Allergies and Your Wedding

The topic of how to feed everyone at a wedding is unusually close to my heart, as I suffer from a couple of food allergies that make it very difficult for me to eat out or go to events that come with a lunch or other catering. The common perception of allergy sufferers is that we do this just to be awkward and create trouble for others. This is further compounded by tabloid stories of ridiculous 'celebrities' who've voluntarily given up certain foods to follow some fad diet. If I got £1 for every time I've been told I only 'think' I have an allergy, then I'd be a lot richer than I am now. I've also lost count of the number of occasions where I've gone somewhere to find there's literally nothing safe for me to eat. The most horrible ones of these are when I've actually spoken to the host/hostess beforehand to try and sort something out, only to turn up and be told they 'forgot'. For anyone doubting why this is unpleasant, picture yourself at a large gathering where everyone eats and you just sit there with nothing whilst people stare at you. Us humans have turned eating from just a biological necessity to an important social thing that brings people together. It's not fun to be cut out of this. 

Contrary to popular belief it's not that difficult to cater for allergy sufferers at a wedding or similar event. The key is to keep the food simple. There is no reason for lamb to be smothered in flour before its roasted, for example. It's easy for a chef to just do a chocolate mousse instead of a chocolate and nut one. Simple, seasonal, locally sourced food 'built' from the blocks of fish, meat, and vegetables actually tastes better than overly fancy things that have gone through twenty different processes before they reach your plate. The other key principle to accommodating allergy sufferers is to establish clear communication with your guests about the food to be served at the wedding. The easiest way to do this is to send out information with the save the dates or invites, asking guests to inform you of any dietary needs, or to perhaps contact the caterers directly. If you are having a buffet at the wedding, the allergy you will need to watch out for most is gluten/wheat, as many buffet options (e.g sandwiches) contain this. Gluten/wheat allergies are very common, so it would be prudent to include a couple of buffet items that are not based round bread or crackers. Perhaps there could be a vegetable or rice at the bottom instead. If you are having a traditional sit-down meal at your reception, you would expect to offer a vegetarian option, so why not make sure that the meat and vegetarian options are also free from the most common allergies (gluten, diary, nuts)? In the dessert course it could be as easy as offering a bowl of fruit for those who can't have cake. 

Allergy sufferers are used to caterers, chefs, and other food professionals saying they can't 100% guarantee things are allergy free. Like everyone else with a medical condition, we take responsibility for our own safety. But it would be lovely if there was something we could eat at your wedding. Your guests are there because they want to participate fully in this very special day with you, which includes sitting down to eat with everyone else. After all, weddings do go on for quite a while, and going ten hours on just fizzy wine doesn't do anybody any good!

For reference, at my own wedding I have guests allergic to the following; gluten/wheat, nuts, coconut, stoned fruits (like apricots), tapioca, palm oil, tomatoes, peppers. This is from a guest list of twenty-five and includes myself. All the food, including the wedding cake, will be safe for everyone to eat.

Music In Weddings - The Dilemma of the Bridal Entrance

Out of all the aspects of planning my own wedding, the one I've found trickiest so far is choosing the music. Music is an integral part of almost all weddings, and can be broken down into four 'acts': pre-ceremony, the bridal entrance, signing the register, and the exit of the wedding party. That's not to mention any music you might want during the reception. Most couples will have songs that have a special meaning to their relationship, or will share similar musical tastes. Mr Moosh and I, however, whilst very clear on what we don't want, have nothing to offer instead!

The bridal entrance being the most high profile section of the ceremony, the music used during this time receives the most attention from your guests and is therefore a piece that couples spend a lot of time choosing. For many years, the most popular piece has been the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin, incorrectly called "here comes the bride" by many. This piece is most fitting when played on a church organ, but it is important to check with your church if they allow the music, because Wagner was a notorious anti-semite and his Bridal Chorus has been banned from some churches. Pachelbel's Canon in D is also popular, as is Clarke's Prince Of Denmark's March, which was used during the wedding of the late Princess Diana. What these pieces all have in common is that they're classical music and, whilst appropriate for a very traditional or church wedding, are much less fitting for the modern, relaxed, civil ceremony Mr Moosh and I are having. Civil ceremonies also come with their own set of rules, which strictly ban any music that mentions religion. Obviously, this means hymns are a no go, but couples may be suprised to learn that modern songs such as Robbie Williams' Angels or Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer are also out. Any music chosen must be vetted by the registrar before the ceremony. Popular modern bridal entrance songs for civil ceremonies include versions of Over The Rainbow and Enya's Only Time. More couples are also choosing music from film soundtracks to accompany their wedding. Whatever music you chooses, make sure you time a 'practice run' down the aisle and edit the music length accordingly. There are few things more awkward than getting to the top of the aisle and then staring at the floor for a few minutes whilst the music finishes! 

