EXPERT ADVICE

FAQs and expert advice about wedding planning

Here is a selection of Q&As from Your Surrey Wedding magazine whether it be about flowers, hair and makeup, fashion, wedding themes, health & beauty, cakes, stationery, legal advice. If you would like your question answered by our experts, please email it to editor@yoursurrey.wedding

Small Is Mighty

Small Is Mighty

Q What is your advice on planning a sustainable wedding?
A Precious Randall-Greene says: There are several ways to keep the carbon footprint of your wedding to a minimum. Firstly, think about your guest list and location. A small guest list means fewer people travelling therefore reducing emissions. Explore the option of a micro-wedding for the ultimate eco-friendly choice. Also, consider a local venue so guests don't have to travel as far.

With your décor, try to embrace natural elements such as sunlight, candles and local greenery. Also, upcycling vintage items and renting décor rather than buying.

When it comes to food and drink, embrace the season. Choose locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal vegetables, or even better a plant-based meal. For drinks, opt for tap water in carafes over bottled water for the tables.

Finally, to keep your wedding as sustainable as possible I'd recommend sending online invitations and RSVPs to save the paper and the trees.

Precious Randall-Greene, Green Lily Events

Shop Local and Re-Purpose

Shop Local and Re-Purpose

Q What is your advice on planning a sustainable wedding?
A Sherene Rennock says: I always try to encourage my couples to use local suppliers to avoid excessive travel or transportation of items. When it comes to fresh flowers, use local florists and repurpose as much as possible such as using aisle displays and bridesmaids' bouquets to double up as table displays and cake table décor. At the end of the night rather than letting the flowers go to waste we like to tie them into small bunches for guests to take away, so everyone gets to keep enjoying them.

Regarding food, I always try to use suppliers that work in a sustainable way and use fresh seasonal ingredients. I find having a smaller menu creates less waste especially if serving a buffet rather than plated service, too many options tend to lead to a lot of leftovers.

Sherene Rennock, Weddings by Sherene

Old-School Chic

Old-School Chic

Q What is your advice on the top trends to look out for in 2024?
A Brooke Ellis says: Our 2024 trend prediction is the classic vibe. We think the classic, elegant, old-school looks are coming back and will be huge over the next 12 months.

Think Frank Sinatra in his prime kind of vibes. Black and white colour themes, champagne flowing, classical music filling the venue are all things we expect to see.

This ties in beautifully with wedding films too. It allows the video to have a timeless feel to it and becomes something that can be looked back on for many years to come with no out-dated themes.

Brooke Ellis, Ellis Gray Weddings

Time For Some Fun!

Time For Some Fun!

Q What are the top trends to look out for in 2024?
A Freya Taylor says: 2024 is set to be a year of fun, fashion and entertainment and as a wedding planner who puts guest experience at the forefront of her work, I'm here for it! Live performers are becoming a focal point of weddings and generally throwing a real good party is going to be key for our 2024 couples.

Photography is leaning more towards the editorial style, with film photography also making a comeback.

More brides are going to be opting for versatile or multiple wedding dresses to switch up their look throughout the day. With social media becoming increasingly important, there's more emphasis on having Instagrammable, fashion-forward wedding dresses. So, aesthetics will continue to grow in individuality.

Immersive entertainment such as audio guest books, 360 degree photo booths and selfie mirrors are also set to be highly sought after. Here are some more of my 2024 wedding trend predictions:

•Champagne towers
•Removable wedding dress sleeves and long gloves
•Grazing tables
•Sparklers and cold sparks
•Signature cocktails
•Wedding content creators
•Sax players
•Short veils
•Drone videography
• Wedding breakfast entertainment It's going to be fun, fun, fun and we can't wait to guide our couples through it!

Freya Taylor, Weddings by Freya Jane

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