As we expand beyond our heritage of royal weddings into permanent and semi-permanent installations, production, and private venue management, we still pride ourselves on ‘Lady Liz’s’ meticulous eye for detail.”
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Party Planners
Harriet Webber-Jamieson leads the legendary event brand ‘Party Planners,’ a company originally founded by Lady Elizabeth Anson in the 1960s. For fifteen years, Harriet learned directly from Lady Elizabeth before being entrusted with the responsibility of taking over the company, where she laid the groundwork for what Party Planners is today. Here, we discuss both the legacy of the brand and its plans for the future…
C&B: “Harriet, first and foremost, congratulations on being included in the City & Beach Lifestyle New Year’s Honours List 2025! Could you please tell us about the various ways in which the event planning industry has evolved over the years, and how Party Planners has adapted to these changes?”
HWJ: “Party Planners was the original and first events agency back in 1961 and had to constantly evolve over more than 60 years to stay at the forefront of the industry. Rather than ‘evolving’, I think the industry has progressed and opened to allow more variety, opportunities, international collaborations and possibilities. As the industry continues grow, there are constantly new benchmarks set, allowing us to operate in a space that we wouldn’t previously have imagined possible. We’re now able to take advantage of developments in technology, alongside the other industries that we work closely with, to work far beyond the traditional bounds of event planning and into creating multi-faceted spectacles…”
The opportunity to see and work with historic venues is always immensely exciting; often, the back-of-house and restricted areas of renowned royal venues are particularly fascinating. While the general public may have the chance to view the areas that are open to all, we are often privileged to see behind the scenes. Most of these venues resemble an iceberg, as what’s visible is only the very tip – the true magic occurs well beneath the surface.”
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Party Planners
C&B: “Talking of technology, what role does technology play in modern event planning, and how does your company leverage it to enhance client experiences?”
HWJ: “It’s quite well-known within the industry that I’m a bit of a technophobe, but I’m incredibly lucky that both my husband, who is our Head of Production, and the rest of our team leverage it to its full capabilities. I quite enjoy still putting pen to paper and picking up the telephone to talk to someone over pinging them an email or message and am a firm believer that relationships can’t be built via text. However, I have to admit that the CGI renders, millimetre-perfect CAD drawings and the magical table planning programme which must have saved us hundreds of hours, have become invaluable!”
Lady Elizabeth’s timeless glamour and pioneering spirit left an indelible imprint on the party planning world…”
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Party Planners
C&B: “Between advancements in technology and all wide range of luxury travel destinations available, there’s almost no limit to what event designers can offer clients. Beyond the legacy of royal events for which Party Planners is most notable, which other events can you mention, and what made them stand out?”
HWJ: “Taking a new or unusual venue and delivering the extraordinary and unexpected is what excites us the most! For example, building a temporary glass structure within the ruins of Tintern Abbey was a personal favourite; it took nearly a year of negotiation with the Welsh government to persuade them to allow this to happen and for us to assure them that we would work respectfully within such a special space. More recently, we have acquired the right to work within some incredible private homes which have never before been used for events. We’ll be sharing more about that later this year…”
C&B: “That sounds like a major accomplishment as clients are always looking for new venues that haven’t been seen before by their guests. How does your team otherwise approach the planning and execution of these events to ensure they meet expectations?”
HWJ: “No detail is too big or small for the Party Planners team; we’re available day and night throughout an event, adapting to changing requirements and ensuring that each moment is a success. We have learned a great deal from Lady Elizabeth’s passion and enthusiasm for planning and executing exceptional events, always remembering that the happiness of our client is our top priority. As a tight-knit group, we leverage each other’s strengths and remain mindful that any feedback or changes help us refine our approach.”
C&B: “In addition to your fantastic organisational skills, how do you cultivate creativity and innovation within the Party Planners team to ensure each event is both unique and memorable?”
HWJ: “My team need no encouragement – if anything, we need reining in! Each and every one of us come from a creative background; I think it’s safe to say that we’re all somewhere on the spectrum and that some of the conversations about what we might be able to create next are pretty quirky. Every single event starts with a blank piece of paper and a brainstorming session. There’s great respect within the team to embrace every idea, however ‘out there’ it may seem at first; we always have enthusiasm for seeing how far we can push a creative concept – it’s probably the most fun and exciting part of our job!”
C&B: “Clients often have strong ideas about the overall feel and look of their event – how do you ensure that it always reflects their personal style and preferences while maintaining the company’s high standards?”
HWJ: “As with any curator of an exhibition of artistic work, we are a curator of the client’s wishes and it’s our job to take all of the hundreds of ideas and refine them so that we exhibit only the best of them. In doing so, we can produce something that is very personal to the client and their wishes but ensuring that the final event feels both cohesive and elegant…”
We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with; I give my trusted vendors the autonomy to bring their own ideas and solutions to the table and respect that they are masters of their own industry. I’m very lucky to call my vendors personal friends and some are even now family…”
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Party Planners
C&B: “Sustainability and wellbeing are growing concerns across all industries; how does Party Planners incorporate sustainable practices into event design?”
HWJ: “We source locally wherever possible and collaborate with local companies when on-site; I’m a firm believer in eating within season and that using local produce in our menus will always be best. We are vigilant to make sure our suppliers are operating sustainably wherever possible and we ensure that all recyclable materials from each event are broken down and processed appropriately. There are also some wonderful initiatives we work closely with such as Floral Angels, who recycle and restyle flowers to give back to the community. We also ensure that all food waste from London-based events go to City Harvest who work to end food poverty in the capital. We’ve also been working with Earthly.org to invest in impactful projects to combat climate change…”
C&B: “That’s a major contribution to sustainability, Harriet! On another equally important concern: With security being a prime issue in VIP circles, how does ‘Party Planners’ ensure the privacy and safety of those who attend one of your events?”
HWJ: “There is an ever-present security and medical presence on site at our events; you’ll never notice them because they are discreet. Our philosophy is that it is always ‘better to be safe than sorry’; however, we don’t want our clients or their guests to feel that they’re being supervised or restricted in any way…”
We strive to maintain a high level of privacy for all of our clients and only publicise or celebrate our work publicly with their blessing. We have strict non-disclosure agreements in place with all of our suppliers…”
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Party Planners
C&B: “Event planning is a really attractive option for anyone who is detail orientated, creative and outgoing – what advice would you give someone who wish to enter and excel in this competitive industry, either as a planner or a vendor?”
HWJ: “Get involved! Take every opportunity to get first-hand experience of live events and ask as many questions as you can of anybody you meet who inspires you. It doesn’t matter how small your role is to begin with, it’s what you bring to a team that defines your value!”
C&B: “Final question, Harriet: In your opinion, what is the future of event planning, and how is Party Planners positioning itself to lead in that future?”
HWJ: “We’re not only here to create a perfect day for the client but also to make sure that their friends and family enjoy every moment – and because we believe that every guest should feel as special as the hosts, we provide a complimentary concierge service for every attendee at every event. Despite the power of google, social media and ease of accessibility to the best suppliers in the world, our role as designers, planners and producers of spectacular parties is to understand which vendors and partners to work with and how to harness the best of what they can do to create the perfect event. Planning an event should be as stress-free and fun as the celebration itself.…”
CONTACT: http://www.party-planners.com
