Are you Recently Engaged ...................
well my TOP tip for all couples starting to even talk about weddings is
To set up a new wedding email.
​Yes you can thank me at the end !!! 

Its so vital to keep all wedding emails together, you can track back on deposits paid, you can get yours guests to rsvp and your own personal emails wont be clogged up with all things wedding related !! 

So TOP tip this week is get your wedding account set up, even if you are in the early stages of planning its still not too late so get going on this today !!  

Tonight I had the pleasure of having the amazing Deborah from Cakes by Deborah on our #asktheexperts segment. 

Deborah always had a love and an interest in baking and pastry. Her love of cakes began 25 Years ago when she was on a mission to make her own wedding cake for her wedding day. This wasn't going to be any simple three tier wedding cake.  She went on a sugar craft course in Limerick with Mary Ryan and that began her craft and her skill and her own wedding cake ended up having 100 Pink Rose Buds all made by herself for her day !! And as they the rest is history, Deborah later got her Master in PME in Sugarcraft and since has been making lots of amazing creations. Tonight we got an insight into cake making and asked her about some different trends and tips. Here are some top tips I took from our conversation 

Most Popular Flavour's

• Deborah's Chocolate Biscuit Cake 90% of her wedding cakes have it and I can definitely vouch for this its yummy !! 
• Then after then this they are all really as popular as each other Raspberry & White Chocolate, Lemon Drizzle. Chocolate Cake, Sticky Toffee, Red Velvet 
• White Chocolate Biscoff  - Is a New Flavour and anyone who tastes this loves it !!

Can you have different flavours in each tier

• Almost definitely, flavours are very much your own personality and preference, if you want 3 tiers of chocolate biscuit DO IT !! Its your cake !! With Deborah the price of the cake doesn't depend on the flavours of the cake. The price of the cake is the price no matter what goes into the flavours.

Your All Time Favourite Cake Flavour : 

• This was a tough question for Deborah but her top picks would be her white chocolate biscoff, pistashio cake or her chocolate hazelnut with white chocolate swiss meringue with nutella & hazelnut praline 

If your venue are making your cake as part of the package any tips 

• ask for a tasting, can you try and get to meet the person making the cake
• get a list of the flavours, reflect your own tastes and personality 

 
Should I have a tier of fruit cake to keep the older generation happy ? 

• Your flavours should reflect your personality
• If you don't want fruit cake in your cake then maybe have a small cutting cake in the back for the older generation 

Dietary requirements - Should I consider the Gluten Free Guests when choosing the cake flavours and ingredients 
Its not vital but if you want to consider them you can have a small cake on the side for them or have little cupcakes that are gluten free. Deborah made a really good point to make sure to alert your venue that you have a gluten free tier or cupcakes when they are serving them so that they don't get mixed up. 

Where do couples get inspiration for their cakes?  
Some couples will have very fixed ideas and others won't know where to start but that's what the consultation is for. Deborah normally meets the couples before the wedding to get to know you a little better and run through some ideas with you and also to TASTE some yummy flavours. 

• Some places to get you started would be pinterest / google images 
• You might take inspiration from your flowers for your wedding or the colours of your bridal party or the time of year you are getting married 
• Some couples like to bring their personality to life with the cake and that can be done in a simple way or a more elaborate way. 
• Follow Deborah on Instagram and check out some of her creations aswell for more inspiration 
• You might like to add fresh florals to your cake or you might like sugar flowers. With Sugar flowers they are so beautiful but they do take alot of time to create so there is an element of expense to adding these to a cake. BUT they last forever and these may be used in the future to decorate Christening Cakes for example or if your like Grainne and hoard everything these can be placed in a glass box and kept as a memory 

Opinions on Fake Tiers and Cutting Cakes ? 

• Deborah advised that the Fake Tiers are great to add volume or height to a cake or if you want a really big cake then yes they are fantastic !!
• If you go for the Fake Cake what are you going to use it for after the wedding ??
• There is no real savings with cost as it takes the exact same amount of time to ice the fake cake as it would the real cake so just get the cake and EAT IT !! That is what its for !! 

If the Cake Table needs decor? Is this something you look after or should the couple provide items for it ?  
Deborah always sets up her own cakes, she will set it up, set up the table with the couples items, add any toppers or any fresh flowers that the florist leaves. Deborah is a little obsessive when it comes to setting up the cake but she is a perfectionist at the end of the day and we would expect nothing less !! Deborah sometimes works with Decor Companies aswell for example : @graceevents or @kittureweddings and she would liaise with them in the lead up to the big day.  

