I am James Li and the new Sales & Operations Manager at Carlton Manor Weddings. Carlton Manor is a Tipi & Barn wedding venue which includes an elegant Manor House & onsite glamping pods.

I am the first person couples get in touch with when they enquire at the venue. I host the show rounds with every couple, help them plan their special day and at the end I am there coordinating the weddings, ensuring every runs smoothly.

I have always worked in Customer Service in some form but what started me off with weddings was my role in a mobile bar company. A large proportion of our jobs were wedding bars and not soon after starting, I began managing wedding venues and I have not looked back since. Having worked in many different styles of venues (Yurts, Marquee wedding venues, converted churches and Barns) when the opportunity came up to work at Carlton Manor I jumped at the chance. Being a local lad from Hull, I had always known about Carlton Manor and how much it offers couples wanting a unique wedding venue for their special day.

Having worked for a mobile bar company, I enjoyed the wedding bars the most! Seeing how happy the couples were after all their hard work planning the day made me want to get more involved within this side of hospitality. I will always remember my first wedding. From meeting the couple for the first time during the show round of the venue, booking their ideal date, helping plan their wedding and being their on the day itself. It was an amazing feeling to know that I helped make that couples wedding a day to remember!

I would definitely say that I am an outgoing person who can build a rapport with people quickly. Working in the wedding industry, it can be easy for the job to feel a bit like a factory. Churning out weddings and becoming less and less personal. I pride myself on making not just the couple feel special but all of their family and friends too. Having worked in all aspects of hospitality, I never shy away from a job. My motto is, “I will never ask someone to do a job I wouldn’t do myself”.

There are so many parts of the job I love. Showing a couple around a venue and knowing that they have fallen in love with it is pretty special but it will never top the part of the wedding day when the couple have their ceremony. I think it is probably a combination of happiness and pride that they have finally tied the knot but I’ve been known to cry at these moments!

A lot of my couples mention how much they love my smile! But I would say couples appreciate how I make them feel special and taken care of. No request is ever too big or small when it comes to ensuring they have the best day!

I have so many fond memories from weddings I have been a part of. I seem to get all the ones where the couple have unusual requests. Alpacas at drinks receptions, grooms flying in on a helicopter and page boy riding down the aisle on an electric tractor to name a few!

But my most memorable wedding (that I strictly didn’t work…..much) was my own wedding last year. It was such a weird feeling being on the other side of a wedding day. Planning our wedding gave me a new found appreciation on how stressful a wedding can be. I feel like this has helped me become an even better wedding coordinator…plus I married the love of my life!

People always come up to me and tell me they would love to be a wedding coordinator and don’t get me wrong, it is such a rewarding job but it isn’t all floofing dresses and creating orders of the day. A true coordinator will be doing wedding admin one day, setting up tables and chairs on another. The 12 hour days when you are constantly on your feet and having to eat on the go is  certainly the part of the job which people don’t appreciate. Hospitality is a commitment not just by you but by your family. Missing out on celebrations and nights out because you are working a wedding is tough but ultimately, the job satisfaction makes it all worth it.

Well I could go with the classic, “It’s your day so do what makes you happy” but everyone has heard that a million times. What I would say is, when you are planning your wedding and getting stressed keep in mind the end goal. Ultimately the only thing that will matter is you marry your soul mate. Everything else isn’t worth losing sleep over. No one will notice if the chair sashes are the wrong colour or if your day is running late. They will just be happy to be their to help celebrate your wedding day with you!

I have the freedom to take the venue in different directions which I love. I spend a lot of my free time on social media. Keeping an eye on wedding trends and what other venues are doing. The most important part though is building great connections with wedding suppliers. I have always said that everyone in the wedding industry are a family. We are there to support each other and ultimately have the same end goal, to make sure each and every one of our couples have the wedding day they deserve.

I love being part of the wedding community and knowing that I can rely on so many people if ever I needed help with anything.

A huge thank you to James for taking the time to share his knowledge and experience. Conversations like this remind me just how important a strong venue team is when it comes to creating a smooth, stress-free wedding day.

If you’re considering Carlton Manor for your celebration, you can feel reassured knowing you’re in safe hands with a dedicated coordinator like James guiding you every step of the way.

Calrton Manor Image Credits:

Instagram: @Robert_Harrison_Photography
Website: www.robertharrisonphotography.co.uk