LUXURY EVENTS 123 remember in most instances you ’ ve never got married before , so how on earth are you going to know what to look out for ? It ’ s a stressful time and to have someone to go to , who knows the answers , makes it so much easier and more importantly fun ! Remember you only have one chance at it , and you want it to be perfect . You can always ask for some testimonials from your planner . Always meet your planner before making a decision . What you want is a planner who listens , has a good track record , been in the business for a while and has organised a good variety of wedding / parties . You should also have a good idea of what you want ! How many guests , marquee or venue , home or away and most importantly your budget !! We ’ re not here to tell you what to do , but advise you on the best way to do it .
5 . Have you seen any specific trends in the industry over the past year that are becoming more and more popular that perhaps once was deemed to be a rarity ? I think the vintage style wedding is still really popular with a “ less is more ” feel . Bringing in Street food trucks seems to be a real trend currently as food is getting so expensive . Plastic glasses are a big thing now . Especially Reusable for 18th and 21st birthday parties and better for the environment too .
6 . What would you say is APOLLO ’ S main ethos ? “ We never promise anything we can ’ t deliver but rather deliver more than we promise ” Our attention to detail .
7 . It is hard to think of a business that is more personal than an event planner so how do you make sure you tailor your service to each specific client . That ’ s easy – I will know within the first meeting if we ’ re going to get on . I ’ ve been doing this long enough to see the signs . We only have to ask a few questions and we ’ ll know . There is also another little trick of the trade that
I use . On arrival at a first meeting , I ’ ll often ask to use the downstairs loo . This is often decorated simply with kids first pictures , School team photographs , holiday snaps and country sport kit hanging on the back of the door . All little tells as to the way they run their lives .
8 . What would you say has been the highlight event for you that you have worked on and why ? It has to be the 800th anniversary of “ The Sealing of the Magna Carter ” back in 2015 . 4,500 privately invited guests including the Queen , Prince Philip , Prince William , The Princess Royal , The Prime Minister . We built a sound stage for the London Philharmonic Orchestra to perform . The 3-armed forces were in attendance and the Red Arrows flew over at the end . All organised from our offices in Haslemere , Surrey . https :// apollo-ec . co . uk / magna-carta /
9 . Does the wedding sector take up the majority of your work or have you seen a different kind of event increase in popularity ? It really depends from year to year . Our main business is private parties and weddings with a bit of corporate thrown in . I like it being that way as it adds variety and never becomes boring .
10 . What type of client do you cater to ? To be honest – High net worth clients who have little time on their hands – our job is to make sue we make the organising process as seamless as possible and the event as fun as possible .
11 . Could you tell us a little bit about any events you have coming up over the summer months ? We have a lovely lunch party for a very well known sculptor in June . We have worked for him in the past and he enjoys the finer things in life . Very laid back and down to earth but loves things to be done properly .
Then we ’ re putting on a festival for 250 guests . 3 birthdays all in one . Lots of festival flags , street food stalls , two stages and a few bands . It will be a late one !! We ’ ve also been asked to organise a wedding in about 12 weeks ’ time .
12 . Lastly , could you let our readers know why having an event planner such as APOLLO is key to helping with the success of their event ? Its simple really . We have done this so many times that we really do know what ’ s required . We run a very personal service and you ’ ll always get to work with the same planner throughout the journey and on the day itself . We will know the answers to a vast majority of your questions , and be able to give you peace of mind at all times so that your day is perfect and a total reflection of you and your fiancé .
T : 0845 883 3403 | E : tim @ apollo-ec . co . uk | W : www . apollo-ec . co . uk
Issue 58 2023 THE ART OF LUXURY