A champagne brunch and lots of wedding talk on a Sunday morning? Truly a beautiful idea. Recently I got to head along to Weddings Unveiled with Mr Floral (who, like most guys, is always reluctant to get involved in wedding things!). But I’m pleased to say we BOTH had a fabulous time, nibbling on canapés from ARIA Catering and checking out Decorative Events + Exhibitions gorgeous showroom – they had everything from coordinating chair ribbons and table cloths, to glass jars and blackboards, as well as little areas styled for weddings in all different themes. Absolutely gorgeous.
The biggest highlight was the massive amount of information that the four speakers on the day gave to brides and grooms-to-be. They were so generous with their time and you could tell that each of them was very passionate about their individual crafts – something you definitely want and should expect from your chosen suppliers.
Lucky for you (if you weren’t there), I scribbled down their top tips.
First we heard from Rebecca at ARIA Catering. She really hit the nail on the head when she said that brides and grooms MUST keep the guest experience in mind. Food and beverage can really encourage people to have a good time, and it will be something they remember from your event. She also suggest considering different types of catering:
* Big impact – food stations (dessert, cheese, risotto etc).
* Roving food (works for canapés on arrival, dessert).
* Sharing menu – platters of food in the middle of the table.
Next up was Graham Monro from GM Photographics. These points are the ones that really stood out for me when thinking about wedding photography:
* You need to get the best out of your wedding photographer – look at their work and their volume of work. Depth, quality and consistency is king.
*A good hair and makeup artist is essential and should work with your photographer on timings on the day.
* Have a Plan B for weather and stay positive if it rains. Graham’s team have beautiful white umbrellas that make for great photos, for example.
* Learn how to walk, pose and move in your wedding dress.
Then Linley from Decorative Events + Exhibitions shared some key styling tips for weddings that I find help simplify the (overwhelming!) process and assist when thinking, researching and buying decorations for the big day.
* Commit to a certain style. Go with it and build upon your design.
* Styling should be a reflection of you. What do you as a couple like? Also you can add personal touches that could also be take home gifts.
* Make sure your styling compliments your venue. Take inspiration from your surroundings. You don’t want your styling to look out of place.
* Think about different times of day – how will your reception space look in the day and at night?
Kathy from Nightingales finished off by singing the praises of a wedding planner. This opened my eyes to what they can do besides just bringing your stress levels down! Wedding planners can be fantastic because they know how to pull everything together, who to work with and can save you time and money by making the right choices. Some other interesting things to note that Kathy said are:
* Wedding planners strive to give you everything on your wish list in your budget. Let them know everything you want.
* They are also good at guiding suppliers, especially if they are inexperienced. This gives you time to focus on getting MARRIED.
I came away from the brunch feeling very inspired AND excited, plus a little wiser, hearing the inner workings of four important aspects of a wedding. Hope this helps with your planning! What tip do you find most useful?
Photos by GM Photographics
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