Looking back at the celebrity couples who married this year, Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan are one pair who spring to mind. Their wedding photos were undeniably flawless, but it's hard to believe that Mark and Michelle had called in a last-minute wedding planner.
Their plans changed and they sought the help of Liz Taylor, Michelle's longtime friend and party planner to the stars, just two months before the big day – no time at all in wedding terms.
As someone who has been in the event industry for 30 years, Liz, who will feature in her own show The Millionaire Party Planner on Wednesday, knew just how to take control.
"We came in two months before the event because they previously had another planner," Liz revealed to HELLO! Online. "Much of it was in place but there were lots of things that had to be tweaked and altered because I knew that they wouldn't work."
"They're a real loved-up couple," said party planner Liz Taylor. "Michelle and I are mates and Mark is a delight"
"It took some convincing because they're two months away from the wedding and naturally Mark and Michelle were nervous changing anything, but I was right and they were thrilled in the end," said Liz.
The Manchester-based planner, who knows Michelle from her Coronation Street days when she organised events for the cast, tweaked details here and there, but her most notable change was the marquee.
"It had been all different shapes and sizes and I actually took control of it and came up with a very, very good layout and plan which they ended up thrilled to bits with," said Liz. "They said to me afterwards, 'You were dead right, it did create the right atmosphere.' There were little changes without me taking away the Mark and Michelle element which is very much what they were very keen on."
Speaking about the bride and groom who married in May in a magical ceremony exclusively covered by HELLO! magazine, Liz added: "They're a real loved-up couple. Michelle and I are mates and Mark is a delight. He was involved like any other groom and made core decisions. It really was their wedding day, a shared occasion and just brilliant."
Liz will feature in The Millionaire Party Planner which airs on Wednesday 30 December
"I love what I do," she added. "I love meeting people and you get so involved with clients. You have to get on with each other and you have to be prepared to eat, breathe and sleep these people for 12, 18 months, sometimes two years, so that's a huge responsibility and I take it very seriously."
As for her top piece of advice for brides and grooms-to-be, Liz said: "It's not how much you spend but it's how you spend the money and I think one of the key ingredients in a wedding is entertainment because you always go home saying you had the most amazing time – the band was brilliant, the DJ was brilliant.
"You never go home saying you had a wonderful piece of chicken with roasted vegetables, so it's the entertainment and the lighting which creates the ambiance and then obviously having alcohol. It's so nice when the first thing you're greeted with is live music and a glass of Prosecco or a glass of champagne. That first impression is so important."
Liz is set to star in The Millionaire Party Planner which airs at 10pm on Wednesday 30 December on Channel 4. The one-hour documentary follows Liz and her team and gives a dazzling insight into what it takes to deliver the most lavish and exclusive balls, bar mitzvahs, parties and private events.
