Testimonials

From the moment Ellie came aboard we felt in safe hands. Her extensive experience helped ensure our wedding ran smoothly – and if there were any issues, she made sure we didn’t have to worry about them. Ellie was the person to find if you needed something in a hurry and always had a solution to a problem. If anyone’s unsure whether they might need a wedding planner, we can honestly say that Ellie was worth every penny.

Ellie has constantly been on hand to help us wade through the murky waters of wedding planning. She was responsible for finding us our venue, convincing our caterers to feed us and was always on hand to offer advice no matter how trivial. Through Ellie we also found our cake maker, photographer, photobooth and other suppliers to help us create the best day ever. In short, she’s a chuffing wizard and Christ knows what kind of day we’d have had if she and her team didn’t have a hand in any of it. The only problem we have now is that we can’t ask her to organise the rest of our lives! If you’re reading this review and are planning on a DIY wedding, you seriously need to get these guys on board. You could do it all on your own, but it’s bloody stressful so do yourselves a favour!

How do I even start to talk about this crazily amazing bunch of women?! We first met Ellie and her team when they were packing up from a wedding the night before. The bride turned up and was in pieces because Ellie had managed to rearrange their wedding transport after it cancelled with like an hour to go or something crazy! We booked her immediately, because we needed that OG wedding mafia power involved in our wedding. They worked so hard to make our wedding look and feel awesome. They were endlessly helpful, encouraging and fun. Our main contact was Lynsey, and I swear I got more compliments about her at the wedding than anything else. These girls are the absolute BOMB and we will love them forever. THANK YOU!! Kate & Rob, Married at Sheffield Botanical Gardens, partied at Nice Neighbourhood

Really can’t rate Ellie highly enough, we felt really lucky to have found her, both because she really knows her stuff and because she works in such a fantastic and socially conscious way. Her expertise were invaluable (there were so many ways we would have come unstuck without her!) Her decorations and the flowers were absolutely stunning. On the day she took all the hassle & stress out of our hands & made things run so smoothly, allowing us to have the best day! Alice & Simon, Wedding Reception at Walk The Plank Creative Arts Space, Salford

What can I say about Ellie and the team?! They are absolutely amazing at what they do. Everyone is so friendly and Ellie really made our day everything we could have hoped for. She was always there when we needed her, ready with suggestions before and helping the day run so smoothly. We can’t begin to thank you all for everything Ellie, you really made our day a dream. If ANYBODY needs an event planning then look no further than these guys, I can absolutely guarantee it will be the best decision you make. Anthony & Hannah, Trafalgar Warehouse

Ellie and her team did such an awesome job with our wedding – we can’t thank them enough! I’m a super organised kind of person, so wasn’t sure I needed a planner but I KNEW I would need an on-the-day-coordinator and had heard how she had saved the day on various occasions when things had not gone to plan during a wedding! When we met Ellie she was so enthusiastic but also chill, friendly, laidback and on the same page as us, so it was a no-brainer to hire her. Although I didn’t need a lot of support in the run-up, she was always available to answer any questions, give tips and suggest suppliers, which was really helpful. She totally came into her own though when it came to the actual wedding – collecting plants from the flower market and dressing the venue the day before, and then coordinating all of the changes in seats and tables on the day (we did a ceremony, meal and disco all in one room), as well as liaising with our other vendors and prompting us about what we needed to be doing when (any couple will tell you that time just slips away

read moreJen & Steve, 99 Mary Street

Exceeded all our expectations – we were really struggling to find a company to work with for our wedding who weren’t super traditional /dated until we came across Ellie and the team. They were great, and whilst we put the day together ourselves, without a wedding planner per se, Ellie really helped bridge that gap and give some expertise and advice with things we hadn’t even thought of, really went above and beyond to make our day what it was. The tips for florists, hair and makeup, etc were a massive help. It’s a shame that we will only do this once (hopefully!) as they were such a great company to work with. Steph & Ben, The Workstation

Just wanted to drop a review. Ellie was amazing from start to finish in making our wedding run like a dream. I advise you to book her if you are using a ‘bare canvas’ independent venue and multiple suppliers. She can help you out in sourcing with many awesome suppliers, or like us, we sourced most ourselves and she pulls them all together, so on the day you turn up and have a ball! As it should be. Lots of small extra touches too, that we didn’t ask for but she knew we needed. On the day the room for our service was turned for food, and then turned again for dancing…each time was a dream. Truly overwhelmed when I saw it for the first time. Nothing was too much trouble and the day was slick as can be, allowing us to party hard. Priceless. Thank you Ellie. Adam & Laura, fivefourstudios

