HOT TOPIC

HOT TOPIC Wedding worries

Our experts solve your problems

MUM’S THE WORD

What are the latest mother-of-the-bride trends?

27028 by John Charles

Gone are the days of the uniform two-piece dress and bolero jacket – unless that’s what floats your boat. Fashion now more than ever is very much in the hands of the wearer, and this is great news for all you lovely mums out there, as there are plenty of options available to suit your style.

The tea dress is certainly paving the way in 2022, these fit and flare midi-style dresses can look chic in any colour, fabric or print – it’s just finding the right one to suit you.

Soft silhouettes have certainly taken over the tailored look post lockdown and trouser suits in light fabrics of chiffon or crepe are also making a comeback.

Try and be open to bright pops of colour, happy shades of yellow, grass green and tomato red are just some of the primary colours that are dominating the catwalk.

Coryn Emma www.baroqueboutique.co.uk

SUMMER LOVING

What flowers and colours will be available for our summer wedding?

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing flowers is to always go with the seasons. With sustainability being so important, try and choose locally-grown flowers wherever possible. There are some fantastic local growers out there, head over to Flowers from the Farm (www.flowersfromthefarm.org.uk) to see options in your area.

If you’re getting married in the summer, then you have a huge choice! Early summer flowers, by which I mean June and early July, include peonies, roses, astilbe, lupins, nigella, cornflowers, ammi, delphiniums, honesty seed heads, foxgloves, phlox, sweet peas, snapdragons, jasmine, achillea, alchemilla and orlaya, to name just a few.

Flowers from July to early September include hydrangeas, sweet peas, snapdragons, roses, asters, achillea, gladioli, dahlias, chrysanthemums, cosmos, amni, gauras, zinnias, cosmos, rudbeckia, echinacea, scabious, sunflowers, strawflowers, verbena, nerines and many more!

As far as colours go, it really is down to the style of wedding you’re having. Relaxed nuptial calls for lovely mixtures of colours and textures. These can be soft summery pastels or hot and fiery late summer oranges, pinks and reds. For a more formal wedding, you may choose a more streamlined range. I would say that sometimes a very sharp yellow can look too harsh on a hot summer’s day. In my opinion, yellow work best in spring. I always advise my clients to not get too hung up on having a specific flower, but to trust your supplier to create something beautiful within your chosen colour palette. Sometimes specific flowers are not available due to the weather not behaving as it should. When choosing your flowers, you should always go with your heart and trust your florist to create bespoke arrangements for your special day.

www.pippacarvellphotography.com Rhian Rees www.wildandfabulousflowers.com

A FLAVOUR EXPLOSION

What cake designs and flavours would you suggest for a summerthemed wedding?

A flavour that is trending for summer weddings is berries. Don’t be afraid to use fresh berries as decoration or in the sponge or buttercream. Make use of the variety of options available. One of our favourites is lemon raspberry with lemon curd.

Always creating headlines are the naked cakes. It’s a lighter option for those who do not want a lot of buttercream. These cakes can be adorned with fresh berries and flowers or whatever the happy couple desires.

Some of the old favourites such as chocolate, red velvet, carrot and lemon drizzle will always be well received by guests.

Malwina www.instagram.com/malbakescakes

TREASURED MEMORIES

I’m thinking of having my flowers preserved after the wedding. How does the process work?

Start by contacting your supplier to secure your date. You will be contacted before the wedding to arrange how you will get your bouquet to them. For example, I ask couples to either post their blooms using my guide or bring them down to my studio.

I then ask couples what they would like made from the bouquet. I offer a wide range of products, including coasters, earrings, letters, frames and much more. Once that’s decided, the flowers will go into a drying process which takes about two-three weeks. Once this is done, the flowers are ready to go into the design stage. They will then be coated in resin, sanded before a top coat is applied, and then the order is complete and ready to be given to the happy couple.

Kate Pugh www.instagram.com/outofthebox_bykate

STAG & HEN PARTIES

THE UL Tl MATE ADVENTURE IN WALES!

Gorge Adventure - High Level Ropes & Zip Wire Clay Pigeon Shooting - Canoeing - Archery Rock Climbing - Caving - Paddle Boarding & Many More!

WWW.BLACKMOUNTAIN.CO.UK

We undertake orders for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings and Special Occasions

42, HEOL WILLIAMS, OLD ST. MELLONS, CARDIFF. CF3 6AQ Contact Mal on 07394 108156 MALBAKESCAKES@GMAIL.COM @MALBAKESCAKES

Joe Clark Photography

Sacha Miller Photography The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is set in the grounds of Cardiff Castle and bordering one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the UK, Bute Park.

Our two unique venues form one of Cardiff’s most sought-after locations for your very special day. Our first is the stunning former Cardiff Castle stables with its historic courtyard and beautiful tree-lined entrance with the castle in view.

The second is our magnificent contemporary glass atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows and open-air terrace overlooking the park – a fabulous back-drop for your photographs and champagne reception – it is also a stunning location for your wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. This leads to an outstanding concert hall and theatre – perfect for a ceremony with a dramatic difference!

As a creative venue, we offer lots of flexibility so that your ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening celebrations suit your style and personalities – from traditional to theatrical, elegant to quirky. We can assist you in arranging a theatrical ceremony on a stage, a summer’s day wedding walk with your guests through the park, a reception with choirs, harpists, jazz trios and string quartets and special lighting and scenery for your evening party.

Whether your dream venue is historic or contemporary, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a unique venue at the heart of Cardiff that is bespoke to you.

For enquiries, please contact our weddings officer via the email below or visit our Instagram: weddings@rwcmd.ac.uk - @RWCMDweddings