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The Directory Gigi's Journal Partner Highlight

The Planners Behind the Weddings That Look Effortless

The weddings that look easiest usually have the most work behind them. These are the planners from The Directory by Gigi & Olive who make it look that way.

Claudia Judd October 23, 2026 9 Min Read

The best-planned weddings rarely feel overplanned. From celebrations at some of Britain's most recognisable venues to weekends spent abroad, these are the wedding planners from The Directory by Gigi & Olive worth getting to know.

You can usually tell when a wedding has been well planned. Guests settle in without wondering where they're meant to be. Dinner moves naturally into speeches, and speeches into dancing. The couple are enjoying the party rather than checking whether everything is running to schedule.

It's easy to think of wedding planning as a series of decisions about flowers, stationery and table settings. In reality, there's a great deal more to it: managing suppliers, anticipating problems, keeping track of guests and making sure all the individual parts come together on the day.

And not every planner works in quite the same way. Some bring a strong creative vision; others excel at the logistics of a wedding weekend or the intricacies of an event abroad. The right fit depends as much on how you want to work together as on the weddings you admire.

Here are ten planners to know, and what makes each one worth considering.

Rosie Green Events

Califano

Rosie Green Events: for a wedding that feels as good as it looks

Rosie Green Events plans and designs weddings across Scotland, London and the wider UK, with an approach centred on considered design and clear, calm delivery.

Rosie's philosophy is summed up in three ideas: experience first, intentional design and clarity throughout the process. It's a useful distinction. A wedding can look beautiful in photographs, but the experience of being there matters just as much.

That means thinking about how guests arrive, how the day unfolds and whether each part feels connected to the next. For couples who want their wedding to feel thoughtful rather than overly choreographed, Rosie is a planner to explore.

Califano: for the wedding that becomes a weekend

When your wedding involves flights, accommodation and several days of celebrations, the planning extends well beyond the ceremony itself.

Califano works internationally, across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond, with a particular focus on multi-day destination weddings. Its approach begins with understanding the couple: how they live, what matters to them and the kind of experience they want to create for their guests.

From the first arrivals to the final farewell, the aim is to make each part of the celebration feel connected, rather than a series of separate events. That can be especially valuable when guests are travelling a long way or the wedding is taking place somewhere unfamiliar.

Califano describes its philosophy as “True luxury is quiet, considered, and deeply personal.” It's a fitting starting point for couples who care as much about the feeling of a weekend as the setting.

Golborne

Lillingston

Golborne: for creative direction and considered details

Founded by Sarah Kay and Natalia Hollingsworth, Golborne brings together in-house creative direction and detailed event management. Based in London, the team works across the UK, Europe and the US.

Its portfolio includes weddings at the V&A, Claridge's and the National Gallery, alongside countryside celebrations at Heckfield Place. But it's the combination of design and delivery that makes the studio particularly interesting.

Sarah leads the creative direction, while Natalia oversees delivery. Having both under one roof means the visual concept and practical planning can develop together, rather than being treated as separate parts of the process.

Golborne also offers guest management, RSVPs and travel arrangements where required, making it an option for couples who want support from the invitations through to the last event of the weekend.

One couple described the team's ability to understand not just the look they wanted, but the warmth, atmosphere and emotion behind it. That's often the difference between a wedding that reflects a couple and one that simply follows a particular aesthetic.

Lillingston: for experience, creativity and a personal touch

With more than 30 years in the industry, Lillingston has planned weddings and parties around the world, from British country houses and London celebrations to Italian evenings and weekends in Mallorca.

Despite that breadth of experience, the team has deliberately remained boutique in size. The emphasis is on getting to know each couple and building a celebration around their personalities, rather than applying the same formula to every event.

Its work balances a strong sense of style with a willingness to have fun. A wedding can be elegant without feeling formal, and beautifully considered without losing the spontaneity that makes a celebration memorable.

For couples who want experienced hands and a collaborative planning process, Lillingston is worth a closer look.

Get Wed

Matthew Oliver Weddings

Get Wed: for couples who want the party to feel like them

A beautifully designed wedding and a brilliant party shouldn't have to be two separate things. That's the thinking behind Get Wed, whose work brings together considered design and a genuine sense of fun.

