TOPIC Our experts solve your problems WEDDING WORRIES PICTURE PERFECT I’m worried about having our pictures taken on our wedding day, as we’re not the best posers. What would you suggest we do? Congratulations on your upcoming big day! It’s completely normal to feel a bit anxious about having your photograph taken, especially if you’re not comfortable in front of a camera. Here are some tips to help you feel more at ease and get beautiful photos: Choose a photographer you connect with: Look for someone whose style aligns with your preferences and discuss your concerns with them beforehand. A skilled photographer will know how to capture authentic and natural moments. Pre-wedding photo shoot: Consider having a pre-wedding photo shoot at your venue or a location of your choice. This will give you a chance to get comfortable with your photographer and practice some poses and prompts. It also allows the photographer to understand your personalities and preferences better. Share your concerns: Communicate openly with your photographer about your worries. Let them know if you have specific angles or poses you’re uncomfortable with and discuss any insecurities you may have. A good photographer will appreciate your honesty and work with you to ensure you feel relaxed. Natural interaction: If you choose the right photographer, they will understand your concerns and focus on natural interactions. Walk hand in hand, share a laugh, or have a quiet moment together. As a photographer, we have plenty of prompts that will enable us to capture these genuine moments without making you feel overly posed. Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy your wedding day. Trust your photographer, be yourselves and focus on the love and joy of the moment. The right photographer will be able to capture the essence of your special day without making you feel uncomfortable. Samantha Clarke www.samanthajaynephoto.com www.samanthajaynephoto.com HOT TREND SETTER What will be the top cake trends for 2024? The pressed-dried flower trend is here to stay. Summer weddings are still opting for delicate pressed flower designs, which give the wow factor in a very simple way. We have even started pressing flowers in our store, so we can colour match the flowers to the bride’s bouquet. As well as pressed flowers, the piped buttercream flowers are also a firm favourite and we expect this to carry on into 2024. What is lovely about this is that the piped flowers can reflect the season and the colours and flowers used in the decoration of the wedding itself. Whether you’re having a summer or autumn wedding, floral designs can be tailored to the colours of the season to suit the vibe of the wedding. Another trend that has been filling my Instagram page is Lambeth-style cakes! These look beautiful as a one-tier option if you’re having a small and intimate wedding, or as a showstopper three- or four-tier wedding cake to feed many. The Lambeth design is traditionally decorated in royal icing, which is a bit outdated for 2024, so it is now being executed in either buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream to give a silky-smooth finish to this simple but elegant cake design. Lydia Chipperfield www.twomagpiesbakery.co.uk Two Magpies Bakery Group LOVE IS IN THE AIR We’re clueless when it comes to photography. Is there a list of shots we should ask our photographer to capture? The best thing you could do is ask your photographer for help. Personally, I know that I prefer to work without a list (except for the family group shots), as I find that having a long list of requests throughout the day makes it very hard to be creative. I have a routine I like to follow and a list somewhat disrupts that, but that’s not to say that every photographer prefers working without a list! Your photographer is there to help you and will be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Zoë Gibbs www.zoegibbsphotography.co.uk www.zoegibbsphotography.co.uk 61 EXPERT ADVICE
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