Your Herts and Beds Wedding - February / March 2021 (Issue 84)

BRIDAL BLING We have a tight budget, but I would still like to have beautiful jewellery on my wedding day, what would you suggest? Bespoke bridal jewellery from tiaras and headpieces to necklaces and earrings are a luxurious touch that not every wedding budget can stretch to. However, there’s plenty of options open to keep the cost in check whilst still achieving the beautiful look desired. Although I specialise in bespoke, high-end pieces like engagement and wedding rings, I also offer a range of small- batch silver ready-to-wear pieces. A lot of jewellery designers have a range like this, which can either be bought as it is, used as a starting point for a bespoke design or customised to your exact requirements. For example, some of my pieces could have the gemstones swapped to match your colour scheme and this can also make the perfect bridesmaid gift. If you want to design a piece from scratch, opt for silver rather than more costly metals. If you want a coloured metal, vermeil or gold plated silver can achieve the same look for far less money. Semi-precious stones like pearls or quartz paired with Swarovski crystals are affordable ways to embellish jewels. The image shows a one-off piece of dress jewellery I’ve made for a customer using yellow gold plated silver and CZ stones for a high-end look at an affordable price. Jodie Gearing | Jodie Gearing Jewellery Design www.jodiegearing.com SAY ‘I DO’ We’re looking for a wedding venue, what advice can you share with us? The most important consideration when choosing where to get married is to find a venue that reflects your personality as a couple. A few good questions to ask yourself would be; where would you feel most comfortable being the centre of attention, and what kind of event you’d like to share with friends and family? Maybe one of the important aspects is good food and wine, live music, a perfect backdrop for your pictures or all these things. You may be drawn to a formal, glamorous affair or something more intimate. Visit a few different spaces and meet the wedding coordinators. It’s also important to sample menus and wine to make sure you like what’s on offer. You’ll soon get a feel for what feels right for you both. Whatever your budget there’s something special out there that has your name on it. This could be exclusive hire of a cosy pub with amazing food, a barn in the countryside or a manor house oozing with elegance. A good venue will want to make your wedding day perfect, so make sure you form a good rapport with the staff so that together, you can create a day to remember. Good luck and above all, have fun in the process! Taylor Morphew | The White Horse, Hertingfordbury www.whitehorsehertingfordbury.co.uk PICTURE PERFECT What should we take into consideration before booking a photographer for our wedding? There are many things to consider when booking a photographer, and every couple will have different priorities for each consideration. It’s important you feel you can trust the supplier, and you need to make sure the photos are good quality. Will the pictures be in focus, edited correctly and be of a standard to make you want to look at them over the years to come? Good questions to ask yourself would be: is the photographer enjoyable to be around, and do they offer good value for what you’re paying for? The most important thing as a photographer to me is capturing pure emotion, joy and the love the couple have for each other. I hope this is what most couples would want, images to not just show your children/ grandchildren but those where they can feel the emotion in them. Howard Treeby | Absolutephotouk |  www.absolutephotouk.com LOVE IS IN THE HAIR I struggle with thin hair and want to add volume on my wedding day. How can I achieve this? Here are some tips for creating volume for your special day… ♥ Blow-dry products into your hair to start, my recommendations would be Bumble and Bumble Go Big Thickening Treatment and the L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni. ART Volume Lift Mousse is also a favourite of mine. ♥ Blow dry your hair upside down before styling, this will create lift from the roots. ♥ Invest in a good comb for backcombing, tease the hair underneath the top layer to create fullness. ♥ Invest in a good shampoo and conditioner three to six months prior to the big day. ♥ Diet also plays a part, so start increasing your intake of iron and vitamin-rich foods such as spinach, broccoli, eggs and good old vitamin C! Emma Horsley Emma Kim Hairdressing www.emmakimhairdressing.com 80