http://www.charlottewinship.com/

Charlotte Winship Consulting, Exeter (2026)

05/05/2026

Venue Spotlight

For couples looking for a picturesque outdoor wedding venue in a quintessential Devon landscape:

Introducing

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Jess at her beautiful family home and viewing her gorgeous garden. An idyllic spot for an outdoor wedding blessing and the perfect place for Austen aficionados or Bridgerton buffs.

The paddock beyond overlooks the stunning Georgian façade and is an ideal marquee site. A very pretty and secluded spot, surrounded by trees but with plenty of open space for a traditional pole marquee, sailcloth tent or tipi; level, accessible, well drained ground with access to water. Plenty of discreet parking space is available too.

Although the house is private, there is the opportunity to use the Sitting Room as a dressing room and Jess is on hand to help guide and support you throughout your wedding planning journey and on the day.

The village church is a short walk away for those seeking a more traditional ceremony and there is plenty of local accommodation for those travelling from afar.

Ooh and a vintage Land Rover available for you to arrive in the best style and complete the bucolic charm!

Dates are still available for 2027 but only a limited number of bookings are taken each year so get in touch with Jess soon and book a visit!

04/05/2026

No sticky wickets here!

The rain threw a googly but did not stop play on Saturday for L&Js cricket-themed wedding!

hit for six and the sun returned for the second innings on Sunday.

A wedding match for the ages!

25/12/2025

Wherever you are and however you are celebrating the turning of the wheel, wishing you love, light and merriment.

If you’re in here in the Northern Hemisphere then Happy Yule!

Like all new things, next year brings great promise and as ever I look forward to it with open heart and mind.

17/11/2025

VENUE
/ˈvɛn.juː/

noun

A venue is a place or space where a live event happens. It can be small or large, indoor or outdoor, temporary or permanent. It can be a dedicated event space or a place which has multiple functions. It can be a purpose-built space or a place adapted for hosting events. It can be a home, a museum, a field, a hotel, a stadium, a barn, a warehouse, a church, a school, a garden, a …… etc

If you have a ‘Where’ I can help you define a Who, What, Why, When and How.

🎪Tell me about your favourite space?
🔔What memorable event took place there?
🏰 Or is it a space yet to make its mark?

…………………………………………………………………………

Hi I’m Charlotte. Over the past 25 years, I have managed venues, launched and scaled businesses, delivered countless events of all shapes and sizes and built teams both in the UK and Australia.

I offer training, advice and support to venue owners and operators on venue and event management including sales and marketing, business development, venue operations, event logistics, compliance and safety, customer experience and technology.

Whatever stage of your business journey, if you have a place with a space for events and need help to make it financially viable or operationally efficient and compliant, I am here to help.

05/11/2025

Thoughts on leadership…

Whether you’re managing a football team, conducting an orchestra, captaining a ship, leading an expedition or mastering a tipi build; good leadership is essential for any organisation to fulfil their peak potential.

So why are so many failing to invest in the training and development of effective leaders?

If your crew is close to mutiny or your band can’t find their harmony, I can help you reach the peak of your potential and devise a strategy that will get you and your team back on track.

My latest Blog Post is all about leadership: the good, the bad and the ugly.

To read more, visit the link in my bio.

23/10/2025

The Wedding Trends Report for 2026 is out this week.

It seems Bridgerton continues to wield a heavy influence on wedding styles. Classic, Regency-era, romance in soft colour palettes and bold, dramatic decor. And ruffles, lots of ruffles!

If your venue is more boho than Bridgerton, don’t despair!

Trends come and go and not everyone is imagining themselves in a basque waist. Ultimately couples want a wedding day that is a unique expression of themselves. A day that allows them to relax and feels truly personal. Whether that’s a ritualised regal ceremony inside a cathedral or a more personalised celebrant-led ceremony on the beach.

Not everyone is going to like your venue. All couples bring unique experiences, backgrounds, needs and expectations which form their values and ideals.

