This blog talks about my weekly planning schedule

Weekly planning blog, never a blog I thought I would write about. I am not the most organised, following a schedule just feels restrictive to me. My fellow creatives will understand. But I am also very self-aware and I know my strengthens and weaknesses. So, with this in mind, I always made being organised and scheduling a priority. It doesn’t come naturally so it is something I have to work on weekly, daily!

When I think about it now (hindsight) I just wonder why this didn’t click earlier. I think as the communities I was in and any courses I did I was always told TIMEBLOCK, TIMEBLOCK, TIMEBLOCK! The wonderful stories about how productive people are now they started time blocking hooked me in big time. I would be so good for a few days or even weeks sometimes. But then it would go! One phone call, an unexpected issue would throw me off all day. Also, a lot of the time I would get to the end of the day with a little bit of each thing done. Feeling so unproductive, stressed and with a bigger list for the next day!

I figured there had to be a better way, surely being productive must be easier!

And wow did I find it! My new weekly planning schedule saved me stress and gave me back time! I am guessing I read about this idea somewhere, really not going to try and take credit. But the idea popped into my head that for now while I research I will do one thing a day. So marketing one-day blogs another etc. I will break this down properly below don’t worry. From my research, I soon realised this is a thing for lots of creative entrepreneurs. The one article that really resonated with me was about how we can either have a Maker’s Schedule or a Manager’s schedule.

It talks about how we are taught to have a schedule like a manager from a young age with school and work. Scheduling hours, meetings working with hour slots. The thing with creative people who have creative tasks to complete is that they take longer than an hour and actually being focused for longer than an hour is more than possible when doing something creative. Also, how some people just have this creative mindset and like me, a call, a meeting in the middle of the day just throws me off. Bad or good news unexpectedly usually even throws me off as my focus just goes!

My best business move!

I honestly believe changing my weekly schedule was the best business move I ever made! I will have to adapt this as I go with more wedding meetings and life getting back to normal. But I will always keep a similar structure, especially for my creative days. So it is a similar idea to batching your workload. This is batching but also themed days.

The tool I use for this is asana. I use to have a paper diary and I do still use pads for note jotting but sharing a business and hiring people asana is for me the best tool to plan. I have a board for each month and tasks for each week and work through them on a coordinating day.

Grab my free printable

So here is my weekly planning schedule

Monday Marketing:

I try to also focus on 1 or two platforms also. So I will do a whole day of Pinterest. This means I can usually get a full month of pins for all 3 websites. I do between 5 to 10 pins a day for each site. Easier for Urban as this has older content to repin.

Or I will do Instagram and Facebook. Again try to schedule a full 1/2 weeks for Instagram and usually I can get a month of Facebook done. At the moment my content is being made only a week or 2 ahead. I am in the process of getting 2/3 months ahead so planning and scheduling Instagram and Facebook will be easier to batch.

Tuesday Blogs and SEO:

I know blogging is technically marketing also. But writing blogs to me is more creative and I need to be in the mood and flow. When writing a weekly blog was on my to-do list I would always put it off and find ‘more important things’ to do instead. I would say blog writing and me actually falling in love with the process is all down to this batch daily working. Giving myself an hour to write a blog is just to stressful. The number of times I start my Tuesday and I just start writing and the first blog may never make the cut. but once in the flow I then write good quality content and can batch out 3/4 blogs. Some days only one if a big one.

I also break up days into research days. Days where I just go back over old blogs for urban. Updating content, SEO etc. Some days it is all SEO, research for key words, updating seasonal content for key words and optimizing sites.

Wednesday Weddings

This is when I work on weddings. When back to normal I will book clients in for meetings and consultations. Right now things are little different and I am using the day to streamline my client onboarding. Working on client experience and how to make this feel more personal and higher end. While at the same time not taking a large chunk of my time.

I schedule calls for this day with my couple when possible. I work on couples design briefs. Research suppliers and supplies. I also do design training on these days. I love to be always doing some sort of learning, whether it be business, SEO or design.

Thursday digital products

I work on creating digital products and updating Etsy. Again I break this up so one week I will work on designing and then next week on mockups. Then uploading on to Etsy or website. I have just hired a VA so I can focus more on the design side of things and she does all the uploading for me.

I am working on a wedding and event design course at the moment. Slow progress as I want it to be perfect and cover everything but I also use Thursdays for this.

