WINTER LUXE How can we find the perfect celebrant for our winter wedding? Winter weddings are often my favourite ceremonies. Unless the weather is unseasonably warm, you are almost always indoors, but that gives you the chance to really go to town on decorating the venue. Some venues have beautiful barns or sweeping staircases that make for a very dramatic entrance! And winter is such a romantic time of year. When it comes to choosing your celebrant, you want to look for someone with experience working in different types of venues and throughout the year. The actual ceremony will be pretty much the same as a summer outdoor wedding, but there are subtle differences that a good celebrant will be looking out for. One of the obvious ones – are there candles in the aisle? Some couples like to have real lit candles indoors – it looks stunning but can pose a hazard to the bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses sweeping up the aisle! Your celebrant should have checked this beforehand with you and, if necessary, discussed it with the venue staff. Confetti and rose petals from the flowergirls is another, as some venues don’t allow these indoors, or if they do, they require them to be biodegradable. Before I set up Rainbow Weddings, I was a Kent registrar for over 12 years, so I have performed ceremonies at many different venues throughout the years, in every season. If one of my couples is having a winter wedding, then I make sure that I discuss all their ideas for the ceremony part of the day with them beforehand, just to avoid any obvious pitfalls! Paul Barnett www.rainbowweddings.net www.cassandrawrightphoto.co.uk JUST ONE MORE SLICE My wife-to-be and I love strong flavours and want something unusual for our wedding cake. Do you have any suggestions? Flavour and design are equally important in a wedding cake. Here are my top tips for finding the right flavours for your big day bake: When searching for your cake designer, look at their cake menus. Most will have a selection of flavours on offer, some more classic and others more adventurous. For my own menu, I have tried to balance classic flavours with more adventurous combinations, such as classic vanilla cake layered with raspberry jam and vanilla bean buttercream featured alongside tiramisu, coconut, and lime and sticky toffee cake. A classic, luscious lemon cake layered with lemon curd buttercream is just as delicious as a more unusual banoffee cake layered with salted caramel buttercream or pistachio with vanilla buttercream and lemon curd. Seasons matter and when choosing flavours for your wedding cake, you may try flavours in a completely different season to the time of year that your wedding takes place; take this into account when selecting. Most of my couples match classic flavours in the larger tiers with some of the more unusual flavour combinations in the smaller tiers. The best way to make sure you like a cake flavour is to try it, ensuring the flavours marry with your and your partner’s taste buds. With most cake designers, you will have the option of choosing a different flavour for each tier. Taste buds vary, and no two lemon cakes, for example, are the same! For my own business, I bring taster cakes to wedding open days, I offer tasting boxes to order (with pre-selected cake flavours for you to enjoy at home), and I offer wedding cake tastings in my studio. Claudia Newberry www.purpleflour.co.uk www.instagram.com/claire.brand.photographer BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE How can we incorporate a winter wonderland theme into our wedding décor? Think white and metal accents, faux furs, and twinkling lights. To create a cosy winter vibe, consider lots, and we mean lots, of candles. Nothing says winter wedding like a monochrome colour scheme; we are big fans of white florals at winter weddings and love a black tie theme. The fluffy white florals make us think of snow and look so romantic with the white twinkling fairylights and the warmth of the candles. You could add a touch of wintry colours such as emerald green and burgundy as accents for your napkins or fonts on your name place and menu cards. Spiced cocktails or a nice winter Pimms offer a rich and warming alternative to prosecco for your drinks reception. Why not offer your guests cream pashmina shawls as a wedding favour? They look lovely stacked up in a basket with personalised tags asking guests to help themselves. If the guys are in black tie, why not find some gorgeous sequin bridesmaids’ dresses and faux fur wraps? This will complement the theme and help turn your winter theme into a stunning wedding wonder. The team at The Wedding Dolls www.theweddingdolls.co.uk www.unsplash.com 64
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=