2018 National Winner of The Wedding Industry Awards!

I’m bursting with excitement! What an incredible few days it has been! On Wednesday I went up to Cafe de Paris in London to attend The Wedding Industry Awards 2018 national awards ceremony. Just to be there was an honour. To be there meant I was the South Central regional winner of the Best Newcomer award. Wedition had been awarded this back in November and I had eagerly awaited this night, not because I thought I could win, but because it was marked to be a top night out and a great opportunity to mix with the best in the industry.

I got to London in good time and arrived shortly after the doors opened at 7.30pm. TWIA organisers Damian and Anna Bailey were on hand to personally meet and greet every arrival, a nice personal touch I thought. I had a walk around to see if there was anyone I knew and then dived right it and introduced myself to a few people! I met the family team behind Courtyard Bridal Boutique, Anne told me the fascinating story of the business; I chatted with Mark and Louise, the owners of Dodmoor House, an exclusive wedding venue in Northamptonshire, this year Mark was one of the judges for the venue categories. The Farnham Castle team were there and cheering me on, Wedition is preferred supplier at this stunning venue; my wonderful colleague Fil Straughan, a talented singer. Charles Burns and Lauren Jennings of The Roving Artist, they were the regional winners of the Special Touch category. I met Lissy Puig the national winner of best make up artist and I bumped into the always smiling and cheerful Vanessa Naylor of Your Life Ceremonies.

The next day, well that was something out of the ordinary. My phone did not stop pinging, beeping and ringing all day, it sounded like I had won the jackpot! The well wishes from customers, suppliers, friends and new connections flooded in all day. I had two new confirmed bookings, invitations from 3 different venues wanting to work with Wedition, an invitation to collaborate on a styled shoot and suppliers wanting to join the Wedition family.

I'm so excited to see what the next 12 months bring as the 2018 National Winner of The Wedding Industry Awards!

With thanks

• I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my customers who voted, 100% of those eligible to vote, voted.
• The team at Creative Monster for all their web design and support Toby has been on this journey with me from the very beginning.
• Crown Litho and Jason Grantham for also being there from the beginning and printing orders so quickly.
• The Wedition venues (Aviator, Oakley Court, Wycombe Swan, Farnham Castle, The Elvetham and Tylney Hall), especially the Aviator, for being the first venue to take Wedition on as preferred supplier.
• The Wedition Suppliers.
• Alistair Jones for providing so many wonderful images and mentorship.
• The Luxury Wedding Show for their constant support and encouragement on social media.
• Every follower on social media!
• My husband and my family for being totally amazing.

Your Hampshire & Dorset wedding press release

"A Hampshire-based business has been named the UK's best newcomer to the wedding industry. Wedition, innovative personalised wedding magazines, scooped the prestigious accolade at the Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) 2018. Director Liz Gatherer came up with the idea for the new venture when she was planning her own wedding to partner Ky. The couple were so impressed by the history of their venue, Farnham Castle, they wanted to find a way to share its story with their guests and the idea of Wedition was born. Styled to your wedding colour scheme and theme, the magazines are not only a lovely keepsake, but also a handy way to let guests know about the all-important details and special big-day touches. Great as favours, they can feature anything from wedding party introductions to help break the ice, the proposal story, fun pages, Mr and Mrs quiz and more. The ideal solution for destination and festival weddings, flight details, hotel choices, things to do in the area and weekend itinerary can also be included.

Liz commented, "I'm absolutely ecstatic to have won the award. I really hope that this national win will help strengthen my brand and make more couples aware just how incredible it is having a Wedition wedding, not just the joy of seeing their guests' reactions on the day, but the wonderful journey we go on together building this incredible keepsake." Visit wedition.co.uk to find out more.