HOT TOPIC: wedding worries Our experts solve your problems A GRAND SETTING What questions should we be asking a venue before booking? There is a lot to think about when booking a wedding venue. These are some of the questions that we recommend you ask prospective properties: Do you allow outdoor ceremonies? Getting married outside is a great option and can often offer a fantastic backdrop for the ceremony and great photo opportunities. Couples can get married with us in the gardens of Spring Grove House, which look spectacular. Do you have accommodation? It’s worth finding out if they have any rooms for guests and if there is the option to stay the night before the wedding. For example, we have the option for couples to stay in our fantastic Safari Lodges. Is there a minimum/maximum number of guests required? A venue may only be able to cater for a certain number of guests, or may have different options for the ceremony, wedding breakfast and reception. Do you allow external suppliers? Some venues prefer to do everything in house, whereas others might completely rely on external suppliers, or a mix of in-house and external. For example, we cater in house for food, but we do allow external caterers on occasion. What are the photo opportunities within the venue? Many photographers may know the venue, especially if they are local, but it might be worth noting some stand-out locations, which will save time on the big day. Do you offer exclusive hire of the venue? Some properties may be open to the public, so it’s worth finding out if you will be sharing your day with another pre-planned event, or whether members of the public will have access to the grounds. The team at Safari Venues www.safarivenues.co.uk THE SWEETEST BLOOMS We love flowers and want to incorporate them into our cake. What should we take into consideration? I adore flowers on cakes and advise my couple to consider hand-crafted sugar flowers first. Sugar flowers are perfect for cakes, as they won’t wilt, are non-toxic, can be crafted to match your fresh flowers and can be a longlasting reminder of your wedding day. Handmade sugar flowers are a showstopper piece of art and your guests will be wowed by how realistic they can look. Of course, some couples do like to use fresh flowers too, these can also look wonderful, but it’s worth bearing in mind that not all flowers can go on cakes as they may be poisonous, and as they may wilt quickly, it might be worth bringing your cake cutting forward to an earlier time. Talking things over with your cake designer and florist is your best bet, as they will advise you on what’s best for your preferred design and the time of year. Heather Tilstone www.tspcake.com www.danround.com www.emmawilkinsonphotography.co.uk ROMANTIC MELODY We’re having our wedding in our local church followed by a drinks reception outside, can a harp be played in both locations? A harp is an excellent choice for a wedding, as it will create a romantic atmosphere and enchant your guests without drowning out the conversation. To play in a church and then move to an outdoor setting is easily achievable on a smaller harp, which may be picked up and carried with minimum fuss. On a large concert harp, this will be a little tricky and time-consuming, as it will need to be moved on a trolley and probably wrapped in covers, depending on the terrain and weather. My perfect solution is to use a very lightweight carbon fibre harp, which is easy to carry and needs no covers. This is quite happy being played in the rain, snow or sunshine, so you need not worry about passing showers, and it can be moved and played somewhere else in an instant. Helen Barley www.helenbarley.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 55
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