When 'I do' becomes an experience of a lifetime...

CLOSE UP MAGAZINE INTERVIEW http://www.closeupuk.com/cater-express/

Mention the word “Wedding Planner” to any married couple and you will hear the name Cater

Express. Edward W Shaw & Pamela Naidoo are the UK’s most famous wedding planners and event specialists. But they don’t just create events, they create unforgettable experiences. And because of this, they are much sought after and in high demand with an incredibly long waiting list, you will have to book them way in advance to get a spot with these experts.

In 2018 they created their company, Cater Express, specialising in events planning and introducing the notion figure of “the events and weddings designer” to the British market. Lovers of detail, Edward & Pamela are famous for adding a tailored touch to their events and taking care of every detail to ensure everything is just perfect. We met Edward and Pamela at their Chiswick, London Office to talk about why they are so popular and sought after by eager future weds to be’s.

“I think the essence of our success is to listen more and talk less. We understand that each couple has their own unique wedding dream and our job is to turn that dream into reality. We also have an incredible team of expert event specialists who are highly experienced at what they do with decades of experience”.

“We listen to our client’s plans and their hopes, digest that information and mould that abstract into practice. Our inspiration has come from us travelling to many beautiful places all over the world, from Venice to Paris, we draw on what we know can work in conjunction with what our customers are looking for.”

I wanted to know a bit more about what made them different from every other wedding planner

and event company.

“Well, firstly, we are not just wedding planners, but we are also event specialists that execute the whole job from beginning to end by providing all the necessary services from catering and mobile bars all the way to entertainment etc. One of the biggest challenges couples face is having to deal with multiple vendors for their big day and they turn to wedding planners to arrange the overall wedding detail and coordination for them. However, at Cater Express we are a one stop shop from assisting with the wedding planning plus executing all the services on the day. Weddings are stressful already, so we ensure we run the whole day seamlessly and provide all the services effortlessly”.

“We take our clients big day very seriously; it is important to us to ensure that the bride and groom is not worrying about anything on the day apart from enjoying this special day with their close family and friends creating memories. Our main responsibility is implementing a smooth process that provides transparency, professionalism and a hassle-free relationship”

I was starting to wonder how much this would all cost, Cater Express is renowned for doing celebrity events including Ferne Mccann, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Top Gear’s James May, amongst many others.

“The sad truth of the industry is that some companies will charge customers a lot more because of the word ‘Wedding’. This is quite sad really. Although we provide a premium service, we know that everyone’s budget differs, that’s why we feel it’s essential to work with our clients closely to achieve their dreams, after all, everyone deserves a perfect wedding, it just doesn’t have to cost the earth.”

Cater Express has won several awards of excellence and your reviews all talk of an exceptional

service. Why do so many couples choose you to plan and execute their big day?

“We are indeed very grateful for the constant demand! We believe that our approach is not from a business angle but more of a responsibility of scope that all comes down to one day, it has to be just perfect. At the same time, it needs to be affordable, reasonably priced and it must be in sync with what our clients have in mind for their magical day. I suppose we are easy to work with and we have the most amazing team behind us. Ultimately, our client’s happiness is everything, that’s what we work towards.”

Tell me a bit about your award-winning food?

“2 simple words, ingredients and Chef. We only provide the best of the best, our food is locally

sourced, organic and supplied from Selfridges. It is cooked by our highly experienced team including one of our Chefs who is the private cook for David & Victoria Beckham.”

I suppose that comes with a big price tag?

“Well, actually we provide a premium service at pretty much the industry standard average prices. That’s why we stand out”

That is amazing. From what I’ve seen from your portfolio of events, you guys know how to create

magic, I am simply blown away looking at your past events. I can’t believe can literally do anything.

“We don’t just do events; we create unforgettable experiences. We theme each Wedding as inspired by our clients and work towards their dream vision of the day, whether it’s a Blossom Tree forest theme or a Winter Wonderland Christmas Wedding, we always go the extra mile to provide that necessary ‘wow’ factor that we know our clients and their guests will enjoy and remember for a lifetime”.