by Hanami Dream | 1, February, 2018 | news
I’m thrilled to announce that I have recently obtained my Diploma in Wedding and Event Planning from the UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planners and am now a Certified Wedding and Event Planner.
I’m over the moon to (finally) complete the course! It’s taken a little while longer than I first planned but actually this has been for the best as it has meant my business has developed along the way.
Many thanks to my tutor for their invaluable support and guidance over the last few years. The course has opened up my eyes to the whole wedding industry beyond just planning and I’m delighted with how my business has evolved over the course.
Thanks also to the interaction and networking with fellow students (new and upcoming entrants to the industry bursting with fresh ideas) as well as an impressive alumni, tutors and advisory board full of experience and expertise.
My tutor gave me some brilliant advice about playing to my strengths, entering competitions, having a niche and fitting the business around my life. Three years later and I’m a finalist in the UK Blog Awards for a third year running, combining my photo shoot experience and marketing background with my passion for weddings and supporting local businesses.
It is great recognition to have my experience, skills and expertise acknowledged with a formal qualification. I’m really excited with where things are going and what lies around the corner next.
by Hanami Dream | 4, January, 2018 | news
Wowee! What a great start to the New Year – I’ve made it to the finals of the UK Blog Awards again!
Thank you so much to everyone for all your votes. I really appreciate your support and it has ensured the blog has made it to the final round in the Wedding and Events individual category.
Out of 4,000 entries and nominations I am one of only 6 bloggers in my category. So I’m feeling pretty chuffed and I’m pleased to make it through with some other amazing blogs.
Congratulations to all my fellow individual finalists in the UK Blog Awards Wedding and Events category. I’m proud to be a finalist alongside you.
Looking forward to the ceremony in April!
by Hanami Dream | 27, December, 2017 | news
I hope you’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. At this between and betwixt time, I often take the time to reflect on the past year. And what a fantastic year it’s been for Hanami Dream weddings and special occasions in 2017.
This year, my focus has been on developing the blog commercially, as well as providing inspiration to brides and grooms in the Cotswolds. Plus I’ve continued to combine my marketing experience, with my local knowledge, in the scope of the wedding industry. It has been great to provide marketing consultation to some local, independent wedding businesses in and around Witney, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I’ve been affectionately titled the Wedding Inspector – a bit like the Alex Polizzi of the local wedding industry!
I’ve also organised a festival style wedding open day, along with three styled bridal shoots with some amazing local suppliers this year. These have included The Secret Garden, Festival and Journey to the Centre of the Earth themes (look out for images from the latter of these coming soon). I was chuffed to have these shoots featured on Bride Magazine online and SoGlosWedding too.
#UKWedLunch has been going over a year now and attracts new followers every week. This is a great Twitter hour for wedding planning in your lunch break with other brides to be, grooms to be and wedding professionals in the UK.
I’m delighted to have enquiries for different aspects of the business including venue styling and consultancy, as well as such lovely testimonials from happy couples and suppliers I’ve worked with in 2017.
The blog featured posts on different elements of wedding planning, local wedding venue reviews, wedding fairs, wedding transport, favours, alternatives to bouquets, wedding cakes and some wonderful guest posts from local wedding professionals (with top tips and an insight in to different elements of wedding planning from their area of the wedding industry). Plus my series titled ‘the holy trinity of wedding planning’ looked at wedding budgets. See the top posts of 2017.
My blog has had an exciting year and continues to go from strength to strength. The highlights of 2017, were being a finalist in the UK Blog Awards in April again, having one of mood boards picked as finalist again in the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning SS18 Pantone® colour trend challenge, plus I was proud to win Theo Paphitis’s Small Business Sunday #SBS recently.
Now is also a great time to look forward to working with more local wedding professionals, services and venues in the brand new year ahead. #keepitlocal. And I can’t wait to produce more styled photo shoots and have opportunities to collaborate with local suppliers.
Please get in touch if you’d like to advertise on the blog, submit your own wedding details, would like to collaborate on a shoot, write a guest post or need some marketing advice and guidance. Together we can build the local wedding industry and inspire brides and grooms for their special day.
Many thanks for your support in 2017 and here’s to an exciting and very Happy New Year!
by Hanami Dream | 27, December, 2017 | news
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-10-fall-2017-colours-from-pantone/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-10-spring-2017-colours-from-pantone/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-local-catering-vans-for-weddings-in-the-cotswolds/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-local-wedding-favour-suppliers-in-the-cotswolds/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/inspiration-autumnal-marsala-gold-wind-in-the-willows-wedding/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/inspiration-modern-edwardian-secret-garden-wedding/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/inspiration-vintage-literary-afternoon-tea-wedding/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/have-your-wedding-cake-and-eat-it/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-20-local-wedding-venues/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/alternative-wedding-guest-book-ideas/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/inspiration-english-country-garden-wedding/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/inspiration-festival-wedding/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-local-wedding-transport-suppliers-in-the-cotswolds-get-me-to-the-church-on-time/
- https://www.hanamidream.co.uk/top-spring-2018-colours-from-pantone/
by Hanami Dream | 7, December, 2017 | inspiration, news
So pleased that my favourite colour is going to be so prominent next year. Here’s the Ultra Violet mood board that I submitted in the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning SS18 Pantone® colour trend challenge earlier this year.
