Helen Russell is the driving force behind "Dream Weddings", a wedding co-ordination services that is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the best in the country. With a background in film and TV production she started the company five years ago and in that time has seen massive changes in the industry. We caught a few moments with her to find out about her busy job.

Firstly, how did you get into wedding co-ordination? "Five years ago I was working as a stylist for films and television when I was approached by a financial person and asked would I be interested in organising weddings. I felt like a career change and it was a great opportunity.

As one of the first co-ordinators in Ireland, there was a lot of research to do, but coming from a background in production meant that I had a feel for "producing" weddings. I spent the first year just going to wedding fairs and venues and meeting florists and photographers.

In 1996 I did my first wedding. It was in a marquee on a river and it was wonderful. Things really took off from there." How would you describe the services you offer? "Personalised, fun, interesting and different. My business is small and each wedding is customised to suit the couple I'm working with. I look for beautiful venues and settings and will find the very best food, flowers, service and photographers to suit the day and budget. I can do a whole wedding package - from invitations through to every detail on the day - as well as provide a venue-finding service." How many weddings do you do a year? "I can only do about eight to ten weddings a year and they will generally be in the busiest season from May to September. Two weddings a month is max for me. In the winter I plan and in the summer I do." Who is your primary client base? "At the start I was aiming for the Irish wedding market, but soon found it was through the Internet that customers were coming. Now my core customer base is Irish people living abroad who are more influenced by the American idea of weddings and accustomed to using wedding co-ordinators. At the same time more and more Irish people are getting more used to the idea, so I think that it will change.

Like everyone else, Irish people are becoming too busy to plan it all themselves." How do you go about planning a wedding? "I will generally start planning 18 months to a year in advance. If people decide to use me I give them a wedding package of tapes and brochures to start things going. One of the first things we do up is a budget. After that I can start advising them on venues to suit their dream.

This will be somewhere in Ireland and will either be in a castle or a stately home or somewhere with a bit of charm and individuality (one of the most important things is the dining room, which must be bright and airy). You then start slowly moving everything else along. The registry or church is booked and the photographer needs to be sorted out well in advance. You can then talk about menus, flowers, music and the cake. The "save a date" cards go out nine months in advance and the invitations two to three months in advance."

Do you find trends in weddings are changing in Ireland? "Most definitely. For a start couples are paying for their own weddings, which means they are having far less traditional ceremonies. They are also going for outdoor blessings - sometimes humanitarian, pagan or elemental. (I have organised blessings on the Cliffs of Moher). Irish-Americans particularly are doing more ancient and Celtic rituals, but I have also noticed that people in general are getting more adventurous with their weddings and going in more and more for themes."

Describe one of your most memorable weddings "I did a beautifully themed medieval wedding this year for an Irish-Scottish couple living in Bermuda, which was really wonderful. It was in a castle in Wicklow and we had a full medieval banquet and traditional music with lutes and liars. Afterwards there was a jousting exhibition for the guests to watch. Everyone dressed up in medieval gear, and the bride herself even had a medieval wedding dress."

Do you enjoy what you do? "It's great, really. Everyone is on such good form on the day and I love working constantly with couples who are so full of ideas. The energy on the day can be a real buzz also, although it can be stress laden as well. I find that I get to know couples really well, although sometimes I don't actually meet them until a week in advance of the wedding when they arrive over."