Weddings supplement

weddings The Malta Independent on Sunday 19 June 2016

2

JUNE 2016

|

weddings

2.

1.

WEDDING LUXURIES

3.

AT VASCAS The elegant wedding collection at Vascas features a number of dainty pearl and diamond jewellery, all aimed at making every bride sparkle and shine on her wedding day.

5. beauty your 1Pearls, and purity 2 wedding vip card For thousands of years, pearls have signified beauty and purity. In the modern world, pearls are now seen as being both timeless and contemporary jewellery pieces that are available in many different styles. Cultivating, delicate and endlessly classic, the pearl collection at Vascas features a variety of pearls incorporated into elegant jewellery pieces in designs you would have never imagined. As many of you know pearls come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, and are very much defined by their pearl category. The most commonly known pearl types include Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian & South Sea Cultured Pearls.

Visit www.vascas.com.mt for more info.

Introducing The Vascas Wedding VIP Card! Benefit from discounts on wedding rings up to 30% and 10% off other bridal related jewellery and items, which will help make your big day that little extra special!

Specialising in internationally certified diamonds, diamond jewellery and pearls, Vascas have established themselves as one of the leading jewellers in Malta.

Apply for your card today by sending an email to marketing@vascas.com.mt with your wedding date, mobile number and address.

4.

your 3 wedding rings

exclusive 4 premier diamond

your 5 engagement rings

When choosing your wedding rings, one has to consider durability, colour and sentimentality, along with tradition. While the majority of couples still go for the customary options of simple yellow, white or rose gold, rings with diamonds are becoming increasingly popular.

Once you have a basic idea of what you would like, it's time for the fun part: trying on the rings!

Give yourselves at least two to three months before the wedding date as you'll need this time to browse through our vast collection of rings at Vascas and if you decide to go for a custom ring, you'll need even more time.

collection

When it comes to choosing the right engagement ring that is perfect for you, the whole process can be quite overwhelming. Four main factors are considered when judging a diamond’s quality and value, these are known as the 4 Cs: Carat, Cut, Clarity and Colour. Shape matters - even before the 4 Cs, you must know what shape your future fiancÊe loves. When it comes to choosing the band, you've got a variety of metals to choose from however, the most popular choice is gold, which comes in a variety of colours; white, yellow and rose gold.

Visit www.vascas.com.mt for more info.

Visit www.vascas.com.mt for more info.

Vascas is known for their exclusive Premier Diamond Collection, featuring classical diamond jewellery composed out of superior IGI certified diamond stones weighing between 0.20ct to 5.00ct. Through extensive research, these round brilliant cut diamonds have been designed in a unique way to sparkle with fire and brilliance from every angle and every facet. Unlike any other brilliant cut diamond having a total of 52 facets, the Premier Cut Diamond has been created to have 82 facets, each one reflecting its own light and creating that magical sparkle for which diamonds are known.

Visit our Vascas Diamond Lounge in Naxxar, call us on 22589200 for an appointment.

3

weddings JUNE 2016 |

Wedding tills are ringing Blowing the budget or cutting the costs, how does anyone afford to get married today?

N

ot every bride has a daddy who has been squirreling away the euros since the day she was born so her wedding will rival those in a Hollywood epic.

And aren’t we fascinated by a celebrity bash? Helicopters hovering over the possible venue, tweeted images of crystalencrusted wedding gowns popping up everywhere and private jets flying E-entertainment stars in from Hollywood and beyond. It’s all there, to swoon over, or scorn. If anyone was actually counting the cost it would be running off the spread sheet; although, if the couple are lucky a glossy magazine might pick up most of the tab.

There will always be weddings where VIPs parade their wealth and success to all and sundry through their daughters, or even son’s, wedding. Nothing is low key and the bride, who may have wanted just a simple wedding, surrounded by family and dearest friends, finds herself the star of a monumental corporate event making small talk to people she doesn’t even know.

But for the ordinary masses the estimated cost of an average wedding can be eye-watering. And few nearly-weds have cash enough to fritter around like confetti.

