Planned to perfection How to create your dream wedding Here at Your East Anglian Wedding, we understand how overwhelming organising your nuptials can be. To help, we’ve asked local experts how to find the perfect suppliers and what’s on trend. A MEMORABLE MOMENT Celebrant Dawn Rees (www.dawnreesceremonies.com) explains why you should book a celebrant for your wedding: A wedding celebrant is a professional trained to undertake weddings for couples who choose to have a ceremony in addition to their legal register office ceremony. I am a humanist celebrant, which means I am trained, accredited and insured by Humanists UK. As a humanist, I do not include religious elements in my ceremonies. An independent celebrant is often trained by other professional bodies and often includes religious elements within the wedding ceremony if the couple requests it. What’s the difference between a celebrant-led ceremony and other wedding ceremonies? I’d say it’s all about the relationship you build with your celebrant. By getting to know you, they can weave your story into the most wonderful pattern of words and symbolism. It enables you to have a ceremony that truly represents who you are. The biggest difference is probably the level of personalisation you can build into a celebrant-led ceremony. If you choose to have a registry office marriage for the legal bits, consider having a brief ‘you plus two witnesses’ ceremony that deals with the legal aspect, and choose a celebrant-led ceremony for the personal aspects. Most of my couples tell me that they consider their humanist ceremony to be their real wedding day. What sort of things can you include in your ceremony? Almost anything you like! I’ve performed ceremonies that are based on Nordic rituals or included hand-written vows, an opera singer, a ring-bearer on stilts, a resident dog creche and a Halloween wedding at midnight in the woods. Other beautiful elements include the fusion of two cultures, handtying, ritual handwashing, sharing wine, and sweetmeats. The whole point is that your wedding is about you and only you! Where do you find a good celebrant? Personal recommendations, a Google search, or social media. The key is to make sure you speak with a few celebrants in advance of making a decision. What standards should you look for? First, someone who gets your vibe! Your celebrant should build a close working relationship with you, spend time with you, and get to know what you love and who you love. You should check out their qualifications, who trained them, whether they are insured, how they are accredited, and by whom. What happens if something goes wrong? Working with a celebrant means you need to trust them, so ask the right questions. How will you know you’ve found the right celebrant? You’ll feel it! You will smile, you will remember them, and they won’t hassle you for a booking, but let you decide! Understand what you need from them and what they need from you. It’s a partnership and a collaboration. How soon should I book? As soon as you know your date and often even before you book the venue! A first-class celebrant with a high reputation is likely to be booked up to two years in advance, particularly on popular summer weekends. Don’t delay; enquire early. What should I pay? Always ask your celebrant about their fee. Think in advance about where you might be prepared to compromise: what can you hire rather than buy; how many flowers; a new or vintage dress; hiring a band or having a silent disco? To avoid disappointment, check out celebrant fees on their website first. Be curious if fees are unfeasibly low; ask why. Many celebrants (including myself) offer payments in instalments, which helps spread the cost without compromising on quality. www.auroragrey.co.uk CAKE EXPECTATIONS Becky Coverdale from Becky’s Cake Bakes (www.beckyscakebakes.co.uk) tells us how to find the perfect cake maker: It’s never too soon to start looking for your wedding cake supplier, as they often get booked up quickly, especially in the summer months. If you’re having a summer wedding and like the look of a buttercream cake, check that your venue has air conditioning. The last thing you want is for your cake to melt in the heat! When choosing your design, express what you want to your cake maker so they can work with you to create a design that you love and is within your budget. I prefer to make any of the flowers used on my cakes out of wafer paper. That way, you can have any colour theme and type of flower, no matter the season. They also make a beautiful keepsake, are food-safe, and look very realistic. www.ettphotography.co.uk PLANNING SOS 61
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=