MONEY TALKS We want to book a florist but are panicking about the budget getting out of hand. Is there anything we can do? We are now offering seasonal flower packages for 2023-2024, to help our couples stay within budget. It starts with you choosing a colour selection, before deciding what you want for your big day. Our Willow Package, for example, is just £1,000, and includes a teardrop or luxury handtied bridal bouquet, four bridesmaids’ bouquets, two corsages, groom’s special buttonhole, five groomsmen’s buttonholes, an alter or top table arrangement, six tall hired stand designs, eight pew ends and a pedestal for the ceremony and entrance to your wedding breakfast. We even have a Rosa package for just £250, which features a handtied bouquet, two bridesmaids’ posies, four rose buttonholes and two spray rose corsages. Gillian Fautley, Courts of Rayleigh | www.courtsofrayleigh.co.uk HAVE YOUR CAKE? My fiancé and I aren’t really ‘cake’ people. However, we want to still cut something sweet for our guests to enjoy. What can we do? There are plenty of options that don’t involve a traditional wedding cake. For a start, why not consider cupcakes – or a dream cake made of actual cheese? However, my advice is to have a cake made of cookies! A really popular choice right now, these make a fab alternative to a traditional sponge cake. The beauty of a cookie cake is that they can be stacked to look like a wedding cake – but are make from gooey cookie dough. You could pick from a variety of flavours like the ever popular Lotus Biscoff, Oreo or traditional milk chocolate chip. Cookie cakes can also be decorated beautifully, with buttercream and coloured to match the theme of the wedding. Amy Claridge, Rosebery Bakes | www.instagram.com/roseberybakes SAY CHEESE? Lots of photographers offer an engagement shoot, but we don’t really like having our pictures taken as a rule and don’t know if it’s for us. What are the benefits? Engagement shoots offer many benefits to marrying couples. Firstly, it’s the perfect opportunity to be photographed by your chosen photographer without the inevitable pressure of the wedding day. It’s a chance to have fun, chat, get to know each other and take some lovely photographs. It’s not essential this happens, but growing an early relationship with your photographer will always make a difference to the experience on the wedding day. Trying out a photoshoot before the wedding also breaks the ice and means couples will generally be more relaxed in front of the camera when the wedding day portraits come around. My photography is all about natural, relaxed moments but even so, there will always be an element of posing here and there, so if you have the opportunity to practice with your photographer, and get some gorgeous photos before your wedding, then I highly recommend doing so. John Payton, John Payton Photography | www.johnpaytonphotography.com www.johnpaytonphotography.com www.clairecollinsonphotography.co.uk 82
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