An Essex Wedding - March/april 2021 (Issue 97)

ROUND TWO SQUIDGER & WATSON CAKES What are your top tips for getting your dream wedding cake? Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what you’d like your cake to look like when you first meet your cake designer. It’s a great idea to gather some pictures or discuss different features you might like included in your design. Let them know the key elements of your day, such as the colour scheme, theme or overall feel you’re going for. This will help your designer create a stunning cake just for you. How can you help couples adapt their day during the pandemic? The pandemic has caused so many issues, but this doesn’t need to be the case for your cake. Cakes can be made smaller and with less tiers to accommodate fewer guests. However, I’ve never heard anyone say that too much cake is a problem! So if you have your heart set on a showstopper cake, then don’t forget any leftovers can be frozen and eaten at a later date. Sarah Campbell | www.swcakes.co.uk AMANDA’S BEAUTIFUL CEREMONIES What are your top tips for booking a celebrant? When looking for a celebrant, start by researching their social media to see if they feel genuine. When you talk to them, do you feel a connection? You want someone who you feel you can trust, who is approachable and also open-minded. After all, you’re trusting them with the most important aspect of your day: the ceremony. How can you help couples adapt their day during the pandemic? Celebrants are great at being creative, thinking outside the box and remaining calm, so there’s lots we can do to help in the circumstances. Celebrant ceremonies can take place anywhere, from your back garden to a woodland, so the rush for a licensed venue is not an issue; this is a real bonus because of the backlog of weddings that the pandemic has created. If you’ve had to postpone and can’t get a registry office date that matches your venue booking, then consider a celebrant ceremony instead and complete the legalities before or after. For smaller weddings, your ceremony can be rewritten to include family and friends, or adapted for an intimate elopement-style wedding. Amanda Wheal | www.amandasceremonies.com www.hap pyhippiephotography.co.uk SIMPLY STUNNING FLOWERS What are your top tips for booking a florist? It’s a good idea to choose a florist who is local to your venue. Not only does this cut down on any delivery costs, but you can also rest assured that they will know the area and venue, so your flowers will arrive in good time and be arranged perfectly. If you have a budget in mind, it’s best to discuss this upfront with your florist. This means we can suggest the best flower options and designs to suit. I have three flower packages on my website, which prove useful as a starting point and extras can always be added. How can you help couples adapt their day during the pandemic? Throughout this time I have spoken to all of my couples, whether they want to move their wedding date or change their florals. Some couples decided to stick with their original flower order even for a smaller wedding to retain an opulent feel. Carefully placed floral designs mixed with candles and lanterns can make a large room feel very intimate. I also appreciate that the pandemic may have affected couples’ budgets, and some orders have been reduced to just a bridal bouquet and groom’s buttonhole. I’m always happy to ensure brides and grooms have beautiful flowers however big or small. Victoria Makepeace | www.simplystunningflowers.co.uk www.inst agram.com/daniela.nagy.photo https://chic media.co.uk PLANNING SOS 59