Many couples today work and want to at least contribute towards their wedding costs themselves. Those already living together and others who have been married before, may already have enough pressure on their purse strings to

want the best day possible without straining their credit cards.

Of course it’s important to have the wedding you long for but “happily ever after” is about being married, not getting married. Who really wants to enter married life heavily in debt to the expense of their big day?

The happiest weddings will be those planned to cost only what the couple can afford at the time. By setting your own boundaries, and involving family and friends, there are endless ways you can make that happen.

Firstly there are the charges for administration, legal and licence fees, church fees or, for a civil wedding, the cost of a registrar and venue, although a civil ceremony and reception can often be held in the same place. There is an almost limitless choice of locations that will ensure a really personal space and keep the cost down. For example friends may offer their garden and small wedding parties can fit happily into courtyards and terraces.

Wedding packages are tempting. Suddenly everything from the venue, catering and flowers to the cars and cake will be in someone else’s hands. All you have to do is let your wishes be known and the wedding organiser can make them come true. This will keep stress levels down too.

Do it yourself. Fun, freedom to intro-

duce your own touches and friends who want to join in and really share the day are prompting more and more couples to take a DIY approach.

From home-designed and printed invitations to booking air B & B honeymoon destinations, they are making their wedding day individual with personal touches and family traditions.

As in years gone by, friends contribute their “gifts”. One is the photographer, another bakes a brilliant cake. Some can sing or play musical instruments; others fill the venue with flowers and decorations. Confetti has become dried flower petals collected through early spring and summer by willing guests. Delighted

small wedding parties are enjoying simple picnic receptions in country or beach settings, where the natural surroundings provide a backdrop for the perfect location.

And the bride wears… her dress perhaps once in her lifetime, for a very little while, even if it cost at least four figures and the rest. Dare one ask: is it worth it? Every bride is beautiful; it can hardly be helped.

But this is because it is her day and her dress has been carefully sourced to suit her perfectly, not because it cost a princess’s dowry. Many stores and vintage shops have dresses that, while not actually sold as wedding dresses, will look stunning on the day and can be worn over and over again.

Shop around and enjoy looking outside the box.

Food, drink and entertainment are hugely important so go for what makes you happy. The serious part of the ceremony is over and now you and your guests can totally relax in an atmosphere that makes you happiest. You can choose anywhere from a farmhouse to a palazzo.

Actress Jennifer Earle held her reception in an Irish pub, with guests playing music on their i-pads, happily proving that economy is no passion killer. And she should know, having played Elizabeth Bennet in BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and snared Mr Darcy in scenes that still tingle the spines of anyone who watched the happy couple’s screen wedding.

4

JUNE 2016

|

weddings

LET THEM EAT CAKE! Beautifully set, as a focal point of the wedding breakfast, there are no limits as to how exotic your wedding cake can be.

T

he tiered, white cake, holding such a sweet place in wedding traditions has been seriously upstaged in recent years by more stylish creations, works of art which illustrate a couple’s individual tastes and interests and compliment any wedding theme.

They have even become important props and backdrops for instagrams and selfies. In fact, the well-designed cake can play a very striking role in entertaining hungry guests as they wait to tuck into the exciting menu you have chosen for them.

So, how to make your cake stand out? It must be personal, colourful, amusing and, of course, delicious. It should echo the colours and theme of your wedding and have as many references to you as a couple as possible. So, step away from the eternal Roman columns, ribbons and bows and latticed icing dotted with metallic balls.

Shape up, in fact. There’s no need for your cake to be round; everything from pyramid to

Fresh flowers add extra bloom to this simple cake

A home-made cake can be very special

Lovebirds, a symbol of true romance

Is this Game of Thrones cake going too far?

petal-shaped can work. The perennial plaster bride and groom on the top tier can easily be replaced by sugar paste figures dressed to represent the real couple – in theatre costumes, diving gear, biker leathers, high fashion or work uniforms, according to how you like to see yourselves.

