Staff Spotlight: Wedding Co-ordinator Laura Jenkins

Laura Jenkins is one of our wonderful wedding co-ordinator's here at the Vale Resort and Hensol Castle. She has been with the company for over 3 and 1/2 years and she even chose Hensol Castle as the venue for her special day. 

How did you get into this career and how long have you been in the industry?
My cousin had her own events company, I was curious as to what was involved. It was around the same time I was looking at University courses so read up on the events management course and it seemed really interesting.
I’ve been working as a wedding coordinator in the Vale Resort and Hensol Castle for 3 ½ years, prior to this I worked in a Cardiff hotel for 3 years.

What do you love most about your job?
I love to see the joy and excitement on newly engaged couples faces as they start their new journey together, it makes all the hard work and planning worth every second.

Why did you choose to get married at Hensol Castle?
It’s a beautiful venue and I know we would be well looked after. We had a good look around at other potential venues in the area before making our decision, but none of them compared to Hensol Castle.

How did you find planning your own wedding?
I was surprisingly relaxed for most of the planning. I was fortunate to know all of the suppliers I wanted to use prior to even booking the wedding, which made the process a lot more straightforward and stress free.

What would your 3 most important pieces of advice for couples be?

• Make sure you are happy, try not to worry about pleasing everyone else. Remember it’s your day.
• Do not stress, try to relax. Make the most of the planning journey as it’ll be over in a flash. A wedding does not need to be a stressful time, it should be fun to plan!
• Try to be open to new ideas and don’t be scared to be creative with your wedding.

What does your typical day look like?
There’s no typical day, every day is different. Each day may consist of one/all of the below:

• Respond to new enquiries/chase up existing enquiries
• Conduct show arounds
• Arrange meetings with bride, grooms and suppliers to answer any questions they may have
• Arrange menu tastings and final details appointments
• Pass all of the information onto the events team for smooth running of the wedding on the day

What you do like to do in your spare time?
My husband and I bought a puppy in the summer of last year - he’s super cute and so playful. I love spending time with him and taking him for walks. He’s even got his own Instagram page - @eddie_the_cavapoochon. I also love spending time with family and friends, going out for lunch or drinks and I try my best to keep fit by going to the gym a few times a week.

Discover more about weddings at the Vale Resort and Hensol Castle here