Friday free day

I leave Friday open for meetings. To catch up with any bits needed in the week I didn’t finish in the week. It is also great for when things pop up I wasn’t expecting I know I can get it sorted on Friday. I also use Friday for filming youtube videos if needed. Or content creation for socials.

I like to keep it open as much as possible and not make my workload to big on a Friday. That way I can hopefully be done earlier afternoon ready for the weekend ahead. We also loan a horse so I have to be done to go see Archie.

Saturday

If I don’t have a wedding I will have the day off. I sometimes also film on Saturdays. Sometimes I am not in the mood to film on Friday or I have some left to film of that week’s video. If I am working I try to do it early and be done by 12 at the latest. I am getting better at taking time off, workaholic over here!

Sunday

Again another mainly day off. I look over my week and add any important bits to do that week on each day. Also, I like to learn on Sundays so will do some reading, watch a webinar etc. I usually, listen to at least one podcast a day anyway and youtube on in the background with certain tasks. I am a big believer in learning and always developing my knowledge to help me grow as a person and business.

Top tips for implementing this yourself

• Really think about your weekly tasks and how to batch them together for a day
• Remember you will have to be flexible. I don’t expect my couples to only have a meeting Wednesday or Friday, I will rearrange my day when needed. I try to do a meeting after 2 pm though as then I can get the bulk of work done before.
• Review your days constantly and move around if needed. I sometimes change things up on Sunday for the week ahead.
• Give yourself days off. Time for you and the things you enjoy. This is hard for me but the benefits are great.
• Be strong! Say no, or I will do it then, the day you set. I use to struggle with boundaries and taking on too much. This has helped me so much with this.

Weekly planning

I hope you found this blog post useful. If you are struggling with scheduling your week or feel you are just not getting anything done. Give this a try and see how you get on! I think others think I sound a bit dramatic when talking about this but it has honestly changed my life! I would like to hear your thoughts, any scheduling tips you may have. Let me know in the comments below.

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Manchester elopement styled shoot

I just loved being involved in this Manchester elopement styled shoot. I love a city-centre wedding, a cool couple and the only thing to make it better, a bike! Yes, I super gorgeous, wanted to ride off on a motorbike!!

I have decided to break my shoots down in more detail. Show you the design process and take you behind the scenes a little more. This is to help those planning shoots themselves. I struggled when I started to find information on planning and implementing a styled shoot. Or even couples as this can be adapted to designing your wedding.

The design process

For this shoot, I was approached by Chelle, a wedding planner. She had an idea that she wanted a motorbike, it to be an elopement in Manchester. She needed help getting her ideas down as a design. The first step was a venue, once she had this sorted I could work on the design of the shoot. I suggested hotel Brooklyn as I know Chelle loves New York. In her head for the shoot, it was an American couple eloping. They said yes! So with the brief and venue, I could get to work on the design!

Manchester Elopement Story

I always start with a story when doing an editorial shoot. I sit and write about the couple, what will happen, their reason for the wedding/event. What feelings and emotions are they feeling and I want to create with the design. If you are doing a styled shoot I highly recommend sitting and thinking about the story you want to tell on the day before any planning or design. The same for a wedding or event, write down the feelings you want to create on the day. How you want the guests to feel. Also, think about the story of the couple or the reason for the event.

A modern couple so the styling needs to be cool, minimal and modern. With the bike, I came up with the idea of driving in and out of the hotel for the drive-by feel. Then the colours of New York with the yellow and black. Again, still modern, urban and stylish!

The mood board

Once I have the story and couple, if a wedding shoot, in my mind I then go and look for inspiration about them. Think ideal client work, one for the business owners reading this. The couple is cool, modern and want to be different but also want to bring a piece of them to Manchester. With this thinking, I went with the traditional new york colours, black and yellow. I softened with some grey and made sure the yellow was only in pops. Look at my colour palette guide for how I create my colour palettes in more detail.

I searched Pinterest, not for wedding photos, New York City streets, Brooklyn vibes, yellow and black patterns. Then I searched 90’s high fashion, 90s supermodel shots. I wanted paparazzi style, high fashion city street photography. Also, I looked at motorbike photography and leather jacket images and lastly modern yellow florals. Head to my Pinterest blog for more details on selecting non-wedding photos.

