Since her regular starring role on Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun, everyone’s clamouring for the services of wedding and events planner Monica Coumbe to make their celebration special, as Belinda Beckett reports.
“I’m tired, stressed and I look like a drunken driver with this,” giggles Monica Coumbe to camera as she rushes a Morrisons supermarket trolley loaded with goodies to the stars’ dressing rooms at Gibraltar Music Festival.There’s apple cider for Lawson,Haribos gummy bears for Olly Murs,miso soup for Emeli Sande...but something else is interesting a gang of Barbary macaques watching her with beady eyes from the rooftops
“Uh-oh, there’s an ape and I’ve got bananas,”cries Monica,breaking into a gallopin high heels.“Oh no ... there’s two, three, fourapes, please somebody, help,” sheyelps, forced to limbounder a barrier to escape the pesky primates and gether VIP delivery to Victoria Stadium in one piece.
It’s one of many hilarious clips from the Channel5 reality show that has endeared Monica to nearly two million British TV viewers who have watched her in all three series.Even the show’s droll narrator, Timothy Spall,is a fan although they’ve never met.
“It’s fate,every time I’m filmed there’s always some kind of drama,” she laughs. “But I believe in destiny–things happen for a reason.”
It’s certainly great PR for the events and weddings business and proof positive that not even a scary monkey encounter can divert the tenacious Monica from her mission.No matter what banana skins are waiting to trip her up, she comes up trumps, with a smile.
Clearly This former travel agent has found her true niche after an eclectic career that also took her into banking, kitchen and bathroom design,online gaming and clothing retail before she launched Hour Weddings, and sister company Hour Concierge,in 2007.
More recently she started organising corporate bashes for companies such as Lloyds Private Banking and Interbuild. They also hire out props–everything from lemonade bars and popcorn stands to candles,party favours, fairy lights and sparkly Rosie Willett Tiaras–which they plan to showcase at abridalfair later this year.
She has organised 500 events and average 50 weddings a year, masterminded from a stylish off-Main Street boutique with black-and-white-striped awnings.They have 40 weddings already on the books for 2015.
As well as the huge interest generated from Monica’s TV appearances they’ve gained kudos organising weddings for several high-profile clients, including Gibraltar fashion designer John Galliano’s niece Elizabeth,
“Elizabeth wore a stunning dress designed by her uncle in Paris and we provided a magical flamenco-themed reception in San Roque with dancing horses from Jerez and sherry poured by venenciador,” enthuses Monica.
She also pulled out all the stops to get Gibraltar’s busy Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo,and his bride Justine to the church on time. “We decorated the Sacred Heart Church with flowers and 500 candles, booked two tenors to sing at the service, created a white and gold theme for the reception at the Rock Hotel,with a Cuban band and mojitos,finishing off with fire jugglers for the after party on Eastern Beach,” says Monica, sounding as breathless as she must have been on the day.
Thanks to John and Yoko Lennon,who famously tied the knot on The Rock in 1969,Gibraltar is known the world over for its hassle-free weddings and 95 percent of Monica’s clients come from abroad,and from as far afield as Scandinavia, America, the Middle andFar East and Australia. Monica has worked overseas herself, once organising a four-day nuptial extravaganza in Tenerife, featuring 16 gala events for 200 guests.
It all sounds very glam although Monica spends most of her day on her laptop and smartphone, rushing between the notary and the registrar, organising documentation, cars, flowers, hotels, guest transfers, photography and pretty much everything except the wedding outfits.
“Once the panic is over I enjoy the occasion and often have a tear in my eye myself,” says romantic Monica.“I love working with people and being creative. We feel very privileged at the trust people place in us to organise the most important day of their life.
”Beyond the traditional registry office and church weddings, al fresco ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular,with the Alameda Gardens, the Sunborn Yacht Hotel and panoramic Mons Calpe Suite at the top of the Rock Among favourite locations ...althoughferryingcanapésand wedding cakeupby cable carin Barbary macaque territory is not quite such a favourite with Monica!
“People used to choose Gibraltar for small, intimate weddings but,increasingly,we’re handling celebrations for 20, 50, even 100 guests,and four or five bridesmaids is becoming the norm,”says Monica, when I ask about the latest trends. “Most people still prefer traditional wedding album of photographs a video.And whereas once it was only celebrities who asked for prenups,more couples are requesting them and we can arrange that too.
”A20-guest wedding can cost from as little as £5,000-£6,000. Civil Partnerships were legalised in Gibraltar last year and Monica, bursting with inspiration, can’t wait for her first.
Vicars falling ill, flights being diverted to Malaga in bad weather, interpreters having to be called in at the last minute–Monica has been through it all but in a crisis,grooms tend to becalmerand more proactive than brides. “Everyone is on edge as the big day approaches, it’s understandable.That’s why we like to spend as much time as possible getting to know our couples and planning well ahead,so everything can be as they dream it will be.”I can’t resist asking Monica about her own wedding but it was an event tinged with sadness.“My father died four days before he was due to walk me down the aisle. But if I ever did it again it would be in an Indian Temple on the beach with elephant transport for every guest,”says Monica, whois proud of her Indian heritage. It would be quite a bash as she’s the youngest of 15 children and an auntie multiple times over, with two daughters of her own.
Being invited to look after the stars at the last two Gibraltar Music Festivals was a particular honour, although among their dressing room requests were some pretty tall orders. “Not Everything was easy to find”,laughs Monica, who was seen on TV scouring the supermarkets and corner shops for miso soup and elderflower water. “We were asked for everything from porcelain mugs to manuka honey and FijiWaterandI never did find out.
what Ella Eyre did with the yellow tennis balls she asked for! But seeing everyone’s happy faces when everything lives up to their expectations makes it all worthwhile!
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