HOT TOPIC

www.gettyimages.co.uk HOT TOPIC

Our experts answer your questions

OUT WITH A BANG!

We’d love a grand finale firework display at our wedding, can you help?

Meet the expert: Karl Mitchell-shead is the director of award-winning Illusion Fireworks Ltd based in Wootton, Oxfordshire. The company was voted Best Fireworks Display Provider UK from 2018 to 2021 and it’s a member of the British Pyrotechnists Association (BPA).

Karl says: Hosting a firework display is a fantastic way of bringing everyone together at the end of the evening. Here are our top five things to consider:

♥ Does my venue allow fireworks? Firstly, it’s important to find out if your chosen wedding venue allows fireworks. Most do, but some may have restrictions. In many cases, the venue may have a preferred supplier and they may also specify that the fireworks must be finished by a certain time or that only low-noise fireworks are permitted. Very few venues allow you to set off your own fireworks because of the insurance liability. At Illusion Fireworks Ltd, we have the highest level of insurance cover required by some venues.

♥ How much should we spend? We are often asked how much it will cost to provide a fireworks display and all of our displays are bespoke, and designed to suit your budget. Realistically, a wedding firework display should cost between £1000 and £3500, but we can provide displays locally for as little as £500.

♥ Can we host a firework display to music? Fireworks choreographed with split-second accuracy to music will provide your guests with a memory that they’ll never forget. Fireworks visually reinforce the powerful emotions experienced while listening to music so the two come together to create a unique spectacle. We can design a display choreographed to a favourite track or even your wedding song for as little as £1695 for up to 250 guests. This includes the hire of our PA system that’s connected to our firing computer - it’s best to have a dedicated PA between the audience and the fireworks because a DJ playing music from the marquee will be overpowered by the display. ♥ Can we have the colours of our wedding theme in our display? Yes, of course! We can start the display with your chosen colours and include them in the finale, you can even have our famous firework rainbow or love heart shells that are always a winner with the crowd! Many optional extras allow you to tailor-make a show for your wedding, for example, you can choose to start it with our big red button fireworks or add a large shell one to end the show.

♥ Is it easy to arrange a firework display? Booking couldn’t be simpler - once you have an idea of what you would like in your show and how much you want to spend (we can discuss any of the above to help you make a decision) then we simply ask you to fill out a booking form and we handle the rest. We will liaise with the venue, carry out a site survey, design your show, set up the fireworks on the day, execute the display and tidy up afterwards.

Meet the expert: Loren Stone is the talent behind Stone Photos, a wedding, portrait, event and commercial photographer based in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Loren says: Congratulations on your engagement! Here are my top tips for newly engaged couples:

♥ It’s worth remembering that winter weddings are trickier to photograph. With shorter days and cold natural light, you’ll need a photographer who has plenty of experience in this area. Make sure you know what you want when it comes to the style of your photos, then research a photographer who can achieve this for you.

♥ When selecting your venue, consider the likelihood that you’ll need to have photographs taken inside. If it’s raining, cold or windy, your younger and older guests won’t want to be standing outside waiting for theirs to be taken. If you’re able to have photos outside during the winter months then it’s a bonus.

♥ Wear something that will keep you warm during outdoor couple portraits. I like to get shots at night which is ideal for winter celebrations but even during the warmer months, it can get chilly.

♥ Don’t book your ceremony too late in the day because sunset can be as early as 4 pm during the winter. You don’t want a ceremony to start later than 2 pm otherwise you’ll have very little daylight for photos. Flashes or LED lights are great, but natural light is much better, especially for the group shots.

♥ Finally, think of the benefits of winter weddings. If your venue allows it, using sofas and chairs for group shots creates more interest than the usual images of everyone standing. Plus, there are so many exciting things you can do with night shots, even in the rain!

Stone Photos | 07956 393 844 | www.stonephotos.co.uk | www.facebook.com/stonephotosphotographer

ICE ICE BABY

We want to wow our guests with something a bit special at our summer wedding reception, what do you suggest?

Meet the expert: Polly’s Parlour offers a beautifully restored 1966 VW split screen hightop vintage ice cream van for hire.

Meet Matilda, her pink and white stripes attract attention wherever she goes and her presence brings a touch of vintage glamour to any event. At Polly’s Vintage Ice Cream Parlour, a unique and exclusive ice cream experience to surprise and delight wedding guests is offered, aiming to cater for all dietary requirements. On the menu is hand-scooped luxury dairy ice cream, vegan ice cream and a mouthwatering selection of sorbets. With an extensive selection of delicious and unusual ice cream flavours, the bespoke service helps to create a very memorable experience. It’s an environmentally-conscious company and this ethos runs throughout - once in position, the engine is switched off and requires no power to operate the van, enabling the team to serve products in a clean environment. The ice cream is offered in cones or compostable tubs with wooden spoons and only environmentally friendly cleaning products are used, plus as much waste is recycled as possible.