In the last decade, Liz Sexton has created Britain's most established and well-respected wedding co-ordination company.

With a background in chartered accountancy and project management, Liz applies her business acumen to the companies she runs and now provides wedding services to a wide range of customers worldwide. In many cases these are busy, professional couples with similar backgrounds to her own.

As well as a highly competent organiser, Liz also has an astounding knowledge of the bad, the merely good, and the excellent within the world of wedding venues and wedding suppliers. Such knowledge allows her to advise, guide and steer her customers through the emotional and costly maze that constitutes a modern wedding.

Combined with her financial training, this gives Liz the formidable skills to help her customers get the most from every "wedding pound" they spend.

Q. Why is the company called Alternative Occasions?

A. Our aim has always been to help couples do things differently, but ideally in such a way that everyone remembers their wedding as something very special for a long time to come. Frequently we have couples say to us that they do not want their wedding to be like so many they have attended previously, which have been formulaic and consequently instantly forgettable. So, assuming we do our job well, and help them identify the perfect ingredients for their wedding, the bridal couple and their guests will remember their day for all the right reasons - rather than the wrong!

Q. Who uses the services of a wedding co-ordinator?

A. Our services are used by a wide range of couples and in some cases parents, although most are busy professionals or have jobs that are demanding on their time and as a consequence they cannot do justice to their wedding preparations. Others come to us just to benefit from our ideas, creativity and knowledge of weddings and wedding suppliers.

Regardless of who comes to us, we always ensure they never feel out of control or detached from the planning, as this is where the enjoyment comes from, whether it's picking floral styles, choosing table settings or generally creating the character of the wedding. Our role is like that of a conductor of an orchestra, ensuring that the "audience" gains the maximum enjoyment from the ensemble of chosen suppliers.

Q. What are the largest, smallest and most interesting weddings you have co-ordinated?

A. The smallest wedding we have arranged was for an American couple who had a Scottish castle to themselves, whilst the largest was for an Asian couple with over 1400 guests. The most interesting and probably the most complex wedding we have organised to date was a wedding split between Monte Carlo and London. The complexity was largely due to the language and cultural differences between the UK and Southern France, but what made it interesting was the couple's desire for theming throughout, which involved us with considerably more suppliers to ensure the detail was spot-on.

Q. How do Alternative Occasions' wedding co-ordination services differ from those offered by venues?

A. Yes, it's true that some venues offer degrees of wedding co-ordination, however their co-ordinators are working for the venue first and the wedding couple second. Our role is to ensure that couples receive everything they have paid for and that all the components of the wedding, not just those from the venue, come together as planned. The really good venues recognise the importance of the co-ordinator and work closely with us to ensure the bride and groom have the best day of their life - which has to be the main goal for everyone!

Our role also differs in that we are assisting the bride and groom from an early stage, giving advice, guidance and examples to help them identify the best ingredients for their day for all of the suppliers involved. On the day itself, we effectively act as their "eyes and ears" to ensure that everything goes according to plan and everyone can relax in the knowledge that someone has their best interests at heart.

By contrast, venues often cannot provide the continuity of staffing, whether this is because of a high turnover of staff or because their co-ordinator hands over to another individual on the wedding day itself, often resulting in a loss of detail.

Our involvement ensures continuity from beginning to end, in effect providing quality assurance to maintain the detail, and as an independent third party we can help resolve any potential disputes should they arise.

Q. How do Alternative Occasions' wedding co-ordination services differ from those offered by other co-ordination companies?

A. Experience and professionalism! Alternative Occasions has been organising weddings for over ten years, for a vast array of clients including CEO’s, celebrities and professional couples. Many of our clients have returned with requests for us to organise private parties, anniversary celebrations, corporate events as well as recommending us to family and friends. Consequently, over 40% of our new business is now gained from personal recommendation. Despite our success and the relationships we have built, we are constantly researching new suppliers, venues and services. We are very aware of changes within the industry and keep abreast of new developments and ideas, whilst building on the vast experience we have gained over the years.