Your Kent Wedding - January/February 2021 (Issue 94)

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Plan your al fresco celebrations with a world of wisdom from local suppliers  Photograher Jim Arundel for Katie’s Fizz Shack Photograher Jim Arundel for Katie’s Fizz Shack L ike any wedding, al fresco nuptials need careful planning to avoid any on-the-day stress. Step one is agreeing together a clear and realistic budget, as it’s all too easy to get carried away by the sheer volume of space you’re faced with. We chatted to some local suppliers covering a variety of areas in order to pull together this guide to creating the ultimate fun-filled open-air W-day. So, clipboard and pen at the ready… GET SET Katie Nickson of Katie’s Fizz Shack says: “With everything that’s going on at the moment, it’s a great idea to have your wedding outside, as there’s plenty of space for social distancing. So firstly, you need to find a location that’s available on your desired date, and spend some time there. This helps to form a picture in your mind of how you want it to look. “The next step is to compile your list of suppliers. I’d recommend you aim to enlist as many local businesses as possible, as they’ll know the area like the back of their hand and will be able to spend plenty of time with you to make sure you get the day of your dreams. The best thing about outdoor weddings is that there’s little to no red tape, so there are no limits to your creativity. “Most importantly, try to remember it’s not just a big party, it’s your wedding day and all about the commitment the pair of you are making. I find some people lose sight of that. Don’t make your guest list too big, just because you can. You probably won’t have seen some of your loved ones for a while so you want to make sure there’s time to chat to everyone properly.” KATIE’S GREAT OUTDOORS SUPPLIER CHECK LIST ❏ Venue ❏ Marquee/cover ❏ Bar ❏ Caterer ❏ DJ ❏ Lighting ❏ Décor ❏ Toilets ❏ Cake ❏ Registrar/minister/celebrant AL FRESCO WEDDINGS 69