Once you have your wedding venue booked, it is a good time to start looking for a photographer. The best photographers get booked up quickly, which is why we recommend to our clients to look for a photographer early. You want them to capture every moment of your wedding, even the ones you didn’t see. Making it possible to relive those moments and capture them forever.

We love the images from the talented and inspiring Lucy Cuneo http://www.lucycuneophotography.com/. The effortless style of her images are shown in the way she captures even the smallest of details, showing their timeless and chic appeal. Looking through Lucy’s shots for an Albion Parties wedding, you can see her passion for wedding photography.

Our top tips to help you choose your photographer:

• Look through Pinterest and albums from friends’ weddings that you like, to define the style of photography you like. Create a Pinterest board to give the photographer an idea of what kind of shots you are looking for. For example consider: Do you prefer more traditional portraits or more spontaneous images?
  Ask for recommendations, word of mouth is always a great endorsement for such a personal memento.

• Look online at the portfolios of photographers and set up a meeting with potential photographers. It is important to feel comfortable on your wedding day, so make sure you like them! Compare the packages available in order for you to get the amount of shots you would like. If there is a specific shot you want to have captured don’t forget to tell your photographer. Arrange beforehand any preparation images you would like taken.

Although your wedding day may speed by in an happy haze of excitement, the best photographers will make sure you can keep those enduring memories.

All images by Lucy Cuneo. http://lucycuneophotography.com

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Where to begin for planning your wedding? It can appear daunting at first glance. The details can be overwhelming and the wide variety of so many different options can be mind-boggling for even the most organised of brides; so we have compiled our own stress-free checklist for where to start.

The key elements to book straight away are:

• Ceremony location, particularly if it’s a church
• Reception Venue
• Photographer

Look for inspiration from Wedding blogs like Rock My Wedding, Style Me Pretty, Brides Magazine online amongst many others. File your ideas into named folders, or create a scrapbook of magazine images.

Start your own Pinterest board and pin everything (we mean everything) you like, as even if you think your style is unfocused, a wedding planner will be able to see certain themes running through your board, and can help with picking out the different styles you are going for.

Next items on the list to think about are sending out a Save the Date to your guests. This can be done with a pretty design on Paperless Post, which has the advantage of allowing you to collect guests’ address details at the same time.

Start looking at wedding dresses, keeping in mind how the dress will complement the overall look of the wedding. Make an appointment with your designer of choice, and make sure you allow enough time for fittings and alterations.

There are many different styles for invitations, and we recommend you send the invitations out around 12 weeks before your wedding, or even sooner if you are getting married abroad.

Most of all, enjoy your planning! As soon as you have the key factors in place, you can relish gathering as many ideas as possible, and choosing the aspects which define your own unique style.

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The Artistry of Wedding Cakes

From minimalist pared-back wedding cakes to stylish macaroon towers, wedding cakes are once again becoming the show stopper of the wedding reception.

Wedding cakes are a significant tradition with roots dating back to Roman times when the breaking of bread over a bride’s head indicated future prosperity. This was continued into what we recognise as the modern tiered creations in Medieval times when cakes became piled high for the groom to kiss the bride over without knocking them down. This later became the basis for the gravity-defying croquembouche.

However, today although the idea of a stacked cake still remains there is also playfulness within the iconography of the contemporary wedding cake. The traditional fruit cake, itself a symbol of prosperity, is often a base layer or not frequently used as more adventurous fillings have taken over in popularity. Many modern brides are choosing red velvet recipes in the style of the famous Hummingbird Cupcake, or playing with textures by alternating sponge and mousse to give a surprise in traditional guise. We have tried some delicious flavour and texture combinations such as vanilla sponge and chocolate mousse fillings, alternated with a raspberry cream layer.

The cake is not complete, however, without its decoration. The fruit cake wrapped in marzipan and rolled white royal icing was a good base for sugar craft in the form of intricate flowers and adornment in Victorian times. In grand ceremonies it was sturdy enough to take several tall tiers. However the more modern fillings for today’s cakes enable the wedding cake to take on many whimsical forms. Bakers are now aware that there is also a popularity for a pared back ‘Naked Cake’ without the thick royal icing allowing for light sponges, dusted with icing sugar and wild meadow flowers country weddings. Vintage themed weddings often feature colourful thick satin ribbons or patterned grosgrain ribbon to tie around the cakes to brighten up the classic white icing.

Brides and grooms often use the wedding cake centrepiece to display more about them as a couple. The personalised table names and wedding favours often now tie into a theme close to the couple’s heart, such as beloved pets, interests or taste. Individual cupcakes are also a modern take on the classic tiered cake, a handy way of being able to offer an individual cake to the guests.

We love wedding cakes; classic, contemporary or uniquely personalised and it would not be a celebration without a cake!

“I have no words for how happy I am and how much this whole weekend has exceeded our expectations. It was magic. You must be the most amazing wedding planner ever! Thank you so much for always keeping us calm, being one step ahead and most importantly of all, keeping Mum so relaxed that she was able to enjoy the weekend as much as she did.” Bride writing to Albion Parties after her wedding in Bodrum.

This bride married her musician husband on the deck overlooking the sea at Macakizi in Bodrum, Turkey. Guests flew in from New York, Berlin, Zurich and London to celebrate their fun and stylish wedding with a weekend of partying.

“It was perfect. Not a single problem seemed too crazy to solve.” Mother-of-the-Bride to CSA, after her daughter’s wedding in Northern Ireland.

CSA was proud to have organised the first wedding at Hillsborough Castle, the beautiful Historic Royal Palace where HM The Queen stays in Northern Ireland. With thanks to the Royal Family for allowing us to use their spectacular palace.

“I can’t quite get over how much fun I had at our wedding. You guys did such an amazing job.” Bride to CSA following her wedding in the South of France.

“Wow what a night!!!! What a fabulous wonderful party you masterminded so brilliantly for my niece last night. So many happy memories as we review every detail.” Guest writing to CSA about their magical night in the South of France.