Your South Wales Wedding - September/October 2020 (Issue 75)

PLANNED TO PERFECTION Q – Our wedding has been postponed due to COVID-19, meaning we have to re-book our venue. What do you suggest we ask before deciding on a new date? There are a few things you should keep in mind before making a decision. Ask the venue staff if your deposit will automatically be transferred to your new date in the case of another lockdown. Will the bedrooms that have already been booked also be transferred to your new date with no loss of deposit? Will the same number of bedrooms still be available and if the wedding has to be moved to 2021 or 2020 will the venue still honour the price from 2020? Lastly, make sure the terms and conditions of the new date are the same as your previous one. Judy Rose Sales manager www.valeresort.com SHOWSTOPPING MAGIC Q – We will be having guests of all ages attending our wedding and were thinking of hiring a magician to keep them entertained. What should we look for before booking a supplier? When looking for a magician you might make some assumptions based on experiences or stereotypes. The reality in most cases is magicians are as individual as your wedding will be to you. As you would spend time researching your photographer, do the same with your entertainment. Ask yourself what you would like the magician to be here for? Is it to occupy the children during the speeches, or to generate reactions for photographs? You may need magic in the form of a cabaret during the day or more of a grown-up show in the evening. Chat with the supplier and ask about their experience and available options. A large percentage will mostly perform close up magic so you may need to shop around for different options. Ask if they have worked at your venue before, and what works well there. Price is often the biggest question with magicians as they can start as low as £100 and go up to £1,000. This is because some magicians can do more than just tricks, with added value, experience and availability the price is generally higher. A full-time magician will generally charge more as this is their sole income and they have to cover the expenses of running a business. Only pay what your comfortable with and remember optional extras will cost more. Bryan Gunton Event magician www.bryangunton.co.uk GET THE LOOK Q – How do I find the perfect hair and make-up artist for my wedding? Choosing a hairstylist or make-up artist is never easy. Before booking a supplier, look at their experience, style, passion and past work. They should be able to create your dream look and have lots of expertise in the industry. Check your supplier has spent years educating themselves and are fully-insured before booking. The sooner you book your suppliers, the better. If you like their work, don’t hesitate to get in touch straight away. As soon as you’ve booked your venue and know the time of your ceremony, start looking for your hair and make-up artist. Once you’ve found a supplier you like, go onto their website and fill in an enquiry form and await their reply. They should reply within a day. If they have lots of enquiries, then you may have to wait a little longer, but this should be stated on their website. When they reply, they will usually guide you through all the questions that you might want to ask, and those that you might not realise are important, such as distance between the preparation address and the ceremony venue. Maya Jasinska Hair and make-up artist www.loxushairandmakeup.com www.scoularfish.com www.rachellambertphotography.co.uk 56