Selecting Pictures

I then set up my mood board template and start to build the mood board. This is the time to carefully curate your pictures to showcase your ideas. When looking and saving to Pinterest, or wherever, you can save any you like. As you are just allowing yourself to fall into the design and ideas deeper and deeper. Now you need to examine each picture. Write the keywords you want to create within the shoot. Then pic the photos that show these words. You can’t be half-hearted about this. You can’t just think that will do. A picture that screams the mood you want to create but is totally the wrong colours. A picture may have some elements but a little traditional when you want modern. These work for extra pictures but not for the mood board.

You have to remember this is going out to all the suppliers. Each person will connect and see something different in each photo. They all have to be spot on, every element, colour, detail has to work for that shoot. If not, don’t use it, get looking for another. I can spend days, usually weeks, okay I’ll admit months sometimes, working on mood boards. Head to my 5 step guide for creating a mood board for my full in-depth process.

Selecting Suppliers

This is sooooo important! Putting a call out on a group, or on your socials really isn’t the way to get the right suppliers. That’s my opinion though, others do this and have a great shoot. I suppose it depends on the reason for the shoot. When designing a certain look and feel you need to search out the right supplier for that shoot. I go into this in more depth in my styled shoot guide. I also touch on the protocol of paying for suppliers and who pays who.

You need to consider each area and what elements you need to create them. Then search for suppliers that can do this and are the same style as the look you want to achieve. For this shoot, I was just doing the design so Chelle went off and sourced the suppliers she wanted. This can be hard if you are a stylist or designer at times. If the supplier is not suited then it will show and your design can be easily lost. For me, I step away and accept that I have done the design brief and will work with what I have on the day to best style the elements. It is their vision not mine at the end of the day!

Collaborating

I will always talk through certain elements with key suppliers if styling also. I make a design brief and each element of the shoot is considered in this. Each key supplier will have a section tailored to them. Then all suppliers will receive a copy of the design brief. This is the best way to keep things cohesive and make sure all suppliers are working towards the same vision. I like to choose suppliers carefully so I can give them the creative space they need to create something that suits the design brief.

I knew a lot of the suppliers or at least knew of them so it worked out well. Chelle did a great job selecting the supplier that was the right fit on the day.

Styling

With a shoot, things are different from a wedding or event. The supplier I am always most conscious of is the florist. I spend a lot on items with a shoot as I always want it to be unique and offer something new. Because I want luxury, the best and with this comes a cost. I am more than aware though that the cost for the florist is usually a lot more. This means you need to be creative and thoughtful with the styling on the day. Reuse items and especially flowers throughout. Meaning, you need to give yourself self-time to set up each area and move elements and set up the next throughout the day.

As this shoot was an elopement it was nice that there wasn’t a lot of setups. I had a table for two and a cake area! It was a lovely chance to have free time during a shoot to network and relax!

The table

A table for two! I love doing sweetheart tables for a wedding also, going all out so this was definitely my jam! This one was a little different as they needed to face each other. Straight away I was excited to do an off angled runner. You may have noticed I do love layering of angle with my fabrics! I knew Chelle was using a stunning dipped dye Lucy can’t dance dress. So, I wanted to do something similar and created a dip-dye table runner.

I kept the table minimal with black and grey elements. The yellow only from the flowers. I used these stunning plates from Nkuku, black crockery and nice simple grey napkins. We didn’t have a stationer so I made my own with a template from Etsy.

The cake area

I love styling a cake area! This one we went for a dessert treat table for two for them to enjoy. A gorgeous black cake and cool modern treats made my styling job so much easier. I used another dip-dyed table runner and then a mix of plates and terrariums from my styling collection.

I kept this styling minimal also, let the treats do the hard work! We moved the flowers over from the table to reuse and also add some yellow. It is important to mention here about the placement of the table. I choice in front of this sign to add to the whole are styling. Picking where you set up is key with a shoot and an event. Look what is behind and speak to your photographer about lighting, background in shots and make sure it will work.

Manchester elopement

Hopefully, you can see the elements of the design within the shoot. Chelle chose not to go for the more high fashion vibe with the city street shots. I love them all though and it is totally more her style! Enjoy scrolling the pictures and let me know what you think in the comments below! If you want to see the full portfolio and hear more about the shoot its self head to here now!

