Wedding Advice From Top Irish Wedding Experts
When planning your wedding it’s always great to get some insider ideas and advice from the experts, saving you time, effort and possibly expense. Recently I spoke with a few local Irish experts in the wedding trade to get the best wedding ideas & tips for Irish brides planning their big day.
Pretty Petals
According to Shankill Flowers, the top piece of advice they can give any bride meeting with a florist is to “bring swatches of fabric when choosing the flowers.” The colour of the bride’s dress, along with the bridesmaid’s dresses will strongly dictate the palette of the bouquets and buttonholes. Shankill Flowers they have seen the trends moving towards ‘vintage country’ consisting of mixed tonal flowers of the season, with a hand-tied finish. Note: Classic rose bouquets are never out of fashion! www.shankillflowers.ie
Let them eat cake
Do you know the most popular wedding cake flavours? Chocolate biscuit cake, red velvet and fruit cake are the most requested, according to cake maker, Sam Delahunty, in Bray. With trends moving towards coordinating the look of the cake to reflect the bride’s dress style, lace finishes with matching ribbons and sugar-made peonies are leading the way for the season ahead, she shares. Note: Allow four to six months for ordering where possible with any cake maker. Tel: 086-3792845
Clickity Click
“Find a photographer you like… you’ll be with them all day”, advices experienced photographer Paul Sharp, Dublin. Agreeing on the length of time a couple wants to spend on photographs during their day along with a specific priority list should be discussed in advance for maximum benefit, suggests Paul. Note: Couples are trending towards ‘documentary style’ albums now, including atmospheric shots that capture their guests enjoying the celebrations. www.sharppix.ie
Bridal Beauty
Lots of brides these days know what they want when it comes to their make-up, suggests Clare Hogan experienced bridal make-up artist, “My job is to make them look their best on the day.” The trend towards ‘vintage’ means brides are looking for a more daring lip colours, defined eye liner and eye lash extensions, shares Clare, although lots of brides just wish to look natural with a hint of glamour.
Note: Book your make-up artist early and always get a trial. www.clarehogan.ie
Helping Hand
With the average bride taking over 250 hours to plan her wedding, it’s pretty clear that a good wedding planner should save you time. According to Blaithin O’Reilly Murphy, wedding planners not only bring ideas and inspiration to life, they will also keep track of the budget and after the first consultation they will know all the right vendors to call. Trends are slower to change in weddings than in fashion, shares Blaithin but recent movies like ‘The Great Gatsby’ have been influential.
Note: Planners can help as much or little as you need. www.theweddingexpert.ie
Bling Bling
When buying your engagement ring, Wicklow’s leading goldsmith Joan Gelletlie advices that you also “think about how it will fit with your wedding band.” With trends leaning towards rings that have a central stone surrounded by smaller stones, Joan advices that picking the best ‘colour’ is better than picking a bigger diamond. Note: Platinum and 18 caret white gold are best at holding your precious stones in place.
Tel: 0404 67557
I’d like to thank all the wedding experts for taking time to chat with me and sharing their advice for Irish brides.
Many thanks,
Audrey Vance
Wedding Dress Ink