Doves, bells, horseshoes, and fountains with flashing lights have all been done to death so try photos of events marking

your lives, before the big day, reproduced around each tier, in a sentimental or amusing montage. Carefully chosen photos on the witness’s cakes will make these extra memorable too.

Say it in sugar by including a special motto or quote, with an important meaning for you both, which can be iced around, or on top of, the cake in an attractive and appropriate font.

Let your cake bloom with tiny

posies of fresh flowers and pretty herbs, such as rosemary.

They can match those of the bridal bouquet or take a completely contrasting look.

In summer a light, fruity cake would be cool and colourful, decorated with fresh and marzipan fruits to look bright and tropical, or like a still life fruit basket, according to the season.

If you love chocolate, and are after a seriously artistic look,

think what a wonderful effect could be created with different shades of chocolate from white to very dark. Whatever shape you choose for your cake, this will make a striking background for some really original ornaments or motifs.

A home-made cake, baked with love, by a relative or close friend can be just as special as a commercial creation. And, a plainer recipe is often more welcome after a rich and filling wedding meal.

Finally, be sure your cake is displayed on a stand which truly compliments its wonderful style.

You want it to be a conversation piece in its own right, especially if you plan to keep a section for a later celebration or event.

A fitting send off

Stag and hen parties have grown from a night on the tiles to week-long away trips.

F

rom 5 BC, when the ancient Spartans gave the groom a dinner and toasted his last night as a single man, and Tudor times, when Henry VIII would have made quite a habit of them, the shock of waving goodbye to ‘singlehood’ today has been tempered by one last, manic display of fun and frivolity.

Hen nights, however, have roots in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Perhaps the custom of decorating a bride, on the night before

her wedding, with henna to purify and keep her free from evil, led to the name hen night?

The idea is that stags and hens have a splendid celebration of their upcoming marriage doing things their opposite number would normally run a mile from, in the company of their closest friends and allies, and excluding all members of the opposite sex except, naturally, entertainers!

The fact that neither the stag – groom nor hen – bride is likely to remember much of the event is not the point. It’s one tradition nobody

Hints for the organiser Usually the best man organises the stag party and the chief bridesmaid, maid of honour or the bride’s mother arranges the hen party. It’s a demanding task so encourage assistants.

Decide who is coming and take everyone’s suggestions on how to spend the night/day/weekend or even week.

Guests will be different ages and may not all know each other well, so make sure cost, destination, accommodation and the activities suit everybody. The hen or stag will want everyone to enjoy themselves.

If it’s a one night celebration, including a special meal and entertainment, usually guests chip in and the stag or hen is their guest. On trips abroad, people pay their own way. For each activity offer a few choices and get guests to vote for their favourite. Ensure any themed trips, like off-roading, glamping or a spa/gourmet weekend will be able to cater for guests’ special needs or allergies.

If you are playing away check what vac-

cinations you may need and that passports, insurance etc. are up to date, in good time. Give everyone a card with phone numbers, travel information and times and your hotel or accommodation details on it. And, this goes for everyone, especially the future bride and groom, don’t do anything to destabilise international relationships, get deported or become persona non grata with the entire wedding party and their families for generations to come.

Get a confirmation and a non-returnable deposit from everyone as soon as possible, to stop guests dithering till the last minute about whether they can come or not.

Plan several surprises for the stag or hen but do be kind. This is an emotional time and sentiments will be riding high, so make sure you keep it light and fun. You will still want to all remain friends after the wedding.

Time an evening event to build slowly but peek before everyone is either glanc-

ing at their watches or lying under a table. If you are in a public area make sure others enjoy your company and don’t demand to have you thrown out.

On a night out, arrange a kitty for drinks.

Stick to your limits and respect those of others. A glass of milk at the beginning of the night and drinking plenty of water will help dilute the colourful cocktails and flowing wine or beer.

And as, unfortunately, there is something about stag and hen dos that can turn normally reliable and responsible people into legless adolescents, when you’re out and about keep track of any stragglers. Appoint a driver or, better still, hire transport. Make sure everyone is safely on their way home before you leave.

