Question 1

We're getting married this winter and want to transform our venue into a winter wonderland. Do you have any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

Creating a winter wonderland wedding in the UK can be a magical and memorable experience. Choose a property with large windows to capture the beauty of the winter landscape. An estate, barn, or a cosy historic building with fire places can provide the perfect backdrop. If you're feeling adventurous, an outdoor ceremony with a snow-covered landscape can be stunning – weather permitting. Embrace a colour palette of icy blues, silvers, and whites. Use snowflake motifs in your invitations, table settings, and centrepieces to capture the time of year. Incorporate twinkling fairylights, candles and faux snow to create a wintry ambience around your venue. Create a cosy atmosphere with soft, warm lighting and choose music that resonates with the season. Serve hot mulled wine and hearty comfort foods for guests to enjoy followed by a winter-themed wedding cake adorned with snowflakes or edible silver accents. Send guests home with winter-themed favours such as custom-made snow globes or personalised ornaments so they can look back and remember the special day.

Question 2

What advice can you share for the perfect confetti throw?

Accepted Answer

Wedding confetti throws make for some of the most joyful photographs in wedding albums. You can maximise getting the most out of these shots in some great ways. From confetti's size, shape and style to how it's thrown and presented. If you want to use real petals, our advice is the bigger the better. Larger petals take longer to fall and have less disruption from the breeze, which works better for outdoor photos. The added weight makes them easier to aim, and their size makes more of an impression in your photographs. For dried petals, choose a mix of sizes to help with coverage. Just make sure guests throw up and not at you! If you're an animal lover or having a child-friendly wedding, a confetti pony could be for you! Children are absolutely enthralled with these gorgeous miniature ponies. It's a truly memorable way of carrying and presenting confetti to guests. If your venue doesn't allow wedding confetti, bubbles are a brilliant alternative. Not only do they add beautiful luminescent colours to your shots, but there's also no clearing up afterwards! Invest in some bubble guns with greater power and trajectory to fill the photos. Alternatively, smoke bombs inject colour and personality into your wedding shots. Just choose a great backdrop and give yourself lots of space. Paper wedding confetti comes in all shapes, sizes and colours. Best of all, lots of options are now biodegradable. We recommend this kind, not just for the environment, but because it will travel a long way. Some of our favourite shots have come from using the multi-coloured discs – perfect for summer weddings! Don't be afraid to load up on wedding confetti; the more, the better! Champagne sprays are perfect for party-loving couples and will make you laugh. Plan your spray at night with targeted production lighting for dramatic photos to capture every last drop. With any throw or spray ideas, always speak to your venue and photographer to ensure they are both on board and happy with your choices.

Question 3

We've just started planning our summer wedding, but we have no idea where to start! What would you suggest?

Accepted Answer

Most people associate weddings with the summer, and we're not surprised. The lighting uplifts the photos, beautiful flower options are available and outdoor weddings become an option. Unfortunately, this means venues get booked quickly. Book early to avoid disappointment if you have a dream venue, as some get booked up years in advance. You might sigh in relief once the venue is booked, but you must also book your main suppliers for a summer wedding. Photographers, florists, cake designers, videographers, registrars and wedding planners get booked up in advance quickly. If you're a bride, you have probably envisioned your dream outfit. But while a luxury summer wedding means enjoying the season's beauty, you must also consider the heat. You don't want your guests melting in the sun, so ensure your wedding outfits or suggestions are lightweight, airy and comfortable. You want to dance the night away, not sweat it out. As an experienced wedding planner, I also recommend having cover-ups and jackets for the evenings. Everyone likes to get away in the summer, so ensure you give guests plenty of warning before your wedding. Save-the-date cards are an excellent way for your guests to mark their calendars, sort out any childcare needed, get time off work and sort accommodation. It can be challenging to think of all the aspects you need to consider with a summer wedding and all the little details you need to arrange to ensure the day runs smoothly. That's why we're here to help with planning and on-the-day coordination

Question 4

We want our wedding to be a hit with guests; how can we create an unforgettable experience?

Accepted Answer

Why not create a wedding website? Your guests can easily hop on to find any event updates and access all the same information online if they misplace their wedding invitation. What better way to start your wedding celebrations than with a welcome party? It can take place the day or night before the wedding; it's more casual than your wedding reception and gives loved ones who don't know each other a chance to meet before your wedding day. It's a popular reason to extend your wedding beyond one day. Show your guests you've really thought about their comfort on the day and book some transport from different venues if applicable. It's a nice touch and an excuse to have fun with a vehicle like a double-decker bus decked out in your wedding colours for all your guests excitedly awaiting your reception. Additionally, if your wedding venue has limited parking, guest transportation is so handy!

Question 5

What will be trending in the world of weddings in 2023, and what advice can you share with us?

Accepted Answer

The problem with wedding trends is that every nuptial looks the same with similar backdrops, colour schemes, florals and more. The day must represent you both, don't just play it safe and go with the flow. Take inspiration from any themes while ensuring you stay true to who you are as a couple. Trends give us a great starting point when looking at what our big day could look like. But I fully encourage couples to be as freethinking as they can be with wedding planning. Don't get drawn into following trends that don't fully light up your soul; this day is about your passions and love story. We're seeing more couples being unique and authentic to their beautiful selves to create their dream day no matter what. Follow what your heart wants, whether that's a particular theme or a dream feature. Whatever you decide, remember that the day is for you and no one else – don't make any compromises.

