Let’s Celebrate!

from I'd rather be in Deeping March 2023

The Boundary Club

Bursting back on the scene with all the anticipation and excitement that we remember from pre-lockdown weddings, families and friends are at the heart of the events being booked this year! Graham Magee of Molecey Mill says, ‘The trend seems to be for couples to really push the boat out and our bookings are showing that now more than ever the unique spaces that we can offer in the grounds from Owl Island to tepee encampments are being use to their fullest extent.’

Prior to the pandemic, you could only get married outdoors in England and Wales if your wedding venue had a licensed structure, such as a pagoda or bandstand. However, the COVID-19 pandemic saw lots of couples opting for outdoor weddings for safety reasons so temporary permission was granted to allow licensed venues to host ceremonies outdoors – whether they had a structure outside or not. This proved to be so popular that it became a permanent thing and now, providing your venue has a wedding licence, as does Molecey, you can marry in any location outdoors!

Says Jack Barton of Pretty Quirky

Hire of Langtoft, ‘I really believe that a wedding should reflect a couple’s personality and they shouldn’t be expected to have to conform to a package. They now have so much choice from their venue to their ceremony, their food choices and decorations to name just a few. All of which is fabulous because your wedding should be as unique as you.’

For Laura Duddington of Big Bird Catering that is never truer than in the wedding breakfast. She says: ‘Weddings are getting bigger and a lot more casual, less traditional and perhaps more personal. More couples are interested in sharing type meals rather than the traditional sit down wedding breakfast.’

In predicting wedding trends Vogue magazine remarks on the ‘destination wedding’ requiring brides to host their guests on Friday and Saturday. What better prelude to a day of partying than to sit with your loved ones and tuck into a fish and chip supper in an idyllic setting? A memorable feature of the wedding of Chloe and Adam Edwards at Molecey Mill.

Jan Fisk Churchwarden at the Priory Church, Deeping St James has commented on the increasing popularity of the Church Hall and informal gardens overlooked by a handsome Georgian Vicarage as a reception venue after a more conventional church wedding. Set with vintage china, handembroidered tablecloths and pretty bunting strung from the rafters, this can provide an affordable location and a relatively informal place for families to make memories.

Sustainability is the watchword of the age and as a result there are some trends that have fallen by the wayside. The days of welcome bags are behind us. Vogue quotes Rebecca Gardner of Houses and Parties who succinctly comments: ‘No one needs another branded canvas tote bag.’ Instead Rebecca advocates the more thoughtful approach of a handwritten note to each guest or couple. Pushing back against anything that is unnecessary, it seems, has become a common theme. The magazine comments ‘A more sustainable wedding is not only firmly in, but it’s a trend that is here to stay.’

Home grown is increasingly the case when it comes to choosing wedding flowers, says local grower and florist, Mel Greville of The Wild Garden, ‘With environmental issues becoming more and more important, couples are increasingly seeking out local and British flowers. Natural, simple styling, using fewer flowers, is not only kinder to the environment, but a lot easier on the budget.’

And when it comes to choosing a wedding outfit that watches the pennies and the planet then Ruffles has pre-loved shoes, hats and occasion dresses. Simply Hats offers a rental service for hats but if you have decided on a unique creation then they can also help with a personally designed fascinator or hat too.

An interesting development is the return to the morning wedding ceremony followed by an evening reception. Jackie and John Kennedy, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate all did this. Says Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events, ‘We are seeing our clients wanting to take this classic route. Choosing a morning ceremony followed by a thoughtfully curated lunch and inviting guests back for an evening reception with dancing and dessert lets couples truly have a unique celebration all day long.’

And as for the arrival, vintage vehicles continue to be popular and in our more rural community arriving on a tractor is a fun statement of a link to the countryside. Donna Howitt of Arrive Vintage observes, ‘Vintage wedding cars are popular due to the strong sense of nostalgia they evoke along with the classic experience they give.’

There is a nod to the nostalgia of the 80s as well which ‘set the tone for some of the most head-turning bridal styles at the Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week,’ says Anna-Marie DeSouza, Editor of the UK’s leading bridal trade magazine, Bridal Buyer. ‘The 80s are back, and with a level of finesse that makes the dramatic detailing have an elegant flow. Viktor & Rolf had lots of texture and movement in their new collection, with some rah-rah skirt-inspired detailing on their shorter styles.” And Marie Robertson of Deeping’s own

Willow & Grace agrees: ‘2024 we expect to see current trends like statement sleeves and short dresses continuing to be popular, with the addition of statement bows and more plain/ simple fabrics like satins and mikados. Plain definitely doesn’t mean boring – the Honey dress shown here perfectly shows just that!’

Eileen Bradford-Fawson of Private Kollection, who has decades of experience in dressing the principle wedding guests, has ‘welcomed the opportunity to stock beautiful clothes to make the special day zing with style and colour’.

For bridesmaids the day of a single hue same style dress may be coming to an end as individual outfits become more popular. Wedding planners are suggesting that bridesmaids will be given a lot more freedom in choosing their dresses, saying that it creates a ‘more chic aesthetic’.If sustainability is the order of the day a bridesmaid’s dress that you are happy to re-use is definitely on trend!

Belton’s Bakery, as described earlier in this issue was the go-to bakers for wedding cakes in the mid century. Here in the Deepings now, Lilli’s Tearoom and Cakery has taken on that mantle with several other wedding cake makers locally. The statement cake with a dramatic topper shows no signs of abating this year with decorating techniques becoming ever more sophisticated. Whatever else may change, it seems that the era of the creative wedding cake is here to stay!