Finally, experience has shown this has to be said, do nothing that could prevent the stag or hen getting to the church on time!

can resist.

Today’s events generally involve much more than just a meal, some booze and the mandatory stripper.

They have also, thankfully, seen a decline in the number of fiancés spending their final hours of liberty in either jail or A & E. A little more sophistication and planning has introduced exciting themed parties, trips abroad and the kind of challenging but bonding activities that make the whole group feel part of something almost as significant as the wedding itself.

weddings

|

5

JUNE 2016

Capture every moment

YOUR WEDDING DAY HAS FINALLY DAWNED AND YOU WANT TO BE SURE YOU CAN KEEP EVERY MOMENT FOR ALWAYS. A magical mix of fun, formality and extreme emotions make up a wedding. Weddings asked photographer INIGO TAYLOR how he helps couples get the best possible record of their special day. Photos by Inigo Taylor What kind of wedding photo coverage are couples looking for today?

This really depends upon the couple. There is definitely a movement to more of a candid and documentary style approach to wedding

photography. This approach gives each couple a unique set of photographs that illustrates the story of their day. The spontaneous moments really give personality to a finished album. This said I still think it is very important to shoot family

formals. This, if planned well and done at the right point on the day, doesn’t need to take more than 20 minutes. And even though some may find such images old fashioned, it is rather wonderful to have images of your day next to your parents’ and grandparents’ in the classic wedding pose.

How might you and a couple plan what you’ll be shooting on the day and how much input do you like to have in creating the finished product?

I meet with couples to go over exact timings etc a few days before the wedding. If they wish to do a bridal portrait shoot we plan how to fit this into the logistics of the day. It is important that the couples have a big input at this stage and choosing a location that they really like, but still paying close attention to the schedule is key.

Other than that as a lot of my work is candid and spontaneous, it is down to me to watch for the key moments and capture the emotion of such a special day. Each wedding is so different and the people involved tell the story. As a documentary photographer I find weddings are one of the most rich and enjoyable social occasions to photograph.

How do you prepare for the event, for instance by visiting the location of the ceremony and or reception?

Visiting new locations is a must to check for lighting and what equipment I might need.

The documentary style of photography does not require vast amounts of equipment or external lighting, having light and fast equipment is key to

capture fleeting moments. So, aside from checking timings and locations, preparing my camera bag to make sure all my lenses and equipment are fully ready is a big part of my preparation.

Which local locations do you find especially inspiring for a wedding photographer?

Here in Malta we are blessed with both beautiful rural scenery and fascinating baroque architecture, I love the old streets of towns like Senglea or Mdina and the countryside in Gozo is sublime as a backdrop for wedding images. But some of my favourite images convey a sense of the magic of the day with real contemporary elements for example a bride and groom crossing the street to get in the bridal car or older ladies watching the wedding commotion outside the church.

How important is capturing the impromptu moments of the day, compared with the posed group lineups are couples today choosing informal photos, for more natural pictures and relaxed guests?

As I said I think it is important to give a balance of the two. But yes, the impromtu moments are so special to the couple, they are unique and will brink back memories in a way that the classic line up can’t. Capturing a fleeting gesture or emotion is what excites and drives me as a photographer.

Have there ever been any unforeseen mishaps which could have spoiled a wedding and how were you able to adapt and compromise and still get the best shots?

Of course, weather, even in the Mediterranean, can still be cruel!

But a recent wedding which was actually between both islands (service in Valletta reception in Xagħra, Gozo) was potentially a bit tricky when we missed our scheduled ferry due to traffic.

But an impromptu shoot at Ċirkewwa and on top of the ferry proved exiting for both the couple and me, as a photographer.

What are some of the happiest and luckiest opportunities you’ve enjoyed while photographing weddings?

All weddings are a real privilege to document, it is such an important day for all involved and capturing unique and emotional imagery is a very rewarding career. Getting to know the families of the bride and groom and making friends is also a great perk to the job. I have learnt so much about Maltese culture and customs through weddings and it has also inspired my long term photographic project on Malta, giving me an insight into life here that would be difficult to see in any other way.

