Ester from Midlands Style Events has the heart of all wedding planning in mind, LOVE.
She chatted to HW and reminded us that the most important part of a wedding day is:
love and happiness.
After escaping from the ‘rat race’ 10 years ago, husband and wife team, Mark and Ester Dobbin somehow found themselves in the Midlands opening a wedding business from their dining room table, born out of their love for entertaining. Ester does not like to have a routine to stick to, instead she creates miracles and brings something unique to your “Best Day Ever”
Cover Image : Vanilla Photography
Hooray: Please tell us your name, the name of your company and your area of specification
Ester: Hi, my name is Ester Dobbin and I am the founder and owner of Midlands Style Events. My better half, Mark, works closely with me and makes all the lovely whimsical items we need, helps us set up and is just there when I need him.
On our team, we also have Sam Verster (she is fab!) along with Nomsa and Thuli who are always so professional in everything they do.
We specialize in all things wedding and have a large warehouse full of décor we hire out. We also do the flowers all in-house and plan and co-ordinate weddings.
Hooray: Tell us about yourself
Ester: Since I can remember I’ve been helping my Mom with flowers. With regards to flowers, everything I know comes from being right next to my Mom. I started my career after studying Marketing as a PRO for a large shopping center in Johannesburg, after that I worked for L’Oreal as a junior product manager and worked myself up to Business Unit Manager. Once I tired of the corporate life, I started my own Marketing company with my husband. We dealt with all below the line advertising things and managed large event, road shows amongst other things.
We love to entertain people and make them feel comfortable. Our friends always tell us that our home is like a hotel: You sit – we serve, have fun, eat good food and drink good wine. I love a whiskey or three and Mark stays calm by drinking beer. He even has a T-shirt that reads – “Stay Calm and Drink Beer”
Hooray: How did you get into the wedding industry?
Ester: Ten years ago Mark and I moved to the Midlands, sold everything and bought a farm to get out of the “rat race”. We tried the farming thing but it is not for the faint hearted, however, when it comes to entertaining, we are simply the best, so it was a no brainer to open a wedding business. From starting our business in our humble farm house dining room to now being in a large warehouse in Notties, with a team of fantastic people behind us, we have really come a long way.
Hooray: What inspires you?
My family and friends inspire me, as well as a happy bride and groom and all 200 of their guests. Everyone must just be happy
Hooray: Running your own business can be hard, do you have a daily routine?
Ester: No routine – stick to what comes your way and turn it into the best thing you have ever laid your hands on.
Hooray: Tell us about your ideal wedding client
Ester: Real people with real love – I want to feel the love in the venue that day when you get married. We have been part of too many weddings where the cake is more important than the actual “I Do’s” – that, to me, is wrong and scratches my soul
Hooray: What do you love most about your job?
Ester: I love being able to take the bride and grooms wish list and create a final product that is even better than what they expected.
Hooray: How do you find Bridezillas?
Bridezillas needs to take a breath and remember why they are actually getting married. I find them sad, and they are on a path of self-destruction. We pride ourselves to get the best out of our brides and steer them into a loving happy journey with us.
Hooray: Do you only work in the Midlands?
Ester: No we all have passports and can travel.
Hooray: Can you describe your style?
Ester: We pride ourselves in taking the bride and groom personalities, love and ideas and executing them well. We love being creative and although things today are all about Pinterest, we do not like to Copy and Paste, but rather put our little creative miracles into each wedding.
Hooray: Your dream commission?
I would love to get that million rand wedding with no expenses spared but with loving people that will give us free range to create the magic.
Hooray: If there was one thing you could change about the wedding industry, what would it be?
Ester: Love and More Love and nothing Else.
Hooray: Tell us about your worst wedding experience
Ester: I co-ordinated a wedding and did all the flowers and décor. The bride was just lovely, up until she walked down the aisle. When the Marriage officer said repeat after me – For richer or for poorer…. she replied for RITCHER in a unpleasant tone and glared at her man, the Marriage officer said not ritcher repeat after me and she said – “NO IT WILL BE FOR RITCHER AND THAT’S THE END OF IT!”. Well, as you can imagine this set the tone for the rest of the day and the Mother of the Bride actually apologized the next day for her daughters behavior. I just feel sorry for the lovely guy she married.
Hooray: And lastly, coffee or champagne?
Ester: Prosseco Champagne!
Thank you so much Ester for sharing with us! We just love your relaxed open attitude and your wonderful way you make your brides feel right at home, as if they were sitting with you and Mark at your inning room table.
If you would like to get in touch with Ester for you own wedding, you can do so here:
website
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