You’re not going to be the right fit for every couple and they might not be the right fit for you. To be authentic you need to keep in mind exactly who your ideal couple are and how you can meet their needs and expectations. What does your venue offer? Who is this most going to appeal to? A pen-portrait can help here and is a useful tool for planning your marketing content.

My biggest tip to venues (and couples!)…do what feels right for you. If it feels too awkward or you’re going to have to make too many compromises, then you’re probably not the perfect match.

If you’d like to have an informal, no obligation, chat with me please do book a Discovery Call (see link in bio) or send me a DM and I will respond.

Photo credits: (1 & 2), via Unsplash (3), (4 & 7), Lucy Claire via Unsplash (5) and / (6)

Styled Shoot (Slides 1 & 3):
Concept, Planner & Styling -
Florist -
Hair Stylist -
Make-up Artist -
Cake Artist -
Wedding Dress -
Plants - .co.uk
Furniture & Decor -
Napkins, Runners & Drapes -
Jewellery -
Model -

19/10/2025

It’s almost that time of year.

420 years ago, Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up the Palace of Westminster, including James I.

Caught with a packet of matches, Guy Fawkes was arrested, tried for treason and executed.

To celebrate saving the King and foiling the Gunpowder Plot, an Act of Parliament was passed. This required every church to perform a service with prayers of thanksgiving and sermons preaching an anti-Catholic rhetoric.

Afterwards, encouraged to light bonfires and paint the night sky with fireworks, the public celebration could become quite anarchic. The Flaming Tar Barrels in Ottery St Mary, are a prime example.

The Act was repealed in 1859 but the bonfire celebrations and fireworks have continued. Bonfire Night was one of the traditions I missed most whilst living abroad. That’s why I am thrilled to be the Event Coordinator for the British Fireworks Championships.

Fireworks and bonfire celebrations have evolved over the years and they are now much more controlled. Part of my work in Plymouth is to manage and control risk. This starts with a deep analysis of the event site, the activities taking place and the people involved. I prepare detailed plans and continue to assess risk throughout the event with the aim of keeping everyone safe from harm and ensuring two-nights of fantastic fireworks.

Fireworks remain a popular finale for many events including weddings and it is useful for event organisers to have a basic understanding of the risks involved in working with them.

Health & safety is something we take seriously, even when there are no fireworks. Failure to control risk can be catastrophic to lives and livelihoods. Risk analysis is a fundamental responsibility for event organisers and venue managers.

Up-to-date policies, detailed EMP, staff training and specific RAs can help you prepare for all eventualities.

Hi, I’m Charlotte. I’ve been managing events for over 25 years. The benefit of all my years experience is that I have seen plenty of things go wrong so I know the steps to take to make sure everything goes right.

If you’d like to pick my brains, send me a DM.

Last pic by

15/10/2025

Bye bye Summer; hello Autumn.

For the wedding fraternity this marks a turning point between the height of the busy Summer season to a more languid Winter period.

Some of us maybe welcoming this slower pace, an opportunity to rest and reset, take stock, wind down to the end of the year and prepare for a busy engagement season.

For others, it might not be so welcome for business cash flow.

It doesn’t have to be.

Whilst Spring and Summer remain the most popular seasons for weddings, there are couples who are looking for Autumn and Winter dates. Demand might be smaller but the marketplace is open.

If you want year-round weddings then you need to adjust your sales and marketing strategy with the seasons.

Different seasons means different expectations.

How does your marketing activity reflect the change of seasons?

Forget images of sun-drenched gardens, spring florals, sandals and sangria. Your photographs need to depict cosy candlelit rooms, sumptuous feasts, rich tones and warm textures.

How have you adjusted your sales strategy to compete when there’s shorter demand?

Less demand means more competition so couples need extra incentive to book your venue. In the current climate, this means adding value or reducing prices.

And don’t forget, we all love a wedding but there are plenty of other reasons to hire a venue.

😊 Hi, I’m Charlotte and I’m here to help venue owners navigate their business to success.

Are you just starting out? Do you need help to establish strategies, policies and procedures that set you on the path to success?

