Your West Midlands Wedding - Dec/Jan 2019 (Issue 65)

For our winter wedding we want to have warming canapés to give guests some tasty snacks for the drinks reception. What would you suggest? When asked what starters or canapés we’d serve at a drinks reception it has to be chaats. In India, chaat is a word that describes more than just snacks and canapés – it’s a way of life. The crispy, crunchy, spicy and tangy snack is down-right addictive! We serve a wide variety of chaats, vegetable ones and non vegetable, which are great for starters such as Pani puri, a spherical fried crisps filled with potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and chutneys, served with tamarind flavoured water. To eat a golgappa, you spoon a little bit of the water into the centre of the crisp, it’s truly a sensational experience. Another great chaat we serve is samosas chaat – this is a dish that gets taste buds dancing and is made of a base of chopped samosas, topped with chutney, yoghurt and sev. Our aloo tikki chaat is always a talking point which is spiced potato patties topped with a punjabi garnish and when dipped liberally with the cilantro and mint chutneys gets lips smacking. Here at Urban Spice Box, we’re a family-operated mobile catering business based in the west midlands who’s expertise come from the streets of Punjab to the British wedding scene where we bring you Indian flavours with the best British ingredients. From starters to desserts we’ve got it! Satnam Kaur | Urban Spice Box | @Urbanspicebox My future husband and I are planning our wedding and I want the perfect dress, what styles and collection are set to be hot for 2020?  Firstly congratulations on your forthcoming wedding! Here at Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique, Droitwich, we’re so excited for the 2020 wedding dresses designs, they’re sure to impress. Some of the key styles and trends for 2020 are elegant simplicity, pretty necklines and extraordinary sparkle. Designers such as Aurora by Nicole and Romantica have created the most beautiful elegantly simple dresses. From completely plain mikado ball gowns to fitted crepe gowns featuring the most delicate lace, these dresses really allow brides-to-be to shine. From Bardot necklines to V-necks and pretty spaghetti straps. These unusual and flattering necklines offer a modern alternative to the strapless gown and offering glamorous gowns for brides. One of my absolute favourite trends for 2020 brides is extraordinary sparkle. Whether you like a little hint of sparkle or you want a dress which sparkles with every step the 2020 selection of wedding dresses feature sparkling sequins and elegant sparkle tulle. One of our favourite gowns is AUA20251 by Aurora, a beautiful tulle gown featuring the softest tulle with floral lace cascading through the dress which sparkles every time you move. Caroline Vickery-Clark | Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique | carolineclarkbridalboutique.co.uk We want a winter menu for our wedding in February, what types of yummy food would you suggest? Here’s the perfect winter menu that has received a great response from before, it’s from an competition earlier this year to raise money to support Anthony Nolan, a charity that helps people suffering from blood cancer. It was a prize for six people who raised more than £1,600 on the evening. This five-course menu was written specifically for February and includes a hot starter featuring chicken and chorizo roulade, a beautiful winter warming dish of slow-braised beef in ale and with Burton-on-Trent just up the road, good ale is a no-brainer! This was paired with roasted winter roots and everyone’s favourite – a velvet-like buttery mash with just a pinch of nutmeg and garlic. For dessert an indulgently rich chocolate marquis with a smooth mascarpone to cut through that rich Belgian chocolate is perfect. Rich desserts and the odd cheeky reminder that summer’s just around the corner, such as our pina colada parfait for amuse-bouche. We tend to offer this complimentary on our menu’s and keep this a secret for the evening, giving customer a surprise and the chef a chance to go off script and do what their best at. Richard Cummins | Westwoods Bespoke Dining | 07950 616 777 96