Your Sussex Wedding - October/November 2019 (Issue 81)

BLOOMS TO BERRIES What are the best blooms to feature in my autumn bouquet and centrepieces? ❤ Dahlias are enjoying a revival and are fantastic garden flowers for bouquets and table décor. The range of colours, from blush to magenta, is huge. ❤ Chrysanthemums are also back in fashion, especially the large single bloom varieties. They last up to three weeks – great if you’re gifting your flowers at the end of the day. ❤ Carthamus is a bright orange thistle-like flower. An unusual choice, but they work beautifully in buttonholes. ❤ Choose berries to reflect the season. Red rosehips, pink and orange hypernicum (St. John’s Wort) and callicarpa, with their stunning purple hue, will look amazing and add texture to your arrangements. ❤ If you fancy something totally luxurious, now is the best (and the cheapest) time for exotic tropical flowers like purple vanda orchids, cerise and red ginger and flamingo flowers. Ask your florist to create linear table centres using these beauties for a real wow factor. Steph Willoughby | chirpee.net BIND US TOGETHER I’ve heard about a handfasting ceremony as an alternative to a traditional service but don’t know what it entails. Can you tell me more? Handfasting is a beautiful ceremony with roots that go way back in history. It’s the origin of the phrase “tying the knot” and symbolises a couple binding their lives together in love. You can opt for a full handfasting ceremony, which includes aspects such as “calling in the quarters,” where your union is blessed with the qualities associated with compass directions. Alternatively, you can choose to incorporate it into any ceremony style you wish. Some couples opt to have the handfasting cord wrapped around their hands as they say their vows. It’s then tied to signify the binding nature of their promises to each other. Others will have guests come up and add ribbons so that they end up with a colourful pompom. There’s a wealth of possibilities. The handfasting cords themselves can be made from football scarves, lengths of family tartan or plaited ribbons to match the day’s palette. One couple even knitted their own in the colours of their respective Hogwarts houses! Ask your celebrant how to make your ceremony personal to you. Claire Bradford | creatingceremony.com neilwalkerphotography.co.uk COLOUR ME AUTUMN We’re getting married next November and are struggling to settle on a palette. What would you advise? 2020 will see a mix of palettes. We have the ongoing trend for white and greenery with a pop of gold, then there’s the opulent navy, burgundy and plum tones. Woodland weddings and natural vibes are still strong and can set off a venue spectacularly, lending it an enchanted ambience. White table linens with bold-hued napkins can finish a tablescape beautifully, and you can make an even bigger impact by adding tinted glassware. Amanda Samain | hireyourday.com beeholmesphotography.com 86