STAR STUDDED EVENTS
Worldwide events organiser Julie Perry is well known for her wonderfully lavish weddings and glamorous parties
The ‘little black book’ of events organiser Julie Perry is crammed full with names of many high-profile clients – reality star Olivia Attwood and her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack, Manchester United defender Phil Jones and his wife Kaya and Wayne and Coleen Rooney, to name but a few, have all turned to Julie, who is renowned worldwide for creating lavish events and parties.
From a surprise, candlelit rooftop wedding to magical events staged in glamorous resorts across Europe, Julie has become the ‘go-to’ professional when it comes to organising stunning, extravagant celebrations.
“My business has evolved over three decades and, yes, my little black book reads like a chapter of Who’s Who! I am really well connected in the industry, so basically if a client comes to us with an idea, I know I can make it happen.”
From hiring Craig David, who flew in from Miami to sing at a high-profile wedding, commissioning a New York billboard for a couple who had just got engaged in Times Square, and chartering a private jet and super yacht for Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s five-day wedding in Portofino, Julie Perry Events has become a name synonymous with A-list glamour.
“Some clients come to me with just a date and an idea and want us to organise everything – from start to end, others like to be more involved,” says Julie, whose organisational skills are renowned. From stunning productions and lighting designs to bringing on board world-renowned musicians and celebrities, Julie recalls some of her most memorable events: “I have worked in the Ribble Valley many times and I absolutely love it – I have also organised events across the UK, US and Europe.
“There is nothing that can’t be done. I can create anything. I recently organised a 30th birthday party for a client who didn’t know that her partner was going to propose and put an engagement ring on her finger and marry her all in the same evening – it was awesome!
“We specified formal dress for guests on the 30th birthday invitation and organised all the dresses for the wedding ceremony, which took place on a rooftop decorated with a thousand candles – no-one knew it was happening apart from the groom and the bride’s mother.
“One of the guests tweeted and it went viral – the next day the couple were invited onto ITV’s This Morning!”
Working on a three-day wedding event in Tuscany recently for an English bride and Italian groom, Julie ‘dressed’ an ancient amphitheatre for the ceremony and transformed a gothic chapel into a New York-style nightclub for the evening’s entertainment.
For Olivia Attwood’s star-studded party in Manchester, the ‘Pastel & Camp’ theme attracted huge coverage in the national press: “It looked amazing!” she recalls. “Olivia’s dress was a stunning pale blue creation with a long detachable ruffle train – it was a fabulous event for us to be involved in,” adds Julie, who has also been secured to organise Olivia’s wedding next year.
Weddings and events abroad are a speciality for Julie Perry Events – the most notable perhaps being Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s five-day wedding celebration: “I remember waking up on the morning of the actual wedding and watching Sky news on the TV, which showed all the press vehicles lined up outside the hotel trying to get a glimpse of them. It was surreal!
“We chartered a private jet to fly all the guests to Italy. We had control of everything. The first day there was a masquerade ball with a Venetian theme on board a 230ft super yacht, which sailed around Portofino. Guests wore ball gowns and had custom-made masks.
“The second day was a rehearsal dinner in Genoa, the third day was the civil ceremony in Portofino and the main wedding event at La Cervara, which was absolutely beautiful, and the fourth day was a Moroccan-themed after-party with Arabian style tents.
“As a wedding gift Coleen asked us to fly the Stereophonics over – Wayne’s favourite band. There was a final party on day five in Genoa.”
With clients having the ultimate confidence in Julie, she is renowned for her impeccable organisational skills and being well-connected: “What is nice is that once I have organised an event for a client they keep coming back. There is an element of longevity as I organise birthdays, engagements and weddings, christenings and children’s parties.
“I recently organised a party for two sisters whose birthday parties were hours apart. The younger one had a Disney themed party in the morning with walkaround characters and a castle while the older one had a Harry Potter Hogwarts theme in the afternoon. We had to turn it around really quickly with two separate themes and two lots of young guests.”
Other children’s party themes have included a teddy bear’s picnic, Alice in Wonderland and a Dreamworks film set.
“We never say no to any idea,” explains Julie, who is currently planning a huge event for Soccer Aid which takes place this month.
“One couple wanted their new puppy to carry the rings down the aisle. We had three weeks to train it. When the day came the bride and groom whistled for the puppy and down the aisle it trotted!
“We organised a wedding at Grosvenor House in London for a couple who had two dogs – we had diamond collars made for them for the occasion,” recalls Julie, whose company also organises fashion events, product launches and private celebrations in people’s own homes.
“We have organised a private proposal dinner for a couple, with a celebrity chef and silver service. Under one of the silver cloches was a five-carat diamond ring.
“And for a private client in the Ribble Valley we organised an event in an awesome marquee with a balcony where guests ate while overlooking a stunning fountain and bespoke mini-lake.”
For another event Julie sourced a marquee from Europe which took four weeks to erect: “There was also a lake in the garden and we put on an exclusive show of dancing water, where everything was timed and choreographed to music.
“Entertainment is the most important thing at an event. It’s what makes it magical and memorable!”
