Your London Wedding - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 69)

CHEERS FOR THE IDEAS We’ve booked a venue with no corkage charge and we’re keen to keep the wine flowing all night – but what should we be stocking up on? Sam says: Knowing which wines to have at your wedding can be one of the trickiest decisions to make. Our advice, opt for crowd- pleasers and everyone will be happy – here are the drinks that are trending now: 1) Rosé: while many couples just offer their guests a red or white, the growing popularity of rosé is encouraging couples to choose a third bottle. I’d suggest the elegant, sparkling Hindleap Rosé from the Bluebell Vineyard Estate in East Sussex.  2) Punch: when it comes to winter weddings, we anticipate the rising popularity of punches. They create a fabulous talking point and can be made and served in bulk, making them affordable and quirky.  3) Self-service: more and more couples are choosing to create self- service bars, beer taps and 70s-style cocktail bars at their weddings – a trend set to rise in 2020.  4) Sustainable: people are thinking more about the world around them, and that also comes into play when they’re organising their wedding days. Couples are choosing wines that didn’t travel hundreds of air miles to get there, instead selecting English or European options.  5) Farewell Champagne: while Champagne is wonderful and luxurious, many couples are looking for other options that are more sustainable and unique. I anticipate English sparkling wines to continue to rise in popularity, along with cava, Crémant (French sparkling wine made just outside of Champagne) or sparkling Riesling from Germany.  Meet the experts: Sam Tyson is a wine expert at Winebuyers.com Winebuyers.com | winebuyers.com | info@winebuyers.com I NEED SOMEBODY Help! I’m clueless about music – and I don’t even know whether to plump for a band or a DJ, let alone how to hire a good act – how can I narrow down the options? Becky says: Don’t panic! There are expert agencies out there who have already done all the hard work for you. Choosing the music for your wedding day is easy when you have people you can trust providing you with the best options, so you can just sit back and pick the music that gets you excited. A DJ is the perfect choice for a smaller venue or if you’re limited by budget. You could also opt for a DJ Live option, which means you would have live musicians – a vocalist and a saxophonist, for example – playing alongside a DJ. This unusual act helps to capture a nightclub’s aura and the infectious energy of live musicians.  Live bands, meanwhile, are a sure-fire way to get people of all ages up and dancing on your big day, one of our acts is even interactive meaning the musicians are in among your guests, dancing the night away with them. Meet the experts: Becky Carewe-Jeffries works for function band provider, Articulate Music. Articulate Music | articulatemusic.co.uk | info@articulatemusic.co.uk 114