HOT TOPIC Stellar wedmin advice from those in the know FESTIVE FLOWERS How can we give our reception flowers a Christmassy vibe? Christmas is truly magical and, like many couples, I love it! If you’re after a festive vibe, draw inspiration from how you decorate your own home during the holiday season: the palette, style and scent. Take the elements you love and ask your floral designer to combine them for your special day to make it truly personalised to you. I’d also suggest embracing seasonal florals such as berries, waxflowers, and lush foliage, which look amazing with candles or twinkly lights. This is the idea we went with for the wedding pictured. We layered the tables with drapes, foliage garlands, pea lights and candles to create the mood, keeping it cosy. The favours were dried lavender garlands with handmade clay stars, which guests could hang on their trees for years to come, remembering the special occasion. If you get married at Christmas, it’s important to consider the flower cost, as they’re in demand at this time of year, so prices can increase significantly. It’s also worth checking your venue’s colour palette, and ensure it complements your chosen scheme. There’s nothing worse than clashing styles. Jacqui Owen, www.jacquio.co.uk ALL HEART How can we make sure our ceremony is a unique reflection of our personalities? I don’t just learn about your love story, I learn your entire life stories! Every experience, good and bad, not only put you on the path to meeting, but also to being the perfect match for one another. The end result is so worth it. In fact, the greatest compliment I’ve ever received is when a couple’s congregation all assumed I was one of their lifelong friends. Twelve weeks before the wedding is when I send out your Couple’s Workbook. It’s a great date-night opportunity, allowing you to reminisce about all those relationship and milestone moments. It was designed with a relationship psychologist to be purposefully emotionally triggering but in the most wonderful way. Eight weeks before the big day, we design the ceremony running order and four weeks ahead we write vows. It’s also at this point I’ll send out some self-care treats and arrange a wellness session if you’re feeling the pressure of planning. Your ceremony will set the tone for the rest of the day. A wedding will likely be the one and only time in your lives that you’ll have everyone you care about in the same place at the same time. It’s so important to evoke emotion, excitement and a happy mindset to ensure everyone has the time of their lives; and that starts at the heart of your day, your highly-personal ceremony. Jennifer Walker, https://jwceremonies.com https://helenwilliamsphotography.co.uk 73 EXPERT ADVICE
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