The world of weddings at PD HQ has always been a sparkly one, but when Charlotte Spain of highly commended blog Redamancy came in to our world a little over a year ago it got a whole lot sparklier. There has been a liberal sprinkling of luxe shimmer, a twinkling glow of sass and style that lights up our world. We love her and here she shares the inside story of the My Wedding Business Course at the BLoved Hive.
Hey ….
I’m here to share some truths about the business training and a little behind the scenes goss on the my Wedding Business Course.
Having been an instant success since its beginnings in December 2015, The My Wedding Business Course is incredibly close to celebrating its first birthday. And before we bring out the white and gold birthday cake (so on-brand for the Queen of Weddings, and founder of ‘My Wedding Business’, Pamella Dunn) and blow out the candles on a successful year of mentoring, coaching, and making dreams come true, we wanted to give you the full lowdown on My Wedding Business’ first trip to London. Undoubtedly, the first of many.
120 existing, and budding, wedding professionals will have attended one of these courses before the end of 2017. That’s 120 inspiring men and women who will continue to shape the face of the wedding industry from this point on. From wedding planners to florists, couture dress designers to wedding bloggers – anyone who is anyone has walked through the door of Pamella Dunn HQ and been met with the, now, iconic “Hi Darling!” and a massive hug. Pamella’s excellence in customer service and throwing a great event, has meant every single delegate has left her course with a burning desire to make their life, and their business, exactly how they want it. Because she’s just shown them how.
And so it wouldn’t be fair to keep this beehive of success up in the North of England, where it began, when there are wedding professionals far and wide who would love a bit of brand-PD fairy dust sprinkled upon them. As well as a dusting of realism for good measure, because the great thing about Pamella is that she wants you to succeed so much that she’s not going to fob you off with glossed-over non-answers. So, September 22nd 2017 marked My Wedding Business’ first trip to London. Now, if that sounds to you like some sort of school / university field-trip then I assure you that the amount of giggles had over the course of 24 hours was very much the same. Because you cannot recreate the vibe of the original series in Yorkshire without bringing along your trusted Photographer, and friend, Amanda Wilcock from Cream Photography to take some professional headshots and make everyone roar with laughter. And a couple of us My Wedding Business Day One-ers wanted to come along for the ride too.
After much deliberation and window-shopping through venues, there was only one place that would capture all of the creativity, excitement, and inspiration that these courses bring. The B.Loved Hive, based in The Biscuit Factory at Bermondsey is a space that every Girl Boss / Femtrepeneur / whatever you like to call it, would feel like they could conquer the world from. And if there’s one thing that these courses try to instil in every delegate, it’s that. Even the colour-scheme inspires! Millennial pink captures the essence of the industry’s non-existent glass ceiling (hallelujah!) whilst complementing tones of black and grey really demonstrate the grit and determination required to get the job done.
I have attended a few of Pamella’s courses over the last 12 months. I was there right at the very beginning when creating a mini-styled shoot was on the agenda, and I’ve since delivered blogging workshops after my win at The Blog Awards in April this year. But, you could just tell that the group of beauties that walked through the door of The Hive last Friday morning meant business and were here to learn. All currently studying with The UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning, and all aspiring Wedding Planners themselves, it was clear to see that each and every one of them had something so valuable to bring to the industry.
Alex, of Fizz and Bloom, already has the whole style, customer service, and luxury living thing down to a tee having run her own Beauty Salon since 2009. And it was whilst beautifying the ladies of Norfolk that she realised she would love to channel her creativity into producing stunning weddings under her namesake, Fizz and Bloom (pretty cool, huh?)
Jade of Jade Leung Weddings and Special Events already has style in abundance (check out her insta if you haven’t already) and yet her biggest hurdle coming onto the course was the fact that in North Wales, where she lives, Wedding Planning has not yet become commonplace. Although, seeing her passion, enthusiasm, and gorgeous attitude on the day, it’s clear as day that she will certainly find a way to become one of the big names.
Hannah is another future superstar of the wedding industry. You can tell that she has what it takes to push through any boundaries that any of us have to face in the industry, and her desire to learn shone through the whole day. If she ends up being your wedding planner in the future then you’ve done good!
Alia hails from Lebanon and spends half her time in London and the other half in Dubai. Like all strong business women, Alia came onto the course keen to get her pricing right and perfecting her business model before going all guns blazing over in the UAE. Ladies and Gentlemen, watch this space…
Rana is extremely well travelled and has lived all over. It was obvious to see from the very start that she has the style and flair to make all of her dreams come true, with that gentle sophistication which makes for all of the best planners and stylists. Keen to seek out networking opportunities, she is ready to launch and there will be no looking back!
So now you have met the truly inspiring gang of go-getters that we all got the pleasure of meeting a week ago, and they got the pleasure of hearing Pam lead them through a whistle-stop tour of the industry. What does it cover? What doesn’t it cover! How to price your business, how to utilize social media to gain bookings, discovering your ideal client, how to network your way to the top of your game. It’s all there – a guide of how to achieve everything you could want along with coffee (I’d turn up to any event for that alone most of the time), lunch, and the invaluable opportunity to meet people who are just like you.
This time, in addition, we had the genuine pleasure to hear from Louise Beukes who founded not only The Hive, but the infamous B.Loved Blog which shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, Louise is more in-demand than ever! Having recently launched her own courses, styling shoots for big-name brands, and running her popular Facebook Group ‘Meet, Learn, Thrive With The Hive’. She spoke to the delegates about her own story – where she started, how she made it work, and the legacy that she has now built with her own two hands (and a dose of that signature style).
That was just the morning! And the afternoon passed with similar gusto – a blogging workshop delivered by myself, and headshots and product shots taken by the fabulous Amanda. There was just enough time for us all to flick through the incredible collection of magazines displayed around The Hive, and get to know each other and our stories a little bit more, before we realised the time and couldn’t believe that another My Wedding Business course had just wrapped up.
And it’s with an enormous amount of pride that I am able to write this summary. Not only because I can look back and see how far my own business has come since I attended that very first course back in December ‘16 – and the enviable opportunities that have come my way because of the advice that I gratefully received from Pamella. But also because the lady right at the helm of it all has become more than a mentor; she is a friend. And seeing your friend living her dream up-and-down the country, all the while inspiring more wedding industry pros to live their own, is something you cannot help but feel in awe of.
2018 marks the year that Pamella will accomplish everything she set out to achieve 7 years ago, when the business brilliance that is Pamella Dunn Events was born. She will host a 3 day International styling retreat in Australia for those who want to learn about creating weddings with killer effects and exquisite details from the very best. And the best part about it all? She will be inviting you along for the ride – yes, you! But until then you can still book on another My Wedding Business course and join the likes of Alex, Jade, Sarah, Alia, Rana and a whole host of other graduates who now have all the tools they need to go hell for leather with their businesses.
Pamella, thanks for having me! Until next time folks…
pamella dunn 