HOT TOPIC

Our local experts solve your wedding dilemmas

LIGHTEN UP

It’s my dream to have fireworks at my wedding but I’m getting married in a very rural location around a lot of farmland and I really don’t want to upset the locals. What can I do? Don’t worry! We’ve worked with many couples and venues in the past to establish a display appropriate to their surroundings. As every display is designed individually, we can work with you to find a suitable noise level for the display, providing example videos of previous shows so you can see exactly what to expect. We have lots of experience in low noise displays, including pyro-musicals, making sure they still have that wow factor for you and your guests, just without the loud bangs if you wish.

We’re also more than happy to liaise with concerned venues, farmers or other residents, giving them examples of what to expect from your display and answering any questions they may have. We can also advise on notifying the neighbouring area, as often a simple advanced notice helps greatly when planning a firework display. These are all elements that when put together can ensure you can still have the wow factor display of your dreams, without the upset! Rebecca Cooper | Optimum Fireworks www.optimum-fireworks.co.uk

STEP BY STEP

I’d love to learn a dance routine for our first dance. My husband is confident but has two left feet! What type of dance would you recommend for beginners? One of the first things I tell couples at their initial lesson is that nearly every single couple we teach has either zero or very little previous dance experience. For some it can be quite daunting the idea of having dancing lessons let alone performing in front of their guests and I think by reassuring them that everyone is in the same boat helps to put them at ease before they start.

Dance teachers will take this into consideration when couples approach them for wedding lessons and so the movements will be chosen to reflect this and the amount of time the couple wish to invest in lessons. For some, this might be as little as one hour and for others, that want a more intricate or wow-factor performance, that could be five hours or more.

Rather than focusing too much on the style of the dance and wondering if a song is appropriate to dance to, I’d suggest for couples to instead go with their gut instinct and focus on their song choice. It will be forever their first dance song so they need to be sure they both like it! Their dance teacher can then pick an appropriate dance style and tailor the steps to their choice and requirements. Katie Geddes | The Dance Studio, Leeds www.thedancestudioleeds.com

My husband and I are very environmentally aware and try to make healthy and eco-conscious choices in all areas of our lifestyle. We’re getting married and I want my values to be reflected in my choice of dress. Where do I begin? I think it’s very important to have your values reflected in your wedding dress. I’d recommend writing down all the points that are most important to you and go from there. As a lot of dresses on the market are made from polyester and still made in China it’s very important to do your research on the brand of your dress. I’d suggest looking for a sustainable designer who is open to sharing information on where their gowns are made and what they’re made from. Here at Luna Bride, we adore chatting to brides to be interested in the ethics of their dress as this is what’s so important to us as an ethical brand. Some factors that make a dress ethical and eco-friendly in my opinion are: to have the dress made locally to you or in the same country; to have the dress made in cruelty-free materials that are also good for the planet; also, it’s important that the people who made your dress are treated fairly. I think having an ethical dress gives your gown more of a story and something to be really proud of when you look back on your wedding day. Keely Brightmore | Luna Bride https://lunabride.com

www.nataliepluck.com We aren’t getting married in a church and need a formal ceremony but don’t know where to begin. I really want my ceremony to reflect us as a couple. Please help! Three words: find a celebrant. Religious couples should find their local religious leader and get married in their nearest religious buildings. That’s fairly clear. Nonreligious couples have two choices: a short, unoriginal registry office ceremony led by someone who has three or four other weddings to officiate that day; or, an original, personalised ceremony led by someone whose sole job is to make your big day as good as it possibly can be.

If you want your ceremony to reflect you as a couple, then you can’t go wrong with a celebrant. Celebrants will meet you months (even years!) in advance of your ceremony and get to know you as a couple, and as a result, craft a meaningful ceremony that truly reflects you both.

This will involve telling the story of you as a couple (as much as you’re willing to share with parents and grandparents, of course!), as well as helping you to write your vows, and even including special ceremony elements such as a hand-fasting, a unity sand ceremony, or even live vocals to sing you down the aisle.

One drawback is that celebrants can’t legally marry you at this time, but this has plenty of benefits too – not least that, as a result of not having legal constrictions, you can have your ceremony literally anywhere you want. Clifftop? – Sure. Ski slope? – Why not? In your back garden? – You do you! Mark Gregory | Mark Your Occasion https://markyouroccasion.com

AND BREATHE…

I’m feeling so anxious in the run up to the wedding. I really want to enjoy the next few months and of course the big day. Do you have any tips to help? Nerves, anxiety and excitement: these are all emotions our couples feel before they walk down the aisle. It’s the time when things start to feel very real, and all eyes will be on you. Here’s some useful ideas to prevent some of those nerves and how you can achieve a more relaxed and calmer atmosphere. Breathe - Focus on taking deep breaths when you feel those tingly butterflies creeping in. Deep breathing helps blood flow to the brain and nervous system and slows your heart rate and relaxes you. Perspective - If something small goes wrong, for example the weather isn’t playing ball or your cousin has just become a vegan, keep it in perspective, it’s not the most important part of the day. Unfortunately, we can’t control everything. The most important thing of all is that you’ve married the love of your life. Delegate - If you’re not hiring a wedding planner to oversee the coordination of your wedding day, entrust a friend or family member with being the ‘point of contact’ for the photographer, florist, catering team, band/DJ etc, otherwise you’ll be answering questions all day when all you should be doing is relaxing and enjoying your special day. Get covered - This we highly recommend. Wedding insurance is there to cover any aspect of your wedding that doesn’t fall to plan. This may be: wedding dress or suit hire damage, loss of an engagement ring or if your wedding venue goes into liquidation or damage. Cover starts from as little as £30 and with the average cost of a wedding of £25,000 it’s an investment worth having. Be organised - Set up a new email account to use when planning your wedding. You can use this to contact suppliers and allow guests to RSVP to your wedding. It keeps everything in one inbox which will save you time trawling through endless emails on your other accounts. Stephanie Baragwanath | SB Events www.sbeventsplanning.com

Ola Derby & Curtis Farrier Studio41 Scarborough Photography

AT BESPOKE SAVANNAH WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND QUALITY OF WORK!

Every bride we work with will have a unique, tailored experience while having their dress altered by a skilled seamstress. From a small adjustment, to a one of bespoke piece, there is no limit to what we can create for your special day.

“What an amazing lady! Steph altered my wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl and MOB’s dress. I wanted quite a few things changing on my dress and Steph did a fantastic job of every change I asked for and made recommendations where needed. She made the whole process easy, fun and as special as it should be. I had more fittings than I can remember and I could have had more if I wanted, nothing is too much trouble. Steph even made the 60 minute round trip to come and get me into my dress on my wedding day! I can’t recommend this lady enough! Thank you!!!”