Featured In
NEW YORK TIMES
ROCK N ROLL BRIDE
TATLER
Welcome
If you care as deeply about how your wedding feels as how it looks, you’re exactly where you should be. I plan modern, unhurried weddings where time pauses intentionally, your day feels calm, beautifully balanced and entirely yours. There’s no rush, just a gentle rhythm that allows real moments to unfold naturally. It’s the way I’ve always worked, long before “slow weddings” became a social media named it as a trend set.
For over two decades, I’ve planned celebrations across private estates, family homes and exclusive countryside venues the kinds of weddings that ask for both elegance and precision. My background in large build project management means I’m as focused on flow and logistics as I am on asthetics and atmosphere and why I have a passion for creating, curating and co-ordinating outdoor marquee weddings. The way a space is lit, how guests transition from drinks to dinner, the seamless quiet between each part of the day, carefully selected cocktails, and securing entertainment that enhances and elevates your guests experience is all shaped with care. When those pieces align, your guests feel at ease, and everything looks and feels effortlessly refined.
ThE
quiet
ELOQUENCE
Executed with intention, ensuring your day feels quietly assured, deeply considered and entirely your own. Enabling you to enjoy your day.
My approach is calm and clear. Whether I’m with you from the very beginning or stepping in closer to the day, my focus and attention to detail remains the same.
With full wedding planning, I’m by your side from the moment your date is secured until the final light is switched off after the derig shaping every element, guiding suppliers, confirming travel & accomodation arrangements, liasing with security teams and weaving each part together so it feels effortless. It’s a complete partnership built on trust, creativity and calm precision.
My on‑the‑day coordination offers the same level of care, just within a more concentrated window. In the months leading up to your wedding, I take the reins at approximately six weeks prior to your wedding, refining every detail, confirming every plan, and ensuring on your wedding day everything flows seamlessly while you enjoy every element.
From experience, I know many couples begin with every intention of planning their own wedding, until the sheer volume of decisions and suppliers starts to feel too much. Consultancy is the space in between doing it all yourself and handing everything over. Whether you need a clear and concise plan at the very start or a trusted sounding board partway through, I'm there to offer support, guidance or simply removed the issues and secure the service provision on your behalf. It’s collaborative, reassuring and intentionally lightens your overwhelm, so your plans feel clearer, more considered and still unmistakably yours.
.
TWO
decades
of EXPERIENCE
My approach is calm, clear and concidered. Whether I’m with you from the very beginning or stepping in closer to the day, my focus and attention to detail remains the same.
Military bride & groom, old landrover wedding car. Cimbrian wedding celebrated at home, with luxury marquee and Donna Hartley-Redfearn North East Wedding Planner
Large military luxury wedding at Carlise Cathedral, followed by canape and champagne reception at home in Brampton on the family estate. Designed and created by North East Wedding Planner. Georgina Harrison Photographer Catering Boldon Farmhouse Pantry
Modern wedding held at Carlise Cathedral with canape and champagne reception on the Brampton Estate in Cumbria. Donna Hartley-Redfearn - North East Wedding Planner. Cumbrian Military Wedding
I’ve planned and produced weddings across prestigious venues, private estates, family farms and exclusive use properties from chapels and cathedrals to warehouses and even a quarry.
My clients range from dynamic professionals and farmers to medical consultants, barristers, English aristocracy and high‑profile figures: celebrities, political leaders, international executives and time‑poor individuals. Over eighty percent live in London, Dubai, Syndney and Toronto drawn to marry in England and Scotland’s most beautiful settings. They share a love of travel, fine dining, music and they expect privacy, quality and seamless service.
Discretion isn’t optional it’s standard. I work routinely with NDAs, parliamentary security teams and media restrictions to keep your wedding entirely yours. Not every celebration appears in my public portfolio many live only in a private, by‑request gallery to protect my couples’ privacy.
St Andrews | Glen Eagles | Mulgrave Castle & Estate | Lambton Castle & Estate | The Lodge Estate
Bamburgh Castle & The Pavilion & village | Durham Cathedral & Castle | Callaly Castle
Stonechester Racing Stables | The Hilton New York | The Savoy | Harry Potter's Quidditch Lawn
Alnwick Castle & Gardens & Treehouse | Brancepeth Castle | Burnhopside Hall
Yorkshire Wedding Barn | Fusco Estate Whitby | Hornington Manor | Larkington Hall
Hexham Winter Gardens | Tynemouth Priory | Kielder Water
Hill of Tarvit | Preston Towers Estate | Summer Hill Bowling Club THE APARTMENT GROUP VENUES and many more
TRUST
THAT
DELIVERS
EXCEPTIONAL
celebrations
Securing the right wedding planner is above anything else about trust and some may say a feeling. Many of my couples live out of the UK, we often don’t meet in person until just before the wedding. That level of trust isn’t accidental. It’s built through proven experience and clear, transparent communication at every stage.
Donna is the epitome of refined excellence and Experience,
she is the best-kept secret within the wedding industry. With exquisite taste and an elite network of global artisans,
Donna elevates every celebration to an art form, setting a new standard in modern weddings.
Tatler
ONE | DESIGN
The starting point for our planning process is to create the celebration story; interpret your vision and create a design that is distinctive to you. Following a detailed planning meeting, where we talk through the whole wedding, we produce an overview and mood board for each stage of the celebration. This enables us to form the foundation for our planning. It provides us with a clear understanding from the start, enabling us to source incredible products and build the skilled team that will transform our ideas into reality.