My own dilemma with wedding music stems not only from rarely listening to music and therefore not having many favourite pieces (and none of them are suitable for a wedding anyway), but also from my wider misgivings about the bridal entrance itself. I am already highly uncomfortable with the idea that our guests - all 25 of them - will be staring at me when I walk in, and I don't want music that draws attention to me. I've toyed with the idea of abandoning the entrance altogether but, since the standard civil ceremony is quite short, and given that I want it to have a definite 'start' and 'end', I'm stuck with it. I'm also frustrated that, whilst music is something that makes other people feel a huge variety of emotions, I can't find any that does the same for me. It's unsurprising, then, that Mr Moosh and I have chosen not to have a 'first dance' or any music during the wedding reception. We have, at least, made a decision about the music for our exit at the end of the wedding ceremony. We chose Happy Together by The Turtles, which has the laid back, upbeat feel we'd like on the day. Now if only I could find something similar for the start of the ceremony, then it would all be sorted!

Strawberry Soufflé at Colston Hall Wedding Fair - Sunday 8th July 2012

Just a quick post today as my head is still ringing from the sound of the horrible circular saw the builders are using to cut our kitchen into the right shape. I can't believe it's July already - where does the year go? Those of you in the Bristol area who are planning a wedding for this winter or next year should make your way to the Colston Hall Wedding Fair this Sunday (the 8th), as I have a stand there where I may be giving out free strawberries, as well as vouchers for 10% off all Strawberry Soufflé services. It's the first ever wedding fair at Colston Hall and is from 11:30am until 4pm. You really can't miss Colston Hall - it's bright gold - so pop in for a chat about how Strawberry Soufflé can help you get the wedding you've always wanted!

Having An Eco-friendly Wedding

In the excitement leading up to your big day, it's easy to forget the impact a wedding can have on the environment. When you think about it though, all of the guests traveling to you, the food they eat, the electricity needed to run the marquee and for the band, not to mention the paper used in stationery - it all adds up to one whopper of a carbon footprint. Luckily for the Eco-conscious couple (and for the environment), green weddings are become more popular, and there are now a range of suppliers who can boast top-notch green credentials. It's also easier than you might realize to reduce the environmental cost of a wedding. 

Cut Down that Guest List!

The quickest way to reduce a wedding's carbon footprint is to reduce the number of guests. Less guests mean less people traveling in their cars, and less items needed on the day itself. It might seem fun to open your arms and invite everyone, but you'll end up with a lot of people you don't know, and a huge catering bill. The easiest way to weed out guests you don't need is to ask "would I invite this person to my house for a cup of tea?" If the answer is 'no', or 'hmmmm', or 'well I haven't seen them in 10 years, do they even like tea' then there's no point inviting them to the most important day of your life! 

Check Your Suppliers

As mentioned before, there are now a variety of wedding suppliers who specifically offer Eco-friendly alternatives to traditional items such as stationery or flowers. You can have Eco-venues, Eco-jewelry, and even Eco wedding dresses. The best place to start is on a website such as The Natural Wedding Company, which lists such suppliers. If your preferred supplier isn't on such a list, however, don't panic. You can simply ask them what they do as a company to reduce their environmental impact, and whether they can suggest greener alternatives for you from amongst their range. 

Locally Sourced Is Best

The less that food, flowers, and other items have to travel, the better for the planet. So it's a good idea to source things from suppliers who are local to where you're getting married. Locally produced flowers and food are all the rage right now, so it's easy to find suppliers offering them. This also means you'll be supporting independent British businesses, which is always good!

