Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding- August/September 2020 (Issue 22)

HOT TOPIC Our regional experts share their top tips SUITED AND BOOTED Meet the expert: Alexander Edwards is the managing director of The Cotswold Tailor, an award-winning business taking traditional British cloths and tailoring them with a contemporary twist. What suit styles and menswear accessories are trending for spring and summer 2021 weddings? Alexander says: With the majority of weddings this year being impacted in some way by the coronavirus, we are starting to see several patterns emerging in grooms attire for 2021 celebrations. Firstly, there has been a surge in weddings booked for next March. Never before have we been so heavily booked for this month, a result of many 2020 weddings having been rescheduled. Because this can be a colder month, blue tweed suits work well, paired with lighter tweed check waistcoats for a nod to spring and Liberty-print ties that finish the look. The second change we are seeing is a growing demand for grooms opting for a bespoke suit. As ceremony numbers have been capped for weddings taking place in 2020 and possibly into 2021, an increasing number of grooms contacting us now are looking for something special to wear that has been made just for them. I imagine that we might see groomsmen numbers reduced with greater importance on the groom’s suit. Finally, for summer 2021 celebrations, I am seeing a growing demand for grey lightweight linen-blend suits. This summery look and feel are perfect for the hotter months. We recommend a blend of linen, wool and cashmere because it breaths, is lightweight, feels great to touch and more importantly, it doesn’t crease as much as other fabrics. The Cotswold Tailor | 01993 358 284 | www.thecotswoldtailor.com www.instagram.com/thecotswoldtailor BEST-DRESSED BRIDES Meet the expert: Patricia Ireland founded Test Valley Textiles in 2016, a small business offering clothing repairs and commissions, before merging with Burleys Bridal Boutique in 2018 due to an increase in requests for bridal alteration work. The business has recently been renamed the Test Valley Bridal Boutique, stocking a range of quality dresses from Victoria Kay that can be altered to fit perfectly. Patricia can store a bride’s dress safely ahead of the wedding, free of charge, and she has now introduced her dressing of the bride and bridal party service where, for a small charge, she will attend the venue and dress the bridal party on the morning of the wedding. How long before my wedding should I be looking at purchasing a dress and how much time should I allow for any alterations that might be needed? Patricia says: If you’re searching for a quality bespoke dress for your wedding day then you should ideally start looking 12-18 months beforehand. Our main supplier, Victoria Kay, has a lead time for bridal dresses between 16 and 20 weeks from the date the order is placed by us. If you’ve purchased an off-the-peg style, it’s best to allow three to four months before your wedding for the alterations to be completed. Even bespoke dresses will require small alterations to make them fit you perfectly for the special day. We complete all alterations as close to the wedding date as possible to ensure a perfect fit. Test Valley Bridal Boutique | 01264 726 947 | www.testvalleytextiles.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 51 