Your Cheshire & Merseyside Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 47)

Our experts offer stellar advice on planning your dream autumnal wedding HOT TOPIC BABY YOU’RE A FIREWORK What are the best blooms to feature in my autumn bouquet and centrepieces? Autumn is firework season, so a great way to mirror this is with rich vibrant colours in your wedding bouquet. Adding architectural elements such as seed heads and grasses reminiscent of the season can give your bouquet a showstopping look. Whether you prefer the rich tones of magenta, purple, orange, burgundy and red or a more delicate approach, there is something for every autumn bride. Calla lily, gerbera, sunflower, dahlia, rose, hypericum and aster all spring to mind. Gemma Wakerley | bookerflowersandgifts.co.uk PLANNING PANIC I’m starting to feel overwhelmed with organising our wedding and could use a hand, but I’m concerned about relinquishing control. What’s the process when it comes to working with a professional wedding planner? You might have watched Father of the Bride and envisage an extravagant wedding planner taking over, running around with a clip board and head set and doubling or tripling the wedding budget. That’s not the case. It’s your special day, so it’s easy to see how your £5,000 budget, can turn into a £50,000 wedding. It’s our job, however, to get you the best price and make sure you stay on, or under, budget. Wedding planners take pride in doing thorough research to find the best location, suppliers and prices. We narrow down your choices to two or three suppliers based on your vision, theme, needs and budget. You will, however, retain complete control, as it will then be your choice which suppliers provide a quote. Your wedding planner will accompany you to consultations if needed or go on your behalf if you’re unable to go. We’ll work with you to reduce stress and ensure your day is exactly how you want. Jennifer Holdway | exquisiteivoryevents.com THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC We don’t want to rush our couple shots but are worried about our guests becoming restless at the drinks reception while they wait for us. What can you suggest? I’ve been playing the piano at weddings for many years and I’ve seen first-hand how music has a positive effect on people. Having a live pianist at your drinks reception creates a beautiful ambience while the guests are sipping champagne and nibbling on canapés – it creates a focus. They love making requests, which become a talking point and make time pass quicker while they wait for their meal. So, you can relax knowing that your guests are well looked after and not getting restless in the slightest! There’s also the option to continue the music through to your wedding breakfast and as something special to add to your ceremony. Andrea Lamballe | andrealamballe.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 71