Welcome to our “Day in the Life” series! We feature wedding and event planners from around the world with many different levels of experience. If you would like to be featured, download our questionnaire here and email your responses and photo to info@plannerslounge.com. We are excited to feature UK wedding planner Caroline Gould today!

Name: Caroline Gould

Business Name & Location: Caroline Gould Weddings, based in Suffolk, UK

Years Working in the Event Industry: 7 years

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 4 ½ years

Website: www.carolinegouldweddings.co.uk

Twitter: @ELWeddings

What is your typical day like?

My day starts with the school run, getting the kids off to school or nursery, or Grandma’s house. Then I head to the office. The first thing I usually do is check my emails and respond to anything urgent. Then I take a look at my to do list and work through the tasks. Usually it will be a combination of client work, marketing for the business and the general administration that comes with running a small business. I’m not very good at taking a lunch break and often find myself working right through. However I do try to plan meetings in the middle of the day so that I get out of the office for a while. I always end my day by writing a to-do list for the next day. I find that getting everything out of my head then means I can go home and enjoy my evening with my husband and family.

How did you get started in the industry?

I got made redundant!  I was working in IT managing a call center when the company was taken over and I lost my job. I looked at it as an opportunity to try something completely different. I loved weddings and managed to find a role at a venue as a wedding coordinator and spent two years there. That was where I developed my passion for wedding planning and after a short break from the industry, I setup my business in 2009. I trained with the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners and also undertook several general courses to learn how to run my own business.  Having managed up to 60 staff across three different locations, I felt my project management experience would really help. Also, the experience I gained while working at a venue was invaluable.

Where do you find design inspiration?

I love Pinterest and use it a lot to share ideas with clients. I like reading wedding blogs but don’t have time to see them all. Some of my favorites are Rock My Wedding, B.Loved and Rock n’Roll Bride.  I enjoy reading wedding and fashion magazines, Brides, Vogue & Wedding are my favorites. My design inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. It could be something wedding specific, or it could be a walk on the beach at the weekend with my family. I feel like I’m always seeking inspiration and will often take pictures of things that are fabulous and while I’m often not sure where I can use them – I’ll usually find a way!

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

My favorite business resources are Planners Lounge (of course!), the UKAWP blog, Preston Bailey and Entrepreneur.

Caroline, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and a day in your life. If you are an event planner and would like to be featured, download our questionnaire today and email it to us along with a photo. If you aren’t sure about being featured, take a few minutes to read how it can help your business.