Inigo can be found on www.inigotaylorphotography.com

6

JUNE 2016

|

weddings

Silicone rings come in many colours

THE RING ON YOUR FINGER

It has to be one of the oldest and most significant pieces of jewellery ever, so choosing a wedding ring that ticks all your boxes will take real dedication.

S

o important is the meaning and status behind wedding rings that most people rarely take them off, once they are put on during the wedding ceremony. In fact, should they ever have to be removed special cutters may be needed, or else they will covered with tape, as before a surgical procedure. Such is their significance, wedding rings are often the only jewellery permitted in prisons or where other pieces are forbidden for reasons of safety and hygiene.

So, how will you finally Rings can be choose a wedding ring you will wear possibly for as long custom-made with the finger-print of as you live? You may have your spouse. had a design for the perfect there is ring in your head for ages and plenty of choice. decide to have it custom made.

In 3000 BC, the Egyptians used rings We have plenty of highly-skilled arof leather, bone and ivory or even tisans in Malta fully capable of creating woven reeds. But these are hardly pracyour dream ring. tical for today’s brides.

Perhaps it is based on your favourite Wooden rings, however, are beautiful metal, an ancient or totally modern patand symbolic, especially mahogany, tern or as one of a pair of rings, for both which stands for strength and enhusband and wife. durance. The combination Your ring could even be your ‘someof different woods and thing old’, as the tradition goes, if your Juniper semi-precious choice is a family heirloom with a preheartwood rings stones cious, extra meaning and sentimental with Bethlehem can value. olive wood liners, bands of purple RINGING THE CHANGES heartwood and a Traditionally wedding clear quartz rings are made centre. from strong, precious metals, to represent the binding strength of the union of marriage. But many people would prefer a ring made from other materials and

make a truly personal and meaningful ring. They are also a perfect choice for someone with a metal allergy.

So, too, are rings made from precious stones, like jade, onyx and turquoise which are certainly interesting and original.

Silicone rings, being safe and hygienic in all environments, are popular with anyone whose job involves sport, working in a highvoltage area or the risk of damage to a vulnerable ring.

Light and strong, black zirconium and carbon fibre rings are more than just a fashion statement. They can be made in a beautiful marbling design and 3-D shapes, thanks to the method used to forge carbon fibre in the aerospace and luxury sports car industries. They certainly appeal to men who would ordinarily never wear a ring!

Stylish Black zirconium and carbon fibre ring with turquoise.

ding ceremony two bands combined became the wedding ring.

Poesy rings, popular during the Renaissance, were silver bands, inscribed with a poem or ‘poesy’. Historical culture styles including Byzantine era and Celtic rings, have strong design styles based on art and traditions.

Walnut Rings in the bentwood ring with maple lining shape of clasped hands go back and malachite centuries and, alinlay. though rather oldfashioned, symbolise unity and faithfulness are timeless. They can still be found specialist or antique sales.

Wherever you look, it is fun choosing your perfect ring. Long after your wedding day, actually for the rest of your married life, this one piece of jewellery will be a part of you and a constant reminder, in the midst of everything else life throws at you, of the circle of life… and love.

STYLE SEARCH

Today, people want a little more than a plain band. European husbands, in the 16th and 17th centuries, gave their wives a gimmel ring, comprising two interlocking bands.

On their engagement, the future bride and groom would each wear one of these bands. At the wed-

Gold-plated sterling silver blue jade and blue topaz ring.

weddings

|

7

JUNE 2016

PLANNING A WEDDING IN PARADISE COUPLES VISITING A WEDDING SHOWCASE WILL FIND ALL THEY NEED TO PLAN THEIR PERFECT DAY, UNDER ONE ROOF. Paradise Bay Resort Hotel has been hosting wedding showcases on the Island’s Edge Lido for the past three years. Food and beverage manager, REBECCA VELLA, tells Weddings what goes on behind the scenes to organise such a special event.

