Firstly, I wanted to say the response to Supplier Spotlight with Lewis Membery was so wonderful and amazing. More than I could’ve imagined and I hope you loved reading it as we did collaborating on it.

Secondly, I’m so excited to introduce you to our second supplier spotlight, the lovely Amy Ford from Attabara Event Studio! I first met Amy when she was part of the planning team - along with the lovely Iyisha - for my friends and 2020 wedding couple, Rowan and Ellie, back in February.
As a guest at that wedding, as well as the florist, I got to see first hand how beautifully the team co-created and ran that day from start to finish. It was honestly so stunning, and soon after, Attabara starting popping up everywhere on my social feeds. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I wanted to get Amy on board and interview her for this little blog. She is both professional, personable, and incredibly efficient (she tells you about her love for lists below), and I can’t wait to follow along with how her new business grows and gains momentum. I have to also mention how great she has been with supporting her community during this odd time, and I for one am very thankful to have her to chat to and check in with.

So without further ado, here’s Amy herself - and massive shout out to Tim Easton for these photos!

Firstly, please introduce yourself!
Amy Ford, Creative Director & Founder of Attabara Event Studio, a creative house for weddings & events

Why and how did you get started?
Hospitality is part of my heritage. ‘Attabara’ is in honour of my grandparents and was the name of their home, where my absolute love for hospitality and hosting began. As a I child, I was always decorating trays of breakfast in bed for my parents, or arranging interval snacks and mood lighting for home shows! With a love for art I studied theatre design at university and through pairing this wild creativity with my love for hospitality, I followed these passions to the events world.
After spending 8 years creatively producing and designing creative events for leading fashion brands, charities & corporates, I decided it was high-time to do the thing I have always dreamed and talked about, and launch my own venture.
Offering space to combine my passions, my heart for hospitality and my love for creativity and that’s how Attabara was brought to life.

Describe your style!
Wild creativity and understated laid-back luxury, all with a modern and minimal edge

What was your first event and wedding like?
One of my first events was a press dinner for a food brand celebrating their 40th birthday. The concept focused on a luxe 70’s feel, so we curated the menu to hero their product and share their story of heritage. I dressed the private dining room with an array of retro vases filled with clusters of flowers, sourcing 1970s crockery and glassware from an amazing shop on Colombia Road. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment and definitely confirmed my love for events. I adored the process of planning, of sourcing all of the details and bringing their story to life. The best bit - one guest didn’t show, so post-event I got to eat a whole 70’s inspired baked-alaska poolside to myself!
As for weddings, the first wedding I planned was my own! Like many planners, it illuminated the possibility to explore this as a career option, pivoting my event planning experience to the world of weddings and when all the dreaming for this business began.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learnt along the way?
You can never have too many lists/spreadsheets and collaboration is key.
From elements lists, packing lists, seating plans, supplier lists, kit box lists, my job as a planner is to ensure everything is planned to perfection, working closely with a team of suppliers throughout the planning process as we collaborate and create together. It’s from these foundations that we share in the same vision for the day, so that together we can execute everything seamlessly and create space for those moments of wonder.

Highlight of your career (so far)!
It’s got to be launching this little business, I gathered those that have been on the journey of this studio as it was envisioned and we had a beautiful evening of cake, cocktails, wild flowers, candles (and I did a little speech!), all in the village where my grandparents lived and where it all began.
It was really so special to celebrate that moment, to mark it together and it’s something I will treasure and remember forever.

One bit of advice you’d give to your couples when it comes to planning a wedding
It would have to be that your wedding is all about celebrating magnificent you, your commitment to one another and the lifelong journey you are about to embark on. It’s about illuminating your story, your values, your personalities, your love for one another, your why, all in one big celebration.
So start from that place, start from what brings you both joy, keep coming back to that and you will be guaranteed to have a truly beautifully breathtaking day. The wonderful thing about weddings today, is that anything really does go, so not a fan of fruit cake/ speeches/ that idea that Auntie Maud has shared from her wedding day in the 60’s.
If it doesn’t align with you, well then leave it, and give yourself permission to continue your own wedding journey.

What does a typical day in your life look like?
It always begins with coffee and list writing! I’m a planner through and through so there is always a list!
Then it can vary, from dreaming up moodboards, to prop searching for that little item that will elevate the table settings, contacting suppliers, to the more logistical side of things; writing risk assessments, timelines and elements lists, to lovely client calls, venue visits (when we are allowed) and also working on the business side of things . I love that no day is the same but there is always music on in the background (the genre changes daily), appearances from my two cats, more coffee, some yoga and then rustling up dinner with my husband Dan.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
We are at the beginning of our journey with Attabara, so I’m really excited to see it grow and evolve on it’s own little creative journey and to work with more amazing couples to create beautiful celebrations that truly reflect them and soak up those beautiful confetti-filled moments of wonder!

And finally, what’s your favourite bit of a Wedding Day?
For me personally, it's the moment where the celebration commences, when we can step back and see the styling we envisioned together with our couples, light the last candle, tweak the last place settings. When guests arrive and you can sense the excitement, the love as they enter the room, the tangible joy and anticipation of the adventure that will begin that day.

Thank you so much Amy and Attabara for being a part of Supplier Spotlight, cannot wait for that coffee and chat, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Supplier Spotlight - Attabara Event Studio