THE LOVE OF MY LIFE My wife-to-be and I have just started wedding planning, and I’m slightly confused about what a celebrant does! Can you help? Many couples nowadays want to do something a little bit more personal and different for their wedding ceremony. It’s the ceremony itself that sets the mood and the tone for this very special occasion – one that should be absolutely unforgettable! A celebrant should spend time with you before the wedding to get to know you; you can trust them to create a ceremony for you that is bespoke and anything but ordinary. You might be marrying in a stately home, a tipi, on a beach, in a forest, or even in your backyard. As long as you legalise your marriage separately, there are no restrictions whatsoever on the venue, style, or content of your actual wedding day. With a celebrant, you can create personalised vows and a wedding ceremony script different from any other; both will be yours to keep and look back on forever; you’ll remember all that was said about you both, and by you both, with love and affection for years to come. There are limitless additions to your ceremony, including symbolic, cultural, or religious elements that might hold meaning for you and your family and that will really add to the joy of the day, delighting your guests too. Traditional is also great. You can have exactly what you want with no compromises whatsoever. Having an independent celebrant create that amazing ceremony for you will make your day truly unforgettable! Susan McGregor www.susanmcgregorcelebrant.co.uk A BEAUTIFUL ATMOSPHERE We’re looking for elegant music for our ceremony. Do you have any ideas? Choose a musician who is able to guide you with your song choices. For example, I send my couples a list of tunes with lots of ideas, and together we chat about your desired atmosphere and put together an amazing ceremony soundtrack. Most musicians are happy to take requests if you already have something in mind, but I always recommend checking if they can perform your song before you book. You can always ask your wedding musician for a sample to see how it sounds before your big day. Really listen to the lyrics of the songs you like; there are many records that don’t sound suitable for a wedding because they may be too upbeat but can actually be reimagined into a custom ‘weddingified’ version just for you. Find songs that mean a lot to you both, and look for a singer or instrumentalist who you think can perform them with the right sound and sentiment. This will create a perfectly elegant and memorable atmosphere for your ceremony. Abigail Patrick www.abigailpatrick.co.uk www.brownsfilms.com FALL IN LOVE What flavours and colours would you suggest for our autumnal wedding cake? I love an autumn-themed wedding cake, as there are so many rich colours and possibilities. You could go for a statement design and airbrush it with rich golds, burnt oranges, and reds, or choose beautiful, autumnal flowers and foliage to adorn a satin ivory sugar paste cake. Using a range of autumn-coloured leaves with brighter berries would create a striking effect, as there are not many flowers that bloom naturally at that time of year. Use twigs and branches to add length to your foliage, increasing the size and presence of the display, giving you more bang for your buck, so to speak. In terms of flavours, incorporate seasonal fruits and spices. You want comfort and warmth at that time of year, so packing a punch with flavour is a great way to go. Spiced apple or rich spiced plum jam, apple, and walnut are favourites of mine, although carrot cake has a wonderful warmth and a hit of flavour from the orange and walnuts. You could go one step further and design your bake to look like part of an autumnal woodland by making it look like a stack of logs, with fallen leaves in golds, greens, reds, oranges, and browns scattered about, with a couple of hedgehogs peeking out from a nest they are building under the logs. A wedding cake doesn’t have to be white or ivory with flowers on it. Remember, this is your special day, so make the design special to you. Terri Newman www.erivicacakes.com 58
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