Reuse, Recycle, and Make things Yourself

A brilliant way to save money and help the environment is to go hunting for your wedding decorations in car-boot sales and antique shops. These places can be a treasure-trove of interesting finds, and it's nice to give new life to something. The decorations you come back with could even be your 'something old'. Another way to cut down on the carbon footprint, and give your wedding a personal touch, is to use your families hidden talents and make things yourselves. On the day itself, set up bags to recycle things like glass or plastics.

What About The Rings?

Your wedding rings are an important symbol of your married life together, but it's equally important that the people who mined the materials did so in safe conditions and received a fair wage. Buying a fair trade ring from somewhere such as CRED ensures that the workers were not exploited. Another option would be to get your rings custom made by a local jewelry designer. 

Use Technology, Not Paper

Everybody communicates via the internet these days, whether by email, instant message, or Skype. So do you really need all the paper commonly associated with a wedding? Instead of invites and RSVPs, why not have a wedding website? It's a great, instant way to update your guests, and it can be very cheap or even free! 

It's simple to make a few steps towards a greener wedding, and you can spend your big day knowing that the planet's as happy as you are. 

Image credit: trekalong.com

My Little Post on Bride2Bride

It's been an exciting and rather hectic couple of weeks down here, and once again I must apologise for my lack of blogging. Mr Moosh and I have finally managed to move into our new home, which meant we had very patchy internet access for a while. Now everything is working again, I'll be able to get back to regular blog posts. 

Firstly, take a look at the little post I wrote for bride2bride.co.uk. Bride2bride is a great new website where you can buy and sell wedding items, including wedding dresses. They also have their own blog, with lots of guest posts by wedding suppliers like myself. So pop on over and take a look! My post was about using bright colours in your wedding.

Rain And Your Wedding

I hope everyone had an enjoyable bank holiday weekend. If you caught any of the Jubilee coverage you will have noticed that the defining feature of the celebrations was the weather. Lets hope the Queen got a cup of tea after standing in the cold and rain for hours watching all those boats sail down the Thames. Nobody wants rain on their wedding but, with the classic unpredictability of the British weather, and with more couples choosing the cheaper winter months to marry in, it's best to be prepared for all eventualities. 

If your wedding celebrations are taking place inside a typical venue such as a hotel or country house, then the only time the rain is likely to find you is when you're moving from your wedding transport to your venue, and during the time allotted to group photos. Ask your photographer what they plan to do if it rains and make sure they are comfortable taking some of the group shots inside. Most photographers will also want to spend time alone with the couple to capture more personal shots, and for this you could invest in an umbrella that matches your wedding colours and go for a walk together. If you're planning on walking on grass, changing from heels to flats is also advisable. 

Even if your wedding reception is inside a marquee, the rain needn't prove a problem. Wedding marquees are very far removed from the damp, unstable structures you may have seen at your local village fete, and the marquee company should be happy to answer questions about preparing for wet weather. Thinking about your guests, make sure they don't have to walk too far between the marquee and the car park, toilets etc, and perhaps have ushers standing by with umbrellas when people arrive. Finally, remember that wellington boots now come in a variety of stylish designs, and could make for some amusing memories when looking back at the photos! 

Whatever the weather at your wedding, it's important to take a deep breath and remember that the most important thing is the love between you and your partner. The day will fly by and you and your guests will be too busy to notice if it's raining, so just put the umbrella up and enjoy yourself!

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlottejvogel/4783830813/

Wedding Colour Scheme - Bright Colours

Bright colours are gaining popularity in weddings this year and are a great choice for couples looking to stay away from all things 'vintage'. This colour scheme works particularly well in a marquee wedding as it injects life into what would be a big white space. Don't be afraid to use several different colours to really mix things up! Take a look at the mood board below for more ideas.

Image credits, from top left: michaelangelosevents.blogspot.com, weddinginvitations-online.com, emmalinebride.com, oncewed.com, blog.pinkcakebox.com, notonthehighstreet.com, blog.delightfullittlemess.com, www.wedding-etc.com, coxandcox.co.uk, onewed.com, notonthehighstreet.com, notonthehighstreet.com.