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Home > Wedding Smashers

My interview with Bruce Russell, the internationally renowned luxury wedding planner

25/03/2015 by Karen

Bruce-Russell
Image: John Nassari

I first met high-end W-day  planner, and ‘wedding whizz kid’ Bruce Russell last September at the launch of his  latest project,  The Bridal Room, Britain’s first ever online luxury bridal destination. I was bowled over by his ideas, creativity and charm, and we have since connected many  times, at the Wedding Blog Awards  and  Brides The Show;  over breakfast  in Marylebone, and through his work at London’s iconic  Savoy where he is the hotel’s resident wedding expert.

Being quite the ‘wedding entrepreneur’, I wanted  to get the inside scoop on Bruce, and find out about the man behind the brand.  I discovered that he treasures his  end-of-day swims at The Four Seasons Hampshire, he greatly admires  Anna Wintour, Hilary Clinton and The Duke of Cambridge, and that being over the top à  la Kim and Kanye can sometimes be  just fabulous! Let’s get the full story…

Bruce Russell_0001
Images left to right: Amara /  John Nassari

So Bruce, what’s the ‘Bruce Russell’ story? How did you build up your business, and what made you become a wedding planner in the first place?

I have always wanted to build a business – and a brand – working in the events sector, but from a very personal perspective. Given my love of the bridal industry, this naturally led to weddings, the By Bruce Russell brand and, ultimately, the launch of The Bridal Room.

The Bridal Room is a partnership with my good friend – global luxury brand and marketing specialist – Jo James, who has a great deal of experience in the travel, hospitality, events and bridal industries. The two of us met during our time working at COMO Hotels and Resorts, and it was during a business trip to Cocoa Island in the Maldives that ‘By Bruce Russell’ and this exciting new venture were first discussed. Serenaded by the sounds of the Indian Ocean we scoped out the bare bones for the project on paper napkins – international entrepreneurialism at its best!

Having noticed a gap in the industry as to how top London venues managed their wedding clients, I approached The Savoy with a proposal to manage their wedding enquiries. This ultimately led to the ‘By Bruce Russell’ brand and the growth of a brilliant team at The Savoy that I still manage today.

The Savoy partnership has undoubtedly helped raise my profile in the industry and led me to work with some of the industry’s best suppliers, experts, artists and craftsmen — most of which form part of The Bridal Room. From my early days at The Savoy, the ‘By Bruce Russell’ brand has expanded internationally and I am delighted to have a wide-reaching global client base.

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My interview with Peggy Porschen, award-winning wedding cake designer, and entrepreneur

14/08/2014 by Karen

Peggy-Porschen-Smashing-The-Glass
I was bowled over by Peggy Porschen, the esteemed wedding cake designer, when I heard her speak at Paperfest a few weeks ago. Her  phenomenal success it an inspiration to all ‘kitchen table’ entrepreneurs and as much as her lecture  was unbelievably inspiring, I wanted to hear  more.

I got in touch with  Peggy after her session and she managed to squeeze me in to her very busy schedule to reveal to me her love for flower markets, designing  Mary Berry’s imaginary wedding cake, her path  to the top,  and much, more!

So Peggy, what’s the ’Peggy Porschen’ story?  How did you start your company and what’s happened between then and now?

I moved from my home in Germany to London in 1998 to study at the internationally renowned cookery school Le Cordon Bleu. After successfully completing ‘The Grand Diploma of Cuisine & Patisserie’, I worked as a pastry chef at London’s Lanesborough Hotel and celebrated caterer Rhubarb Food Design, followed by a position as cake decorator for German master-baker Gerhard Jenne, proprietor of Konditor & Cook.

I set up my business ‘Peggy Porschen Cakes’ in 2003 from my home in Battersea, which I eventually had to move out of as the business grew and grew! The Peggy Porschen Parlour opened in London’s Belgravia in October 2010. It was always a dream to have my own shop and offer my cakes to people on an everyday basis, I also created my own home wares & cake accoutrements range and a collection of jams and loose leaf teas — all inspired by the ingredients used in my kitchen. I opened the Peggy Porschen Academy in January 2011 just across the road from the parlour. It’s a wonderful addition to the company because I am lucky enough to teach all year round and offer a range of different classes and courses to suit every proficiency level. Meanwhile the bespoke design side of the business continues to thrive, I regularly bring out new wedding and celebration cake collections and my brides enjoy visiting our Belgravia bridal boutique — a space dedicated to one-on-one consultation and tasting for those wishing to commission a bespoke Peggy Porschen design.
Peggy Porschen

Now more than ever, standing out and having something unique or different to offer is really important in this industry. How you do feel you’ve done this and do you have any advice for people who want to do the same?

My cakes are renowned for their pretty designs that are traditionally elegant and understated with an emphasis on skilled craftsmanship and most importantly, luxuriously delicious! I pride myself on my dedication to perfection, good taste, an understanding of what people want and the skills to translate this to sugar.