Has your journey already begun but you’ve lost direction or need a bit more wind in your sail?

I’ve worked in the Wedding and Events industry for 25 years and in all aspects of venue operations; from coordinating countless weddings and events of all shapes and sizes; to managing staff, finance, sales and marketing, safety and compliance, change management and client and vendor relations.

There’s no one size fits all to successful venue management. Each venue is unique and it’s about putting in place the right strategies that work for you.

Send me a DM and let’s connect.

10/10/2025

Autumn - the last quarter of the year or a new beginning for some.

I love this time of year. It feels like a turning point.

Kids are back at school, the Earth has yielded her Summer harvest, crops have been gathered and the pastures are giving their final nourishment before winter hibernation begins.

The sun is lower in the sky, providing a softer light. The days are getting shorter, nights are drawing in. Mycelium networks are doing their thing, populating the woodlands and grasslands with wonderful mushrooms, digesting the falling fruits and leaves, and regenerating the soil.

The height of the wedding season has passed too. Time for venues to rest and digest, reset and regenerate before the next season begins.

How is 2025 going? What’s working well? What does 2026 look like? What could be better? What would you like 2027 to look like? How are you going to get there?

Reviewing is an important part of all business planning. It allows you to take stock of where you are, to celebrate your journey so far, adjust and reset your course to get to where you want to be.

Sometimes it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes and ears; to help you analyse and assess, to look more deeply, pinpoint and target more effectively, reassure and encourage.

😊

Hi, I’m Charlotte and I’m here to share 25 years of learning, experience and observations working for venues all over the World and planning many extraordinary events. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and also achieved some success. I am here to help you by bringing my unique set of eyes and ears to new venues and established venues.

I’ve worked in all aspects of venue operations; from event coordination to business development; managing staff, finance, sales and marketing, safety and compliance, change management and client and vendor relations.

Whether you would like a straightforward review of your business or business plan with advice on sales and marketing strategies, operational procedures and business development initiatives or a more active role in helping you to deliver effective strategies, establish robust procedures and implement fresh initiatives.

Send me a DM to find out more!

15/11/2024

Us wedding and events professionals, are not always very good at self-care. We are too busy taking care of everyone else! So today I decided to take a break and float all my troubles away…

If you suffer from claustrophobia this is probably not the experience for you but if you’re happy to be confined in a small, dark space whilst you marinate in a salty brine for an hour then I highly recommend giving it a try! More precisely the ‘brine’ is a mixture of water and Epsom salts (or magnesium sulphate) which is well known for its therapeutic qualities.

Magnesium Sulphate has been known to help sooth everything from tired feet to injured muscles and can even help sufferers of depression. It occurs naturally in seawater which is possibly one of the reasons sea swimming is so invigorating!

The Floatroom at is much more spacious and inviting than float pods. It’s about the size of a large single bed, with a 2m high ceiling.

The water is about a foot deep and the salt to water ratio is high creating a dense, viscous liquid which allows your entire body to float.

I have dabbled in mindfulness over the years and this is one of the best mindfulness experiences.Trying to switch off my brain is often hard and usually best achieved with outdoor activity away from digital and human distractions.

Indoors and inactive, this is the most deeply relaxing experience I’ve ever had. I’m not a massive fan of massages, particularly after a traumatic experience in Morocco! But water does generally help me relax whether I’m near it or in it!!

Floating in the water my body feels balanced and the complete sensory deprivation allows my senses to rest and I am able to achieve a deep state of relaxation. I drift between a conscious and unconscious state, focusing on my breath and the sensation of floating.

The smile says it all! An hour later I emerged; satiated, restored and replenished (with a salty crust 😄).

It might not be for everyone but I definitely recommend trying if you are looking for a new way to relax!

PS. This is not an AD. I was gifted a voucher by my lovely husband and finally got to use it after a busy events season.

Charlotte Winship Consulting

05/05/2026

04/05/2026

25/12/2025

17/11/2025

05/11/2025

23/10/2025

19/10/2025

15/10/2025

10/10/2025

15/11/2024

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