In this edition of Behind the Veil, Hollie shares why she believes weddings should never be about following the rules, the importance of those little details that make a day feel like you, and her advice to newly engaged couples: before you start planning the venue, guest list and budget, take a moment to simply enjoy being engaged.
For our latest Behind the Veil, we’re getting to know Hollie - a wedding and events planner who spends her days travelling across the UK and beyond, bringing weddings, parties and events to life. With a love for good people, great food, beautiful details and, of course, a glass of champagne, Hollie’s approach to weddings is refreshingly personal: forget what you think a wedding should look like and focus on what feels like you.
From country houses and tipis to marquees, family dinners and the occasional farm-field madness, no two celebrations are the same. We caught up with Hollie to talk about finding her way into the world of weddings, the importance of those little personal details, navigating the unexpected on the big day and why, above all, couples should remember that their wedding is exactly that - theirs.
Meet Hollie, the wedding and events planner behind some seriously memorable celebrations. From country houses and tipis to the occasional farm-field madness, Hollie’s approach is all about creating weddings that feel personal, relaxed and completely true to the couple.
A Q&A with Hollie:
1.Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a wedding planner.
I’m Hollie, a wedding and events planner and, basically, I spend my life travelling around the UK and world helping people have a really good time!
I’m all about good vibes, great connections and creating events that actually feel like the people behind them. And yes, I genuinely LOVE my job.
My work is a complete mixture – weddings in beautiful country houses, marquees and barns, corporate events, private parties, intimate family dinners and occasionally complete farm-field madness. You name it, I’m probably up for it.
Outside of work I'm honestly quite similar! I love being around people. Give me a pub, a long walk, hosting something at home, good food, a party or just spending time with the people I love and I'm happy. A Glass of champagne always cheers me up ahah!
2. What made you fall in love with the world of weddings?
I actually think weddings found me rather than me finding weddings.
My first proper events job was at Prestwold Hall, which ended up being such a full-circle moment for me. I used to go there every Boxing Day as a child to watch the hunt and remember thinking it was the most beautiful house. Years later, I was there as an Event Manager running weddings!
I just fell in love with everything about them. The tiny details, the relationships, the emotion and how much the day actually means to people. You're trusted with one of the biggest days of someone's life and I don't think that should ever feel like 'just another wedding'.
3. How would you describe your approach and style as a wedding planner?
Genuinely caring.
That sounds really simple, but I genuinely do care about my couples and their day. I'm a human before I'm a business and I love being the person they can message when they're excited about something, stressed about something or have suddenly had an idea at 10pm!
4. What is your favourite part of the wedding planning process?
My favourite part is probably building those relationships. I actually get excited when my couples are excited. When something we've been talking about for months finally comes together and I can see how happy they are, that's the best bit.
5. What is one thing you wish every bride knew before they started planning their wedding?
That it's YOUR day.
No one else has had your exact wedding before and no one ever will again. I don't just want to know what flowers you like or what colour your bridesmaids are wearing. I want to know where you met, where you go for dinner, what you do on a Sunday, what makes you laugh and all the random little things that make you two, you.
If you've got an old oak cupboard at home that means something to you, tell me – can we somehow bring it into the wedding?!
Those personal details are what make a wedding feel special rather than just beautiful.
6. If you could give a newly engaged couple just one piece of advice, what would it be?
Enjoy being engaged!
It's so easy to get engaged and immediately think, right – venue, date, photographer, guest list, budget…
But enjoy that feeling for a minute. Look at the person you've just agreed to spend your life with and remember that you're planning a marriage, not just a wedding.
The wedding is one amazing day. What you're actually celebrating is so much bigger than that.
7. What has been your most memorable wedding to plan and why?
Probably one of my first weddings after becoming self-employed.
Not because it was the biggest or most extravagant, but because it felt HUGE to me. Someone had trusted me – Hollie and my little business – rather than a massive company I'd been working behind. I remember thinking, wow, they've actually chosen me to do this.
Molly and Dan had this brilliant tipi wedding in the garden with chickens roaming around, a stage we'd built for the band and all these little personal details. At one point we were literally picking apples up off the grass to make sure everything looked perfect 😂
It was just really good fun.
I still get a little bit of that same feeling every time somebody books me. I hope that never goes away.
8. What is the most unexpected thing that has happened on a wedding day?
Honestly, after working in events for years, I think I've reached the point where almost nothing surprises me anymore 😂
I've dealt with weather changing plans, missing things, last-minute supplier problems, guests going rogue and all sorts happening behind the scenes while the couple are completely unaware.
That's actually one of my favourite things about the job. Weddings are live events – something WILL happen that wasn't on the spreadsheet. My job is to quietly sort it, keep everyone calm and ideally have the couple never even realise there was a problem in the first place!
9. What wedding trends are you loving right now? And which ones would you avoid?
I'm loving lace details at the moment, but more than any particular trend, I'm loving weddings becoming really couple-focused.
I love seeing people move away from feeling like they have to do something because that's what a wedding is supposed to look like.
As for trends I'd avoid… honestly, none!
If you want neon, have neon. If you want bows everywhere, go for it. If you've always dreamed of having alpacas wandering around your drinks reception, let's find some alpacas 😂
Trends come and go. Your wedding photographs and memories are going to be there for the rest of your life, so I'd much rather you look back and think, 'that was SO us' than 'that was really on trend in 2026'.
10. In one sentence, what does the perfect wedding day mean to you?
A sense of peace – my couple are ridiculously happy and in love, their parents are hugging, everyone is genuinely having a good time, the suppliers are happy and lovely to each other, and I can stand at the back for a second and think, yep… this is exactly how it should feel.
There’s something so lovely about Hollie’s approach to weddings, a reminder that beneath all the planning, styling and beautiful details, it’s really about the people, the stories and the feeling of the day. Whether that means incorporating a treasured piece from home, embracing a trend you genuinely love or simply letting the day unfold, the best weddings are the ones that feel unmistakably you.
A huge thank you to Hollie for sharing her experience and advice with us. And perhaps her final thought is the perfect one to leave you with: the perfect wedding day is one where everyone is genuinely having a good time, the couple are ridiculously happy and, for a moment, you can stand back and think… this is exactly how it should feel.
If you would like to enquire with Hollie, please email your enquiry to: holliebevents@gmail.com.
