'It's immense for me' - Woman behind Offaly wedding business wins Wedding Planner of the Year

The woman behind an Offaly wedding planning business has been honoured with a top award at the annual Wedding Suppliers Awards. 

The founder of Tullamore-based Wednesday Wedding Club, Emma Greenbury, took home the Wedding Planner of the Year award at the prestigious event, which took place at the Killashee House Hotel in Naas on February 6. 

Wednesday Wedding Club is an Irish wedding planning business offering planning services for couples who want a rulebook-free, fun, unique wedding with no stress. 

Speaking to the Offaly Express, Greenbury stated she was "delighted" with the great achievement. 

She said, "It's immense for me, it's validating all the hard work I put into my clients' weddings." 

Greenbury, who tackles between three and four weddings a month, says she has a very personalised approach and likes to make time for clients. 

She has been in the wedding industry for just two years, having changed careers from a 13 year long publishing career. 

She said, "I absolutely loved what I did but I just wanted something really creative, I'm a creative person and I love working with people. There was a phase [over Covid] where I was working on my own a lot, and I wanted to do something where I was working with people more and [having] more rewarding kind of experiences. 

"There's nothing better than seeing everything come together on a wedding day and seeing how happy everyone is. It's a really lovely experience. 

"It was the career change for me definitely." 

Greenbury was able to transfer skills she learned by orgaising events for brands like Irish Tatler into wedding planning, stating: "I harnessed all my skills and poured [them] into this one of a kind job." 

She said, "I wasn't a stranger when it came to doing big events. 

"I used to do events for Irish Tatler and I was really good at it, I felt like I was really good at organisation and it was just a natural kind of thing. I helped out other wedding planners to get experience and it felt like a really nice fit for me." 

Her business Wednesday Wedding Club has been praised for its catchy name, and Greenbury has occasionally been jokingly asked if she only does weddings on Wednesdays. 

But she confirmed she runs weddings "every day of the week". 

When asked about her top advice for couples planning their wedding, she said, "No one has ever planned your wedding before. I think there's no shame getting assistants when you need to, and a wedding planner can particularly help you out with anything you need. 

"It's not just things on what to do or advice, it's kind of like having a best friend there as an assistant, someone to take off the stress and pressure. So I would definitely recommend getting a wedding planner, but above all else try to enjoy the process and don't stress. Try and enjoy all of it."