Your West Midlands Wedding- April/May 2021 (Issue 73)

DELECTABLE DELIGHTS Q – After postponing our wedding due to the pandemic, we’ve decided to have a small celebration, and a big cake doesn’t seem right. What other options are there? There are many ways you can still have the cake of your dreams at a smaller wedding. Here are a few of my top tips: ❤ Right on-trend for the coming wedding season are floating tiers. Achieved using a sidebar that can be decorated with foliage, flowers or crystal beads, it gives the illusion of a floating top tier. Creating a tall, elegant cake without extra portions. ❤ Alternatively, you could opt for the illusion of a clear tier using an acrylic dummy. This can be left empty or filled with flowers, crystals, baubles or decorated with a stencil feature to tie in with your theme or centrepieces. ❤ If you would prefer something more traditional, then opt for a dummy tier as your base, decorated as a real cake would be, and no one will ever know that it’s not real. You could cover the dummy base with flowers, and/or foliage to match your bouquet. ❤ Whether you’ve decided to opt for a singer tier cake or to make a statement by having a double-barrelled design, let the decorations do the talking. Use a mixture of textures and sugar flowers, and display it on a footed cake stand which will look simply stunning. Jackie Diamond Cake specialist www.facebook.com/jackiediamondcakes FRESHLY PICKED IDEAS Q – My wife-to-be and I are looking for a florist, but there are so many to choose from, and we’re feeling a little overwhelmed. What do you suggest? Before you begin your search, set a budget and decide are your flowers going to be a major part of your day or a finishing touch? Be realistic about what you want to spend and scale your plans accordingly. Here are some of my top tips: ❤ If you loved your friend’s wedding flowers, ask who did them. ❤ Google local florists and see what images and websites you’re drawn to. Think of keywords that describe the style you want, such as wildflower wedding, English country and modern wedding flowers. ❤ Do an image search for florists in your area and explore those which appeal to you most. ❤ When contacting suppliers, think do they sound friendly, helpful and interested? Remember that weddings have a long lead time, and you may be working together for months/years, so it’s important that you get on. Do they understand the style you have in mind? Is it something they do a lot? ❤ Do you just want lovely flowers or to have a say in every detail? Your own feelings about this may effect who would suit you best! Does your chosen florist understand how much involvement you want to have? Carole Patilla Florist www.tuckshopflowers.com 66