Supplier Credits

Planner: MICHELLE AMY WEDDINGS, DESIGNER: ZOEY LOUISE DESIGN, PHOTOGRAPHER: MARNI V PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY: CATHERINE LUTHER WEDDINGS, FLOWERS: FLOWER STUDIO MCR, CELEBRANT: CELEBRANT SJ, VENUE: HOTEL BROOKLYN MCR, DRESS: ROCK THE FROCK CHESHIRE, SUIT: GROOM WARRINGTON, HMUA: KATIE, JACKET: ROCK PAPER NIB, CAKE: GRACE EMILY CAKES, ACCESSORIES: GLORIOUS BY HEIDI, COUPLE AND BIKE: HELEN & STEVE.

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This blue winter wedding styled shoot is still one of my favourite shots. I just love the venue, again it is definitely one of my favourites here in the UK. I love a weekend wedding, why not make the most of it right? This venue is suited perfectly for that vibe.

This shoot was organised by Fiona couture and she wanted it to showcase the blue winter dress she had designed. Her brief was a snowy winter wedding. I wanted to really use the power of design to give a snowy feel even if we didn’t luck out with snow on the day. Which we didn’t unfortunately.

The venue: Upper house venue Hayfield

I think it is hard to find a venue that has everything. This venue has gorgeous outdoor areas to marry or host some of the day’s events. It has historic indoor areas, even a pub! However, they also have the tipi for a modern, relaxed feel. The indoor interiors are as beautiful as the views from the windows. A rare all-round stunning venue. It is for sale so hoping it continues as a venue with the new owners.

Winter wedding styling

Let’s get on to the winter blue styling! Even though we were working with blue I wanted a muted blue, a dusky blue as they would say. This is explained more in my colour theory blog but toning down the blue is adding grey, here I wanted it so toned down it is hard to determine if blue or grey. Blue/grey my just be one of my favourite colours. I also used pops of a darker blue for the added interest. Then as the brief was winter and snowy we had a white base.

Winter wedding ceremony styling

The ceremony was set up in the chapel. I beautiful historic space in the venue. The room is very dark and even though I wanted a warm moody feeling I also wanted its soft light and snow-like. I decided to cover the back in chiffon a tule, a mix of grey, dusky blue and white. Draping it as organically flowing as possible. I wanted it to soften the dark wood but also naturally mol with the setting not look harsh or stand out too much.

Table styling

We set the table up in the same room. So we got to use the fire and the insane lighting installation by Peter Lockwood Events and flowered up by Perfect bouquet full of flower. The table set under the lighting I wanted lots of layers to add depth and interest. I added a pop of darker blue with the glassware. Glasses are always a great way to add some colour without it being overpowering. And ass each guest receives one it also adds to the guest experience, everyone loves a fancy glass!

Cake area styling

The other area I wanted to make a feature was the cake area. I always love to go all out with the cake area. Its a chance to get creative, add unique personal touches and it a space that every guest sees so should always have that extra detail of attention.

Charlotte Wilcox cakes made not only one stunning cake, she made lots of extra treats. This is a great option for dessert or for snacking later. It also adds to the styling and is a great way to make a feature area of the cake table.

Outdoor winter wedding

Another amazing part of this day was the access to the outdoors. We got the bride in her winter coat and they spent a couple of hours together and we got some amazing shots. It is the perfect alone time and also you have memories captured forever. Always pre-plan your photo time, how long, what your guests will be doing and what shots you want. Then add on an extra 15/20 min for you both to just be alone and take in the amazing day.

Winter wedding styling.

I hope you enjoyed this blue winter wedding styling blog at Upper House Hayfield venue. If you are looking for someone to help design your wedding in any season I would love to chat so please get in contact. Check out all the suppliers involved.

Suppliers who contributed

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This week I am bringing you the real wedding of David and Jo. The wedding was in the beautiful countryside of Clitheroe at The Stirk House. Jo really wanted that princess wedding feel with pink and grey as her chosen colours. I worked with Jo on the design to give that princess feel but with a modern twist. We wanted it elegant and full of details that really showed their personality. I pared-back the princess feel and went with a french modern fairytale for this Clitheroe wedding.

The Ceremony

The ceremony room was attached to a gorgeous conservatory overrun with ivy. We wanted to recreate this in the ceremony room, with lots of ivy crawling its way down the aisle and up the backdrop. Also, the venue Stirk house was chosen because of the lovely surroundings of Clitheroe.

The room also had a stunning fireplace we had to make sure we made a feature of. Again lots of greenery and of course nothing says romance more than an abundance of candles.

