A little bit about me...
Hello!
For those of you who dont know me yet, I'm Aimée, owner, chief planner and the brains behind One Oake. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself properly on the blog and let you get to know me a little bit better, why I started my business and why I love working in the wedding industry.
My story
Growing up I have always loved to host parties, have family and friends over to entertain and put a party together for them to enjoy. I have watched my mum plan and host events and parties for years and when she started branching out to planning charity events is when I got involved. I would start small and go on venue viewings with her and scope out the perfect place to host a party and then as the years went on I would become more involved, I just loved the buzz of planning events and I guess you could say that its in my blood!
I had always liked the thought of getting into the wedding industry but it wasn't something I ever considered being a possible career for me ,until I got an offer to intern with a celebrity wedding planner in London and ended up having the time of my life! Kind of like Anne Hathaway's character in The Devil Wears Prada, I found myself racing across London picking up champagne from Claridges, accessories for the bridal party, suits for the staff and of course working on the most amazing weddings! I loved the buzz and I left hungry for more! I then went on to work as a wedding and private events coordinator at two leading venues as well as working for event stylists and caterers to broaden my knowledge and experience of the industry. It was safe to say I had caught the bug and knew I wanted to do this for myself. Fast forward 8 years, I took the leap and launched One Oake and never looked back!
One Oake is still a fairly new business but its a dream come true, being able to work closely with my clients and helping them plan their perfect wedding is such an amazing feeling! I pride myself on having a great relationship with my clients and enjoy getting to know them during our planning journey. Having my own clients is still a pinch me moment after years of working with couples through other suppliers, and every time I get a booking I do a little happy dance knowing that couples trust me to plan their wedding, that I get to work with another amazing couple and we are going to create something beautiful for their wedding. Woo!
More about me
I live just outside Leigh on Sea in Essex with my boyfriend Ollie, I love living here as we are only a short walk to the beach and the old town and its the perfect place to go to catch up with suppliers, meet with friends and family or just go for a walk. I count myself lucky to live so close to the sea!
I mainly work from my own little home office which is a labour of love and I'm constantly changing things and wanting to change up the decor. Aside from the folders and paperwork my office is filled with plants,books, and inspiration images as well as thank you cards and photos from previous clients and suppliers I have worked with ,which I have pride of place.
During lockdown I have taken up running (which I never thought I would do!!) and weirdly now enjoy it, I have also started reading more and enjoy reading self improvement books and business books, sounds boring but I love to constantly be learning and i'm not often seen reading a story. I've also been spending some more time in the garden and started growing our own veg.
I'm a coffee drinker and love having my own coffee machine at home, god knows how much I would be spending on coffee if we didn't have that! However if I am out for the evening I prefer a cocktail over wine and usually reach for a Margarita, Aperol Spritz or Espresso Martini (more coffee!) I'm a lover of the British High Street and my wardrobe is mainly filled with clothes from Zara, H&M and ASOS although if I'm in London I can't not pay a visit to Selfridges!
Something not many people know is that I was a dancer and danced from the ages 2-18 and was trained in pretty much everything! I took part in a few competitions and even danced in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics Closing ceremony in London with One Direction, Spice Girls and the Pet Shop Boys to name a few. An amazing experience!
So there's a little bit more about me, my journey to being a wedding planner and why I love weddings. If you want to chat more drop me an email and let's meet for a coffee (and a cake!) to talk more about weddings!
x
Photography: Top and Bottom - Lottie Photography
Grid in middle if post: Gemma Giorgio, One Oake, Camilla J Hards
