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

VENUE CHECKLIST We’re poised to start our venue search. What should we check before making any final decisions?  Choosing the location for the biggest day of your life is an important decision and one that often requires a lot of thought and detailed research. Before finalising any contracts the venue’s dedicated events team should take the time to get to know you so that they can create a tailored day to suit you. To get the most out of this meeting there are a number of points you should carefully consider… ❤ How many guests would you like to attend the celebrations? ❤ Do you have confidence in your event organisers to handle everything in the lead up to the day, so that the process becomes as enjoyable and stress-free as possible? ❤ Is there a package to suit your all-important budget? Is there a staggered payment system to help you manage it? ❤ What facilities are offered? For example, is there a honeymoon suite and accommodation for your out of town guests, a wedding rehearsal dinner the evening before, hair and make-up studios for getting ready in the morning or even a spa in which to unwind following the wedding? Alison Lockhart | suiteshotelgroup.com JOIN THE HUE How can I tie in my autumnal wedding theme across all of my stationery?  Your wedding’s stationery is the perfect place to bring everything together. You may have chosen certain hues for your flowers, table settings or in your bridesmaids’ dresses that can be picked out in your stationery through little hand finished touches such as ribbon. It’s a simple way to coordinate everything. I’m also creating a lot of stationery at the moment where the colour comes from images. There are plenty of pretty watercolours of autumn leaves or floral arrangements online making another a great way of bringing a seasonal theme together. I do like to combine different methods so I’d include a couple of different colour boards, for example a nice recycled Kraft board and a little burnt orange and ivory. The print design can pick out both and adding a little foil, especially that perennial favourite rose gold, is gorgeous for an autumnal theme. Once the invitation design is right I then pick out individual leaves and blooms and cut them out to use in the seating plan, perhaps even as decorative items to scatter on the tables. Stationery is the perfect place to let your imagination run riot! If you feel as though there’s too much going on, just pare it back and focus on the palette. Ling Warlow | dragonflycouturestationery.com ALL BOXED UP We want to say thank you to our bridesmaids with something that will remind them of the big day. What can you suggest?  For a thoughtful gift to say thank you to your bridal party, we’d recommend a personalised gift box. Hand pick the items you’d like to fill the box with, whether it be the natural skin care products we have at Soak Box or contemporary living items. Stick with products that are natural, vegan, organic and cruelty free and suitable for any skin type to bring a smile to everyone’s faces. You could even include a candle fragranced with your big day’s signature scent. It’s also great to personalise your box with a message of thanks for your bride tribe and tie in a ribbon of their favourite hue or even your wedding’s colour palette. Chloe Gabbitas-Powls | soak-box.co.uk 72