Journal

Notes from the studio

Eight pieces on how the studio actually works: timelines, venues, guest lists, budgets and the day itself. Every article opens in place — no separate pages to lose your position in.

Hosting

The art of hosting on the day itself

26 Feb 2026 · 4 min read

Every decision still open on the morning of the day will be made badly. Close them the week before, even the ones you would rather keep flexible.

Name one person who holds the run sheet and can answer supplier questions. It should not be either host, and it should not be a parent.

Eat. Drink water. Sit down for ten minutes somewhere the guests are not. Hosts who skip this are the ones who remember the day as a blur.

Print the timeline. Phones die, signal fails, and a sheet of paper taped inside a service door has never once crashed.

8 of 8 articles

Planning
A planning timeline that survives contact with reality
Most timelines fail because they are written backwards from the day instead of forwards from the first decision.
4 Jun 2026 · 6 min read
Venues
Choosing a venue: the five questions that matter
Capacity, weather plan, kitchen, access and sound. Almost every venue regret traces back to one of these.
21 May 2026 · 5 min read
Guests
The guest list is the budget
Every other line item is downstream of one number. Fix the guest count early and the rest stops moving.
8 May 2026 · 4 min read
Budget
Budgeting without the spreadsheet anxiety
Committed and paid are different numbers, and confusing them is the most common way a budget quietly fails.
19 Apr 2026 · 7 min read
Design
Floral design that stays in season
The cheapest way to make flowers look expensive is to use the ones already growing that month.
2 Apr 2026 · 5 min read
Photography
How to work with a photographer
A shot list is a symptom. What a photographer actually needs is time and a schedule that admits where the light is.
14 Mar 2026 · 5 min read
Hosting
The art of hosting on the day itself
By the morning of the event, your job is no longer planning. It is being present, which requires having delegated.
26 Feb 2026 · 4 min read
Planning
Event-day preparation, hour by hour
The run sheet is the only document that matters on the day, and it should fit on one page.
5 Feb 2026 · 6 min read

Notes from the studio

The art of hosting on the day itself

Articles