The wedding breakfast

We then had a quick swap over to get the room set up for the meal. While the guests enjoyed the Stirk house’s beautiful gardens with gorgeous views of Clitheroe.

This room had a stunning glass ceiling! We wanted everyone to feel as though they were sitting below the stars. We used a mixture of fairy lights and Edison bulbs from Peter Lockwood. I then wrapped it all in greenery to carry on the bringing the outside in theme.

The tables we went with grey linen tablecloths with pink chiffon runners. Jo had fallen in love with printed napkins she has seen. I went searching for some pink and gold that would match her palette. This was a real struggle! As this was her one luxury item she just knew she had to have I looked into making them for her. Luckily this process was not too hard as I already had the machines needed.

The tables

I chose gold accents for the tables including the cutlery. This made such a huge difference to the overall look of the table. It gave the luxury feel Jo wanted. By linking the gold centrepiece accents with the cutlery tied it all nicely. Gold accents and then silver cutlery on this table would have stood out and possibly looked tacky.

The florals we asked kate from perfect bouquet to use lots of pinks. With lots of textures, heights and a natural wild feel to them. She did a fantastic job and nailed the brief perfectly!

Stirk House Clitheroe wedding

The lights above as the night crept in really offered that beautiful under the stars feel. Jo and her friends and family enjoyed a night dancing under the stars. Being entertained by DJ Coast to Coast. All photos from the fab Jo Bolton.

I hope you enjoyed and took some inspiration from this Clitheroe wedding. If you are looking for a wedding designer or stylist. I would love for you to Get in touch to chat with you and hear all your plans!

Pinterest is a great marketing tool for a wedding or any creative business. It is also a tool to start creating a wedding mood board.

I am going to discuss how I use Pinterest as a wedding mood board. I use Aisle Planner for the main design process with my full design couples.

Usually I always also have a shared secret mood board. It is great to add things as we are both searching or something pops up. I love that you can add a note for others to see.

The right way to use Pinterest for a wedding mood board.

Now I think there is a right and wrong way to do a Pinterest board! I am sure others will disagree with me though!

The thing with Pinterest is it is easy to get sucked into beautiful weddings or shoot pictures. You then fill your boards with these. However, you are then just working on recreating someone else’s design. Use the sections option and get strict with what is going to be shared in each.

I am going to share my process and this can work for a wedding supplier to set up for a shoot or with couples. But also perfect for couples looking to design their own day like a pro.

Pinterest wedding mood board

I go into more detail in my mood board blog on how to create a great mood board.

The same principles apply here though. You need to look past weddings, past the item you are creating.

I allow my couples to bring 4/5 wedding pictures but I want them to bring my pictures that ignite feelings when doing a design consult.

Show the colors, textures, or feeling you want on the day. For Pinterest, though I have an inspiration section that I don’t limit. I find the inspiration section is a great place to photo-dump all the different things you like or that catch your eye.

Set the main Pinterest board into sections.

Here are the sections I add and the description or advice I use for each. I think this can work for any design or event. You can adapt and add sections that work for you. These are just ideas.

• Colors – Search and add pictures of colors you like or know you want for your wedding. No wedding pictures. Look for pictures that include colors or show color tones, and shades you Like. Write a note if the picture needs explaining.
• textures – add fabrics, and textures that you love or are drawn to.
• stationery – add fonts and paper textures. try to limit the amount of wedding stationery
• outfits – add all wedding party outfits you like or if decided add your chosen ones.
• Flowers –
• ceremony –
• reception –
• stationery –
• inspiration – add wedding inspiration here. try to look past the setup or look and add pictures that make you feel the way you want your guest to feel.

Pinterest wedding mood board

I may set up new sections for different feature areas. Or if a certain supplier is a top priority to the couple they will be added and we will have a section for them.

As I use an Asile planner though this is usually shared through this instead and a new section is not needed.

I use this Pinterest board to break down the overall feel and design the client wants for the day. This is not what is shared with suppliers but at times I will add suppliers so they can contribute also.

I use this to help with getting to know my couple and questions at the meeting to then create an overall design. The design brief goes into detail about each area.

The design brief is then shared with all suppliers. As it is not an interactive process having a Pinterest mood board works well alongside this.

Using Pinterest as a wedding mood board

I hope you found this blog sharing how I use Pinterest as a wedding mood board! please let me know in the comment and any questions ask away! Here is a quick video of how to set up a board and sections on Pinterest.