HOT TOPIC

This issue we asked the experts how to inject your wedding days with the spirit of spring

Bright And Breezy

Charlotte and Callum from C&C Imagery (www.candcimagery.co.uk) say: During the spring the light starts to get brighter, flowers begin to bloom and days get longer. This time of year can be a beautiful time to get married thanks to slightly warmer days. Take advantage of seasonal flowers and the freshness of the air, which can be reflected through your wedding photography as your photographer is able to create beautiful bright and airy images.

The weather can be unpredictable, but we say: embrace it, it can be a wonderful thing! There are many different colour palettes that work perfectly for a spring wedding, our personal favourite being an English garden with a romantic flair using bright and soft colours to showcase in your photographs. This can be blooming magical!

MUM’S THE WORD

Helen Downes at Any Occasion Boutique (www.anyoccasionboutique.com) says: The huge trends for the 2023 mothers-of-the-bride and groom see a return to soft, flowing fabrics, and maxi-style dresses in bold floral prints. After the last few sombre years, pastels are on the wane with bright colours and geometric patterns now proving more popular. Our leading designers Linea Raffaelli and Couture Club by Rosa Clara are leading the way with this trend. Always popular for a classic English wedding too is the more traditional dress and jacket combo, ever stylish, this look never dates. Condici, the famed English company is renowned for these timeless designs. We have a huge selection of innovative styles and classic pieces to suit every taste.

Music For The Soul

Rose-Ann Raymond-Silvester at RRS Music Management and Events (https://rrsagency.uk) says: The birds are chirping, the daffodils are in bloom and the sun is starting to warm us once again – what a wonderful time of year for a wedding! The changing of the seasons and the new life it brings aligns perfectly with starting your new life together. What better way to complement your day than with some wonderful live entertainment?

Whether you choose to have a string quartet playing during your drinks reception in the grounds of a classy hotel venue, or a folksy acoustic guitarist bringing some chilled out vibes as you walk down the aisle among the trees or in a rustic barn; choosing the right entertainment to suit your style is the key to making your day as perfect as it can be. This is a time of year full of joy, light and warmth, and the right singer or instrumentalist can turn a special day into a truly magical one. Look for an entertainer to create a bright and uplifting atmosphere as you tie the knot and you won’t be disappointed.

LIGHT, FRESH AND DELICATE

Carrie Raymond from Caritas Cake Design (www.caritascakedesign.co.uk) says: After the long winter, a spring wedding offers the perfect excuse to raise the spirits with delightful flavours, playful designs and a pop of colour. Spring wedding cakes invite light fruity tastes such as lemon, passion fruit and raspberry. Adding elements of floral or earthy tones such as rose water, basil or lavender is becoming a popular choice and offers a fresh, delicate touch.

Think about being open to some variations to the traditional shape. Mixing up the tier heights, adding separators or changing up the shapes, all help to keep the style fresh, and are a great way to make your cake unique. Spring hails a more organic movement in the design of big-day bakes, with softer edges, flowing details and taller, architectural layouts. Incorporating a floral element with long stems and trailing foliage rather than tight groupings of flowers adds a playful touch.

Spring colours include gentle pastel palettes, natural white tones with plenty of fresh greens or bright cheerful hues. Using white rather than an ivory base to your cake makes the colours pop and adds a lighter air, perfect for the season.

Paint And Pastels

If you’re hoping to extend your springtime theme to your hen do, Alice Munro-Hainsworth from The Paint Club (www.thepaintclub.co.uk) has the answer: Springtime offers the perfect opportunity to add fresh and vibrant colours during a sip and paint activity at your hen do. We’ll bring everything you need to paint a masterpiece in your holiday let, home, cocktail bar or local pub. Choose from seasonal favourites such as cherry blossom, rainbow tree, fluffy lambs or our pastel hare. Your bride tribe could even surprise you with a custom design and we’ll take care of the rest!

Our professional artist will guide you through the painting step by step, from blank canvas to work of art. With your favourite drink in one hand, be it a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and a paint brush in the other, you can get into the creative flow and have the perfect springtime hen party. We provide all of the materials for painting, all you need to do is choose your venue and your drink!

Let Your Love Grow

Mark Inscoe, Civil Celebrant Sussex

(https://civilcelebrantsussex.com) says: Spring is the perfect time of year for celebrating nature. It’s a time of renewal, a time of new growth. Young, fresh greens and spring flowers enhance those outdoor ceremony settings. For thousands of years, the seasons, especially spring, have been integral in ritual ceremonies reflecting our respect for nature. A perfect addition to your day might be a symbolic tree or shrub planting. Depending on the location of your ceremony, this could be done afterwards in your garden or elsewhere (with necessary permissions). During the ceremony, the sapling could be in a pot while you and others spoon soil onto it with a ceremonial trowel. As you’re doing this, significant words reflecting the symbolism of this action are spoken by your celebrant. Different trees have their own meaning. Apple is associated with knowledge, faith and fertility; birch represents truth and new beginnings; and elm is thought to strengthen relationships.

Remember, once you’ve done the legal bit in the registry office, you’re free to choose from so many spectacular natural settings to stage your celebrant-led wedding or civil partnership celebration ceremony.

The Box Tree Company approaches your special day with meticulous care and attention to detail no matter the size of your budget. We are one of few companies outside of London who buy from the New Covent Garden Market, allowing us to provide you with fresh, faultless flowers and foliage. So, If you’re planning something special, we’d love to hear from you! Whilst wedding flowers are our specialty, we can also turn a highly trained hand to other personal celebrations and corporate events. www.theboxtreecompany.co.uk

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