< PreviousDOES THIS LOOK LIKE YOUR DREAM WEDDING? Find out more about our idyllic rural venue by visiting:www.howell-manor-events.co.ukCHOOSE FROM A FULLY EQUIPPED TIPI, MARQUEE OR BARN. ENJOY EXCLUSIVE USE OF OUR GROUNDS & FARMYARD. Manor Farm, Howell, NG34 9PT | 01529 460267 | elaine@howell-manor-events.co.uk12-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 9www.lincolnshiretoday.net VENUES21concentrate on filling it with the elements you want included to make your special day exactly that - very special. If you have no idea of dimensions or setting, how are you going to plan anything else? There are a host of incredible wedding venues available for use across the county. Lincolnshire has some of the most sumptuous and elegant places to get married in the country, if not the world, whatever your taste. From the city venues of Lincoln, meaning you are getting married and celebrating in the shadow of the Cathedral, able to get an iconic landmark in your wedding photos. More rural affairs mean the natural scenery helps to make your day look the best it can. City weddings obviously have their merits, cheaper accommodation for guests and excellent transport links means a lot more of your friends and 22 Á© Shutterstock / IVASHstudio12-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 10Lincolnshire Today Wedding GuideVENUES22l Marriages l Civil Partnerships l Citizenship Ceremonies l Naming & Renewal of Vows Ceremonies l Copy Certificates (from 1837 to date) l Civil Funeral, Memorial, Woodland Burial and Interment Ceremonies l Pre planned Script only Funeral Service Registration & Celebratory ServicesTel: 01522 782244 Email: regist@lincolnshire.gov.uk www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/registrationfamily will be able to make it, but the picture postcard setting of a countryside wedding can make all the difference. One issue can sometimes be the seating plan. You want to ensure that everyone has a great time but often the lasting memory for some guests is that they had to spend the whole day sat next to someone they couldn’t stand. The aim is to ensure everyone gets to sit next to guests that they know and get along with – or at least have similar interests and are of similar backgrounds to ensure they’ll at least have something to talk about. You may even opt to omit the traditional wedding breakfast completely and go for a buffet meal where everyone can sit where they like and eat when they’re ready. 25 Á© Shutterstock / Photology197112-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 11*Wedding Packages from £4500*Bespoke Weddings from £1500Sitting proudly in the medieval splendour of Lincoln Cathedral, the White Hart Hotel is the ultimate wedding venue. Your bespoke wedding will be perfectly tailored to your every wish by our dedicated team of professionals.The White Hart Hotel offers a truly breathtaking setting to host the most important day of your life. We offer packages that combine a magical venue with a first class service, making sure that your wedding day is everything you dreamed it would be and more! With inclusive packages to suit your ideas, your dream wedding day at the White Hart Hotel could be closer than you think! THE PERFECTWEDDING LOCATIONBailgate | Lincoln | Lincolnshire LN1 3AR For more details, a wedding pack or to arrange an appointment, please call us on 01522 563 298 email weddings@whitehart-lincoln.co.uk www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk Follow us on twitter @WhiteHartLN1* Please ask for further details, terms & conditions apply12-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 1212-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 13Ayscoughfee Hall is a beautifulGrade I listed building set in five acresof unique public gardens idealfor your photographs. This intimate venue, just minutes fromSpalding town centre, is licensed forcivil ceremonies for up to 40 people.Included are the services of our dedicatedWedding Coordinators and exclusive useof the south facing Garden Room forlight refreshments before and afterthe ceremony.There is ample public parkingnearby for your guests. Ayscoughfee Hall Churchgate, Spalding,Lincolnshire. PE11 2RAtel: 01775 764555 email: museum@sholland.gov.ukwww.ayscoughfee.orgwww.lincolnshiretoday.net VENUES25Photo courtesy of Haydn HustonAlthough most problems over who sits next to who are often trifling affairs, there can be more serious issues to discuss if the parents have divorced and remarried, which can lead to worries about being seen to favour one parent over the other based on the makeup and the seating plans of the top table. The most important thing to remember is that the day is about the bride and groom, and as long as you’ve dealt with any situations that arise, acted fairly and explained your decisions to those involved, it should really be up to them to behave in a sensible manner and avoid overshadowing the stars of the day. 12-25.