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A very happy start to the New Year

A very happy start to the New Year

How’s this for a great start to the New Year – I’ve made it to the finals of the UK Blog Awards again!

I’m absolutely delighted that my blog has reached the final stage in the UK Blog Awards process as a Wedding and Events individual finalist.

Thank you so much to everyone for all your votes. I really appreciate your support and it has ensured the blog has made it to the final round in the Wedding and Events category.

I’m feeling pretty chuffed as they’ve combined two categories into one this year, plus each category only has 8 blogs in the shortlist this year (versus 10 blogs each in two categories last year). So I’m really pleased to make it through with some amazing other blogs.

Congratulations to all my fellow individual finalists in the UK Blog Awards Wedding and Events category. I’m proud to be a finalist alongside you.

Shortlisted for West Oxfordshire Business Awards!

Shortlisted for West Oxfordshire Business Awards!

I’m pretty chuffed to have found out just before Christmas that I’ve been shortlisted for the next round of the West Oxfordshire Business Awards #WOBA2017.

I’m looking forward to meeting the judges shortly and will keep you posted if there’s more exciting news to report!

2016 Review of the year

2016 Review of the year

I hope you’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. At this between and betwixt time, I often take the time to reflect on the past year. And what a fantastic year it’s been for Hanami Dream weddings and special occasions in 2016!I’ve continued to study with UKAWEP and was proud to be picked as Student of the month in October. The course has (and continues) to open my eyes up to a whole world of weddings beyond just wedding planning.

My focus has changed this year and I’m concentrating on making the blog work commercially as well as providing inspiration to brides and grooms in the Cotswolds. This feels like a fantastic evolution, which really excites me and fits in with my current family life, plus combines my experience within the scope of the wedding industry.

I enjoyed working with a great venue and local businesses on a stunning Wind in the Willows styled photo shoot which featured on the blog as well as on Bride Magazine.

I also worked as a consultant with a local venue to help them with their first wedding open day where I held a wedding planning drop in clinic.

Plus I launched #UKWedLunch in August – a Twitter hour for brides and grooms to be who are planning their weddings in their lunch breaks.

I’m delighted to have enquiries for different aspects of the business including venue styling and consultancy, as well as such lovely testimonials from happy couples and suppliers I’ve worked with in 2016.

The blog featured posts on different elements of wedding planning, local wedding venues, catering vans, a series titled ‘the holy trinity of wedding planning’ and some wonderful guest posts from local wedding professionals (with top tips and an insight in to different elements of wedding planning from their area of the wedding industry). See the top ten posts of 2016.

My blog has had an exciting year and continues to go from strength to strength. The highlight of 2016, was being a finalist in two categories of the UK Blog Awards in April and I was delighted to get a highly commended award.

I was also chuffed to have some of my articles (on seating plans and stationery) published on Bride Magazine online too.

I’m pleased to add to my honoured collection of accolades with #QueenOf Wedding Inspiration by The Royal Connection, the #SmartSocial award from Marketme, #BrightPig’s Business of the Week and I was also picked by Jacqueline Gold CBE to be a WOW Winner.

I’m really proud to have won the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning’s Greenery‬ (SS17 and colour of the year) Pantone® mood board competition again this year.

If all this wasn’t enough, I’m over the moon to have found out last week that I’ve been shortlisted for the next round of the West Oxfordshire Business Awards #WOBA2017. So I’m looking forward to meeting the judges in the New Year and to seeing what other exciting things 2017 has to hold for Hanami Dream.

Now is also a great time to look forward to the brand new year ahead. I’ve lots of plans afoot including focusing the blog on supporting and promoting local wedding professionals, services and venues #keepitlocal. And I can’t wait to produce more styled photo shoots and have more opportunities to collaborate with local suppliers.

Many thanks for your support in 2016 and here’s to an exciting and very Happy New Year!

Photography by Neil Hanson www.nordicpics.co.uk

Top 10 most popular blog posts in 2016 on Hanami Dream

Top 10 most popular blog posts in 2016 on Hanami Dream

 

  1. Top 10 Spring 2017 colours from Pantone®
  2. Top 13 local catering vans for weddings in the Cotswolds
  3. Inspiration: autumnal marsala & gold Wind in the Willows wedding
  4. Top 20 local wedding venues in the Cotswolds
  5. Local wedding suppliers at Cogges Manor Farm Wedding Open Day
  6. Pantone® announces Fashion Colour Report Fall 2016
  7. A complete blank canvas: our guide to tipi weddings
  8. Inspiration: rustic pink rose barn wedding
  9. Why am I called Hanami Dream?
  10. Alternative wedding guest book ideas

 

Vote for Hanami Dream in UK Blog Awards #UKBA17

Vote for Hanami Dream in UK Blog Awards #UKBA17

With great excitement, I’m pleased to say that Hanami Dream has been nominated in the UK Blog Awards again in 2017.

