Your Herts & Beds Wedding - Feb/Mar 2019 (Issue 72)

We’re planning a Valentine’s Day wedding but I don’t want the obvious when it comes to our flowers. What can we choose other than roses that still symbolises love? Shane says: I love the vanda orchid. It’s a large headed flower that comes in lots of colours. It’s quite expensive but looks gorgeous and it’s your big day after all! I’d then use darker foliage to make the colour of the orchid pop such as ruscus hard and soft and bear grass to give it a free flowing feel as it’s quite a structural flower. Another option is to have roses but rather than the typical red you could opt for a different colour. David Austin garden roses in pink or white look gorgeous. They’re much softer than the standard version, very romantic and have a lovely scent. Meet the expert: Shane’s strong sense of colour and design, and a genuine passion for flowers is a winning combination. Shane Maple | Florist | maplesflowers.co.uk With this rose I can’t wait for our first dance and really want to make it feel special. What can we do to create the perfect atmosphere? Gary says: To make a feature of your first dance you don’t have to perform a routine. Many couples opt for our feature package, this includes real dry ice to allow you to dance on a cloud effect that hugs the dancefloor and creates a magical white mist that doesn’t rise above knee height. Also in the package is mood lighting to create the perfect ambience and a spotlight that follows the bride and groom. Then for the finale our colour-themed confetti blast silently discharged through professional cannons at the climax of your dance. All of this coupled with an impressive DJ and you won’t be disappointed. Meet the expert: Equinox-Storm is celebrating its 25 th anniversary this year. Managing Director, Gary Huggan loves meeting every customer in the purpose-built studio for a live demo, leaving them excited for what’s to come. Gary Huggan | Entertainment expert | equinox-storm.com SETTING THE SCENE Beautiful bake We’re creating a dreamy look for our big-day styling – lots of lace, flowers, twinkly lights and hearts. How can we incorporate this look into our cake design? Sue says: I just love creating romantic sparkly cakes. I’d recommend using firefly lights on very thin wires that are entwined between sugar flowers to add a gorgeous glow. Edible lace could be used on any of the tiers in the colour of your choice. A soft dreamy lustre applied to the fondant gives a wonderful sheen and makes the lace really stand out. If you’d like hearts they could either be incorporated into your cake topper or put on the fondant as an appliqué. Sugar flowers can be made in any colour and variety to match your theme and ribbons give a soft finishing touch. Meet the expert: Sue loves the experience of meeting couples, designing their special cake and seeing the magic come to life at the venue when she puts it all together. Sue Creaser | Cake expert | facebook.com/croxleycakes 116