THE WEDDING INDUSTRY AWARDS 2024
London Lights and Wedding Delights: A Night to Remember at TWIA 2024
As winner of the regional Wedding Venue Stylist of the Year for the East of England, Miss Carylsle & Co has been invited to The Wedding Industry Awards 2024 (TWIA) in London for the national finals held on Wednesday, 24 January. This event is at The Underglobe on the banks of the River Thames, and near the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
My colleagues are travelling down from Cambridgeshire, the Docklands and the suburbs of London; it is the first time the team has been to one venue at the same time! The group WhatsApp chat, typically discussing various wedding tablescapes and chair drapes, is filled with tanning tips, dress designs, and nail fails.
With Beth at the helm, Hayley, Nadia, Maisy, Georgia, and I arrive at The Underglobe, which is buzzing with life and the spectacular backdrop of London’s skyline, the team excitedly descend to the auditorium. There are stilt walkers, aerial hoops, and acrobats to delight. Topped up with a couple of Proseccos, the team shimmies to their chairs to await the start of the big event.
Damian Bailey, TWIA Founder, is hosting and with a raucous crowd to entertain, the night’s event starts. There are 26 categories to work through, with nominees divided between Highly Commended and Winner. Beth’s category, Venue Stylist, will be one of the final categories to be revealed. Watching the winners and highly commended dance down the aisle on hearing their names declared is fabulous.
Finally, “Wedding Venue Stylist of the Year” appears on the screen. Phones to the ready, the team virtually on the verge of fainting, hold their breath waiting for “Miss Carlysle & Co” to be declared. “Highly Commended goes to ‘Lush Occasions!’”. And again, we wait with bated breath for the following announcement: “The Winner is … ‘Locate to Create!’”.
There is a moment where I feel a little deflated, but hey, Miss Carlysle & Co were Regional Winners for the East of England – no mean feat, and with congratulations to Locate to Create and Lush Occasions teams on their win, we toast our achievements for this Wedding Awards 2024!
I removed my strappy heels and put my more familiar Vans on for the walk to the London Bridge tube. With a hug and wave goodbye to the Miss Carlysle & Co team, who are looking forward to shaking a leg or two on the dance floor, I ascend the stairs out into the winter’s night for the journey home.