THREE | PLANNING
Throughout the entire process we will work closely with you and on your behalf; attentively planning, sourcing and managing behind the scenes. We don’t over complicate this element because we know you don’t have time for that. Our thorough processes ensure financial management, logistics, scheduling, supplier communication and site visits are all handled efficiently without you having to get tied up in too many details. Creating our comprehensive “event report” will ensure each and every detail, movement and timing is considered in advance of your big day.
TWO | SUPPLIERS
Creating the right team from the beginning is vital. We are dedicated to recommending only the top suppliers who align perfectly with your needs. Our aim is to assemble a unified team that collaborates, supports each other, and delivers a wedding experience characterised by exceptional customer service and high-quality products. We have create a network of globally trustworthy and experienced suppliers, we guarantee a smooth planning process and an unforgettable event for your guests.
FOUR | EXECUTION
Celebration management is the decisive final step in our planning process. Whether you opt for our Wedding Management or On The Day Coordination, we craft a bespoke execution plan tailored to your unique celebration. We expertly oversee marquee setup, production load-in, floral installation, and de-rigging. On day itself, we confidently represent you, greeting suppliers, welcoming guests, managing the event flow, and ensuring everything runs seamlessly until the very end of the night.
'we've never planned a wedding before' is how we started the conversation....
donna replied
'It's ok I have' Her wicked sense of humour and wedding wizardry is what sets her apart.
Eleanor
It's always a privledge to have real weddings featured within magazines and blogs. My couples love it and who doesnt say yes to being published. Working with the media on large projects is a privildge and I've been very lucky with the weddings I've collaborated on.
I’ve planned landmark weddings at Harry Potter’s Quidditch Lawn, Mrs McGonagall’s office, private homes of House of Lords members and Members of Parliament, exclusive country estates and the New York Ritz to name just a few.
As a five-time Female Entrepreneur of the Year with over fifty international awards, I deliver weddings that leave a lasting legacy. I’m the only planner trusted to host on the Harry Potters Quidditch Lawn, and my work has been featured worldwide in TATLER, Hello!, The New York Times and Bride alongside recognition from the Royal Family, BBC and Channel 4. I've never paid for features, my work has advertised itself.
This means you get a planner who knows exactly how to execute the extraordinary with precision and discretion. Your wedding isn’t just beautiful it’s the one your guests will talk about for decades. I work quietly behind the scenes, but the results are bold, elevated and entirely yours.
quote
MEDIA
A wedding planner is like wifi… Not absolutely required, but wow does it make life easier.
One of my couples read this in a magazine and sent this to me....something resonated and stayed with me...
As seen in
ROCK N ROLL BRIDE | WHIMSICAL WEDDINGS | UNCONVENTIONAL WEDDINGS | OFFBEAT BRIDE
STYLE ME PRETTY | GAY WEDDING BLOG | LOVE MY DRESS | ROCK MY WEDDING | PRETTY & PUNK
TATLER | THE new york TIMES | SUNDAY TIMES | CHANNEL 4 | BBC
When we imagined our wedding, we wanted two things: something modern with a funky twist and a party no one would ever forget. Donna and her team made that happen and then some!
our ceremony was romantic but not slushy, but our party was unreal. The staging, the lighting, the music... it was absolutely bouncing. DJs, live music, and a vibe that had everyone dancing into the early hours, breakfast before bed.
Donna, ramped up our vision and gave us the most incredible celebration. everyone should have a Donna. Ella
MEET
DONNA
It’s always helpful to know a little about the person you’re trusting with such an important day. I have a long‑standing obsession with sunglasses, from classic designer frames to vintage treasure‑hunt finds in boho markets. I love to travel and never really need an excuse to jump on a plane or a train, especially if there are good coffee shops and pretty town squares waiting at the other end. My ideal evening is simple: time with friends, great food and live music.
I’m a wife, a mother to two brilliant boys, and human to Izzy, the tiniest and most indulged mini dachshund with a very big personality. Between us, we’re very much a team.
Before weddings, I built my career in project management, specialising in logistics and learning how to keep many moving parts working smoothly. In 2007, I launched my first wedding business and soon after, North East Wedding Planners. Since then, I’ve worked with an extraordinary mix of couples, including royalty, celebrities, politicians, professionals and many who know exactly what they want and, just as importantly, what they don’t. That clarity has allowed me to design, curate and coordinate weddings across the UK and internationally.
A mumpreneur who is passionate about travel, atmostpheric experiences and timeless asthetics. I'm the geek who loves logistical challenges, timelines and elevating designs.
'
what a wedding,
and that is all thanks to Donna's exceptional attention to detail. her communication was flawless throughout the process, we are based between Cape Town and London. Donna's eye for design created a perfect blend of antique charm and modern sophistication. Her ability to curate top-notch suppliers and execute a complex ten-day wedding build was remarkable. The result was a celebration that seamlessly bridged two continents and exceeded our wildest expectations.
Leah
CONTACT THE TEAM
Let's get the conversation started...
We offer a complimentary one-hour Zoom Discovery Call, which gives us the time to listen to your wedding vision,
talk through the possibilities and for you to ask us any questions. This is a relaxed conversation that enables us to get to know each other - think of it as the first date without the nerves.
I'll start this review off with a simple statement: If you are getting married and you're not sure A) if you need a planner and B) who you should be working with....
The answer is
A) yes, you need one and B), 100%, without question...
Donna Hartley-Redfearn, North East Wedding Planners.
“We had an amazing wedding weekend, the last few hours are a bit of a blur, as expected, but I know we had a blast. Donna, we really can’t emphasise how immensely grateful we are for everything you did for us. You made the planning process so easy, alerted us to things we’d never have even considered and took care of everything.
Our guests at our next-day brunch commented on how the whole weekend ran so smoothly and your team is super-efficient, ever so helpful and friendly.
Can we do it all again?
Cara x
Insta-Weddings!
