What is a wedding stylist?
For couples who dream of having a beautifully adorned and visually impressive wedding but are time poor – or don’t quite have the creative knack - wedding stylists provide the perfect solution. But what are they, and what do they do? We have a fantastic, award-winning Styling and Flower team who work exclusively at Brympton House.
We interviewed the Styling and Flower Director, Ellie Sloane, to find out a little more about what it is that they do and how they work.
Photo credit: Emma Barrow Photography
Q. What does your company do?
A. Style by Design design, plan and coordinate weddings. Our philosophy revolves heavily around a boutique approach. We endeavour to set weddings apart from the rest, not only because we enjoy variety and are passionate about our work, but also because we care about creating memories that will live with our couples long after the celebrations are over. Approaching each wedding with a fresh outlook, we enjoy creating a close bond with our clients ensuring that their wedding is a true reflection of them.
Q. Can you give us an idea on what your role is?
A. Well, my role is very mixed and every day is different! A Wedding Stylist is responsible for all the visual aesthetics of the wedding day. We specifically focus on supplier sourcing and designing each space – visually pulling together all elements from save the dates and invites to favours, table plans, linens, lighting and floral design. We also offer guidance on invitations, guest place settings, floor and table plans & flow of guests around the venue. We are there on the day to manage all the team as well as to set up each visual aspect that has been carefully planned for, leaving no detail out. We work very closely with our floristry team to add many layers of detail to your arrangements and get the most cohesive story throughout your day. Our days vary enormously and are dependant on what we have going on at the house. On a “typical” week my week will be spent with 6 days on site: 3 days preparation for each wedding (prepping, stock checking, staffing and set up) and 3 office days and meeting days. The office and meeting days are also such an important part of my work as this is when I get to meet with couples and to understand what they want and envisage for their special day. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” work that goes in to each wedding – with lots of emails and planning for each and every couple. After a meeting, I will put together a design proposal which will be a visual guide to everything that we have discussed. Often this is adapted, revised and changed as time goes on and as ideas evolve. The plan is what we work from on the wedding day, and it is just the most rewarding thing in the world to see months/years of planning all come together.
Q. What does a "typical" wedding day look like? A. The wedding day is extremely exhilarating – we start at 6am and this would be to continue set up and attend to last minute details. Lots of the displays can not be set up in position until the wedding day, and so we work methodically and dress each space in the order in which guests will be entering the spaces. There is quite an art involved in ensuring all candles are lit and the room is perfect just in time for guests to enter, especially as move the displays around throughout the day! A typical day ends for us around 10/11pm. It is a long day, but it really goes by in a flash. There are a few things I do at the end of the wedding day. It’s my responsibility to close down our prop storage spaces, and safety check all candles on site prior to leaving. Often our couples will bring in personal items (photographs, table plans, signs) and so I prepare lists on everything that has been brought in to ensure these are collected the following day and ready for the couple to take home. Once all of those things are taken care of, it’s time for me to head home to relax, rest up, and prepare for meetings or events the next day.
Thank you to Ellie for giving us an insight into the role of a wedding stylist.