HAIR CARE HERO Can you give me some inspiration for hairstyles for me and my bridesmaids for my winter wedding? We all have long locks. Current styles for brides reflect a blend of classic elegance with modern, relaxed touches. Expect to see soft, flowing waves, romantic up dos, and textured braids like boho plaits and fishtails. High up dos remain a popular choice for formal events, while intricate braids (such as a crown or fishtail) add a more natural, carefree vibe. Accessories like crystal pins, velvet ribbons, and floral elements in warm tones will be trendy, especially for weddings or winter occasions. Rich jewel tones such as burgundy, rust, and deep greens are still strong, with a focus on structured tailoring, oversized outerwear, and textured fabrics like velvet and satin for an opulent feel. Sustainable fashion is also gaining momentum, with more emphasis on eco-friendly fabrics and timeless, versatile pieces. These styles carry through from 2024 into 2025, balancing tradition with modern individuality. Michelle Summers-Davies www.pembrokeshirehairdresser.co.uk SEASONAL ROMANCE We’re having a festive wedding and want to incorporate the time of year into our ceremony. Do you have any ideas of how we can do this? If you’ve chosen a festive theme for your wedding, incorporating it into your ceremony will set a magical scene for the whole day. If you’ve booked a registrar, the content of the ceremony itself is more limited, but you could choose festive songs for your entrance, exit or signing music, or a Christmas themed reading (check there’s no religious references for a civil ceremony). If you’ve chosen a celebrant-led ceremony, you have a lot more scope for personalising and theming your ceremony. Here are a few ideas: Incorporate Christmas into your vows; talk about how the symbolism of Christmas is similar to love with its brightness, joy and even occasional family arguments! A Christmas-themed unity ritual such as planting an evergreen tree, representing the everlasting nature of your relationship, exchanging decorations, or even using Christmas ribbons for handtying. Why not have your guests join in for a Christmas singalong – a bit of Wham! anyone? Have your first kiss under the mistletoe, or even ask your guests to ring bells, or throw artificial snow instead of a traditional confetti exit. Seren Celebrants www.serencelebrants.com FESTIVE CHEER How can we incorporate our festive theme into our wedding entertainment? It goes without saying that if you’re having a December wedding, you either want to embrace the Christmas association or hold it at arms length. If you love Christmas, it will be essential that you let your DJ know and mention your favourite festive songs on your request list and tell them about any tunes that you dislike. The music performed at your wedding will connect you with memories for years to come, so it might be a good idea to have a few newer Christmas songs that you will associate with your wedding instead of past Christmases. A good mobile DJ should be able to provide customised lighting. This might be stars, snowflakes, or specific colours to match your theme. Other ideas to consider are carol singers with lanterns for the drinks reception. You could also hire or arrange for a member of the wedding party to dress as Santa to hand out wedding favours and give any gifts to your wedding party. If you’re having a selfie wizard or photo booth, confirm with the supplier that they have Christmas-associated props and/or overlays for printing. June Gould (DJ June Cecilia) www.sgdjweddings.com THE WOW FACTOR We want a cake that will impress our guests. Do you have any ideas? There are a multitude of ways to wow your guests with your cake. It’s a blank canvas for you as a couple to inject some of your personalities into your big day or to create a centrepiece that is the perfect finishing touch to your theme. The most obvious choice for couples looking to achieve the wow factor is to look for height to create grandeur. Adding tiers will most definitely ensure the cake is a showstopper, and there are so many ways to achieve this. A very popular choice at the moment is to add clear, fillable tiers to the design. They are so versatile you can add flowers, lights and initials. They are the perfect chance to get really creative and add to the design without exceeding your desired portions. Another idea could also be adding height to your individual tiers; tall and slim tiers are very popular at the moment. I also think that varied height in tiers is a failsafe way to create a modern, elegant look. Designing a bake that is full of sentimental elements is the ideal way to add character to your day. Even a smaller creation packed full of personal touches will provide a really unique, one-of-a-kind design that will keep your guests talking. This can also be achieved through a topper or adding your fur babies, as an example. Alexandra www.bakedbyalexandra.co.uk www.lauragracephotography.co.uk 50
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