Your Yorkshire Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 38)

charlotteridley.com PLANNED TO PERFECTION With the pressures of full-time jobs, we’re struggling to find time to organise our big day. Is it worth investing in a wedding planner? The simple answer is to ask someone who has hired one. If you don’t know anyone who has, then check out planners’ websites to research what services they provide and read their testimonials. Most professionals would be happy for you to contact their clients, should you wish. With few up-front tangible benefits, it’s sometimes difficult for couples to recognise how beneficial working with a planner can be. Most experts offer bespoke services that are based around full planning, venue and supplier sourcing, budgeting, partial planning, on-the-day coordination through to design and styling. You can hire one at any stage of your journey too, it might be right at the beginning to plan it from scratch or it might be later in the process when you just need management on the day. Some planners charge a percentage of the overall budget, whereas some have an hourly rate. Every couple’s needs are different. The main thing is whether they’re suitable for you. Do they fit your style? Do you love what their clients say about them? Most importantly, are they a person you’d like to work with? You need to feel relaxed and confident that you’ve chosen the right expert for you. Andrea Matthews | Moxie Events | moxieevents.co.uk COLOUR POP! We’re having a bright and bold theme for our wedding. What options are there to incorporate colour into our cake design? There are many ways to add vibrant tones to your cake. The most popular way is through the addition of flowers. Cakes decorated with blooms and foliage are undeniable showstoppers and have been a staple of weddings since traditions began. There’s an abundance of flowers to choose from so you’re really spoiled for choice. Try a pop of colour with a small cluster of florals or have them cascading from top to bottom. A good cake designer will also be a skilled sugar florist and can replicate almost any flower in sugar form. The best thing is, they won’t wilt on the day and can be kept almost indefinitely as a keepsake if looked after properly. If you’re more daring, why not have your cake finished in a bright hue? The bake can be covered in traditional fondant icing, buttercream or even ganache that’s been dyed to a specific colour. The current trend for buttercream art and painted cakes is growing and would work perfectly! Sophia Saleh | Sophia’s Cake Boutique sophiascakeboutique.co.uk 96