Question 6

What advice can you share when it comes to planning a winter wedding?

Accepted Answer

Compared to other times of the year, you need to have plans in place that account for the weather when it comes to winter weddings. We hate thinking of things that could go wrong, but not preparing and knowing your options could leave you scratching your head and panicking about what to do. Take some time to think about how the weather might affect your day and have a conversation with the wedding team at your venue about what plans they have in place, such as alternate locations for photos or extra heating. Have someone with a coat to wrap you up between shots if you're having outside photos as adrenaline will keep you warm for a certain amount of time, but it's hard to smile when you're shivering!

Question 7

We're planning to have an outdoor celebration, but I'm not sure where to start. Do you have any ideas?

Accepted Answer

Making use of all the beautiful outdoor spaces in the warm summer months is so lovely and what many couples want. Outdoor celebrations are fantastic, but we have to be realistic in the UK and have a plan B as the weather can be so unpredictable. Once you find a venue, look at the spaces and see if there's an option to have a stunning glass marquee or a stretch tent so your guest still feel like they're outside in the elements. As a wedding stylist and planner, I help my couples think about how they can add personality to their celebration with colours, floral designs and décor among many other important details. My favourite idea is creating interesting areas that bring the indoors out; my couples and their guest also love this as it creates spaces for people to relax – especially as it can be a long day. It also provides interesting areas for your guest to explore and is a great way to bring your personality and style together.

Question 8

We've started planning our wedding; what advice can you share to make the process easier?

Accepted Answer

There are 100s of resources these days to help you find wedding ideas, from magazines and publications to online blogs, social media, wedding directories and more. Some weddings all look the same and follow similar templates. So, you'll want to create a wedding that includes personal touches that truly represent your great relationship – remember there are no rules. It's difficult when those around you seem to want to dampen your fabulous ideas because everyone suddenly seems to have an opinion on the day and make comments such as 'I wouldn't do that if I were you' or 'how about XYZ instead'. Respond with a gentle 'thanks, but that doesn't fit with our vision' or perhaps 'really appreciate you thinking of us, but we have already sorted this out'. If they continue to interfere, put them on an information diet and stop telling them details about the day. When it comes to creating the perfect wedding, your suppliers also need to fit your vision. That way you'll know they have your corner and will help boost your confidence. Consider joining online communities and Facebook groups filled with other couples ditching wedding trends. These communities offer a wealth of inspiration, information and support. Finally, consider getting a wedding planner who will be more than the administrator, contract checker and coordinator of the day – they'll also be your confidante.

Question 9

We're currently planning our spring wedding; what advice can you share with us?

Accepted Answer

When planning a wedding for this time of year, focus on the colourful details and floral designs. I think of lots of pastel colours paired with white touches and glass features when it comes to spring. Style your tables with cylinder floating candles and small vases full of fresh flowers to bring light, texture and elegance to your day. You could even grow and pick your own blooming flowers to save on the budget and be more sustainable; this is perfect if you want to achieve an English-garden style. Ensure to invest in napkins to bring your season to life. Most venues include standard white ones, but bringing a splash of colour onto your tables can transform the wedding styling and tablescape. Go for a linen sage green napkin tied loosely and placed on top of your charger plates. Add a beautiful abundance of fresh flowers to lift the room and bring the season to life.

Question 10

What should we keep in mind when planning an outdoor wedding in spring?

Accepted Answer

It's perfectly possible to have a beautiful outdoor wedding in spring if you plan correctly. Don't forget the practical issues of getting your guests and suppliers to where they need to be. Wheelchairs and a boggy ground aren't a great mix, so think about pathways and access. Gardens are beautiful this time of year and are full of stunning colours. To make the most of these spaces for photographs, consider having brollies on standby or even a pair of wedding wellies just in case. A cloak room or area for coats and umbrellas will help avoid bulky items appearing in your indoor wedding photos, which you'll especially want to avoid in the ceremony and wedding breakfast shots. Be prepared and you'll be ready for anything.

Question 11

We've just started planning our festival-themed wedding for next summer, but we're not sure where to start. How we can make our vision come to life?

Accepted Answer

First things first, think about what you want the wedding to look and feel like on the day. Take the time to write down ideas and create a moodboard with different venues, props, outfits, entertainment, décor and catering options to bring the theme to life. This will help you understand what's most important to you both and help you stick to a budget. The next stage is to find the perfect venue and get that booked. Finding the right location is a major factor when creating your dream-wedding look, so make sure to visit lots of properties with the moodboard to show venues what you have in mind. It's then time to find other vendors, booking a stylist like myself for the day is a big must and it's important to find a company that's created events that you love the look of. Book the supplier right at the beginning of your planning journey because the team will work hard to not only save you time, but sometimes save you money.

FAQs and expert advice about wedding planning