Susie Evans is the founder of Susie Evans Wedding and Events Co., a company that specialises in bespoke planning for weddings and celebrations. Many of these events take place over multiple days in a marquee at the private home of her clients, or on an exclusive country estate. From her base on the border of Surrey/Sussex, Susie has been curating and producing events all over the UK for the past twelve years and has also worked overseas in Italy, Portugal and Ireland…
My USP is specialising in marquee weddings at home or staged at an estate over a weekend. With so many different elements and complex logistics to consider, selecting suppliers with the right knowledge and skills is vital to ensure the event is perfectly executed…”
Susie Evans
C&B: “Susie, how did you gain your experience?”
SE: “I started my journey within the events industry back in 2008 by first setting up a venue styling business; I worked across both the wedding and corporate side of events before I sold that business to a large production company so I could focus solely on wedding planning. I launched that back in 2011…”
C&B: “With the number of weddings you undertake, do you have to rely on business partners or significant team members?”
SE: “Whilst I have a fabulous team of highly experienced freelance event planners that work with me, I lead all the events personally; this is something I feel extremely passionate about as client and supplier relationships are key and these aspects are both fundamental to the success of an event and also the experience for my clients…”
2023 has to have been my best year yet and I’m beyond excited about what I still have in store! I’m working at a new venue and it’s my largest event of the year which involves extremely complex logistics; it’s a wedding for 400 guests and we have only one hour to completely transform the space. This year also brings more of what I love, 3-day marquee celebrations held at the home of the client and every one of them is so different and really personal…”
Susie Evans
C&B: “Which locations and/or venues are your favourites, and why?”
SE: “Having worked at so many venues across the UK over the years, I have to say my favourite location for a wedding has to be on a private estate or at the home of the client – and that’s what we specialise in. Choosing either of those locations allows for so much more flexibility and my clients start with a complete blank canvas; it also mitigates many restrictions that venues can often impose. A wedding or celebration at home naturally encompasses many personal touches; I absolutely adore working closely with the family, building those relationships and, more often than not, a lifelong friendship with many of my clients…”
C&B: “What do you believe are the most important factors when organising a wedding?”
SE: “Trust. Trust is paramount as well as honesty… being able to have open conversations with my client and having them trust me as the expert. Our relationship extends to our suppliers as well as we are all one team. It’s so important that the planning journey is just as enjoyable as the celebration itself. Of course, when organising some of the more complex events, we anticipate there may be obstacles along the way… however with the best team in place, overcoming challenges is the perfect recipe for creating the ultimate event experience!”
I don’t take any commission from the event suppliers and that’s an aspect of the planning I’m very passionate about – there are no ‘hidden fees’ or elevated costs. This ensures my fee is completely transparent to my client, as are all the suppliers costs…”
Susie Evans
C&B: “What would you say, out of all the many special occasions you’ve organised, has been your biggest wedding success so far?”
SE: “I’ve produced a number of events that I’m truly proud of, however the one that most sticks in my memory is when I planned an ‘enchanted forest’ marquee wedding with fully immersive, secret garden. That was organised in just under thirteen weeks whilst we were just coming out the other side of Covid lockdowns. That was an event where both the client and I really worked on the overall guest experience – from the visuals, the scents and the journey that each and every guest followed throughout the day. Every ‘touch point’ was memorable and so many people still refer to that occasion; having a core team of expert suppliers is key to the success of any event…”
C&B: “What have been your biggest challenges when organising a wedding?”
SE: “During the period of Covid lockdowns, when we were managing events and dates were having to be changed on a regular basis; so many suppliers were involved with each event, and we had to ensure it worked for all parties. Each occasion had many moving parts and emotions were running high. We had over the double the number of events that I’d normally undertake, and for a period of two years solid – that’s not something I’d want to repeat! However, taking the positives from that catalogue of events means that I’ve learned so many things about myself, my business and the suppliers that worked so hard alongside me. It’s a period of my life that I’ll never forget and the outcome has been that I am so much stronger – no other challenge has ever come close to those experiences!”
C&B: “Finally, what are the current trends for floral decor, cocktails, canapés, table settings and so on..?”
SE: “To be honest, I’m not one to follow the trend or ensure any wedding or celebration is ‘on trend’. However, an area that I’m pleased to say many clients are now considering more is the entire guest experience. So, whilst using the florals and styling is important in creating the overall design, there’s nothing I love more than developing ways of elevating the guest experience. This can be through food or the drinks – creating experiences that take the guests on a journey that leaves the guests wanting to re-live the whole day or weekend all over again…”
One very last message I would love to leave with you: It takes a lot of work for all my events to appear this effortless!”
Susie Evans
WEBSITE: http://www.susieevans.co
