ENTREPRENEUR
I’ve had to coerce a bride’s mother not to sing at her daughters wedding because she could not actually sing. This had to be done in a diplomatic way so not to offend. I travelled to the caribbean with a clients wedding cake and got stopped at customs, they wanted to cut open the cake to see if drugs were inside! It took a lot of pleading for them not to do it, I personally think they wanted to confiscate it so they could have a slice with their tea! I’ve picked up a groom tied to a lamppost and deserted by his friends. I collected a brides £5k wed- ding dress made by a top designer and bumped into Meryl Streep in the shop who thought the dress was mine and commented and said how beautiful it was. I’ve also had a major supply of bridesmaid syndrome to deal with! The list could go on forever!
How do you keep a work life balance?
I don’t really have a work life balance because with wedding plan- ning I never feel like I’m working. There are times when it’s really busy but I know what I’m doing so I keep very calm and take every task as it comes.
You attend bridal exhibitions throughout the year, how do you get most out of attending these events?
I literally give myself a whole day especially with the big exhibitions. I make sure I visit every stand and take any literature and freebies. I will always watch the catwalk shows and participate in any work- shops. You’ll be surprised at the level of networking that takes place.
What techniques do you use for lead capturing? I’m usually just myself, I tend to be very informative and knowledge- able about weddings and my personality does the rest.
What three top tips would you offer to anyone planning to enter the events management sector?
Make sure you are organised, have great time management skills, and be able to think on your feet so you are able to deal with ANY situation that arises.
With technology taking over much of the service industry, how do you feel the events sector will evolve over the next 10 years? I often wonder if we will become a jobless society given the ad- vancement of technology nowadays, however with the event industry I think this will never happen as many people I’ve dealt with want to go back to basics, they don’t want automated or virtual services they really do want that face to face contact, so I think the industry will slow down a little and many old school methods reintroduced and revamped to tie in with peoples modern day lifestyles.
Which entrepreneurs do you most admire and how did they inspire you?
I admire Richard Branson and Oprah Winfery they have both come from grass roots and have worked their way up to achieve things most people would only dream of. They are not afraid to take risks and if they fail they keep going to get results.
What are the future plans for the Natasha Corbin-Stewart brand over the next 5 years?
My plan is to generate new leads other than those that have been recommended and to put my name out there as much as possible in the industry so I’m recognised as one of the top wedding planners in the country.
• ENTREPRENEUR • 59
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