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https://joannarosephotography.com EXPERT ADVICE

Stellar wedmin advice from those in the know

SPRINGTIME VIBES

We’re having a springtime wedding with a relaxed vibe. How can we reflect our natural theme in our flowers?

We love to use locally-sourced meadow-style flowers for an effortlessly elegant spring wedding. Think ranunculus, parrot tulip and anemones in pretty pastel hues or bright colours if you’re feeling bold.

For a bridal bouquet we’d arrange stems into a loose, hand-tied arrangement with wild foliage, including asparagus fern and pittosporum tied with natural hessian ribbon. For brides wanting an even more effortless look, a simple hydrangea bouquet in fresh or vibrant tones with limited foliage may be your thing.

Arranging loose stems into mismatched jars at varying heights is an inexpensive way to decorate both the top and guest tables when dispersed with mixed foliage and pillar tables to add height. Incorporating dried elements too such as pampas, birch and pussy willow is an easy way of adding texture and drama to your décor.

For those with a larger budget, we love using lush foliage garlands to decorate tables, seating plans and even pew-ends. For colourful couples, adding filler flowers such as tanecetum is a simple and cheerful way of introducing some vibrance.

Gemma Wakerley | www.bookerweddings.co.uk

AS YOU WISH

I’d love an alternative to a fresh flower bouquet. What can you suggest?

There are so many routes you can go down for your bouquet from artificial fabric flowers, dried florals, paper blooms, floral hoops and those made from an eclectic mix of quirky, cool elements. Some of my more elaborate bouquet designs have musical and light-up elements, such as an illuminated candelabra and flashing disco ball. I even have a bouquet that blows bubbles! Many of my clients come to me with very specific ideas and themes and by working closely with them, I’m able to create floral sculptures full of unique and individual elements that tell a visual story of their lives and love for each other.

Choosing non-fresh flowers also gives you the flexibility of being able to order blooms that may be out of season on your big day. It also allows you to select specific colours and gives you the further option of taking your bouquet with you should you wish to elope. Best of all, when the wedding is over you’re left with a beautiful, everlasting, visual keepsake of your day, which can remain on permanent display.

https://vickydubois.co.uk

We’ve heard about all of the different rituals we can have during a celebrant-led ceremony from hand-fasting to candle-lighting, but what’s the difference and how do we know which is right for us?

There are indeed many ways to enhance your celebrant-led wedding ceremony. To choose the one for you, you should begin by asking yourself what the purpose of the ritual is or consider what you’re showing your guests with it. Most rituals emphasise the joining together of two people into one couple. However, you can change a sand ceremony (where you pour different coloured sands into one larger container to show your union), to include your children and show the creation of a new family.

Hand-tying or hand-fasting is where the couple’s hands are bound together with strips of cloth or ribbon to represent the promises made. This too can easily be altered to include children or other close family or friends. Each person can place a ribbon with each vow to feel included in the ceremony.

Candle lighting involves each of you using individual candles to light one larger candle. This can be used to remember those guests who have passed away. With the candle remaining alight during the ceremony, it’s as if the friend or family member is with you.

The most important idea behind choosing an additional ritual is to find something that resonates with you. Alternatively, work with your celebrant to create one that’s unique to you.

Sarah Nelson | https://momentsto.co.uk

http://andrewab.photography

https://carolinewhitephotography.co.uk

DARLING, I LOVE YOU

I want to give my husband-to-be a personalised and special gift that he can wear on the big day. What would you recommend?

Popular gift ideas for the groom are personalised cufflinks or signet rings. These can be made in a variety of metals to suit all budgets and tastes such as silver, 9ct or 18ct gold, or platinum. Usually, we engrave the front with your husband-to-be’s initials, but there are so many ways to personalise them as you wish. We can set a stone into the corner for example, some people like to get their husband’s birthstone or one to represent the month of the wedding. You can also put a message or the date of the wedding on the reverse side.

www.jakebaggaley.com

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

We’ve heard of singing waiters, but don’t know much more. We’d love to surprise our guests. What can we expect?

Singing waiters provide surprise event entertainment that gets any party started. Our professional singers arrive at your event before your guests and carry out a cheeky sound check, then we’ll get into our waiter uniforms and go undercover. This brings us to the fun part where we get to know your guests while being disguised as waiters. We hand out canapés, pour wine and just generally blend in. Then, when the moment is right, BANG we perform the biggest surprise and go from waiters to singers, bursting into song. We sing an interactive set of songs that will have napkins waving in the air, hands clapping and guests singing along. Whatever the atmosphere you want to create for your wedding, singing waiters can make it happen.

We form Team Secret along with your venue and suppliers, liaising with them about your day and making plans behind the scenes. All you need to do is pick the songs and we can even help with that. We’ll make sure your wedding is memorable for years to come, after all memories are precious and we just love making them. Remember though, it’s a surprise, so don’t tell anyone else!

My Funny Valentine Bridal is a modern luxe bridal boutique, in the heart of the beautiful roman city of Chester. We cannot wait to welcome you to our beautiful new studio. MFV Bridal offers a stunning collection of bridal gowns and accessories, sourced from top designers across the globe including Pronovias, Marchesa for Pronovias, Evie Young, Luna Novias, Madison James, Abella and Joyce Jackson Veils.

We are passionate, dedicated and complete bridal enthusiasts. We acknowledge that buying your wedding dress is often a once in a lifetime experience and not just a purchase. We therefore ensure that we offer a personalised, luxurious and one to one bridal service for every bride coming through our door.

Our architect designed studio reflects our vision and is modern, elegant and feminine. It is the perfect bridal haven, with a colour pallet of soft greys, pink and gold to ensure every bride visiting feels totally relaxed and truly enjoys the experience.

Our aim is that every bride feels at their most beautiful on their wedding day and we cannot wait to share such a magical experience with you.

64 NORTHGATE STREET, CHESTER, CH1 2HT

WWW.MFVBRIDAL.COM | 01244 638 778 HANNI@MFVBRIDAL.COM @MYFUNNYVALENTINEBRIDAL

Thank you to my wonderful supplier The House Of Styling UK for providing us with such incredible images We offer bespoke full wedding planning, partial wedding planning and wedding day management OUR PACKAGES INCLUDE:

• A welcome planning meeting with your dedicated wedding planner to discuss your vision for the big day • Unlimited access to you wedding planner throughout the planning process • Budget planning and tracking • Monthly virtual wedding planning sessions to keep you in the loop • Supplier recommendations • Timeline creation and distribution to suppliers, bridal party ect. • Expenditure forecast