If the thought of styling your wedding or which decor to use to enhance your venue is giving you sleepless nights, then hiring a wedding stylist is something you should seriously consider! But, is it worth the investment we hear you ask? What exactly do wedding stylists do and what services do they offer? To help you out, we asked Somerset Wedding Stylist Leanna of Leanna Elizabeth Weddings to tell us a bit more about her wedding styling business and to fill you in on what to expect if you book your own stylist for your big day.

How did the idea for Leanna Elizabeth Weddings come about and what inspired you to start your own wedding styling company?

Growing up, my family would host the most extravagant themed parties. Together we would come up with a theme and from there, we would spend hours designing and creating props and decorations to bring it to life. I remember on one occasion, we built a 25-foot mast in our back garden to hang drapery from, creating the illusion of being on a ship (the theme was pirates!) We had so much fun and I loved the buzz it gave me, getting stuck into the design. In spite of this, I decided to pursue a career as a lawyer but after I qualified, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was missing. It wasn't until I got married myself that I realised what that something was. I enjoyed the design and styling aspect of my own wedding so much that a few months before, I enrolled on a wedding and event styling course. Our wedding really certified my styling capabilities but mostly importantly, it made me realise there was a huge gap in the market. I remember the morning of the wedding feeling overwhelmed with all of the setting up which needed to be done. Whilst friends and family were happy to volunteer their help, I didn't feel comfortable having to rely on them to do things which I was so particular about. I didn't know at the time that there was such a thing as a 'wedding stylist', but I certainly wish I had because it would have taken away so much worry and pressure on the day!

Tell us about the services you offer at Leanna Elizabeth Weddings and what your areas of expertise are.

I specialise in offering a luxury, personable and bespoke service to my couples. I'm a big believer that no two relationships are the same, which is why I really get to know my couples, so I can help them to tell their unique love story through the styling of their day. From the newly engaged to the soon-to-be married, I provide tailored support whatever stage my couples are at in their wedding planning journey. I offer three main services, although these are a starting point for most of my couples who end up needing a combination of all three. My most loved service is what I call, 'My Big Day'. This one is perfect if you want to host a perfectly styled wedding day, and would benefit from professional assistance throughout the entire wedding planning process and on the day itself. 
I find it's best to have an informal chat over the phone after a couple has had the chance to view my brochure to get a better understanding of how I can help them, and then I design a bespoke service based around them. 

Tell us the benefits of hiring a wedding stylist?

I think the number one benefit is peace of mind. That really is priceless, particularly on such a special day. I hear all too often how a couple might have one or two points of contact for their venue, but aren’t sure whether they will physically be present on the day of their wedding leaving them unsure as to who will be responsible for overseeing everything. And whilst friends and family may appear willing to help, I think a lot of brides worry about burdening them with duties throughout the day and would prefer all of their guests to be able to kick back and enjoy themselves. As a designer and a stylist, I can be involved right from the very beginning of the wedding planning journey. I absolutely love to work with couples who are just starting out, helping them to identify their unique style and bringing that to fruition. Often couples will have a vague idea of the type of look they are trying to achieve but over time this can get confused. My job as a stylist is to keep my couples on track, saving them time and money by making sure they book the right suppliers and save them from overspending on things which they don't really need. Since starting out, I've built up a wonderful team of trusted suppliers who I would be able to recommend in a heartbeat knowing 100% that they will deliver. Couples often don’t realise that suppliers will have their own niches and specialities – there really isn’t such a thing as a ‘one size fits all’ florist or photographer. For instance, some florists will specialise in more wild and rustic flowers and some photographers might produce more dark and moody photos rather than light and airy ones. The differences may not be that obvious to a couple, particularly when first starting out their supplier search, which is why it can really help to have a professional with expert knowledge of local suppliers in the area to guide them. Finally, and this one goes without saying, they'll make everything look incredible! I'm pretty sure no one in the history of time has ever said 'I really regret hiring that wedding stylist!'

Will you visit the wedding venue ahead of the big day to help advise couples & give them ideas on the wedding styling?

Absolutely! This is a must for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's often the first opportunity I will have to actually meet my couple in person as most of the communication up to this point will have been done over the phone, video or email. Secondly, even if it is a venue I am familiar with and have worked at before, it helps to just refresh my memory and also be open to new ideas. 

How long before the wedding would the couple need to think about the styling of the day? 

Ideally as early as possible! Once a couple has a good idea of how they visualise their day, they can then start to make decisions based around that. The styling really does impact on so many of the major decisions of a wedding from the venue to the photographer, florist and so on. That being said, it's not unusual for a couple to approach me a few months before the wedding asking for help setting up the morning of. Obviously at this point, their suppliers will already be in place so I work with what I can the morning of to make sure that it looks just as they hope. 

By finding a stylist early on in the process, you can be confident that you have the right suppliers working for you on the day and that your choices will come together to give a cohesive look, so I would highly recommend this to those of you who are newly engaged!

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you remain up-to-date with the latest wedding trends?

 I am quite obsessed with Instagram and Pinterest so I often get inspired by other industry creatives. I also love sitting down with a coffee and having a  scroll through some of my favourite wedding blogs. When I'm searching for a completely original concept, this can often spring out of the blue. I might be watching a film or listening to a piece of music which inspires me and suddenly I'll have a thousand ideas floating around. It really can come from no-where!

 Whilst I love to make sure my styling is up to date, I do try to avoid relying too heavily on trends. My approach is more timeless because I want to make sure that when my couples look back at their wedding photos in years to come, they will still be as in love with them as they were when they first got married. That being said, it is fun to mix things up a little with smaller details which are 'on trend' providing that they don't dictate heavily on rest of the design.

What's next for Leanna Elizabeth Weddings?

Oooh I do have a little project brewing which I am really excited about but it is very early days. I've really used the extra time at home this year to experiment with making and crafting, so providing it all goes well, I hope to be able to make these treasures available to the public to purchase online very soon! They will fit in perfectly with my approach to styling, so stay tuned!

And finally, what do you love most about your job? 

It would have to be unleashing the inner creative within me. It's always been there, but I never listened to it growing up and really forced myself down an academic path which just didn't feel right. The best part about my job is that it doesn't feel like a job - it's a passion. 

Thank you so much to Leanna for taking the time to talk to us. If you have any wedding styling questions for Leanna or would like to see her amazing work, please click here

If you enjoyed this blog and would like more tablescape inspiration please click here

J&K x