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My interview with the woman behind the UK’s most eye-catching luxury wedding cakes, Victoria of ‘Victoria Made’

07/07/2014 by Karen

Victoria Made Wedding Cakes_0001 copy
Every so often I’m sent images that truly  take my breath away, and I certainly had one of those moments when I first clapped eyes on Victoria Made‘s  incredible creations.  They are essentially  works of art — beautifully sculptural, contemporary ,  sleek, elegant , and so utterly  pleasing to the eye.  I immediately felt like I had to get  the inside scoop on Victoria Watkin-Jones, the woman behind these works of art (that I’m sure delight the taste buds in equal measure)  so I asked Victoria if I could talk to  her for my  Wedding Smashers  series.

She kindly obliged and I was delighted that she spilt the beans to me on  how she quit her 9 to 5 to start her business from her home kitchen just 3 years ago, what a  typical day is like, and who she’d like to be trapped in a lift with!
Victoria Made Wedding Cakes

So Victoria, what’s the ’Victoria Made’ story? How did you start your company and what’s happened between then and now?

My work life started in hospitality and catering and I always loved the creative element of putting a dish together, though not quite Masterchef standards I have to say! After a very different career change working in the fitness industry – health and fitness is something that’s always been part of me (in varying degrees!), I felt the need to go back to something creative.

The whole baking craze was taking off and wedding cakes seemed the perfect fusion of my previous food prep experience and an outlet for my creativity. I quit my old job in mid 2011 and set up Victoria Made, initially wanting to make cakes just in the Sheffield area. Not long into the business I started getting a bit of attention from further afield and was well received by some blogs so I started to look at shifting up a gear and aiming a little higher. Now 3 years in I have made cakes for Le Manoir, Jess Ennis and been featured in Brides Magazine amongst others. It’s been both a blessing and a curse that things have happened so quickly but it still seems an age ago that I was in my kitchen in Sheffield. My designs really have come a long way from then, it’s been a very quick, steep learning curve!
Victoria Made Wedding Cakes

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My interview with Nicki Macfarlane, the Royal Wedding bridesmaid dress designer

05/06/2014 by Karen

Kate William Royal Wedding
[ Image: Hugo Burnand  ]

Nicki Macfarlane    is best known for  designing  the  fairytale bridesmaid and flower girl dresses for that  wedding. Yes the W-day of the century, that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She’s also the woman behind  Poppy Delevigne’s flower girl and page boy creations from  her wedding last week to James Cook, as well as  a whole host of other fabulous society and celebrity weddings.

I met Nicki a couple of months ago when I  was also  fortunate enough to see  her exquisite  designs up close and personal. Since then  I’ve quizzed her about  how she was chosen  for Kate and William’s big day, how she developed her business from zero to 60 (pretty much immediately!) and how she lets off steam…
Nicki Portrait Nicki Macfarlane
vintage rose nicki Macfarlane Nicki Macfarlane

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My interview with the UK’s most sought-after luxury wedding planner, Mark Niemierko

08/04/2014 by Karen

MARK NIEMIERKO
[ Image: Eddie Judd Photography ]

As both a designer and  wedding blogger, I am thrilled to be interviewing the, quite frankly monumental, luxury wedding planner, Mark Niemierko, for the latest instalment of my  Wedding Smashers  series.

Mark’s utilises a true  ‘Smashing The Glass’ ethos in his work, keeping things super-personal to the couple, and using his wonderful imagination to  reflect their  tastes and vision.

He has a spectacularly creative and meticulous touch. Just look at all the eye candy littering the  page – it’s all his work and artistry. He is fortunate  enough to often work with lavish budgets, on which he styles  the most fantastical celebrity and society  weddings, but recently he’s launched his ‘Made By Niemierko’ brand for couples who still want that WOW wedding and guaranteed peace of mind on their W-day, but without the crazy price tag.

Mark and I have a few ideas brewing and you’re going to be hearing and seeing a lot  more from us collaboratively, but today let’s reveal what he has to to say about Prince George,  pudding rooms, breaking the rules, and  post-wedding day blues…
Jeremy Enness and Niemierko HELLO Magazine and Niemierko
David Pullum and Niemierko
[ Images top to bottom:  Jeremy Enness :: Hello Magazine  :: David Pullum  ]

So Mark, how did you build up your incredible business, and what made  you become a wedding planner in the first place?
I think a love of events and parties — I had previously organised events for both film and tv and wanted to focus on social events. Weddings are so personal and nothing is more rewarding.

What is a ‘regular’ day for  Mark Niemierko  like?
What makes the job so enjoyable is that there isn’t such a thing as a regular day. It can vary from dress shopping, venue site visits, florist appointments and cake tastings. I do however look forward to the days when I can sit at my desk and achieve plenty of work and put planning into action.

Do you have a signature aesthetic or personal style that you put into the weddings you’ve planned?  
I guess the signature of breaking wedding days up into sections…. So ceremony, drinks reception, dinner, pudding rooms, nightclubs…. Keeping the guests guessing.  But overall we don’t have a signature style as I like to create something that’s personal to the couple.  A reflection of their taste and vision.
Kode Media and Niemierko NIEMIERKO WEDDINGS Jeremy Enness and Niemierko
[ Images clockwise from top:  Kode Media :: Nikole Ramsay  :: Jeremy Enness :: Jeremy Enness :: Kode Media  ]

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