Your North East Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 34)

STICKY SITUATION We’re having an outdoor wedding in the summer, and I wanted a cream and jam wedding cake. My sister says we’ll be attacked by wasps! Is there an alternative? Clare says: Since summer is the most popular wedding time, we cake-makers have to be prepared for any weather and condition. Research is sometimes necessary, but any cake that is outdoors is going to be susceptible to the elements. There’s the worry of it being too warm and melting icing or rain spoiling it, so a cake at an outdoor wedding should be covered as much as possible. Insects are going to be attracted to any sweet food source, but you could possibly fill plant pots with repellent such as thyme plants, citronella or have peppermint oil in burners. With the trend continuing for naked/ semi-naked and buttercream finish cakes, this can be more worrying than other wedding cakes, as they don’t have the support of a fondant finish and should definitely be discussed at the consultation. Clare Koch | Clare’s Cakery specialcakesforspecialpeople SECOND TIME AROUND My husband and I have been married 20 years and want to renew our vows. How can we make it feel like a wedding? Lisa says: A vow renewal is a wonderful way to celebrate how far you’ve come and celebrate your special anniversary. With a celebrant-led renewal of vows ceremony, yours will be personalised. It can include special memories, the reasons why you are renewing your vows and old and new commitments to each other as you publicly declare “I still do.” You might wish to repeat the same vows you had in your original wedding ceremony or perhaps even use totally new words to express your love. The good news is there are no restrictions on the type of ceremony you can have – it can include all the traditions, modern twists, religious content, humour or something completely alternative, bold and real. Your ceremony can take place day or night, indoor or outdoor and doesn’t have to be in a licensed venue. If you’ve dreamed of a ceremony on a beach, at your family home or at the place you first met – you can have it! Lisa Wilson | Lisa Wilson Celebrant lisawilsoncelebrant CHERISHED MEMORIES My hubby-to-be’s insisting we have a guestbook at our wedding, but I can’t understand why! If we get a book, it’ll get shoved in a cupboard and only read once in a blue moon. Is there anything else we can have that we can actually treasure on a daily basis? Kay says: There are so many great alternatives rather than an actual book, which can gather dust or get easily stored away. Ideas such as guests taking a selfie with an instant camera and sticking that on to a frame or leaving a message in a bottle to read in a year’s time are also great. Alternatively, why not speak to me about my business, Grace Holly Designs, which specialises in alternative guestbooks? Each piece of heart art is bespoke to the bride and groom and finished in a frame for you to hang on your wall. You can choose whatever colours and patterns you wish to match the theme of your wedding, whether it’s boho chic or glam and glitzy. The hearts can be personalised, with wording such as names, initials, date or a lyric from your first dance song, and you can choose from either the write-around guestbook or the write-around fingerprint guestbook. Kay Nelson | Grace Holly Designs GraceHollyDesigns clarescakery.co WIN! TURN TO PAGE 13 TO SEE HOW YOU CAN WIN ONE OF THESE AMAZING FRAMED GUESTBOOKS! EXPERT ADVICE 91