Our experts solve your problems HOT TOPIC: WEDDING WORRIES THE LOVE OF MY LIFE We’re considering booking a wedding planner. What are the benefits? To put it simply, wedding planning is a lot of work! Every wedding is unique, with lots of decisions to make and elements to coordinate. A planner can help with as many or as few tasks as desired. From organising the whole day to partial support with specific things such as venue set-up, wedding admin and supplier meetings. We find a lot of couples are looking for support and guidance in the final weeks leading up to the wedding as well as on the day. Whilst a wedding planner is an additional cost, they often end up saving both money and valuable time, with their trusted list of recommended suppliers and knowing how/where to find you the best deals. Your vision and input will always be at the forefront of the planning process, allowing your planner to pull all the strings together on your behalf to compose the bespoke day of your dreams. Your day is the beginning of married life together and should reflect you as a couple. With the right supplier, you can make your dream wedding a reality with minimal disruption to your hectic work and social life. This will allow you to focus on the important aspects of your lives and celebrating the love you share. Planning your wedding should be an exciting time for both of you, make sure you treasure this momentous occasion. Taylor Courtney | Wedding planner www.taylor-madeweddings.co.uk ESPECIALLY FOR YOU What questions should we ask a celebrant before booking? Choosing a celebrant for your wedding will allow you to create a personal and bespoke ceremony, giving you the opportunity to include elements that are unique and special to you. There are many suppliers available and it’s important therefore that you find one who you connect with, as they will be responsible for creating, what I consider, to be the most important part of your day. Without a ceremony, you are basically having a party in a very fancy frock! I would always suggest speaking with a celebrant before booking as this will give you a good insight into whether they have the same values as you and can see the vision you wish to create. Find out what style they have, as some celebrants have a particular image. For me, however, the most important questions would include how do the celebrants work with their couples? Will they meet you before the ceremony or plan multiple visits? How much involvement can you have with ideas for the ceremony? Do they work from a script, or will what they write be personal to you? Find out if they can include any religious elements or rituals as some celebrants will do this and others may not. The best advice I can give before you arrange a call with a celebrant is to decide, as a couple, what the most important parts of the ceremony are and what tone you are hoping to create. When chatting with a celebrant you will soon see if you’re compatible. Rebecca Douglas | Celebrant www.rdceremonies.org.uk www.kristieleephotography.co.uk www.galileophotography.co.uk COLOUR POP I’d love to incorporate Pantone’s colour of the year, Very Peri, into my flowers. Do you have any ideas of how I could do this without it being overpowering? Periwinkle blue is one of the trending colours for 2022 and 2023. This soft tone between blue and purple means that you can easily incorporate different shades into your wedding flowers. If you want to add just a hint of the Very Peri without it being overpowering, I would use a base of ivory white flowers and incorporate some pale blue and/or lilac tones. There are several flowers available depending on the season you’re getting married in. Hydrangeas come in both lilac and pale blue and are perfect in bouquets and table centres, but remember they are water-loving flowers and will need a lot of hydration to stay looking their best! Alternatively, look for delphiniums, agapanthus, blue grape hyacinth, roses, alstroemeria, freesias, Veronica, gerberas, hydrangeas, agapanthus, eustomas, lavender, tulips and carnations to name but a few. For a softer look, I would use eucalyptus greenery rather than darker shades, this is a lovely bluey grey leaf and works perfectly with the pastel shades. I also often use artificial flowers mixed into fresh flowers if an unusual colour is required – they blend in and look natural. Annabel Grange | Florist www.butterfliesandbows.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 63
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