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:48 Page 14Lincolnshire Today Wedding GuideFINISHING TOUCHES26Final flourishes After months of planning, there’ll still be final things to organise and sign. It’s as true for the admin as for the wedding itself, and the finishing touches can add that final memorable touch of glamour. © Shutterstock / Svetlana Levachova26-27.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:58 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net FINISHING TOUCHES27SPECIAL EDITION CHOCOLATE Award winning handmade chocolate for everyone to enjoy, including those on special diets such as diabetics, coeliacs, vegetarians, vegans and some allergy sufferers like nuts and dairy. www.specialeditionchocolate.co.uk Tel: 01673 844073Some of the best ideas arrive unexpectedly, whether a sudden epiphany in the middle of the night, a flash of inspiration walking down the high street, or a brilliant idea for your wedding when driving down the A180. These and other final flourishes will add pizazz to proceedings, leaving photos you’ll want to flick through for years to come and memories to revisit again and again. By their very nature, finishing touches don’t make the wedding, but they do enhance it, and some simple additions here and there can turn an otherwise standard affair into something truly special. It’s amazing how big a different banners and bunting can have, especially if they’re personalised and/or conform to the set colour scheme. Confetti can likewise add a fun touch that looks dazzling when filmed and will no doubt leave guests grinning like loons. If there’s any kids in attendance, frolicking in confetti may just be the highlight of the evening. A step further is to use a bubble machine, just make sure it’s pointed away from the buffet table. It’s probably ill advised to leave seating arrangements to a free-for-all scenario, after all the church is usually divided up into the bride and groom’s family so why not follow with the reception? Name cards are a fun way to establish a seating arrangement, as well as giving guests a little keepsake along with any favours. When it comes to seating arrangements, it’s worth sparing a thought on any potential pairings. It could be a wonderful opportunity to introduce friends and let the newly joined families get to know one another a bit better. As well as having one or more photographers documenting the event from all angles, having a photo booth is an inspired idea to involve guests in a more informal way. Alternatively, the photographer might have a number of backdrops to pick from, as well as accessories to pose with. Or there’s the green screen option, leaving the couple free to choose whatever they want to incorporate. It might be that they’re both sci-fi nuts and having a futuristic backdrop might be their idea of romance. Even with smart phones and photo apps at our finger tips, disposable cameras are still hugely popular for weddings. They’re cheap, easy and fun to pass around, letting everyone get in a few snaps. For a quirkier alternative, Polaroid cameras print snaps instantaneously, giving guests something to take home or leaving you with plenty of fodder for a wedding-themed scrapbook. The imagination doesn’t just stop because a date’s been set in stone. Inspiration will come thick and fast right up until the big day, and many of these finishing touches can be easily implemented in the right hands, and with the talent across the county, the right hands are at your disposal. © Shutterstock / Dontree26-27.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:58 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide28Beautiful bakes Many couples now decide to jettison the traditional wedding cake entirely in favour of a tower of cupcakes – which have the obvious benefit of being easier to share out among your guest – or something else that fits the style of the wedding and the tastes of the bride and the groom. Even if you want the traditional aspect, you can add all kinds of trimmings to offer a suitably personal twist. Don’t forget that your guests won’t even know With baking big news these days it’s perhaps no surprise cakes are becoming more elaborate 28-29.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:59 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net CAKES29© Shutterstock / Melnikov Sergeyif the cake they see being cut is the same cake they’re served up a few minutes later, and if you have lots of guests you may wish to have the main cake backstage with a more manageable cake on display for the formalities. Indeed for some the cutting of the cake takes on far more importance than eating it! As well as the quality of the cake, the quality of the stand is important too – not least because you don’t want any © Shutterstock / MNStudioaccidents when you’re brandishing the knife. A spectacular stand can add that extra 10% to the presentation and make sure everyone gets to admire it. As with many aspects of the 21st century wedding you have two equally appealing options – something bespoke and unique that creates a talking point, or the classic approach with all its tradition and romance. Across Lincolnshire you’ll find experts adept at both.28-29.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 11:59 Page 2Next >