Your West Midlands Wedding- April/May 2020 (Issue 67)

HOT TOPIC Stellar advice from the professionals MORE CAKE PLEASE For our summer wedding, is there anything we need to consider when it comes to our cake design such as the weather effecting certain icing, or lighter flavours that work better at a summer do? Laura says: During the initial consultation process, we always ask our couples the venue/ location of their cake. A key consideration is that during summer, hummidity and temperature can be an issue, especially in outdoor venues that tend to be more popular during that time of the year and may lack air-conditioning. This is important because the wedding cake may have to stay in place for several hours before, during, and after the wedding ceremony, and needs to be durable enough to cope with these higher temperatures and hummidity levels. An experienced cake maker should be able to provide almost any style of cake that is stable and durable enough to be placed at a venue during summer. We adapt our receipes and use specialised products to cope with summer heat and humidity, for example by changing the composition of buttercream to ensure that it can withstand higher temperatures. This type of knowledge is why dealing with an experienced cake maker is crucial. Summer wedding cakes should be light and moist in texture and taste, my favourites are strawberry champagne, lemon drop with lemoncello, and rasberry and white chocolate, all of which are fruit infused. Laura Nolan, cake maker The Nuthouse Bakery info@nuthousebakery.co.uk | nuthousebakery.co.uk WHATEVER THE WEATHER We want an al fresco wedding, but should the weather now allow, how do we prepare for this? Charley says: If you’re looking for an al fresco wedding I recommend looking for a venue that have a contingency for offering both an amazing outdoor experience as well as the indoor. Exclusive-use venues are perfect for this as yours is the only wedding taking place so you can use the venue to suit your perfect day without the worry that someone else may be using it instead! You may also want to consider the food for your wedding day, if you would like everything outside then street food is a great fun way to feed your guests, we have our own woodfire pizza oven and ice cream trike to encourage guests to utilise the outdoor space and not have to go inside to eat. Is there plenty of outdoor space at your venue for all of your guests to relax and have plenty of room to mingle and have fun? You want to make sure there is ample outdoor space for you all and look into whether the venue allow outdoor entertainment such as garden games, bouncy castles, vintage fun fair rides or any other ideas you may have. The UK weather can be unpredictable so we suggest choosing a summer month to maximise the chance of getting some sunshine and enjoying a fantastic outdoor wedding experience. Charley Barfield, wedding and events manager Manor Hill House weddings@manorhillhouse.co.uk | manorhillhouse.co.uk  88