HOT TOPIC

Local experts offer stellar advice on wedding dilemmas

FESTIVE BAKES

We’re having a winter wedding and would love to incorporate the season into our cake; how can we achieve this? I have three ways to incorporate the winter season into wedding cakes. The first and obvious option is to incorporate winter foliage, pine cones, berries and pine sprigs. Pair the greenery with hessian ribbons and textured buttercream for a rustic look.

Alternatively, rich deep colours like forest green or burgundy paired with cream, white and gold touches create a timeless look. The above cake has a single white sugar paste rose with wafer paper leaves dusted with gold for a bit of sparkle and a square shape for a modern twist.

My favourite thing about Christmas are the lights, so why not add some fairylights to the cake? You can incorporate this in the cake’s decorations or even between the tiers. I’ve created a bake with the lights intertwined with the fondant and wafer paper lace for a whimsical look. Helen Horton | Helen’s Homemade Cakery www.helenshomemadecakery.co.uk

TIS THE SEASON

We’re having a winter wedding and want to incorporate this theme into our flowers. Do you have any suggestions? People always ask how to add warmth to their winter wedding. We can all see with our own eyes the rich colour palette that nature has to offer as we turn into the autumnal months. Then as winter approaches, vibrant reds and silver foliage play a vital role.

Be cautious when adding darker colours to your winter colour scheme. You only need to add one primary accent colour to create warmth and depth to your special day – adding more than one might cause the colours to clash.

If you take a traditional neutral wedding palette and add one feature flower in a dark red shade with a touch of silver foliage, you’ll instantly have a warm winter look with classical wedding flowers.

You don’t need to throw all contemporary wedding ideas out of the window when planning a winter wedding. Take traditional shades and make minor adjustments to create a different effect for the winter time.

Colours that trick the mind into thinking they’re warm always work better for the colder months, including red, burgundy, deep orange and yellow. Avoid shades that create a colder environment such as pale blue, royal blue and too much white or silver. Shane Maple | Maples Flowers | https://maplesflowers.co.uk

WALKING IN THE WINTER WONDERLAND

What advice can you share when it comes to planning a winter wedding? Compared to other times of the year, you need to have plans in place that account for the weather when it comes to winter weddings.

We hate thinking of things that could go wrong, but not preparing and knowing your options could leave you scratching your head and panicking about what to do. Take some time to think about how the weather might affect your day and have a conversation with the wedding team at your venue about what plans they have in place, such as alternate locations for photos or extra heating.

Have someone with a coat to wrap you up between shots if you’re having outside photos as adrenaline will keep you warm for a certain amount of time, but it’s hard to smile when you’re shivering! Vikki Richman | Your Wedding Friend www.yourweddingfriend.co.uk 74 What flavours would you suggest for our Christmas-themed wedding cake? Choosing your wedding cake and flavours is a big highlight of wedding planning – saying “I do” at Christmas makes it extra special.

Flavours are a personal choice and the foundation of your luxury centrepiece. So whatever your favourite flavours are, they’ll be well received by guests!

Christmas conjures images of sumptuous food, vibrant textures, bold flavours and colours – your wedding cake is no exception and should taste as good as it looks.

Traditionally, a boozy fruit cake is a Christmas staple and is often chosen as a wedding cake flavour. However, you might consider alternative rich flavours, including Belgian chocolate fudge with salted caramel buttercream, spiced carrot, pear and hazelnut with salted caramel buttercream or even coffee and walnut! Are you enjoying a rich and delicious wedding breakfast? Why not opt for lighter flavour combinations, including classic vanilla paired with raspberry conserve, lemon and blueberry or almond with wild cherry compote?

Book a cake-tasting session with your baker and enjoy sampling delicious flavours while discussing your wedding menu and ideas. Together you can personalise flavour preferences for your perfect wedding cake! Angela Hodson | Angela Jane Cake Design https://angelajanecakedesign.co.uk

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THE DREAM TEAM

We’ve just started planning our wedding; what advice can you share for finding suppliers? Planning your big day is an exciting time, but it can also be quite daunting as there are many things to consider.

Once you’ve found a venue, picked a theme and found the perfect colour palette, it’s time to pull other elements together. There is a wealth of wedding publications both in print and online that will inspire you. Make a list or create a mood board with ideas and photos of things you like, which can be shared with suppliers. Many companies offer an array of services, and you may be surprised by the amount of businesses that are local to you or the venue – booking them will help keep your travel costs down.

You’ll want to be confident that your day will be everything you’ve envisioned. While email and online chats are great, you won’t be able to convey your vision to suppliers easily. Arrange to meet with the teams, preferably at your chosen venue, to discuss all the details. Here you can share your mood board, build a relationship with the supplier and provide details for any other businesses they may need to coordinate with on the day, such as event planners and caterers. Caroline Inglis | Elegance China Hire www.elegancechinahire.co.uk