HOT TOPIC

Local experts on summer weddings

WHAT’S HOT

We’re getting married next summer and are excited to get cracking with the wedding planning. What would you suggest to add an extra seasonal touch to our dream day? Tracy says: First and foremost it’s important to choose the right venue to meet your needs. If you’re hoping to spend time outdoors, look for one with beautiful gardens and great indoor spaces too – just in case it rains! It’s often the little things and personal touches that make all the difference and for summer weddings there are many ways to add a seasonal flavour to your celebration.

❤ Outdoor ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular, particularly since Covid. ❤ Celebrate post-vows with refreshing al fresco drinks on the lawn like

Pimms or Prosecco rosé. ❤ An ice cream van is a nice touch too – great for fun photos. ❤ Keep your guests entertained with garden games during the drinks reception while you slip away for romantic, just-wed photographs. ❤ Fans are a great addition to the day, either in a basket to grab during the ceremony or as favours at the reception to keep your guests cool. ❤ Sage green is one of this year’s popular shades but for summer weddings you can get away with any bright and beautiful colour. Tracy Cole | Senior events manager | www.hintleshamhall.co.uk

We’re great cake lovers and want something that looks and tastes delicious for our summer wedding. What would you suggest that’s on trend? Terri says: Small cakes and single tiers are hot for this summer and next. The semi-naked cake remains popular, but increasingly with white chocolate ganache as opposed to the more traditional sugarpaste finish.

Painted cakes always make a statement and can reflect a seasonal theme beautifully. We’re also seeing lots of interest in hooped cake stands which are amazing as they allow you to extend the design of the cake creating a stunning showpiece for the big day. Terri Newman | Cake maker | www.erivicacakes.com

This small cake is standing on top of a whole world of different flavoured cookies – 240 to be exact! Great as an alternative to the popular cupcake towers. Iced with sugarpaste, the flowers on this seasonal stunner have been painted and piped on in royal icing then each one hand-painted in beautiful summer colours. Handmade gumpaste passion flowers with hits of fushia pink add extra wow factor to this headturner.

ORDER OF THE DAY

What handy hints can you give us to make sure our summer wedding goes smoothly? Matt says: There’s no better time to hold your wedding than in the summer months. The light’s great for photos, you can provide garden games for your guests and, since the rules were relaxed recently, there’s more freedom to hold your ceremony outdoors too. However, with the unpredictable British weather, you’ll need to be ready to react and adapt to whatever the heavens may throw at you. To help avoid potential glitches, here’s a short checklist:

1. Contingency plans: Check with your chosen venue that there are areas for guests to shelter if it rains or to get out of the sun. If it’s a wet day you’ll also need an alternative indoor space for the photos and somewhere to continue the party. 2. Outdoor shade: If the weather’s fine, a large proportion of your day may be spent outside. Make use of natural shady areas to set up a drinks station or garden games and ask your venue what they can provide in the way of parasols if it’s hot. This is particularly important if you’re having an al fresco ceremony – you don’t want your guests to cook while they wait for your grand entrance! 3. Menu choices: It could be scorching on the day, so consider lighter, seasonal food options for the wedding breakfast. 4. Watch the booze: We all know that alcohol and hot sun don’t mix well. It can be a long day and my advice is to pace yourself. It’s a good idea to have bottles of water available alongside your regular reception drinks too. 5. Think cake: This can be overlooked and on more than one occasion

I have had to rescue a cake wilting in the heat. To avoid an Eton

Mess on super-hot days, store your cake in a refrigerated or cool

area and only bring it out at the last minute before your guests are called to take their places for the wedding breakfast. 6. Suncream: This one might seem obvious but I learned the hard way after forgetting to pack mine. After a two-hour drinks reception at an exceptionally hot August wedding, I ended up with a face the same colour as my crimson tailcoat! Not a good look. Don’t forget yours and maybe even remind your guests to pack theirs too. Most importanltly, remember, you can’t control the weather and allow it to make or break your day, but you can plan for it and work around it. Matthew Biggin | Toastmaster & Master of Ceremonies www.theuktoastmaster.co.uk