I was delighted to attend the UKBA16 award ceremony this April and receive highly commended in the events category. The awards are now in their fourth year and are the biggest and UK’s longest running programme to recognise influencer talent and I would love to build on my achievement of this year.

If you like reading my blog then I’d really appreciate your support again.

So please vote for Hanami Dream in the wedding category of the UK Blog Awards #UKBA17 at:

http://blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2017/entries/hanami-dream

The Public Vote is only open from 8am on Monday 5th December until 10am on Monday 19th December. So there’s only two weeks to get voting!

#UKBA17 logo

Proud to win BrightPig’s Business Of The Week!

Proud to win BrightPig’s Business Of The Week!

I’m really pleased to add to my honoured collection of accolades with this lovely Business of the Week award from BrightPig.  

Bright Pig winner logo

BrightPig are an award winning marketing company, helping Small Businesses become visible with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) & Social Media. As chosen by BBC’s Dragons’ Den Theo Paphitis!

They run a weekly Twitter competition for businesses called BrightPig’s Business Of The Week (run on a Friday between 9am – 4pm including #BrightPig in your tweet!)

This is another fantastic award for Hanami Dream and I look forward to the extra publicity as a result of being a #BrightPigWINNER.

Thanks for the kind words from judges Aisle Planner

Thanks for the kind words from judges Aisle Planner

Very proud to have won the greenery mood board in the recent UKAWEP SS17 Pantone® competition.

Aisle Planner, picked the winners for each colour and shared their thoughts on their blog –
http://community.aisleplanner.com/pantone-mood-board-competition/

Many thanks to Aisle Planner for their kind words:

“Nicola’s consistent use of images featuring mums throughout her board lends a wonderful cohesive feel—it feels like all of these images could have come from one wedding. (Sometimes, mood boards can feel disjointed because images are pulled from so many different sources. This one didn’t have that issue at all.)

The even balance of colors feels professional. Greens, whites, and blacks are all placed well throughout the board—there’s no “too much” of any one color in any one spot.

This board’s imagery helps to convey a number of different aspects of a wedding. We love that Nicola included everything from cake design to typography inspiration. Overall, her board communicates a wedding that is fun, modern, and organic.”

 

UKAWEP student logo

Thanks for the kind words from judges Aisle Planner

Winner of UKAWEP Pantone® mood board competition again!

Really proud to have won the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning’s greenery‬ SS17 Pantone® mood board competition judged by Aisle Planner this year.

http://www.weddingacademylive.com/2016/10/24/announcing-pantone-design-competition-winners/

pantone_greeneryImage Credits (clockwise):
Bouquet via Intimate Weddings
Tablescape and Cake via Blooms By The Box
Tie & Buttonhole: Photographer Jaime Y Photography via Wedding Loft
Drinks: via Classic Bride
Shoes via Marriage.com
Bouquet: Photographer Will Hartl via Brides Magazine
Stationery: Photographer Jenny GG Photography via Modernly Wed

UKAWEP student logo

Student of the month!

Student of the month!

Over the moon to be chosen as Student of the Month with the UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planners.

https://www.weddingplanningacademy.co.uk/student-of-the-month/nicola-jackson/

The course has (and continues) to open my eyes up to a whole world of weddings beyond just wedding planning.

Thanks to my tutor’s support and invaluable guidance, along with the interaction and networking with fellow students (new and upcoming entrants to the industry bursting with fresh ideas) as well as an impressive alumni, tutors and advisory board full of experience and expertise.

UKAWEP student logo

Proud to receive the #SmartSocial award this week

Proud to receive the #SmartSocial award this week

It’s great to network on Twitter and to add to my honoured collection of accolades with this lovely one from Marketme. #SmartSocial winner logo Hanami Dream

#SmartSocial is a competition that rewards businesses that are smart with social media (run every Sunday 9am – noon on Twitter).

Social media helps me to provide wedding inspiration, tips, trends and traditions to Cotswolds couples.