Here is a selection of Q&As from Your Bristol and Somerset 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@yourbristolsomerset.wedding
To view more expert advice on a different topic, please select one from the list below.
A taste of Autumn
Q. How can we tie our wedding cake in with our autumnal theme?
A. Sarah Churchill says: Autumn is a great time for a wedding and there are a few ways to incorporate the season into your wedding cake. Reds, yellows, greens and browns are great colours to use for flowers, foliage and ribbon. Fruits, berries and even woodland animals can also add a wonderful feature or element to your cake.
When it comes to flavours think of warmth and spice. The traditional rich fruit cake is a great fit for this time of year, and how about a decadent chocolate indulgence or a carrot cake full of sultanas and walnuts? My toffee fudge cake with pieces of creamy fudge, filled with toffee fudge buttercream and a caramel sauce offers flavours reminiscent of Bonfire Night and Halloween, while my Baileys infused sponge would send you towards Christmas in style.
Sarah Churchill, Sarah's Sugarcraft
www.sarahssugarcraft.co.uk
A taste of spring
Q. We're looking for light seasonal springtime flavours for our wedding cake. Do you have any recommendations?
A. Emma Harvey-Egle says: For a spring wedding, this can mean light sponges with citrus and floral flavours symbolising the growth of flowers and fruit, as well as the increase in sunlight. My Amalfi lemon and English elderflower signature sponge, or the slightly more classic Madagascan vanilla and English raspberry, are ideal choices for this time of year. In fact, springtime is a great season for cake flavours in general, as the weather is neither too cold nor too hot, which lends itself to a huge variety of options from carrot cake with Sicilian orange curd and matching Swiss merigne buttercream to red velvet cake with a light and creamy ermine buttercream. Of course, indulgent champagne cake is always in season! Organic floral arrangements in warmer and brighter shades can look especially lovely, whether in sugar flower form as I do, or with fresh flowers, paired beautifully with those light citrus and floral flavours. You might even experiment with the incorporation of a savoury flavour such as rosemary, to complement a wedding's natural vibe.
Emma Harvey-Egle, Emma Atelier Cakes
emmaateliercakes.co.uk
A slice of the action
Q. What trends should I look out for to make my big-day cake stand out?
A. Georgiana Tamas says: Your wedding cake should tell a story, without it becoming a novelty cake. It can reflect moments from your life as a couple, details of the gown or your wedding flowers. If you want to show off and have an oversized cake that's impossible to miss, then go for it! It's your day, your way.
A crisp and smooth cake will always be en vogue, but the finish doesn't always have to be so precise. A more textured, unfinished look is on trend at the moment, made with buttercream or royal icing and finished with arty metallic elements. You can choose to have one textured tier or go all out. Also, the texture can be bold, such as a rustic stone look, or more discreet by using white on white with a hint of sparkle.
Floral cakes remain fashionable, but you can update the look by totally covering your bake with flowers. Handmade blooms in sugar or wafer paper will be met with the most admiration. Contemporary sculptural cakes in unusual shapes will catch the eye, especially when topped with a dramatic rice or wafer-paper sail. We also love skilfully hand-painted floral cakes overlapped with 3D flowers to bring the design to life.
Georgiana Tamas, Posh & Cake
www.poshandcake.co.uk
Colour pop!
Q. We're having a quirky and colourful wedding. How do we incorporate this theme into our cake design?
A. Julia Moule says: There are so many different ways we can bring your cake to life with colour. My favourite way is with flowers. We can create delicate sugar roses, peonies and blossoms, all in a colour palette to complement your theme beautifully. Alternatively, fresh and silk blooms now come in an abundance of beautifully bright shades and make an excellent choice if you are working to a budget.
Ribbons are another great option to add a pop of colour. A beautiful loose silk bow cascading down a crisp white cake creates immediate impact, and the colour choices are endless.
Julia Moule, Wakey Cakey Kitchen
www.wakeycakeykitchen.co.uk
