Welcome to My World - an Intro

Hello, hello! I’m Frances, the very proud owner of Allegory Events - an at-home-and-destination-wedding planning studio - designed for you. Thrilled you’re stopping by!

Although Allegory Events is new to the wedding world, I’ve been here a while. I started out in a beautiful partnership with my cousin Raea as SIXFOUR Events. She worked on the design aspects of our weddings, while I looked after our gorgeous clients, taking care of planning, management and logistics. When she decided to make the move into the fashion industry, I was way too hooked on weddings, and decided I would carry on and bring Allegory Events into existence! I can’t help but feel really lucky with the clients I’ve worked with, and so designed Allegory with them in mind. Who are Allegory clients? They are rooted in tradition, but love to break the rules. They’re the kinds of people most likely to inscribe their wedding rings, but probably with an in-joke. They can’t help but ‘suggest’ almost an entire playlist of songs to the DJ, because there are so many that hold meaning for them, and they just know how to throw a bloody good party. Style conscious, style led, dedicated to their guests and to each other. It’s a great combo.

‘But why do you love weddings so much, Frances’, you ask? Well, most importantly, I love love in action! But I also love working on a project, working with a team, working to deadlines, really getting to know the couples I work with, and then creating MAGIC.

I thought it would be a good idea to put a little Q&A up here about I’m about and what I do, because there’s only so much you can legitimately put on your About and Services pages on your website, right? Don’t hesitate to get in contact if you have any other burning questions!

Why should people hire a wedding planner?

Because planning a wedding is bloody hard work. It’s overwhelming. There’s no getting away from it. Designing and planning your own wedding requires you to be both project manager and stylist - and still manage your job and social life. As a planner, I do the hard stuff, the stuff that makes your toes curl, palms sweat, or potentially reduce you to tears. I keep you calm and collected as you navigate difficult situations. I am a sounding board telling you if an idea is feasible without you having to suffer severe brain pains. Ultimately, I make the biggest day of your life a whole lot less stressful. You still get to plan and design it, you just have a super dedicated person devoted to you, making your dreams a reality.

What are the perks?

Where do I start? First and foremost, creating stunning experiential events is such a thrill. Evoking feelings and helping make a vision/dream possible is what makes me feel alive. Working in a multifaceted design world with flowers, furniture, architectural spaces, décor pieces etc. WIN! Also, travelling to the Med for destination weddings isn’t so bad either!

Is there a downside?

Naturally the downside is sleep deprivation and missing out on family time (mostly due to the weekends being for weddings). However, I accept the downside with pleasure because I absolutely LOVE what I do and make sure I devote quality time with family at other times.

Why charge so much?

Event designers & planners charge what they do because it really does take hundreds of hours and serious project management to pull off a very expensive celebration. If you choose your wedding planner wisely, they will come with endless nuggets of wisdom, industry connections, supplier knowledge and experience to make the most difficult decisions light work for you. Most planners in the UK charge a percentage of your budget in order to most accurately represent the amount of time they put in for you. It’s a personal choice in whether you think a wedding planner is of any value to you, but they have a boatload of experience which a bride-to-be generally doesn’t have. If they are of value and you know their work is of a high quality, then you know they’ll be worth every penny they charge.

Do I only use my own preferred suppliers?

No, I don’t only use preferred suppliers. However, I do have faves! Professionalism is everything – I need to be able to rely on vendors to not only be fantastic at their craft, but also to be great communicators and be reliable. I do love to unearth new talent though, and am a big fan of choosing local if possible. But due diligence is a must!

Is it just the wedding day? Or wedding weekends and/or rehearsals?

I offer a full planning service so will do as much or as little as you need. I love to do events outside the wedding day - rehearsals, welcome parties, after parties, engagement parties, big birthdays, etc – any excuse for an epic party and I’m there!

How many weddings do I plan at once?

I am so lucky that I get to plan the most special events which take around a year to put together. This means I restrict full plan weddings to a maximum of 7 at a time, so I can give my utmost attention to clients, who, at the end of a year, are more like friends.

On the day, how long do I stay for?

Every wedding is different, but generally from the crack of dawn until the end of the party! Depending on the wedding, I usually start tear down once the wedding’s over. That might mean finishing at 1am or 6am, or lunchtime the following day. I’m almost always the last one standing! I fully coordinate the day, even if there’s a coordinator on site. That means I can look after you and make sure that every one of your needs are taken care of.

Do I really organise everything?

Absolutely everything! Unless you don’t want me to. I’ve been involved in almost every part of a wedding; wedding dress shopping, bridesmaid styling, speech editing, vow writing, booking flights for photographers, accommodation for guests etc. I work on fully collaborative terms, meaning I’ll work on all areas of your wedding big or small, depending on your needs.

What if something goes wrong/a vendor doesn’t show up?

Well, that’s exactly why you hired me. Where possible there will always be a plan B. And when there isn’t a plan B, I have favours I can call in, and a strong network to fall back on. It’s very rare that a vendor doesn’t show up, especially as I reconfirm with them twice after booking. It hasn’t happened to me, yet! But this is also why I always recommend taking out insurance. I have seen plenty of things go wrong, and although I’ve always managed, insurance has proven imperative.

How involved do I get?

Very, unless you don’t want me to. On the day, I stay in the background, and try to make myself invisible (to everyone but you!), keeping track of the itinerary, making sure everything goes to plan, and firefighting any little issues that crop up as the day progresses.

During the development process though, I am about as involved as you need. I often get to know the whole family, and am answering questions and helping everyone. My main focus is always you, though. The aim is to make the entire wedding planning journey the easiest and most exciting thing you’ve ever done.

Best advice for couples currently planning

I often see couples agonising over decisions. I know they’re not always easy. There are so many different choices to make, and so many different ways to go. I suggest that when decisions become too much, think about your relationship and what reflects the both of you and it often makes the right decision easier to spot. Failing that, ask your wedding planner!

Wedding ‘must haves’?

Apart from hiring a wedding planner (of course) my top wedding must haves are incredible photographers and videographers. Photo and video are the only forms of time travel you will have to your day. Good photography and videography aren’t just about stunning composition (though essential), it’s about capturing that split second in a fleeting moment, full of emotion and meaning. Find that and every time you revisit the images/video, you will hear the sounds, smell the air and feel the emotions deeply. It will be the best money you’ll ever spend.