DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY With so many bands to choose from, how can we find the right one for our big day? Searching for your dream wedding band can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With an agency like ourselves, we have experts on hand to help you whittle down the list to help find your perfect match. It all starts with the right questions: what is your budget? Which songs do you want to hear? Where are they going to perform? When do you want them to perform? Once you have a vision, we can point you in the right direction and recommend bands to fit your needs. Your taste matters, and we want to make sure that you have the most relevant and fitting options to choose between. From floor-filling modern pop bands to toe-tapping jazz afternoon quartets, DJ live Ibiza-style party bands to soul and Motown groove-inducing bands, there’s a band for everyone. On bands’ profiles, you can watch their promotional videos to see them in action, read their recent reviews, listen to their demos and scour through their repertoire for your favourite songs. Now that you have all the information you’ll feel ready to book that band you’ve been dreaming about. The team at Entertainment Nation www.entertainment-nation.co.uk TREASURED MEMORIES What stationery trends will be popular in 2023? A big trend we see continuing into 2023 is the gifting of cards and stationery from the bride to the bridesmaids. It’s such a special day, and asking those you love most to be a part of it should be celebrated and remembered. Though paired back, classic tones are still a huge trend in wedding stationery but we are finding more people are asking for greeting cards which feature colour and vibrancy. Another trend we see continuing are wedding cards that can be kept and cherished as a reminder of the wonderful celebration long after it has passed. Instead of popping them in a memory box and putting them to one side, they can be kept out on the shelf and admired for years to come. Our ‘Keepsakes’ wedding card is a luxurious hand-painted 3D structure, perfect for those who are not buying a present but would still love to gift something super special. Nicol Meazzini www.raspberryblossom.com The Penny Kings from Entertainment Nation HISTORY IN THE MAKING My wife-to-be and I are having a quirky wedding inspired by pre-Raphaelites. Do you have any ideas on how we can do this? The pre-Raphaelites period began in 1848 and lasted until the early 1900’s, so look for venues of that era. Think Gothic revival-styled houses and those from the arts and crafts movement. Look for properties with amazing gardens and old walls, vines, wisteria or rambling rose walkways. Influences were largely taken from the Medieval period, Christianity and nature. When adding touches to your ceremony, draw from the colours used in artwork by Burne-Jones and Waterhouse using free, natural shapes. The look you want to achieve is of grace and beauty, with flowing, loose-fitting long dresses and slightly wild hair, often with flowers or jewels. Castles are also perfect settings and lend themselves perfectly to unity ceremonies such as handfasting with cords in your chosen colours or wine blending. The pre-Raphaelites loved lots of intricate detail and vibrant colours. Burnt oranges, dark teal and deep reds, but they equally embraced the polar opposites with ethereal whites, soft pastels, golds, silvers, coppers and bronzes. They were not keen on using extremes of dark and light simultaneously. The drama was essential but in a quiet and still way. Readings are a must since poets were involved in the movement. You could also consider something by JRR Tolkien, as even though he was a much later writer, he was heavily influenced by the pre-Raphaelites. Talking of Tolkien, it would be very easy to add legend and fantasy to this style, think Game of Thrones or The Witcher. There is so much beauty and grace to be had within this theme, and the possibilities are endless in terms of how you make it your own. Louise Goode www.louisegoodecelebrant.co.uk www.andrewab.wedding 56
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