Laura, River Cottage's Wedding Coordinator shares her top tips for planning a wedding.
Hello I’m Laura, the Wedding Coordinator at River Cottage.
2019 was a wonderful year for weddings - each one was unique and special in its own way with guests travelling from all over the globe to celebrate with some amazing couples here on the farm. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store. If you are newly engaged or planning your wedding, here are my top tips for a River Cottage Wedding.
1. Spend time together
Remember that the day is about you. Quite often I have couples say they had an incredible day but didn’t really spend any time together. Your wedding day will whizz by and before you know it, the band will play that final song and you will be saying goodnight to your guests. Combine that with trying to speak to everyone you have invited and unless you make time, you'll realise you haven’t seen much of each other. My number one tip is to take 5 or 10 minutes out during the day to spend alone and appreciate each other’s company - even if you do ask your photographer to follow a few steps behind.
2. Wedding food
Here at River Cottage, there is no menu A, B or C and couples, with the guidance of our chefs, can plan their ultimate wedding feast from scratch. There aren’t any rules when designing a menu, but everything we serve uses the freshest seasonal, local and organic produce. Think about what you both love as a couple and choose food which excites you and makes you happy. Don’t worry about pleasing everyone - just create a menu that suits you. Our incredible team of chefs are used to dietary requirements, so you can be sure that each and every person on your guestlist will have a spectacular plate of food to suit them.
3. Less is more
There are so many amazing places to get wedding inspiration and I love how each and every wedding I plan is different and personal to the couple. Sites such as Pinterest can be overwhelming and can lead to expensive or overcomplicated ideas. I am a huge believer in less is more, and it takes very little to give our beautiful spaces the wow factor. It’s very easy to get carried away with all the wedding paraphernalia that’s available so try to keep things personal and if you have a theme, stick to it.
4. Eco Weddings
We are committed to eliminating single-use plastic and reducing waste at River Cottage and it’s a great rule to apply to your wedding planning too. Don’t throw away glass jars - reuse them and make them into lovely flower vases or tea lights. Choose a florist who grows their flowers locally instead of importing them. Use biodegradable confetti or flower petals for our post-ceremony celebrations. Choose favours or gifts that give back such as charity donations or flower seeds to encourage the bees. Plus, we have your food and drink covered - it’s at the heart of what we do, and we ensure that its sourced locally, ethically and sustainably.
5. Trust your coordinator
I am here every step of the way - from your initial viewing and visit, to planning every moment of your special day. I take time to get to know my wedding couples and I am always on hand to offer advice, recommendations, tips and just general wedding chat whenever you need it. On your wedding day, I will implement all the plans we have put in place and will ensure the day runs smoothly, so you can relax and trust in a job well done!
If you need a bit more wedding inspiration, why not come to our Wedding Fair on Sunday 5th April 2020 - tickets are free!
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