Fresh Flowers for the Wedding Cake - Who gets these ?
Deborah will always contact your wedding florist and liaise with her on the flowers and Deborah will add these to the cake. 

The Doughnut Wall - Give me some info on this 
This is a really popular addition to a drinks reception. We provide the board and the 100 doughnuts and people can enjoy with a cuppa tea or coffee or a glass of bubbles. 

Trends for 2020/2021
The Dessert Tables are a huge trend at the moment and will be for the next year or more. There is so many options available and people love the idea of going up to pick what they want themselves and they look stunning. You don't need a lot of everything, there is more variety

200 People at a Wedding, How many tiers should we order ? 
There are lots to factor in for this and its up to the couple, the budget & if you are having a post wedding party as this is where people get a lot of value for their Cake when people use it for their post wedding party. 

Buy a Cake Topper or get one made?  
Depends on what you want !! The Acrylic Toppers are the most popular at the moment and are approx €25 each to personalize. 
The Figurine Toppers are approx €150 made with resin or claydough - quite expensive but you can keep them as keepsake. The Icing Models are more expensive as they take a lot more time. 


When should people book their cake?
As soon as they have their wedding date confirmed with their venue -  as dates are filled very very quickly !! 

Who are you favourite cake people to follow ? 
@emerhock 
@niamhlarkinpastry 
@xptorne 
@dominiqueanse 

 

For More Information on all things Cake
Contact Deborah on 
Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/cakesbydeborahguerin/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cakesbydeborah/ 
​

Tonight we had the one and only DJ Paudie Walsh on with us. He is a well known name in the Wedding Industry and has an array of awards over the past few years and is a great entertainer for any wedding. Paudie is a DJ and offers lots of packages for your wedding day. He interacts with the crowd and judges the floor to make sure the dancefloor doesn't empty !! He joined me tonight for some chats and below are some tips that he recommended: 

• Good Music and Good Food are priorities for the evening part of the day 
• Special Song Requests can be accommodated no problem just to let your DJ know in advance 
• Research your DJ before hand, make sure they have all their gear
• Book your DJ once you book the venue and the date, when you want someone and they are available just book them and that goes for all suppliers. Paudie has an availability checker on his website so that you can check that straight away
• You dont need to meet the DJ before the big day but if you want to its completely your own choice
• DJ Set normally begins at 12 - 2.15am 
• No need to have music begin before 9.30pm on the night of the wedding - give guests time to check in, relax, have a little break before the music begins. 
• Some couples dont want certain songs played and of course that is no problem but remember to let your DJ know before hand 
• Paudie also provides a Mr and Mrs Quiz on the day if you want to include that 
• Lot of couples are booking DJs for a Day Two Option now so that might be something 
• Good Time for a Day Two 7pm -11pm
• Paudie also provides two types of photobooths 

For More Information you can contact Paudie on 
https://paudiewalshmusic.ie/
Instagram : @paudiewalsh_dj

I was so excited to welcome on the amazing David & Laurie from Awake & Dreaming Photography tonight to #asktheexperts. Photography is such a big part of the wedding day and in the end the photographs are what you have when all is done and what you can look back on the day fondly with. We had a great chat with them both and they offered some great advise. They too are in the wedding planning process and are a couple affected by COVID 19 and had to postpone their special day so it was nice to hear their personal side to the wedding plans aswell as all their amazing tips, some of which I have noted below 

• Would definitely reccommend a pre wedding photo shoot or an engagement shoot to get to know your photographers and to get used to being in front of the camera so that it will discourage any nerves on the day. You can also use these images then for invites or parts of your day. 
• RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH - There are so many photographers out there now so its important to do your research and get the style that suits you 
• There is no ideal weather condition so no point worrying about weather on the day, your photographer will make it work for you 
• Make sure to be ready to go 1 hour before you need to leave for the ceremony so that the photographers can get photographs 
• Flat Shoes are really important to have for the photoshoot 
• Be Brave - for the better wow shots sometimes you need to go that extra mile and just need to go for it so don't have regrets
• Winter Weddings - Timings are really important so make sure have an earlier ceremony time. Sometimes couples might have a first look before the ceremony so that might work for you aswell 
• Better to have speeches all together either at the start or all at the end of the meal 
•  Sparkler Shot Photographs - These are epic but make sure to have the extra long sparkers that last 2.5mins so that they last a little longer.  Its also important to make sure to keep this to a smaller number of people. In all sparker shots you see its only a few people in one photograph so no need to invite everyone out. Less is More and have two people lighting them 
• Winter Weddings - Candles add so much to weddings at winter 
• You dont have to purchase your wedding album now come back a year later when you have time and the funds to get it done then 
• Any Special Moments during the day or anything that is important happening on the day make sure and tell your photographers so that they can photograph this 
• Timings are really important on the day. Sometimes couple would remove the receiving line after the ceremony and go straight for photographs after the ceremony and greet everyone at the drinks reception 
• Celebrant/ Priest / Usher should announce no phones during the ceremony especially for walking up the aisle 