From celebrations in the Cotswolds to smaller London weddings, the team plans events with personality, without losing sight of the practical details that allow everyone to relax.

Its ambition is simple: for couples to feel like guests at their own wedding. And its house rule — “Dancing on tables is strongly encouraged” — gives a fair indication of the atmosphere it's aiming for.

For those who care about the music, the energy of the room and the kind of party their guests will still be talking about afterwards, Get Wed brings a useful perspective to the planning process.

Matthew Oliver Weddings: for celebrations further afield

Planning a wedding in another country comes with a particular set of considerations. Alongside the usual decisions, there are local suppliers to find, different ways of working to understand and logistics to navigate from a distance.

Founded by Matthew Oliver in 2012, Matthew Oliver Weddings has grown into a team of five planners working internationally. Its experience spans destinations from Oman to New York, supported by a network of suppliers in different parts of the world.

The team's approach is built around guiding couples through the process, helping them navigate the practicalities of planning somewhere unfamiliar while making the most of the destination itself.

If you're considering a wedding abroad, it's worth asking any prospective planner about their experience in your chosen location. A strong international network can be invaluable, particularly when you're making important decisions from home.

Cleo Alexiou Luxury Weddings Events

Couture Events

Four more planners to have on your radar

Not every couple needs the same thing from a planner. These four offer different approaches worth exploring as you begin to narrow down your options.

Cleo Alexiou Luxury Weddings & Events

A boutique planning studio working across the UK and Europe, with an intentionally limited number of weddings each year. Cleo's approach centres on personal details, atmosphere and understanding the people behind the celebration. Worth considering if you want a hands-on relationship with your planner and a wedding that feels distinctly your own.

Couture Events

For couples imagining a wedding weekend at a country house or grand hotel, Couture Events specialises in multi-day celebrations. Its experience includes working with some of Britain's best-known venues, and its focus extends beyond the event itself to the time and headspace couples need to enjoy the process.

Kristina Kempton

Kristina plans weddings and events internationally, with experience working with high-profile clients where discretion is important. The planning relationship can be tailored to how involved you want to be, whether you'd prefer to make the key decisions yourself or hand over more of the detail.

Attabara Studio

Attabara brings together full-service planning and experiential design. Its work considers not only how a wedding looks, but how guests move through it and experience each moment. An interesting option for couples who want the atmosphere, setting and details to work together as one considered experience.

Apollo Event Consultants

With almost 25 years of experience, Apollo plans weddings across the UK and abroad, including celebrations in private homes, country estates and marquees. That breadth of experience is particularly relevant if you're considering a less conventional setting, where more of the infrastructure and logistics may need to be arranged from scratch.

Kristina Kempton

Attabara Studio

Five questions worth asking before you book

A planner's portfolio will tell you a lot about their style. Your first conversation should tell you whether their way of working suits you.

1. How many weddings do you take on each year?

Ask how many celebrations the team manages and who will be responsible for yours. A smaller client list can mean a more hands-on experience, but it's just as important to understand the support available throughout the planning process.

2. Who will be my main point of contact?

The person you meet initially may not be the person managing every detail. Find out who you'll work with day to day, who will attend the wedding and how the team handles communication in the weeks leading up to it.

3. How involved are you in the creative direction?

Some planners offer design and planning together; others work alongside a separate stylist or creative team. Neither approach is inherently better, but it's worth understanding where responsibilities sit and how the different suppliers will collaborate.

4. What happens if something changes on the day?

Ask how the team handles unexpected delays, supplier issues and last-minute decisions. You may never need to know the answer in practice, but understanding how a planner approaches problems can tell you a great deal about their experience.

5. What do your fees include, and what sits outside them?

Clarify what's covered, how additional work is charged and whether guest management, travel arrangements, venue sourcing and on-the-day coordination are included. It's much easier to compare planners when you're looking at the same scope of work.

Above all, pay attention to how you feel after that first conversation. You don't need to agree on every detail from the outset, but you should feel listened to, understood and comfortable asking questions.

The right planner won't necessarily be the one whose portfolio looks most like your Pinterest board. They'll be the one who understands what matters to you, knows how to bring it to life and gives you the confidence to enjoy the process along the way.

You'll find all eleven planners, alongside the wider collection of hand-picked wedding suppliers, in The Directory by Gigi & Olive.