Your Sussex Wedding - December 2021/January 2022 (Issue 94)

UP, UP AND AWAY I’m loving the balloon arches I’m seeing at wedding fairs and would love to know more about modern ways to incorporate balloons into my venue styling. What do you recommend? Balloons have always been a great way to incorporate colour and drama into any wedding’s styling, their versatility is second to none. They have the ability to bring cohesion to the space, whether used indoors or outdoors, in small or large displays, they can lead the way. Organic balloon styling with florals has become a huge trend within the industry and as a speciality of ours we can’t wait to see it grow in popularity even more. Demiarches and balloon hoops are also on trend and balloon walls are particularly popular in contemporary weddings thanks to their vast visual impact. They can also be used to section or mask areas of the venue, bring a dark corner to life or create a fantastic spot for Insta-worthy guest selfies. Jamie Ashby | https://boutiqueballoonstudio.com TOGETHER FOREVER The one thing I wish I could keep as a memento of my wedding day is my bouquet. Is this at all possible? Yes of course! Your flowers are such an important part of your big day and to be able to keep your actual bouquet afterwards is something so many love to do. Whether it’s taking a single flower and creating a paperweight or having your whole bouquet preserved and designed within a bespoke box frame, your big-day blooms can be a beautiful memento to keep forever. Ideally flowers must be received within a couple of days after the event while they’re still fresh, then they’re photographed and the bouquet is carefully dismantled before the beautiful blooms and foliage are preserved in 3D. After several weeks, I’ll then invite you to choose your design and frame working with your ideas, colour palette and budget. All framed products are collected by hand, but if you do live some distance away there’s the option to post me some flowers to be made into a paperweight, which can then be posted back to you. Marina Hudson | www.actualflowers.co.uk ALL NIGHT LONG We’re having nightmares about those awkward periods during weddings we’ve been to where the dancefloor is empty. How can you suggest we avoid this embarrassment at our wedding? The key point to consider here is whether the right music is playing. If I were to ask you: “What’s your favourite music?” You may give me a list of amazing tunes, but will they set the dancefloor on fire? A better question to ask is: “What do you promise to dance to?” This will make you think about those songs you remember celebrating to. Think about who’ll be attending your wedding too. Are all the guests friends in the same age group with the same awesome taste in music as you, or will there be a wide age range present? Choosing your wedding party music is one of the most important aspects of the big day’s entertainment. It ensures the success of the party, and everyone’s enjoyment of it. As a minimum, you should think about working with your DJ in advance, and giving them a few request lists such as: ♥ A must-play list of your own favourite songs to dance to. ♥ Your guests’ requests of songs they love to dance to. ♥ Special requests such as your first dance. ♥ A don’t play list – songs not to be played under any circumstances! Hiring a professional wedding DJ with lots of experience should give you confidence that the dancefloor will be full all night long. Make sure you check out reviews from other couples who’ve booked the DJ you’re considering before you book and meet them beforehand. One final tip: don’t leave it to the last minute to book a pro. The last few months have meant that most are booked up for key dates already. Brian Mole | https://dancemix.co.uk https://craigpayne.co.uk 74

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