Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding - Mar/Apr 2019 (Issue 73)

We’re great cake lovers but have no idea what style, colour or flavour to choose for our big day. What would suggest that’s on trend and will make a great centrepiece? Sally says: This year I’m seeing some wonderful new ideas coming through as well as continued love for some trends from last year. Here are few of my favourites: STYLES ❤ Extravagance – my 2019 diary is filled with four- and five-tiered cakes full of textures like ruffles, sequins and glitter to give your wedding cake the wow factor. ❤ Semi-naked or buttercream-covered cakes remain a popular choice; adorned with fresh spring flowers and foliage. This style is perfect for couples on a budget and you can always add some colour to the icing for something a little different. ❤ Plaques and motifs are the perfect way to personalise your wedding cake and can come in a range of styles to suit your theme. COLOURS ❤ Think blush pink, teamed with either grey or navy or even a marbled effect, which is still very popular. ❤ We can’t ignore Pantone Colour of the Year Living Coral, although my preference is for a slightly paler tone or peach shade. ❤ Metallics – silver, gold, rose gold, copper, sequins and glitter for extra glamour. FLAVOURS With multiple tiers come multiple flavours so why not treat your guests to a selection? We have an extensive menu to choose from but these are our top three favourites: ❤ Champagne and raspberry ❤ Lemon ❤ Salted caramel Sally Beedles | Cake maker | thecrumbfactory.co.uk SWEET SENSATIONS dmphotographyuk.com columbiaphotography.co.uk millardphotography.co.uk Wedding know-how We’re recently engaged and have only just started on the wedding planning. We’ve been researching venues online but most of the ones we really like have been out of our price range. How can we have our dream wedding without breaking the bank? Frankie says: The first thing to consider is your priorities. Is it more important to you where you get married or when you get married? If you have a dream venue that you really like the look of, but you’re worried you can’t afford it, check if it offers a more favourably-priced option outside of the peak summer season, as we do at The Italian Villa at Compton Acres. It’s also worth enquiring about great-value packages which include the catering as this is usually less expensive than paying for venue hire and catering separately. Consider your guest list carefully, wedding packages will probably have a clear minimum number of guests you need to cater for, even though the venue may be able to cater for many more. Don’t forget that you can invite a select number of family and friends to your whole wedding day and have more join you for the evening party. It’s worth considering the style of your venue and what they offer in terms of décor that’s already included as this can save you a tidy sum overall on extra decorative touches. Think about the location too. Does it have free parking? Is it easy to access with local transport links nearby? This can help save money on transporting guests and the wedding party to and from. There are always ways to have the wedding of your dreams. The best thing you can do is to compile a list and get in touch with the venue to see how they can help you achieve as many items on your wish list as possible. Frankie Murphy | Wedding and events manager | the-italian-villa.co.uk 112