TASTE OF PERFECTION Daisy Fothergill, wedding executive at The Grand, York (www.thegrandyork.co.uk) says: Intimate weddings don’t necessarily mean a small budget, but they give couples the opportunity to prioritise what’s important to them and have more of a say over their special day. You may choose a more relaxed approach to weddings so you can keep the elements that matter the most to you. As the setup of an intimate wedding is different to a more traditional wedding day, it often means that certain elements become a real focus such as the food. Legacy, the three AA rosette-awarded restaurant here at The Grand, offers the perfect setting for an intimate wedding of up to 30 guests, with a seasonal tasting experience and exceptional service for the entire wedding party. You can relax knowing that your guests are taken care of, and most importantly, that you’ll be looked after as well. Legacy’s head chef Ahmed Abdalla offers a modern British and Yorkshireinspired tasting menu alongside an exceptional wine list, served in an iconic setting for your special day. Meanwhile, sommelier Derek Scaife has expertly curated new wine pairing options to perfectly complement each course, allowing your guests to experience the maximum impact of both the food and the wine. FAMILY TIME Aimee Lince of Aimee Lince Photography (https://aimeelince.co.uk) says: One thing’s for certain with fewer guests comes less stress when it comes to family photo time. But even so there are some common pitfalls you can avoid allowing you to spend quality time with your few and treasured guests, making sure you’re all back to enjoying each other’s company in no time! Prepare a magic list of family photos. These are the must-have photos that you can’t wake up the next day and regret omitting. Try to keep it as concise as possible. There’s only so much standing and smiling one can do before it starts to drive you nuts. Designate a photo wrangler. Ask your loudest, bossiest friend or family member, ideally even one from both sides, to be your photo wrangler, and this can’t be either of you. Impose a ‘no phone’ rule. More often than not there’ll be someone, if not several people either behind me or over my shoulder with a phone or camera snapping away! This is a problem because everyone in the photo looks at different cameras in different directions and the people in the photo with you won’t be happy with how they look. Be precise and in control! It’s very helpful to your photo wrangler if you have the names of people written next to who they are, for example, “Us with the bridesmaids (Chelsea, Leanne, Charlotte and Amy)”. This ensures they can call out names or ask other guests if they know who or where they are. What’s more, you’re always going to get one person that will harmlessly pop in and ask for a ‘quick’ photo with you or another guest, which really does disrupt the flow of the portrait session. Just be mindful not to let your guests, parents or whomever take over the situation, because you’ll run out of steam, fast, and it will show in the photos. Pace yourself and stick to your magic list. Remember, the longer we take to get into their photo, or the more demands guests make of you wanting infinite combinations, the less time you two will have for your couple’s shots, cocktails and the rest of your day afterwards. https://aimeelince.co.uk DEARLY BELOVED... Jacqui Williams, ceremonies manager at North Yorkshire Council (www.northyorks.gov.uk/ceremonies) says: The key here is to choose the right venue size so that it comfortably accommodates your guest count without feeling too small or, more likely for an intimate wedding, too large. Consider too the layout of the space and how it can be configured to create the atmosphere you dream of. You’ll also need to bear in mind the location of the venue in relation to your ceremony site, guest accommodation and transport option. Finally, select a venue with an additional private space to meet with the registrar before the “I dos” to do the final checks. A small side room or dressing room would be perfect. 56
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