Here is a selection of Q&As from Your Kent Wedding magazine whether it be about flowers, hair and makeup, fashion, wedding themes, health & beauty, cakes, stationery, legal advice. If you would like your question answered by our experts, please email it to editor@yourkent.wedding
To view more expert advice on a different topic, please select one from the list below.
Delicious local fare
Q. Can you suggest a mouthwatering autumnal menu to reflect the best of Kent?
A. Vicky Kemp says: Autumn is one of my favourite foodie times, when our best heritage and native vegetables are at their peak. So, I'd suggest the 12-hour potroasted whole beef brisket. We season our locally-sourced beef for 24 hours in my own stonehouse seasoning, then slow roast it, before pulling it in its own cooking juices. It's served with my homemade mild horseradish mayonnaise and our very own beef dripping root vegetable crisps in a brioche bun.
To accompany this, I'd recommend our toasted broccoli, red apple, and almond slaw alongside mini roasted potato, wholegrain mustard and dill mayo salad, topped with rocket salad.
We can bring our airstream-style catering trailer to your wedding venue and lay our feasting, graze tables to coordinate with your wedding theme or palette.
Vicky Kemp, Seasalt & Relish
www.seasaltandrelish.com
Flavours of Kent
Q. We're both foodies and value locally-sourced produce. We'd love to wow our guests with a top-notch menu. What options are available for the summer?
A. James Crank says: There are two things to consider when planning a summer wedding. Firstly, Kentish produce at this time of year is outstanding, which allows you to keep things simple and allow the fantastic ingredients to speak for themselves. Think dishes with recognisable flavours, executed well. Secondly, it isn't always guaranteed to be a perfect Kentish summer's day, so do consider how your food choices would work if you were unfortunate with the weather.
My recommended choice would be a barbecue with the wow factor coming from the flavours created in the cooking, combined with more of that fantastic local produce. Smoky charred notes, flavourful marinades, zingy dressings, crispy vibrant salads, crunchy sweet acidic pickling, perfectly ripe berries, it's all seasonal flavour and it's exactly what we love to eat at this time of year. Plus, you can be certain there'll be a buzz among your guests as this style of menu creates a wonderfully relaxed and informal wedding breakfast for everyone.
It's not possible for everything to be locally-sourced, so the important part is allowing what can be to shine through. For example, we all know Kentish strawberries and raspberries are delicious, so choose something like a Pavlova or Eton mess where these beautiful berries are the main attraction, but if it needs the zest of a non-Kentish lemon to elevate the dish, then why not use it?
James Crank, The Old Kent Barn
www.theoldkentbarn.co.uk
A taste of Autumn
Q. We're getting married in October and would love to offer guests a delicious seasonal menu. What would you suggest?
A. Clare Smith says: As apples ripen in the orchard and acorns turn a mellow yellow, a seasonal change is marked in our ingredients and our menu takes on an exciting autumnal feel. For this most naturally beautiful time of year we recommend starting your wedding day with just-out-of-the-oven, warming, savoury bar nibbles such as cheese straws, hot nuts, soup shots, potato skins and mini roast beef Yorkshires.
For your main course, why not opt for a duo of meat with sides of cauliflower cheese, roasted butternut squash and pumpkin topped with toasted pine nuts, along with roasted root vegetables? For those with dietary requirements, a pan-fried assorted mushroom medley flavoured with garlic and herbs should go down a treat. We can smell them cooking now!
Let's get the speeches in, then move onto a decadent and indulgent board of mini desserts including gooseberry and plum crumble, berry mess, sticky toffee pudding, and for those with dietary needs, autumnal fruits with a dusting of sugar. Finally, turn on the fairylights for the evening and enjoy some delicious chilli pots with nachos and tacos.
Clare Smith, Touchays
www.touchays.com