A

s the hotel’s events organisers we need to consider the weather, since it’s an outside venue; the availability of the venue, the timing of the wedding showcase and the advertising that goes to support it, to get a good feedback.

Before starting to organise the actual day we contact local vendors about participating with us. Since it’s a peek month for weddings we have to consider that most of them will be busy with their own previous bookings. We also make it a point that we have one exclusive supplier for each service and product.

The timing is an important element. You do not want to be organising it at the last minute. It takes around three to six months to get everything all together. Once you get in contact with local vendors and have them

participate, then you can start thinking about the actual event. You need a structural plan of the area; what equipment will be used and what will be displayed for couples to get a view point of the set up on their wedding day.

It is an enjoyable event for

our events team as they meet couples in a more relaxed environment and in the atmosphere of a wedding.

They also make contact with local suppliers of flowers, photographers, etc., for future weddings and events, and answer queries from local and foreign couples who wish to get married in the Paradise Bay Resort Hotel. The couples getting married can view the venue, speak to a member of the events team to get an idea of the setup, and to other suppliers about what they can offer. They can also get good package prices.

At the wedding showcase Paradise Bay Resort Hotel will promote beach weddings.

Couples who wish to book with us will get a complimentary one night accommodation in the Junior Suite on bed and breakfast on the night of the wedding and free coffee table.

8

A bright, bold, colourful bouquet is always striking.

JUNE 2016

Deep, dark shades warm up a winter wedding.

An all-white bouquet, formal and sophisticated.

|

weddings

Pastel shades for a pretty and charming choice.

THE MESSAGE IN YOUR BOUQUET

We all have our favourite flowers and most brides are happy to go with those with which look pretty and smell heavenly. But flowers have meanings and you may want to be sure your bouquet says the right thing.

A

nd, since flowers are a very important part of the colour scheme in a wedding, anyone feeling even slightly superstitious will want to check their favourite flowers against the colour scheme of their wedding, since some flowers are unlucky in certain colours.

To avoid any flower-arranging experts reading a negative sentiment into the event here are some flowers you may like to think twice about using.

Pretty as it is, larkspur means infidelity – not a good way to start. And if you planned to include a few sprays of lavender, for its beautiful scent, you should know it signifies mistrust.

Lilies are a well-loved choice and you are

perfectly safe with all white ones, think purity and sweetness. However, introduce a yellow one and you’re inviting insincerity and falsehood.

But yellow is a pretty, popular colour for spring and summer weddings so as long as you avoid yellow roses – jealousy, carnations – disdain, tulips – hopeless love and chrysanthemums– slighted love, you’ll be fine. It’s worth mentioning too that yellow chrysanthemums indicate a secret admirer, which makes them risky for the bride, but exciting for a bridesmaid.

Winter weddings are a cue for warm reds and seasonal blooms. Again pick your flowers carefully. Sadly, the obvious choice of Christmas roses is out. They suggest scandal!

Red roses equal passionate love and

faithfulness and red tulips indicate true love.

But the holly and the ivy, joined as they are in the Christmas carol, make a perfect team. Holly flowers say defence and domestic happiness and the ivy is known for fidelity, married love and affection. Perfect.

A bouquet including an interesting variety of flowers will give you the chance to symbolise all you hope for in your married life. Try a mix of irises for wisdom and hope, daffodils or narcissus for respect, good fortune and chivalry, jasmine for amiability and white heather for wishes coming true and protection.

Adding the greenery of ivy, see above, and rosemary for remembrance will give texture and contrast

If you’re looking for a really colourful bunch there are poppies, which signify imagination, freesias for trust and orchids or peonies to depict love and beauty and happiness and prosperity respectively.

There are also sweet peas, which are extremely popular although they are associated with the words blissful pleasure, thank you and goodbye, are seen as a very good omen for brides in France.

Well, that says it all. Remember, the best bouquet is the one you choose because you love the flowers and whatever they mean to you personally. Golden weddings have been celebrated by brides who walked down the isle carrying a stunning bouquet of blooms forecasting disaster.

But, because love conquered all, they lived happily ever after.