Huge Thank You to David & Laurie for taking the time out to chat to us tonight. Lots of tips and advise throughout and again if you have any queries or want to check out some of their work you can connect with them on the below 

http://awakeanddreamingweddings.com/
@_awakeanddreaming_

I was delighted to welcome the amazing Deirdre from Body Treats Beauty Salon in Ennistymon on tonight for the very first live instagram on #asktheexperts. Deirdre has a wealth of knowledge on all things beauty but specifically Bridal Make Up is her passion so it was great to get some tips and advise from her. Body Treats Beauty is led by Deirdre but she has a fantastic team backing her, Camille, Orla, Noelle & Ellie. The Joy of having a talented team behind you means that there is alot of offerings under one roof and of course that more than one make up artist can be with you on the morning of the wedding so it makes things a little easier and quicker for larger wedding parties. They have an array of awards and actually where meant to be attending the Hi Style Awards recently but this had to be postponed due to Covid19. Camille was nominated in the "Best Beauty Therapist Category", Orla was nominated for "Best Brow Artist" and The Bodytreats Team were also nominated for "Best Wedding Make Up Artists". So you are definitely in good hands with this team on a wedding day !! 
So some pointers and tips I have noted from Deirdre's Chat with me are listed below
Skincare 

• 8 Months before the Big Day is a good time to start the skin care regime. Its a good idea to have a consultation with your local salon and they would design a tailored programme for you 
• Important not to start too early or you wont last the pace 
• The Micro-Dermabrasion Facial is really great treatment for the Grooms 
• Dee recommended that 4 key products will be a good start to your skin care regime: a cleanser, a serum, a day cream with an SPF and a night cream. Then after this Exfoliate and Mask twice a week. 
• Dee is offering online skin consultations so contact her on instagram in a private message for more info on this 

Waxing and Tanning

• Waxing normally 4 days before wedding 
• Tan normally 2 days before wedding - gives ample time for no transfers to go onto the dress and it sits nicely on the skin after 2 days 
• There is hard water in the water in West Clare - so skin will be a little drier from that so important for anyone travelling to Clare to note this for the tanning process. 
• Important to Trial a Spray Tan if you can 

Trials 

• Trial is a Bonus if you get to have it done but important not to panic because you have to trust your make up artist 
• Try and Mimic your trial to your wedding day so if you plan on wearing fake tan do for the trial aswell, Wear White top on the day, have your eyebrows done or any hair that needs to be done have this removed. 
• Book in Trails approx 3 months before the big day 
• Top Lipsticks for a Wedding Day - Gloss comes off quickly and adds a glare to the camera. Charlotte Tilbury - Satin Finish - Pillow Talk, Dancefloor Princess. 

On the Day 

• Make sure you are in the dress and ready to go to the ceremony an hour before you are due to leave
• 45 Mins per person and an hour to be allocated to the bride 
• Keep the circle small on the morning of the wedding so that you have a calm environment 
• Try and have make up near a window for natural light 
• if there is a sentimental gift make sure and give it early before the make up is done for the bride 
• Cotton Bud to be placed into the bouquet for any watery eyes 
• Blotting Paper is great for the shine 
• Foundation, Pressed Powder, Lipstick are top essentials on the day 
• Be Yourself and Be the Best Version of Yourself 
• Wearing glasses on your day some tips 
  • Thin Frame - Thin Eyeliner  
  • Thick Frame - can afford to go a little thicker eyeliner 
  • Neutral Shades are good 
  • If your eyes look big behind the glass - eyeliner to top lid only 
  • If you eyes look small behind the glass - eyeliner only to underneath your eye 
  • keep it to the foundation, work on the cheeks make them pop, add some highlighter and you can afford to go for a bold lip 

​A Huge Thank You to Deirdre for coming on and for all the tips and advise. You were an absolute pleasure. 

For anyone looking for more information you can contact Deirdre on the below 
http://www.bodytreats.ie/

You can also give them a follow on instagram 
@bodytreats_bridal 
​@bodytreatsbeautysalon