LITTLE LOVELIES We have children, and so do some of our guests so what should we consider when booking wedding childcare? Meet the experts: With more than 30 years of experience working in the events industry, Janthea Brigden is a leading expert in event childcare, and the CEO of her award-winning event childcare company Nipperbout based in Buckinghamshire. Nipperbout provides high-quality childcare at major UK venues. Janthea has extensive experience engaging with Ofsted, and is passionate about high standards and safety in childcare, with Nipperbout achieving an ‘Outstanding’ award from Ofsted every year since 2015. Janthea says: Make sure you choose a room with natural light, close to toilets and a lift if not on the ground floor to be the designated children’s area at your wedding. Remember the crèche company will need time to bring in the equipment and set up beforehand and to break down afterwards, so venues will need to know this and may charge for additional hire. Gather information about children’s ages, allergies and additional needs from the parents in plenty of time to pass on to the crèche company so they are fully informed beforehand. Check food preferences and dietary requirements and if possible, provide something tasty and nutritious rather than the usual pizza and chips! Make sure the parents know where to take the children and remind them to arrive in plenty of time before the celebrations start, as there may be some forms to complete. A sign showing where the crèche is might be helpful. It’s important to communicate with your crèche company ahead of your wedding and find out whether they have informed Ofsted. (Or the equivalent if in Scotland Ireland or Wales). This is a legal requirement if your crèche runs for longer than four hours and if care is for under eightyear-olds. Have they produced a risk assessment? Does their insurance cover all the ages you require? Ask to see the insurance schedule as well as a certificate. Finally, what are the crèche providers’ childcare ratios? Temporary care, where children aren’t familiar with staff, should have higher than legal ratios. www.nipperbout.com; www.facebook.com/nipperbout; www.instagram.com/nipperbout PLANNED TO PERFECTION What are your top tips for planning a wedding during the colder months? Meet the expert: Lavinia Stewart-Brown is the founder of Lavinia Stewart-Brown Events and a leading Henley-based wedding and events planner. With a wealth of expertise in the curation and management of spectacular events, Lavinia’s career to date has ranged from private parties plus intimate and full-scale weddings to corporate events, award ceremonies and much more. Lavinia says: I do love weddings in the later months of the year - I think you have a wonderful opportunity to host a magical celebration. The main thing to consider when planning is the logistics - some elements need an extra bit of thinking when it comes to winter weddings! You are more likely to experience more adverse weather conditions which can impact many areas of your wedding - from parking to outfit choices, so I would recommend thinking these things through and putting together a bit of a contingency plan as it can end up costing more than a summer celebration. For example, a marquee can still work but you need to be careful about the structure and make sure it has good heating - I have seen some guests leave straight after the meal at events when it isn’t! You will also need to work with the winter light, particularly when it comes to photos so I would recommend looking at an earlier ceremony where possible. In addition, I would always recommend dark flooring or carpet as opposed to a lighter option which will show footprints. Alongside this, make sure guest toilets are close to the marquee - this helps to avoid any guests having to trek in the rain, wind or even snow! A key theme I recommend drawing upon with a winter wedding is cosiness - far too often I see couples go for a winter wonderland colour theme with plenty of icy colours, but I feel warmer shades work much better. One of my favourite colour themes involves plenty of greens, browns and oranges which create a warm, cosy atmosphere. With the right foliage and some candlelight, you can create an inviting, warm space for your celebration. A winter wedding doesn’t need to mean Christmas colours and decorations, by using these warmer tones you can also be super creative with your decor which is a great way to bring out some more fun elements - tortoiseshell or subtle animal prints work great with warmer tones! https://stewart-brown-events.com; www.facebook.com/StewartBrownEvents; www.instagram.com/stewartbrownevents www.gettyimages.co.uk Scan to view video 60
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