A day in the life of a Cotswolds luxury wedding planner: 'No wedding is the same, nor any day of the week!'

Billed as the happiest, most exciting day of your life, having someone to take care of all the practical details around your wedding can really help to ease the nerves.

This is where Daisy Hall, wedding manager at luxury Cirencester venue The Kings Head Hotel, comes into her own, thriving off the buzz that comes from the variety of personalities and emotions that go into making each wedding day truly unique.

With the hotel named the top rated wedding venue in Gloucestershire — and the whole of the south west — by venue and supplier website, WeddingDates, in 2023, SoGlos sits down with Daisy to discover how she and her team help to make each wedding at The Kings Head so special.

Daisy, tell us a bit about yourself and your role as wedding manager at The Kings Head.

My friends would describe me as being the ‘nutty but sensible’ one in the group. When I’m not thinking about weddings, I’ll be found at the bottomless brunch, spending time with my family — along with my fabulous dog, Max — and visiting different places!

After gaining experience with corporate events, I wanted to hop over to the venue side which is where my love for weddings really kicked in. I’ve now been planning events for nine years so I think it’s safe to say, I know a bit about planning weddings!

I care so much about my events which really is key when planning a wedding because, you want to be the couple’s best friend! I don’t think there is another job I’d rather do; it’s more of a hobby than a job – not many people get to say that, so I do feel very lucky.

Talk us through the journey that couples take with you.

Being a wedding manager is so much more than just helping with the final details. People seem to think it’s a glamorous job — it’s far from it, you work long and unsociable hours and by the end of the wedding day, your feet and whole body aches, but it’s all part of the fun!

You build up such an amazing relationship with each couple from the moment they walk through the door for their first show around. Every couple is completely different, which makes each step so much fun as you get to meet so many different personalities.

During the show arounds, I’ll guide them through the venue and talk about how their day can look, we will also have a chat with some bubbles to go through the couple’s thoughts and ideas on how they imagine their day will be.

Once we have saved the date, I’m always available to talk to via email, call or even via our weddings Instagram page. We will catch up around six to nine months before to start getting the final details arranged.

On wedding days, I’m the couple’s ‘side chick’. I’ll be there in the morning helping with any set ups and final changes, as well as making sure suppliers have turned up on time and know where to go. I give jobs to the bridesmaids and groomsmen, make sure the couples are okay and help calm their nerves!

I’ll be there to guide the bridal party down the aisle; to help fluff up the bride’s dress before she struts her stuff; turn the room around for the wedding breakfast; introduce the couple into the room (as long as my voice hasn’t disappeared by that point!) — and then coordinate the service of the wedding breakfast.

And when the evening party starts, I'm there to gather everyone for the first dance, cutting of the cake and lots of dancing!

There’s so much choice out there for couples when it comes to planning their wedding. How do you help couples choose the best options for them?

You really do need to get along with your wedding manager as they’ll be there every step of the way. I want my couples to feel as if they can talk to me no matter how they’re feeling from the very beginning.

Communication is the most important thing for us to help make sure couples get the wedding they deserve. If a couple wants to change something in a package because it’s just not them, then this can definitely be arranged. I’ve recently been asked for an apple crumble station in the evening!

Planning a wedding can be quite stressful for couples — what do you offer to take the pressure off in the lead up to the big day?

I’ve created an amazing wedding planner document to which all of my couples have access: everything to do with their day is in this — including things like the table plan, supplier and decoration information, breakfast options, accommodation and so much more — so everyone knows exactly what’s happening and when.

I’ll arrange and reconfirm timings with suppliers to help keep couples' minds at ease. I also offer a number of packages for in-house wedding planning, from helping with the whole wedding to searching for suppliers.

What is the biggest wedding you’ve managed at The Kings Head and how does the size of the event affect your approach to planning?

The largest wedding we can host is up to 600 people within our Corn Hall, where we have hosted beautiful Asian weddings — the attention to detail put into these events are incredible! There is so much colour and lots of fun. Our kitchen team has travelled around the world and are all from different cultures, which really helps with tailoring menus for our couples.

The main thing you need to think about when having larger numbers would be space. How do we arrange the tables? What decorations will there be and will this make the space too cluttered?

We will also talk about things like having a children’s table or seating them closer to the terrace doors, so they have easy access to escape and play; as well as ensuring guests who have a disability or are elderly can easily reach our accessible toilets.

Finally, what is your favourite thing about working with couples to plan their special day – and about working at the Kings Head in particular?

My favourite thing about weddings at The Kings Head is the variety, no wedding is the same, neither is any day of the week!

I also love the buzz; you are surrounded by so many different emotions at different stages of wedding planning and on the day – you’re definitely kept on your toes. Seeing the end results and getting a hug at the end of the couple's special day makes all of the work so worth it.

We proudly support the LGBTQ+ community — love is love and we have witnessed some of the most beautiful love celebrations here!

The best part of hosting your wedding at Kings Head is our wedding gift to you… stay every year on your anniversary, complimentary for the next ten years! Who would want to miss out on that?