Your Sussex Wedding - April/May 2020 (Issue 84)

 HOT TOPIC Our experts offer stellar advice on planning your dream wedding IN BLOOM How can we make our venue flowers less formal to reflect the chilled-out vibe of our day? You can start by recycling and upcycling containers for your flowers. The choice of design will be super-important. On-trend ideas include everything from using vintage surrounds from old books with the centres removed, to old-fashioned tea canisters, and re-used catering tins. Old board games also make for quirky centrepieces. Use scrabble letters to spell “love” or use the board itself to hold a small bucket, terracotta pot or basket of flowers. Less formal flowers will include dried and wild blooms, as well as foraged materials. Trestle tables covered in natural elements such as moss look like a beautiful meadow has sprung up looking pretty, and relaxed. Commercial flowers can be stiff and unyielding, they’re grown to be perfect and have straight stems. Ask your florist to use locally grown seasonal blooms and grasses, with lots of movement, which will have unusual shapes, textures, and growing habits. Steph Willoughby | chirpee.net LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE We’re in the process of carving up our budget and we’ve been told it might be worth booking a toastmaster. What would the benefits be? After several months of planning and preparation, your wedding is the day you want everything to be just right. A professional toastmaster provides the expertise, management skills, and tact to ensure success. Your toastmaster will consult with you on every aspect of your big day, advising on procedure, timing and protocol. They’ll liaise with the banqueting manager, the photographer/videographer, and other suppliers throughout the day. They’ll also take your agreed plan and make it happen, ensuring everything runs smoothly and to time, with announcements made using the appropriate etiquette. A well-dressed, red-coated toastmaster leading the wedding party adds colour, style and structure to your wedding. They’ll look the part and give the guests a natural focus for any queries. They’re also ready with a helping hand for elderly and less able guests. What’s more, hiring a safe pair of hands relieves you of the stress of managing the day, so you’re free to relax and enjoy the occasion alongside your family and friends. Andy Wright | toastmaster-mc.co.uk 84