding industry and expanding High Times in my ‘spare’ time. But my main pastime is scuba diving! My boyfriend and I pretty much live for the next diving holiday abroad or a weekend away in the UK! It’s a great pastime to enjoy with friends and there is a group of about 10 of us who regularly get together for breaks and holidays. The après-dive, much like après-ski, is also a big draw to the diving pastime!
Thanks very much for sharing with us Emma, it sounds like you have your dream job! If you would like to get in touch with Emma to assist you with your wedding planning, entertainment or photography, head over to High Times pronto!
Laura xx
