The annual Guides for Brides Customer Service Awards recognises and rewards wedding businesses that deliver exceptional service and achieve outstanding customer satisfaction.
The Awards Ceremony
Tickets are available to awards finalists and those working within the wedding industry. You can book your tickets by calling the office on 01235 770078 and speaking to a member of the team.
- Date: 27th March 2025
- Timings: 18:30 to 23:30
- Location: The Oxford Town Hall
- Ticket Price: £165 + VAT per person
- Included with the ticket: Drink on arrival, 3 course meal, awards ceremony, music & dancing and charity raffle
- Dress Code: Dress to Impress
View our celebration menu for the evening. This will be served to all guests unless you opt for the vegan menu. Please note: Dietary requirements are to be notified by 13th of March and we cannot guarantee menu adjustments after this date.
Oxford Town Hall is conveniently located in the city centre and is easily accessible. Park and Ride bus stops are nearby, as well as all major bus routes, various car parking facilities and Oxford train station are just a short walk away. For directions, the town hall is located on St. Aldate's, Oxford, OX1 1BX.
If you are staying overnight and looking for accommodation, take a look at some of the wonderful options nearby here.
After such a busy season, it is really important to bring recognition to the wedding industry, and shine a light on the many businesses, of all sizes, that are making it thrive and delivering their clients a brilliant experience.
The awards are totally free for our advertisers to enter, and we have over 25 main categories.
What is the process for entering the Guides for Brides Customer Service Awards?
Step 1: Ask your couples for their help
The Guides for Brides awards are based on both the quality and quantity of your reviews. Your couples - past, present, and future - will be happy to help as they'll want their venue or suppliers to be award-winning too!
Make it easy for them to leave reviews by sharing the news on your website, on social media and in your email footer with a link to your Guides for Brides listing or to guidesforbrides.co.uk/reviews.
If your couples have left reviews for you elsewhere, these can also be included as long as you include the individual's first name, wedding date and venue.
Step 2: If you are shortlisted
Businesses will be automatically shortlisted in January 2025. This will be based on the quantity and quality of reviews left from 1st January - 31st December 2024. We look at the size of your business and the number of wedding clients into consideration to give small businesses the same chance as larger companies.
If your business is shortlisted, you will be sent a short questionnaire to fill in. Here you can tell our leading industry experts why your business should be the winner of a Customer Service Award.
Step 3: Finalists
Our industry experts will analyse the shortlisted businesses in order to narrow them down to our finalists and pick a winner for each category. This is based on their reviews and supporting information that shows they are delivering excellent service and achieving great customer satisfaction.
All finalists will receive an email confirmation of their status and an invitation to the awards evening. These are announced by the end of January 2025.
We then hand over to our panel of judges who will select our winners.
The Awards Ceremony
Who chooses the winners?
Our awards are judged throughout the process based on the quality and quantity of the reviews you receive. Once we get to the finalist stage, the decision is handed over to a panel of industry experts to select the winners.
The Judges
Once again we have asked a group of judges to choose the winners in each category, we are always incredibly grateful for them taking their time to make sure the business with the best customer service will win. With so much great talent it is no easy feat but we are sure they will rise to the challenge!
Our judges for 2025 are:
Siobhan Craven-Robins has been a wedding coordinator and director of Siobhan Craven-Robins Weddings for 26 years and runs the National Association of Wedding Professionals. Siobhan's experience as a planner is shaped by her customer service and her ability to bring together wedding businesses to create the perfect day for her couples.
Charlie Clements is the Sales & Marketing manager at Oxford City Council. With a fantastic nine-year background in the leisure industry, she brings a warm and friendly demeanour that makes her the perfect choice as a judge for our customer service awards.
Becca Poutney is a Speaker, Blogger and Marketing Expert. Becca organises networking events for wedding businesses and advises them on how they can develop and grow. She shares many of her expert tips in her podcast, Wedding Pros Who Are Ready To Grow. As an industry expert and will be a great judge for our awards!
Rebecca Waldron has been a winner at our awards on multiple occasions over previous years and is now stepping back in order to be a judge. Having won before, Rebecca has demonstrated customer service in her own company White Rose Ceremonies and knows what to look for.
Tomas Willoughby is assistant manager of THAT Event Company Oxford. With a fantastic history in the events services industry and a highly skilled in delivering great customer service himself, Tomas has a talent for spotting those amazing individuals who always go above and beyond to create delightful experiences for their customers.
Eamon Crosby, Co-founder & CEO of Britebiz, is a serial entrepreneur and is now committed to helping others grow their businesses. Eamon holds a Degree and Masters in Science followed by Professional Accountancy qualification with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Before focusing on the events industry, he also worked with Microsoft, Dell, and Zoho CRM.
Jonathan Bann, Strategic Director at The Conduit, began his career at LEGOLAND Windsor as Park Events and Production Manager. He then moved to Heritage Venues, where he developed Commercial and Operations at Lillibrooke Manor and later at Stanlake Park Wine Estate. Following this, he joined Various Eaters PLC, managing Commercials across 17 sites and five brands. In his current role as Commercial Director at The Conduit, Jonathan leads initiatives that foster meaningful relationships and drive effective outcomes.
Sam and Steve Vaughan are professional wedding photographers based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. They have been photographing weddings since 2008, typically photographing around 30 weddings per year. We are well known and respected by the wedding industry and have won a number of awards, including the Guides for Brides Wedding Photographers of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
The Event and Our Sponsors
Our Customer Service Awards evening will also serve as a fundraiser for our charity partners, Helen & Douglas House. We will be hosting a raffle with incredible prizes, and all proceeds from the raffle tickets will go directly to the charity.
Helen & Douglas House provides hospice care for babies, children, and young adults with life-limiting and terminal conditions. They offer medical, emotional, and practical support to families, helping them make the most of their precious time together.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors. Without their help, we wouldn't have the opportunity to bring such a wonderful event together.