Ultra Violet | Geometric Glamour | make a statement with geometric hexagons lavishly strewn with greenery and pops of purple at a modern wedding
IMAGE CREDITS:
Chair | Color vision via https://dyedreams-tumblr-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/dyedreams.tumblr.com/post/46102937205/via-jewel-tones-violet-lust/amp
Bridesmaids geometric bouquet | Shindig Chic | Krista Mason Photography http://www.kristamason.com/ via Green Wedding Shoes https://greenweddingshoes.com/geometric-copper-mauve-wedding-inspiration/
Stationery | Minted Weddings https://www.minted.com/…/weddin…/MIN-YMP-INV/abstract-jewel…
Cake | Cheryl Lleinman Cakes http://www.cherylkleinman-cakes.com/ via https://www-brides-com.cdn.ampproject.org/…/1920s-art-d…/amp
Purple Bouquets | Austin Wedding Day http://www.austinweddingday.com/
Place setting | Lace in the desert www.laceinthedesert.com
Bridesmaids dresses | http://www.fabmood.com/18-beautiful-autumn-bridesmaids-dre…/
Coat | York Home via https://hirshfields-wordpress-com.cdn.ampproject.org/…/frid…
by Hanami Dream | 4, December, 2017 | news
With great excitement, I’m pleased to say that Hanami Dream has been nominated in the UK Blog Awards® again in 2018.
The UK Blog Awards® was founded to recognise individuals and companies that develop content on their Blog, Vlog and new for 2018 Digital platforms too. The awards are now in their fifth year and are the biggest and UK’s longest running programme to recognise influencer talent and I would love to build on my achievement of the previous two years.
If you like reading my blog then I’d really appreciate your support again.
So please vote for Hanami Dream in the wedding category of the UK Blog Awards #UKBA18 at:
https://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2018/entries/hanami-dream
The Public Vote is only open from Monday 4th December until Friday 22nd December. So there’s only three weeks to get voting!
by Hanami Dream | 2, December, 2017 | news, testimonials
I’m really pleased to add to my honoured collection of accolades and get a Twitter Boost from Theo Paphitis.
I have received a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Last week, I tweeted Theo about my business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers. The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 2000 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.
Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo re‐tweeted my message to his almost 500,000 followers and I’m now also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners.
Hanami Dream is still in it’s infancy so it is great to have support from Theo, because it’s been tough trying to raise our profile and Theo has recognised my hard work and helped spread the word about what I do to his following.
Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK. My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website and Shop #SBS will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Hanami Dream every success.”
#SBS Winners now also have access to the exclusive members’ selling platform www.shopsbs.co.uk where hundreds of winners are already selling thousands of products, from unique gifts and bespoke furniture to pet toys or jewellery. It is another opportunity for the #SBS winners to turn tweets into sales.
Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.
For further information about Small Business Sunday please visit www.theopaphitissbs.com.
This is an amazing accomplishment for Hanami Dream and I look forward to the extra publicity as a result of being a #SBSwinner.
by Hanami Dream | 30, October, 2017 | inspiration, news
Pretty chuffed to have one of mood boards picked as finalist again in the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning SS18 Pantone® colour trend challenge.
http://www.weddingacademyglobal.com/colour-trend-challenge-finalists/
Emperador | Chocolate Factory | sophisticated, modern, indulgent and rich chocolate wedding with an industrial factory setting
IMAGE CREDITS:
Shoes | I take you http://www.itakeyou.co.uk/brown-wedding-ideas/1-23/
Full dress | Veromia via La Bella Bridal http://www.labellabridal.co.uk/wedding-dre…/veromia/WDVE014/
Bouquet | Michael Radford Photography http://www.michaelradfordphotography.com/ via https://www.buzzfeed.com/…/non-traditional-wedding-bouquets…
LOVE letters | Hudson Nichols Photography http://www.hudsonnicholsphotography.com/ via 100 Layer Cake http://www.100layercake.com/…/romantic-industrial-wedding-…/
Staircase | Albert Bardina Fotografia http://www.albertbardina.com/ via Green Wedding Shoes https://greenweddingshoes.com/industrial-wedding-inspirati…/
Chocolate dipped spoons | Sugar and Charm https://sugarandcharm.com/…/easy-entertaining-chocolate-dip…
Stationery | Birdcage Walk via http://www.fromupnorth.com/graphic-design-inspiration-616/
Cake | Marks and Spencer http://www.marksandspencer.com/milk-chocolate-…/p/p60008655…
by Hanami Dream | 30, September, 2017 | news, styled shoots
Hanami Dream are looking for ‘the boy and girl next door’ type models for a winter hygge styled wedding shoot with a literary theme. The shoot will take place at a beautiful venue near Lechlade, Gloucestershire this October half term.
- Female – think Tess Daly or Margot Robbie (from the Will Smith film Focus) approximately 20-30 years old, 170 cms tall or less, size 10-14
- Male – think Chris Hemsworth (though not with the hair extensions in the film Thor), approximately 25-35 years old, around 175 cms tall, 40” chest, 32” waist
The shoot will be approximately 2-3 hours in the afternoon of Wednesday 25th October (weather permitting) and will provide some fantastic lifestyle shots for your portfolio (it’s also great as an engagement shoot or brilliant practice being in front of a camera before your big day).
One fitting prior to the date may be necessary. Own transport is required to GL7 3RB.
This project is supporting and showcasing local, independent wedding businesses – everyone provides their services and products for free and in return gets some wonderful lifestyle shots to use at a later date. This is a collaboration of like minded people that create great things together though don’t have the budgets to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently. See the images from Hanami Dream’s last styled bridal shoot.
If you’re available and would like to be involved in this fantastic styled bridal shoot then please email Hanami Dream on info@www.hanamidream.co.uk including
- a quick intro
- your stats
- a contact number and
- 2 images of yourself (1 x face shoot, 1 x full length)
by Hanami Dream | 29, September, 2017 | news
If you’re planning your wedding in the Cotswolds then make sure you get a copy of the 2017/18 edition of Cotswold Bride which is now out for the year.
http://www.bridemagazine.co.uk/articles/get-your-copy-of-cotswold-bride-magazine-2017-18
