Life In Farnham Article

I had a lovely interview with Kat Wootton, the editor of Life in Farnham. She popped over for a cup of tea and a home made white chocolate blondie. I introduced her to my hens and we chatted about how I started the business, I also told her about my own wedding and the volunteer work I do with the British Hen Welfare Trust, she wrote this wonderful article about me and published it in the December issue of Life in Farnham.

It all started with a chicken-themed wedding...

Ky and Liz Gatherer are volunteers for the British Hen Welfare Trust, and have adopted a flock of former commercial egg-layers, nursing them back to health, feeding them up and even taking them all into the conservatory once for a beauty session. So, of course, when they planned their wedding at Farnham Castle last year, there had to be a chicken theme. Two of their favourite hens were actually the ring bearers! While arranging her own themed wedding, with all sorts of little extra touches, Liz sowed the seeds for a brand new business venture - Wedition.

Farnham Castle and Wedition

"When we chose Farnham Castle for our wedding, we had a tour with English Heritage and it was fascinating. There were so many interesting facts about the history of the building that it seemed a shame not to share them with wedding guests. So I thought 'why don't I make a magazine to explain it to them?' This little booklet had the menu, and all the little details of our wedding that would have gone unnoticed - my flowers matched those on the cake and on the bridesmaid dresses, the eggs for the cake were from our own hens, the Wild West quick draw game we had was because that's how we met (she was the nanny, he the gardener at a large estate - they met at a party there). It made the guests feel even more included. Our friends and family kept going on about what a brilliant idea it was." And so it proved - Wedition, personalised wedding magazines - was launched earlier this year and has proved an instant success. "Since March it's gone mad!" said Lizzie, who has already been nominated for some prestigious industry awards.

How does Wedition work?

So how does Wedition work? Couples come to her early in the planning stages (that includes some homemade cake and a chance to chat to the hens!) and tell her about themselves, their family, how they met, their wedding theme and colours, where the wedding will be held, and all the little details that make their wedding special. "My couples also tell me who their suppliers are (cake, florist, photographer, jewellery, wedding transport etc) and I contact those suppliers and offer them advertising in their Wedition if they offer a discount to my client. That means those extras you might not have been able to afford, suddenly become affordable. "At Farnham Castle (Wedition is now a preferred supplier at the Castle) for example, if they receive a booking through me, my client gets upgraded to Prosecco for their reception drinks - it all adds up, and it's a win win. Of course, the sooner you book with me, the better, so I can get all those deals for you in good time." Wedition can contain the wedding menu, meet the wedding party, the order of service, your venue history…the options are endless. It’s a souvenir guide to your special day. It can also be used as the invitation or after the wedding as a ‘thank you’ to the guests for coming.

A happy chick indeed...​​​

Liz has completed five Wedition’s so far, with four lined up for December, thirty booked for 2018 and the 2019/20 bookings are already coming in. Most importantly, Liz loves it. She spends hours on each Wedition; a real labour of love. But it means she can work from home, allowing plenty of time to tend her beloved hens. A happy chick indeed...