Amazing in helping our wedding day at Abbeydale Picture House run so smoothly. The whole team, especially Ruth, just made the whole process as easy as possible. We had the best day ever and all our guests commented on what a cool and unique venue we had. These guys do an amazing job in finding brilliant venues and spaces and working with great contacts for flowers, photography, cakes, DJs etc . This is how weddings should be! Thank you so much guys! Xxx Beth & Matthew, The Abbeydale Picturehouse

Worth their weight in gold! Honestly don’t know how to begin to do justice to how absolutely incredible Ellie and her team were at ensuring we had the most magical and memorable day from start to finish. They even made the planning process fun too. Ellie got us our amazing venue and put us in touch with loads of brilliant talented people. She gave us tons of great ideas and even two years on, our guests still rave about it as being the best wedding ever! Not to mention the crazy amount of work she put in the day before, then there was the co-ordinating and making it go swimmingly on the day itself and the clean down. She’s great to work with and just a brilliant person to be around. If you want basic and boring then maybe don’t go with her! If you want unique, beautiful and fun then definitely do! Kirsty & Dan, Elsecar Heritage Centre

I could not recommend these amazing guys enough. Ellie was just the best and helped to bring our ideas to life in our autumn themed wedding in Sheffield. When we were let down by others Ellie’s cool and calm attitude just helped to sort out everything and made one very stressed bride into a very happy one. Thank you for everything and helping to make our day so special xx Vic & Sam, Sheffield Botanical Gardens & Trafalgar Warehouse

Ellie and her team have been fantastic at helping us plan our wedding and ensure the day went smoothly and without a hitch! It has been tricky planning a wedding during the ever changing restrictions, but Ellie has been so flexible, kind and attentive throughout, offering suggestions and support throughout. On the day, she was such an incredible help, thinking of things that needed doing before we could even get to them! Her catalogue is filled with the most amazing things to hire and she helped us to make our dream wedding come true. We can’t thank you and your team enough Ellie! Emily & Nick, Tipi Wedding in the Peaks

We approached Ellie late on to help us with finishing touches and on-the-day support for our DIY wedding at Wood Lane Countryside Centre. Ellie was great at suggesting finishing touches and last minute changes to make the venue look perfect, was a reassuring ear for all my questions and worries, and was generally a great help and support! A special shout out to Eve who coordinated everything on the day – she was truly indispensible, solving any problems or niggles almost before they happened. She kept in touch with us throughout the day to check we were happy, and we have had so many compliments from guests about her organisation and friendly manner. Thank you, thank you! Lizzie & Ellis, Wood Lane Countryside Centre

About Me

I am a fierce advocate for independents of all shapes and sizes: small businesses, arts spaces, music venues – I champion anyone who is in the vanguard of creative culture. I’ve spent the past fifteen years working in events and love breathing life and community into unusual buildings. With a portfolio across production, marketing and project management, I’ve personally planned and delivered over 180 unique weddings in over 40 different venues.

Working on everything from large-scale corporate and charity events to festivals, private parties and educational projects, the strong network of independent suppliers I’ve cultivated over the years means I’m able to deliver one-of-a-kind events that stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.

My events are always design-conscious and detail-driven whilst being grounded in an awareness that it’s your day, ultimately. I can make informed suggestions based upon my years of experience, but I want you to have what you want. Whether you’ve a clear vision that needs turning into a reality or you have no idea where to begin, I can help.

My clients have described me as open, relatable and honest – feedback I’m truly proud of. I genuinely try to see the best in everyone and bring a positive energy to any event I’m involved in. Life’s too short to be any other way, in my opinion.

I founded the Indie Wedding Fair™ in 2015 after several dispiriting visits to wedding fairs in the run up to my own wedding. Whilst goodie bags containing femfresh wipes, dubious teeth whitening treatments and razors did make me chuckle; these, alongside slimming products and medical procedures being represented at these expos peddled the notion that changing yourself or fitting into a traditional mould of what it is to be “a perfect bride” or have a “perfect day” seemed bonkers, and was the catalyst to spark this alternative offering of mine. All our differences, wants and preferences are equally valid and should be celebrated, I believe. It’s been a wild ride working in the wedding industry (not least navigating the brutal effects of the pandemic) but I’m thrilled to see The Indie Wedding Fair’s tenth instalment popping up in Sheffield at brand new independent space, The Steamworks, in September 2024.

When I’m not working, you can find me up to my eyeballs in Victorian house renovation (a Sisyphean task), ferrying my children to their various hobbies (armed with endless snacks) or hanging out with my family and friends (they’re the greatest).

As much as I love the frenetic pace of events, I love nothing more than having a beer on the sofa with my long-suffering husband, putting the world to rights and pausing Netflix relentlessly to ask each other, “what have we seen them in?”

Ellie Softley indie events planner in Sheffield