Open Air Business April 2017

the guest from the inside and the
outside. “Letting the outdoors is” is
a massive trend that goes beyond
the greenery trend but is so vital.
Work with your temporary structure
suppliers to come up with options
that allow for sides of marquees to
come out, doors to be open or look
at stretch tents and so on that really
bring out the best of your views
and allow guests to appreciate the
natural greenery of your location.
Don’t forget to look at clear roofs
as an option to connect to the
outdoors while keeping the warmth
in; this is particularly relevant in the
cooler months.
› Wedding florals and styling –
look at the photos your website
features and the colour palettes
of the wedding specific florals and
details these show – do you have
any close ups of foliage you can
update your website with or any
weddings with lots of foliage or
touches of green in the past that
you can bring to the fore? I know I
planned some stand out zesty lime
green weddings some years ago
which I see being commented upon
favourably in 2017 again. Couples
love to see images which inspire
them – while they will invariably
put their own spin on it, think what
you can already show that ticks this
trend box. Don’t over-do it though –
there is no need to go green entirely.
› Are you planning any upcoming
promotional events? If so, can
you style some of your areas
to showcase this trend? Can
you design your invitations to
incorporate this colour? This is
especially relevant if you are an
outdoorsy venue anyway, with
beautiful grounds, outdoor spaces
and features. Orangery-style,
light-filled locations, garden rooms,
gazebos and marquees are likely
to see more demand for dates than
they already have (and they are
some of the most popular spaces on
the market anyway).
› Showrounds – can you
incorporate some greenery into your
showround process? When you greet
your couple, can you welcome them
with lovely green leaves with their
names written on as you offer them
a glass of champagne? Can you
have a stylish tree in a key location
of your venue, holding testimonials
written from past clients on little
green/foliage inspired cards? Can
you plan some greenery inspired
edibles to give away? It’s the little
touches that really stand out. Drinks
featuring ‘botanicals’ are very on
trend this year, and in particular
up-market soft drinks. Can you offer
your couples a quirky bottled soft
drink with a soft green coloured
straw popped inside to enjoy as
they tour your spaces? Not a big cost
investment but a nice welcoming
touch that shows you’re up there in
the style stakes.
› Add-ons – are there new little
add-ons for the wedding day that
you can offer/charge out to your
couples who might be in love
with this new trend? If you have a
permanent marquee, how about
over-sized foliage-filled chandeliers?
How about large trees that can
be used as wishing trees or guest
books? How about stacked up
logs or tree stumps and trailing
greenery to create a wow cake table
alternative? There are potentially
really good opportunities to supply
products at additional cost to
couples such as trees and large
potted plants, and the good thing
with this trend is that these items
have a shelf life unlike fresh cut
flowers so you can reuse and recycle
throughout the season.
› Furnishings – I’d suggest a really
close look at your furnishings such
as chairs, tables and more. Greenery
is likely to lead to more popularity
in the wood-finish, rustic look
furniture (cross-back chairs are
huge this year) as well as anything
vintage, recycled, paired-down
and outdoorsy – do you have
suppliers on your books who can
supply and meet this demand? If
you have an existing set of chairs
which you don’t wish to change,
you may be able to work with one
of your suppliers to dress them
with green slips of fabric or foliage
trails. If you’re able to showcase a
small permanent area with some
of these items in your spaces so
much the better as you’re bringing
the possibilities to life. If that isn’t
practical, can you photograph
them and use them on your social
media or at your open days and
showcases? It’s vital to refresh and
update your excellent supplier
partners, and each new trend is a
chance to ensure you are working
with the very best teams who can
KATE NIELEN
ABOVE Floral design
by JF Flowers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Chandler is a
long-term preferred
service provider for
exclusive venues
such as Syon Park,
Highclere Castle,
Spencer House and
Stoke Park Club. Kelly’s
consulting services to
wedding venues draw
on prior experience
in international
conference and event
planning, over 13
years of business
management, and
working directly with
discerning couples
planning their
weddings in diverse
locations and forging
successful relationships
with all components of
the wedding industry.
A former director of
trade body, the Alliance
of Wedding Planners,
Kelly is a well-regarded
innovator, mentor,
trainer and industry
spokesperson on and in
the wedding business.
www. kellychandler
consulting.co.uk
adapt and modernise the products
they are offering. Make sure your
suppliers work with you to show off
the latest trends in a way fitting of
your spaces.
› Trend–aware – talk about the
fact that you are trend-aware –
even if you can’t physically make
or incorporate all of these ideas
into your offering, don’t be afraid
to comment upon the greenery
trend via industry blog posts, social
media posts and more, and share
your ideas and likes. Commenting
that you’d really like to welcome
such and such an idea into your
venue might well just mean you
attract that client to you who does
just that! And if you’re lucky you’ll
get some beautiful images you can
use to attract more of what you like.
Don’t be afraid to ask for images
post wedding – most couples are
happy to share and be flattered that
you asked. As long as all suppliers,
and especially the photographer,
are credited fairly, everyone is
usually happy.
KELLY'S
WEDDING VENUE
BUSINESS COURSE
5 May, Home House,
Portman Square,
London
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 17