Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 76)

NATURE’S BOUNTY Autumn is our favourite time of year and we want our wedding to reflect all the warmth and colour of the season. What would you suggest? Siân says: This is the perfect time of year to get creative with your wedding styling. There’s so much inspiration around with halloween and bonfire night on the calendar and a wealth of natural material to inspire you too. Think pumpkins, acorns, fir cones and ornamental gourds in an array of different shapes and colours, as well as feathers, twigs and foliage for extra texture. You can create drama by adding silver accents to warm dark red and russet shades. We included damaranthus and scabios in the arrangements (pictured), with grand prix and ruby red roses; perfect for autumn or winter weddings. Siân Bowron | Wedding planner | amethystweddings.co.uk FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD We’ve had to postpone our summer wedding and are getting married in the autumn instead. We’re having to rethink our catering plans and I’m worried there won’t be as many exciting options available. Tony says: On the contrary, this time of year offers some of the most sensational produce, available right here on our Dorset doorstep. Some of my personal autumnal favourites include New Forest mushrooms, which our chefs use to create arancini; delightful stuffed rice balls with shaved parmesan, rocket and a truffle mayo. You can get some incredibly tasty butternut squash from Sopley Farm, which we use in our colourful risotto, finished with Italian hard cheese, poached free-range egg and basil oil. However, it’s with desserts that you can really have fun with some of autumn’s finest. Take the humble pear for example, beautifully crafted into a modern version of the traditional belle Hélène – perfectly poached and served with Chantilly cream, a warm chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnut granola; utterly delicious! Tony Beales | Managing director | bealesgourmet.com Images: andrewplantphotography.com jennyowensphotography.com, Flowers: pompandpetals.co.uk ALL IN THE DETAIL We’re both great cake lovers and want a real showstopper to complement our seasonal wedding theme. Any ideas? Alice says: Rather than opting for bright white or pale ivory, consider darker ivory, rich caramel and more decadent taupe colours which are warmer, in-keeping with an autumnal look. For me, it’s not just about making the cake look beautiful, it’s also about the presentation and setting when it’s on show at the venue. Whether it’s bringing the outdoors in, using a variety of woodland foliage around the cake, a crisp layer of delicate orange leaves and pine cones or simply using a gold-toned stand to enhance the warmth in the colour palette; these small details can really make a big difference to the overall impact of your cake. Alice Gates | Cake maker facebook.com/gatesbakes 110