Your London Wedding - September/October 2022 (Issue 85)

SSUPPLIER MEALS Always check your supplier contracts and see if you’re required to provide a meal, especially if your venue isn’t close to any shops. Nobody can work on an empty stomach, so it’s nice to give them something even if it isn’t a requirement. – Kate T TIMINGS Timings are so important for your caterer, so delays in service are always a logistical nightmare. We recommend speeches occur either before the starter’s served, or after the dessert's cleared away. The last thing any caterer wants is to serve sub-par food, which can happen if a ‘quick’ speech rolls over into 15 or even 30 minutes. – Kate UUNDERSTAND YOUR INGREDIENTS The last thing you want to do is make one of your guests ill, so raise any allergies with your baker at your earliest opportunity. Your supplier will be able to give you a specific list of all the allergens your cake will contain. – Gwen V VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN We’ve seen a rise in fully vegetarian and/or vegan weddings in the past two years. Getting creative and drawing on popular flavours, like our Miso Glazed Aubergine, we’ve found that guests don’t miss the meat. – Kate W WOW-FACTOR You spend a good amount of money on your cake, so make sure it’s displayed with a fabulous cake stand for maximum impact and not stuck in a corner. – Gwen X XTRA CAKE Minimise waste. Often cake’s left over at the end of the day, so ask your caterers to wrap any leftovers and take it home to freeze it. You can then have edible memories of your wedding for up to three months after. – Gwen ZOE’S HEAVENLY CREATIONS To take care of your hen party, wedding cake and wedding portrait!! – Zoe YYUMMY AWARD WINNER Our Hunters’ Gathering was the Winning Canapé of the Square Meal Canapé Cup 2014. Smoked venison with wild mushroom, celeriac and truffle puree, pancetta, fresh blackberry and a sweet Rioja jus collected in a crisp potato basket – what’s not to love! – Kate Z RAISE YOUR GLASS Thinking about a mobile bar? Here, Hire the Bar’s Tom Lissimore answers those burning questions… Q - If we hire a bar, do we need to provide anything ourselves? The beauty of hiring a bar is that you don’t have to worry about glassware, ice, fruit, the team. When using Hire the Bar we include everything related to serving drinks to you and your guests. Q – Do we have to follow a set menu? You know your guests best, so let us know the drinks they love along with your favourites and we’ll make it happen. You can even choose your favourite shot for your toast – the choice is yours. Q – Will we need to worry about the legal stuff? We take care of all legalities including the license and insurance as if our life depended on it. Q – Can we add our own styling to suit our theme? This is your wedding bar so feel free to add your personal touches. As long as it’s not dangerous or permanent! Q – How do we know if we’ll like the wine on offer? We’ll send you samples to make sure it’s perfect for you. Our most popular wines are Sauvignon Blanc Voigner, Chardonnay, Picpul, Shiraz, Merlot and Malbec. Q – We want our day to be all about the cocktails. Can we create our own? We offer a separate cocktail bar. Let’s face it, who wants to be waiting for cocktails to be made if they’re over after a pint. We’ll work with you to create your favourites. Q – Do we go for a cash bar, open bar or a mix? Whether you want a free bar all night, for a few hours or a straightforward pay bar; we have a variety of options to suit all budgets so you and your guests can enjoy themselves. SUPPLIERS Kate Bassett, www.boulevardevents.co.uk Zoe Rafah, https://zoes-heavenly-creations.com Gwen Johnson, http://sweet-sense.co.uk Cynthia Akinsanya, www.delightsbycynthia.co.uk Tom Lissimore, www.hirethebar.com CATERING AND SWEET TREATS 67

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