TRULY ROMANTIC My partner and I have just got engaged and are excited to start looking for a venue. How do we begin our search? Don’t skip the research. Having a rough idea of what style inspires you will help you choose the perfect location for your big day. Start looking through magazines or go online for inspiration. The key is to compile your favourite imagery into one easy-to-access place, creating an inspiration board that will guide you through a lot of your future decisions! Once you have that together, the rest falls into three easy steps: Know your numbers/location – Have a rough idea of how many people you want to celebrate with, both for the ceremony and the after party, and what kind of backdrop would best suit your nuptials. It might be a bustling hotel in the city, a marquee by the sea, or even a castle tucked away in the heart of a National Park. Your inspiration board will help with this as you’ll notice clear themes will start to emerge, and knowing your numbers will save you from visiting venues that can’t cater for your party size. Get surfing – Now you know what to look for, get on the internet and be specific with your search; using keywords that fit your dream destination. You often get some helpful articles from compilation sites, saving you the time and effort of trawling through multiple pages. Book some appointments and get visiting – This is the BEST part. Try not to spend too long on websites making comparisons; check out pictures, capacity, and cost of packages. If a venue ticks those three boxes, hit the contact button and set up an appointment to visit. Try to enjoy the experience and remember only your opinion matters! Nicola Jones www.craigynoscastleweddings.com PICK OF THE BUNCH What questions should we ask a florist before booking? Before you make an enquiry the most important thing to do is to spend some time researching the style of flowers that you like. Look at different designs and colours and go with your heart. During your research, you will come across a florist or two whose designs make you smile. These are the ones for you! Give them a ring or drop an email and arrange to have a chat. Before booking, ask the following questions: Are they free on your wedding day? There’s not much point running through everything to discover they are already booked. How many weddings are they doing on that day? Some florists can fit in three bookings in a day, so I would question whether this means your flowers could be a little rushed. What is their style? Florists are creative people, and our personality and the way we see flowers will show in our designs. Look at lots of photos to see if the supplier is a match for your big day. Do they deliver, is there a charge and have they worked at your venue before? Depending on how much you are spending on your flowers you may be charged for delivery. This is normal. Florists do not make a fortune out of their flowers, and costs are really high at the moment. It can be an advantage if the florist has been to your venue before. If not, then a good florist will visit the venue and chat with the managers about what they can and cannot do and what time they can have access. Do they use any locally grown flowers? We are lucky to have some amazing local flower farmers near us, so see if your supplier uses these. Ask for in-season flowers as they look so much better than options that should be in bloom months earlier or later. Are they a sustainable florist? It’s really important that floral foam is no longer used in the industry. Can I have specific flowers? This is a hard one. I always say to my clients that we can choose a colour palette, and then they have to trust me! Trying to get a particular rose, tulip or peony can be impossible. Depending on weather conditions, some flowers are just not available, but there are so many other wonderful options to choose from, so keep an open mind. Your relationship with your florist needs to be based on trust. They are professionals, and will do their very best for you. Can they take my flowers to a different location on the same day? Some florists will do this but will expect a fee. Be realistic though, if a huge floral installation has been created around a church porch, that is going to have to stay there! If you want to re-use your ceremony flowers for later in the day, then chat through the possibilities with your florist. Do they provide any other décor? Lots of florists have gorgeous candles, lanterns etc, and if you like their flowers, you’ll probably have the same taste. It’s always worth asking if you can hire them out. Do I need to pay a deposit? Generally yes, you will be sent a booking form and asked for a deposit. Can I change my mind? I ask all my couples a month before to re-send me some images of the flowers they like. It’s often the case that they have shifted slightly, but please don’t expect to be able to change your mind really close to the wedding day. The florist may well have pre-ordered your flowers and some farmers even grow them specifically for individual weddings. Can I see a mock-up of my bouquet? I would honestly say it’s not necessary. The chances are when you book your florist it will be a different season to your wedding day, and so the flowers available will be completely different. Every bride’s bouquet is made with care and love and is unique. It would be impossible to recreate the exact bouquet, so as I said before, please trust your florist and then on the day, you will fall in love with not just your new husband or wife but your flowers too. Rhian Rees www.wildandfabulousflowers.com www.jenkins-photography.co.uk 64
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