< PreviousLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide30Get this party started If you’ve picked the right venue, and we’re sure you have, you’ll have a fantastic setting for your big day, but equally a decent place to let loose and have a party at the end of the day. Getting entertainment right is important. The last thing you want is everyone sat around bored and listless when they should be celebrating. The obvious choices are to hire a band or a fantastic DJ. Either option will get people dancing or at least keep them entertained, but some influence as to what they play on your part would help. Remember a vast array of ages will be present - playing your unique taste in hard house music or heavy metal may go down well with you and your friends, but elderly relatives or those with young children may see this as a prompt to leave. One good idea is to send off a music request form to come back with guests’ RSVP with their invitations. Ask them to list a top three of their favourite tunes and then there’s no excuse for them not to get on the dancefloor! Do feel free to vet choices though, it’s your wedding! The serious part of your day is over. Time to loosen those ties and get on the dancefloor!30-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:01 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net ENTERTAINMENT31© Shutterstock / IVASHstudioSay cheese! As well as a professional photographer, one element that more couples are bringing in to their wedding receptions is the photo booth. Set up a discreet corner of the room as a booth and either get the photographer to man it or get someone else to take charge of taking photos. Provide guests with a chalkboard and let them write their own message to the happy couple. This can replace the traditional guestbook if you like and makes for an amusing and more personal look back on the day. As guests get more inebriated, the messages will get more incoherent and rambling, but therein lies the charm! It’s also a chance to get unguarded shots of guests, rather than the posed photos photographers might get. In addition to your gleaming album full of carefully-posed and positioned pictures, you’ll have a set you can laugh at too! © Shutterstock / Olena Andreychuk30-31.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:01 Page 2Dress to impress The wedding dress is such an ingrained image in our collective consciousness and yet, chances are, taste and style will differ from bride to bride. Photo courtesy of Jdezire Bridal Boutique in Lincoln32-35.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:02 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net BRIDAL FASHION33There’s not so much rules as guidelines when it comes to wedding dresses, and it’s always better to follow your own instinct than to begrudgingly accept someone else’s advice. It is, after all, your wedding. For some the veil is non-negotiable, with the groom pulling back to cloth for that first kiss an integral part of the ceremony, but no one says you have to. Having your hair and make-up done only to wear a veil as you walk up the aisle may seem counterintuitive. Instead try a tiara, which sits atop your head like a crown and will no doubt draw gazes from your guests. To get the best of both worlds, a veil can be worn over the back. The dress itself is a more complicated matter. To buy or to rent? Do I need a garter? What if my fiancé sees? While wedding planners can allay many of these anxieties, some will have to be tackled head on. Wedding dresses come in all manner of styles and designs, from the traditional to the adventurous. For some, wearing your mother’s, or even grandmother’s, dress is a time honoured tradition and it might be one you want to pass on to your own daughter. Providing your relative doesn’t object (and it’s always better to ask in advance), you can have the dress altered for a better fit or to give it a modern twist. Tradition beckons, but trends for this year tend more towards minimalism. If less is more, it serves to follow that the wedding dress would also be applicable. 3D floral details on an otherwise unassuming dress will speak volumes and draw attention to the bride. Big and bold floral embroidery will also continue to dominate, but plunging necklines will be seen across the board. Don’t feel pressured into bearing skin just because current trends point that way; there’s no good spending your wedding feeling uncomfortable in your own skin and worry about a slip. Bespoke options provide utter peace of mind as well as ensuring you end up with exactly what you want. Say you’re after a minimalist design with floral accents and a more conservative neck line, any one of the county’s gifted tailors and designers will be able to oblige. Plunging necklines might be a bit 35 ÁEnzoani - available from Belle & Bouquet - The Bridal Suite facebook.com/belleandbouquet Tel: 01522 81112232-35.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:02 Page 2Enzoani - available from Belle & Bouquet - The Bridal Suite facebook.com/belleandbouquet Tel: 01522 81112232-35.