Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - May/June 2024 (Issue 104)

72 DAWN CLARKE AT DAWN CLARKE DESIGNS I absolutely love working with children, having taught for many years before following my dream of becoming the children’s couturier. For all the lovely couples who are having flowergirls and pageboys at their wedding here are some top tips! Always take time to look at the sizing chart details before buying a garment, paying particular interest to the chest and height measurements. Boys often struggle with fittings around the waist, so choose a quality pair of shorts or trousers that have adjustable waist fasteners or choose a pair of braces! Choose fabrics that are non-itchy to avoid unhappy little ones on the day. A high-quality fabric such as silk or cotton are perfect and try to avoid man-made fibres such as polyester. A garment that’s made from a natural fibre will help the children keep their body temperature regulated and avoid them getting too hot or cold. Talk with the photographer in advance and arrange for the little ones to have their photograph taken first to capture them while they still have energy. It’s a great idea to talk and walk the flowergirls and pageboys through the ceremony before the big day. This will give you ease of mind and they’ll know what is expected of them. If they’re feeling anxious, offer them something to hold on the day like a basket of petals, a flower wand or teddy bear! Consider arranging for a selection of activities for the children. If they’re active, maybe a bubble machine for outdoors and definitely a quiet area with a selection of activities such as colouring, reading a book, or puzzles for when they need time out! Discover: https://dawnclarkedesigns.co.uk DEBBIE HILL AT CHARISMA Here at Charisma, we’ve been dressing mothers-of-the-bride/groom for more than 30 years and in that time, we have found that mum’s put a lot of pressure on themselves to please everyone and forget about themselves. We suggest to start looking with a view to buy an outfit six months in advance. We place our orders six to eight months in advance and once the orders have been placed they move on to different collections. Bring the person who’s opinion is the most important with you as we cannot hold items and on too many occasions, people have been left devastated as the outfit they fell in love with has sold. If you’re planning to lose wight, you can definitely leave it close to the wedding but remember you can always have it altered as most outfits can go down at least one size. As soon as you get your outfit we suggest booking your appointment with your seamstress as during busy months there can be a 12-week wait. Some mothers are unsure about wearing a hat, as they feel it doesn’t suit them and they feel over dressed, but a hat will distinguish them from the guests, Plus, you really cannot be over dressed for your son or daughter’s wedding. We stock Rainbow Club shoes with matching bags that can be dyed to any colour but again, this can take several weeks during peak season and we recommend getting them at the same time. They’re generally posted directly to you and we would advise wearing them around the house for a couple of weeks before the big day as there’s nothing worse than a blister! I hope this helped answer some of your questions but please feel free to contact us should you need any more advice and don’t forget you can now book you appointment with us directly though our website. Discover: https://charismaoffawley.co.uk @kateizakphoto www.rosaclara.es/en www.veni-infantino.com @kateizakphoto

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