Your North East Wedding - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 36)

VENUE STYLING 55 style FILE It’s all about organising the finishing touches when it comes to dressing your wedding venue… I t’s understandable you want your wedding to have the ‘wow’ factor – and that’s regardless of whether you’re spending £5-, £15- or £50k on your big day. With this in mind we’ve teamed up with the North East’s leading experts in the field to make sure your venue styling is one to remember. Just pick the column best suited to your budget and find out how to make your wedding dreams a reality! CEREMONY & RECEPTION FLOWERS “If we work with the general rule of thumb that around 10 to 20% of the wedding budget should be allotted to flowers, with £5,000 you should spend between £500-£1,000,” says Rebecca Walker from Skelton’s The Countryside Florist (thecountrysideflorist.net ). “My advice here would be reuse, reuse and reuse! Think about what you are choosing and how you can then use them again throughout the day. Bridesmaid bouquets can be placed in vases of water after the photographs, to help decorate the venue. Also, if you opt for a traditional shape of registry arrangement, it can be then placed on the top table to be enjoyed for the rest of the day. “The main thing to do when working with a limited budget, is to listen to your florist, and be prepared to take their advice and perhaps compromise where necessary. I would always advise making a list of the absolute necessities, and then deciding how important and achievable the extras are.” DECORATIONS & LIGHTING “When you are working with a smaller budget there are several ways in which you can make your money go further with regards to styling your venue,” explains Jane Flatman from Morpeth-based Birdcages and Dragonflies (birdcagesanddragonflies.com) . “Think about your ceremony space and wedding breakfast room, and if there are decorations/props which could be used in both locations. Most venues will have a team who would be happy to reposition items during the day for you. Think about your choice of decorations – empty gin, wine or beer bottles look great as table centres, decorated with gathered or home-grown flowers. Your tables also don’t need to be all matching – plus going for a more unique and mismatched feel can work to save you money! Try and double up, too, as often favours for your guests can act as decorations. Small potted cacti look great as a table piece and name places and make great gifts to take home!” ENTERTAINMENT “On a £5,000 budget I would definitely take the DIY route – and for this all you need is a blank canvas in a nice setting,” says Amie Davies from County Durham-based DIY- A-Wedding (facebook.com/diyAwedding ). “I know of some village halls that are in buildings of once grand homes and attached to superb park grounds! For less than £200 you can have yourself the most amazing reception venue, just perfect for you to add your own DIY touches to. “Now that you’ve saved a bit on the venue you should have a little extra for the entertainment, which in itself helps to dress a venue! Look on social media for DJs and singers, who may advertise special offers to save further funds, and turn to Pinterest for hundreds of ideas. You can even work together with friends and family to create your own candy carts, doughnut walls and cheese and biscuit platters, which look great and fill your guests’ tummies in the process!” YOU’VE GOT… A £5K BUDGET FOR YOUR WEDDING  birdcagesanddragonflies.com/ barryforshawphotography.com birdcagesanddragonflies.com facebook.com/diyAwedding/ jasmineskyephotography.com birdcagesanddragonflies.com thecountrysideflorist.net/ em mamariephotography.co.uk