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:02 Page 3www.lincolnshiretoday.net BRIDAL FASHION35Photo courtesy of Jdezire Bridal Boutique in Lincolnrisqué for some, but the off-the-shoulder look is a staple of the fashion world. Chances are you’ll have a few shoulder-bearing staples in your wardrobe already. It was really only a matter of time before the ubiquitous style found itself way into the bridal world. The benefit of this style will be to show off your collarbone, leaving you looking sensuous and elegant. A carefully chosen necklace will only heighten the effect. For added embellishments, there are corsets and bodices to consider, though it might be worth seeking the opinion of your maid of honour or wedding planner just to be on the safe side. To truly turn tradition on its head, you could always wear a suit alongside the groom. Many of the world’s top celebrities past and present have stood out from the crowd in a well-tailored suit. It’s a bold move, but it will certainly leave an impression. The cardinal rule for bridesmaids is not to upstage the bride. This should go without saying, though it nevertheless needs reiterating. It can be tough to downplay your own look to benefit the bride, but rather than inciting competition, try to dress to complement. In many cases, the bride and groom will have a particular colour scheme or style in mind, with some going so far as to pick out specific dresses for bridesmaids. In any case, it’s always worth sitting down with the bride or, better yet, go for a shopping spree. 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:02 Page 436Well groomed Although the bride grabs most of the attention, grooms are getting more stylish © Shutterstock / elitravoLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide36-38.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:03 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net MENSWEAR37© Shutterstock / Jacob LundPERFECTION BRIDAL & MENSWEAR31 Silver Street, Lincoln, LN2 1EW www.perfectionlincoln.co.ukAn exclusive range of Bridal Gowns and Bridesmaids, plus ranges from other leading designers, Venus, Phoenix plus others. Contemporary and traditional styles, accessories too. All alterations completed in-house. Ladies 01522 522616 Also one of Lincolnshire's longest established menswear hire specialists with over 35 years experience. All hire suits held in stock to try on before you order. Groom goes free with five or more outfits. Menswear 01522 533615 Although most eyes will be on the bride, you don’t want to turn heads for all the wrong reasons. The old idea used to be that while the bride would spend months thinking about and trying on their outfit, the groom would simply plump for the first suit they saw and, as long as the trouser legs reached the shoes, that would be fine. These days, while the dresses remain the top priority, the groom’s outfit gets a bit more time devoted to it, not least because the traditional morning suit is now not the only option. OK, so unless the wedding is really informal you’ll probably 38 Á36-38.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:03 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding GuideMENSWEAR38still be in a suit, but the cut, the colour and the accessories can all be tailored to your liking. You’re just as likely to see a modern suit at a wedding as you are traditional attire. Grey is increasingly popular as a colour as it so often works alongside the colour combination chosen by the bride and her bridesmaids – but anything goes and pastel shades can make for a striking and distinctive look. Many will still opt for more traditional fare but you can still liven that up with waistcoats, cravats, jewellery and other ways in which the colour scheme of the wedding can be continued. This can be extended to the other members of the wedding party and ensure that everyone clearly looks like they’re at the same wedding – rather than a group of people who just happened to turn up at the same time – without dressing everyone in identical suits. Lincolnshire’s grooming specialists are also on hand to make sure you’re looking your best and, again, while the groom will probably spend rather less time considering their hair and beauty regime than the bride, they may take the opportunity to freshen up their look and enjoy a quick once-over at the barbers. If you really aren’t interested in fashion, you can submit yourself to the traditional attire and look smart on the big day – but if you want to showcase your own sense of style, you can.© Shutterstock / AntonenkoS36-38.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:03 Page 3www.lincolnshiretoday.net OCCASION WEAR39Stand out from the crowd You can still make a splash at a wedding without overshadowing the bride There used to be all kinds of rules and traditions around choosing occasion wear but these days only one really still applies – don’t overshadow the bride! Other than that it really depends on the formality, or otherwise, of the day. Indeed, many weddings now have a specific theme in mind and the bride and groom may provide ideas of the style of outfit and the kind of colour scheme they’d like their guests to wear. If you’ve got a free hand then 40 ÁIt’s impossible to feel anything other than fabulous in this elegant blouse and jacket como from Erfo – available at Anne Wilkinson in Lincoln.39-41.qxp_Layout 1 23/01/2019 12:05 Page 1Next >