HOT TOPIC Stellar wedmin advice from those in the know THE PERFECT FIT Please could you explain the process for having a wedding dress altered? I’m not too sure of the timings or what to expect. As soon as you’ve found your dream dress, book your bridal seamstress. I can be booked up to a year in advance. Your wedding gown is likely to be one of the most important dresses you’ll ever wear, so whether you need a little tweak or a complete remake, you’ll want it to fit beautifully and feel comfortable on your special day. Fittings are usually booked two or sometimes three months in advance, in the run up to your wedding, depending on the type of adjustments or style changes you need. I chat through all the details with you and we work out the best fitting schedule at our first meeting. Expect to have three or more fittings and remember: how your gown fits is unique to you, so extra appointments may be needed. It’s really important to bring the underwear and shoes you’ll be wearing on the wedding day to every fitting in order to obtain the proper fit. Then, once all adjustments have been finished, a final fitting will be booked. This is often a good time to bring along your best friend or family member who’ll be helping you to get dressed on the day. I can show them how best to do this, as most dresses have a variety of hooks, poppers, zips and ribbons. I always press and steam gowns before collection, making sure everything is perfect. Suzie Marie, https://suziemarie.co.uk LIFE OF THE PARTY We don’t want our ceremony to be the boring part of our wedding that everyone must sit through in order to get to the party! How can we make it as exciting and fun-filled as the rest of the day to reflect our personalities? The simple answer is to opt for a celebrant-led ceremony! They’ll work with you to make every aspect of your ceremony reflective of you and your partner’s personalities, so it’ll be bespoke and all about your love story. Every time a celebrant officiates it will be unique, different from the last one they did. Unlike a registrar, who must repeat the same script. With a celebrant-led wedding, the party starts with the ceremony, and so it should! There are no limits to what you can do, say or even where you have to hold it. You can bin the rules, or better still, rewrite them. If you want to go down the aisle on a motorbike, do it. You can include quotes from your favourite films, incorporate your family and heritage traditions, involve your pooch, have a karaoke sing-song, the sky’s the limit. Why not stop halfway through and have a toast to your wonderful guests? Just think of the love invested in writing your own wedding vows that are personal and special to you as a couple. Traditional, modern, funny, quirky – the power is all yours. You’ll have the most amazing memories and so will everyone else. Jen Whitworth, https://jenthecelebrant.co.uk www.freyasteelephotography.com www.freyasteelephotography.com 54
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