Getting to know Lucy & Danielle

How long have you worked in event planning?

Lucy: I was lucky to work for a large charity for which I was part of the Events and Marketing Team for 6 years. Along with organizing a huge range of events for the charity, I organized fundraisers of my own as well as my wedding to my husband Ben.

Danielle: When I moved to Italy 30 years ago, I started planning weddings and working as a catering manager. I haven’t kept count but I estimate that I have planned and/or worked at almost 1000 weddings…!

How did you meet and why did you set up Wiskow & White?

Lucy: Danielle and I met in 2013 when we were introduced by a mutual friend, Luciano. Ben and I needed some help with planning our DIY wedding in Italy and Danielle turned out to be perfect for the job! Danielle was and is great at getting the job done. She’s honest, caring, extremely passionate, knowledgeable and works so hard which was so clear to see from the start. She’s also amazing at getting what she wants from sometimes some rather laid back suppliers…!

After a great time working together and the best wedding we could have imagined, we decided to set up Wiskow & White. It was born out of a hatred of the commission model we find so often across Italy, the high cost and inflexibility of planners and the need to help others live out their dream weddings in a individual and flexible way.

What makes you different to other planners?

Lucy: We’re a team of two with a wealth of experience. Aside from our event planning expertise, I have managed many projects as a marketing manager. I have also worked as a florist in a past life too so I can bring this eye and knowledge to the styling of our weddings.

Danielle: My catering experience bodes me well when planning the logistics of the day and especially when working with catering companies. I also worked as a fashion designer in the 70’s and have an eye for the creative side too.

Lucy: Our main differences are our model, Danielle’s knowledge and the way in which we work with suppliers that suit our couples. We do not have a set list of suppliers or venues, we strike up unique relationships with new suppliers that meet our couples’ briefs.

How involved will the couple be in the planning of their wedding?

Lucy: We always say that we ‘fit in where we’re needed’. We have the knowledge and experience to completely take the reins if that works for a couple, equally, we can present options and let our couples make decisions, or collaborate on ideas. For example, I create a style guide for each wedding. Sometimes this is made up of solely my ideas but more often it’s made up of inspiration from a couples pinterest or brief, with comments and ideas from myself to suit. We then collaborate on refining this to fit the desired look and the budget.

How does the wedding planning process work with Wiskow & White?

Lucy: It all starts with a call or a Skype where we can ask you a few key questions and ofcourse you can ask me as many as you’d like! From there we establish a quote and a draft budget for your wedding so that you know what you’re getting into before you even start. If this all works out and you decide that we’re the right people to plan your wedding, we move forward with an agreement and a 30% deposit.

Then, depending on which stage we’re joining your wedding planning, we get started with scoping the wedding in full and setting a time plan that works for us all.

What’s your favourite part of the wedding day?

Lucy: That’s such a hard question. I have two. The ceremony itself. There’s nothing like being able to witness two people share such a special moment in their lives. I always get emotional.

Then there’s the speeches. After having worked closely with a couple for so long, I love hearing more about them from their friends and family. I’m usually there in the background giggling away!

Danielle: I will choose just one…it’s when the bride arrives at the wedding ceremony. Everyone is stunned into silence with anticipation and it’s the most important part of the day that we’ve thought over and over, coming to life!