Wedding Butler

  Having worked freelance around London before my move to the Midlands, I’ve had the opportunity to work at some huge events some VVIP events, luxury hotels and even had some royal guests.  To be honest, even the National TV Awards, the Brit awards, it all became a bit, well...normal   A few years ago, I was asked to look after an actual celebrity wedding – but there was a twist.   Three-day takeover of a Country house hotel in Shropshire with events on each day, guests bussed in from a nearby hotel.   The Bride and Groom are actors; the bride’s father was a famous child star in the beginnings of Bollywood.   Looking back, it feels almost surreal to see that Bride and Groom on the red carpet at the premiere of his new Netflix show.   The wedding itself though wasn’t all Hello magazine and OTT security; it was a typical (albeit three day) family wedding.   Nobody had any airs and graces, nobody thought they were better than anyone else. ...

I was chatting with a colleague recently about “the old days”, and you’ll often hear me talking about “old school” when it comes to hospitality. Let’s face it, I’ve been doing this for a while. But it struck us that there are certain tasks many of our younger colleagues have never done - and never will. It’s just an age thing. “Cash out” is probably gone, as is walking through a crowded bar or nightclub carrying a till drawer, locking yourself in an office, or even - as in my first pub - a change room with bags of coins counted out and lined up. Thinking back, there were plenty more things from those days: carrying matches, the “proper” way to change a dirty ashtray, the old method of pouring a Guinness (yes, the training has changed). iPads for orders didn’t exist, and stock‑control tills had a button for every single item… somewhere. And then there were the kitchens - where shouting and throwing things was normal. No CCTV. Bouncers before SIA training and badges. And some venues didn...

  I was writing about whimsy weddings recently – simple, personal etc- and it occurred to me that my parents wedding in 1964 was probably very similar.   I was with my mother this week, so I asked her about the day.   It turns out that yes, it was quite similar – wedding at her childhood church, wedding breakfast in the church hall straight afterwards.   The bridesmaids dresses were handmade/altered and reused many times over after the wedding for parties, balls etc.   There were only two options for a wedding in the 1960s – church or registry office.   Receptions would be held in the banqueting suite of a hotel, and it was part of the best man’s job to hand out maps and ensure everyone had a lift.   In my parents case, there was no evening party – after the meal it was back to the house and the couple would get ready to go straight off on honeymoon – Brighton, rather than the Maldives!   In some ways, my parents wedding feels like a “...

  Whimsy weddings. Twilight weddings. Celebrant‑led weddings. We’re definitely moving away from what most people call the “traditional” wedding. And by traditional, I don’t mean heritage - I mean the same as everyone else . The standardised format. The hotel‑friendly template. The conveyor‑belt wedding day. What’s happening now is something far more interesting. It feels as though individuality is finally being injected - or perhaps more accurately, allowed . Couples are no longer being funnelled into the rigid structure of: Ceremony → Drinks reception/photos → Wedding breakfast → Evening reception with buffet Instead, we’re seeing a shift toward a flowing day , one without hard boundaries or forced transitions. Great for relaxed couples. Terrible for makers of timeline signage. Whimsy and Twilight: Signs of the Shift Both the predicted rise of Whimsy weddings and the already‑established Twilight wedding format reflect this architectural change. Twilight weddings ha...

  Indicative pic for illustration I read a lot of articles about weddings – it’s kind of my job! – but when I see “trends” I tend to be a little sceptical, because sometimes they’re “predicting” what they’re selling… or what they want to sell. Yesterday I read a new trend report, but this one was different. It backs up the predictions with genuine research on search trends and draws on a panel of wedding experts. It is, of course, a Bridebook report. So what do Zoe from Bridebook and her experts say is coming for 2027? Well, funnily enough, a lot of what they’re seeing matches what we’re already experiencing. The word of 2027 is “whimsy” , and embraces smaller, more curated weddings filled with little details and personal touches – that got my attention! The vibe is Mediterranean, with fabrics, warm colours, scents, spritz receptions (very on trend right now), and informal food in an Italian family‑dining style. Evening food goes with the theme too – less buffet, more food...

  A four‑decade veteran’s guide to the good, the bad, and the catastrophically memorable.  Mostly the bad Wedding speeches are one of the oldest traditions we still cling to. Centuries ago they were blessings, advice, and family honouring the union. Today… well, they’re still that — sometimes . Other times they’re a roulette wheel of nerves, nostalgia, misplaced confidence, and the occasional social hand‑grenade. Across most weddings, you can boil the “usual suspects” down to three: Father of the Bride - childhood stories, pride, emotion, and occasionally a curveball. Bridegroom - how they met, how wonderful she is, thank‑yous, and compliments for the bridesmaids. Best Man - replies on behalf of the bridesmaids and spills the tea about the groom’s past indiscretions. It’s no surprise that I’ve heard hundreds of speeches over my four decades in weddings, some of them entertaining, some of them passed me by (because I don’t know the p...

  The Luxury Myth You want the best for your wedding day. You see services advertised as “luxury” or “premium” . But what’s actually behind those words? We associate luxury with a Rolls‑Royce Phantom or a 5‑star hotel suite overlooking the ocean. But look closer: a “luxury” hotel suite is usually just a higher floor, a nicer sofa, a better mattress — and a higher price. The service isn’t different. The experience isn’t different. The feeling isn’t different. It’s an upsell dressed as a lifestyle. Wedding marketing experts even teach suppliers to offer a “premium service” to attract higher‑spending couples. But what does that actually mean? To me, it sounds like: “I’ll only do that if you pay me more.” And that’s where the whole thing falls apart. Hospitality Reality Check Across my hospitality career, I’ve run high‑price rooms and entry‑level rooms. Yes, the food is better. Yes, the seats are more comfortable. Those are upsells . But the service standard - the basic product - a...