Your Sussex Wedding - February / March 2021 (Issue 89)

HOT TOPIC Our experts offer stellar advice on planning a personality-filled wedding day SMALL IS MIGHTY We’re in the process of downsizing our wedding, how can we still make the day everything we’ve dreamed of? An intimate wedding gives you the freedom to express your own personality with no boundaries on style, theme or venue. It’s easy to get caught up with the idea of a ‘big day,’ but a small, bespoke ceremony makes this personal moment of connection beautiful and touching. Venue choices become much broader with a smaller wedding, and expenditure decreases the fewer people you invite, allowing you more to spend on the finer details. Think small on numbers, but big on details! For example, flowers can be more creative: flower crowns, blooms entwined in your hair, flower walls, bigger bouquets, floral centrepieces and scattered petals – the possibilities are practically endless. Your wedding breakfast will also become a much more intimate affair, with no more fretting over the seating plan. A table of 15 can be stunning with vintage crockery, glassware, flowers and candles. You can also serve more interesting dishes, perhaps locally sourced, seasonal food, as simple or extravagant as you like. The freedom of a downsized wedding enables you to create the day of your dreams by bringing your vision to life. Don’t forget though, you can still have a huge wedding party once rules allow. You could even choose two totally different looks. Whatever you do, don’t hold back. This is your moment, don’t be afraid to make it your day, regardless of the size of your guest list. Claire Field, www.instagram.com/claire_mariemua Psst… Head over to www.your-sussex. wedding/news-headlines t o see the shoot by Claire and a fab team of Sussex suppliers who got together to demonstrate these ideas. BE BOLD, BE BRAVE, BE YOU How can we inject our personalities into our ceremony so that it’s uniquely ours? If you have a church or register office ceremony, you’ll know what to expect. It’s all about the process that every couple needs to follow to make your union legal. You’ll have a set service following rules and guidelines. I myself had a register office ceremony; it was lovely but filled with words set by a stranger. The main difference with a celebrant-led service is that it’s not a legal marriage, but a wedding ceremony for each person to declare their feelings in vows they make to each other. My job is to make sure that they’re the most important words of your day and they can take as long or as little time as you wish. I’ll also spend time getting to know you, learning as much about your personalities as possible. Everyone has their own style and some ideas are more unique than others – what do you say to the couple who want a nudist ceremony, or the lady who wants to be Princess Leia?! But it’s ok if that’s what makes it personal to you. So be it Luke Skywalker or Minnie Mouse your personality will shine through on your day. So go for it. Be unique and have the ceremony that means the most to you both. Merie Brown, www.orangeroseceremonies.com www.lesle yburdett.com 70