Wedding days don’t have to cost a fortune

 

The latest research by Nationwide found that one-in-four adults are putting their dreams on hold as they cannot afford to buy a property, get married, or start a family. With the average wedding costing up to £21,000 a fifth of people are delaying getting married because of the cost and 8% say that a lack of money has put them off marriage permanently!

The latest government statistics show that the number of marriages in the UK is currently at an all-time low of approximately 266,950 per year, compared to 313,551 five years ago.

Apparently the country is divided  when it comes to traditional values as 53% of couples in the North-East would choose starting a family ahead of buying a house, or getting married, compared to those in the South.

Here are our wedding saving top tips:

1)      Plan ahead. If you get started early, you’ll have the time and flexibility to shop sales, or even plan the whole event  yourself allowing you to  comparison shop.

2)     Get married on a Sunday or a Friday – This will help you cut costs across the board.

3)      Buy decorative lights and glittery items in the sale after Christmas. If you’re planning on decorating with string lights, pick them up dirt cheap at after-Christmas sales.

4)     Print your own invitations.

5)     Do your own hair and makeup – If you’re not planning to do something too complicated.

6)     Carry a single stem instead of a bouquet.

7)     Candles can usually be purchased for less than flowers, so light up the room!

8)     A Buffet instead of a sit down meal will always work out cheaper and will ensure that people with special dietary requirements are catered for.

9)     Select a venue that lets you bring in your own catering and alcohol.

10)  Forget dessert, just serve a cheese wedding cake.

11)  Don’t mention the word ‘WEDDING’ until you have to….

 

 

 

Wedding Cheese Cake!

 

 Marks and Spencers have just launched their very own cheese wedding cakes online. Their four tier cake is made up of English cheddar, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester, soft blue and goat’s cheese. The M&S spokesman Chris O’Sullivan said: “For those who prefer something ­savoury, a cheese cake makes a perfect option.”

It most certainly does Mr O’Sullivan, we couldn’t agree with you more! The Cheese Wedding Cake has undoubtedly become more popular in the UK over the last few years and I get a lot less of – you make cakes out of cheese – sweet cake, right? No, cheese – whole wheels of cheese! Yes – Brie, Cheddar…..

I guess for some people the traditional fruitcake has died a death, but some do like to stick with traditions – so we say, have both!

If you have a passion for cheese – it is the most delicious thing you can have at the end of your wedding meal, rather than something sweet. Plus most of your guests will have already had pudding – so save those cupcakes for when you get home and share the cheese.

Wedding Guests…

I don’t think there are many people who could boast such interesting names at their wedding. Fancy having the joy of presenting to your
guests the prestigious Montgomery, Leicester of Sparkenhoe, Colston Basset and that old sage Derby with a bit of Godminstering from the Cropwell Bishop and that famous reprobate the Stinking Bishop. And indeed, these VIPs in no way over-shadow that particularly wild
garlic Yarg, the Lincolnshire Poacher or the little Dambuster in his black coat.

Also, one must never forget to introduce the beautiful White Nancy and some of her ash-coated friends. We will always being giving Two
Hoots for those wonderful blues from Barkham and enjoy the ‘fairy dust on grass’ from Ireland.

These are a few of the wonderful names you could ‘drop’ when you choose to have a cheese wedding cake made from whole cheese. It’s fun and, I promise, you will not be disappointed, nor will your guests!

Cheesy Smile

According to a story in the Guardian…eating cheese can help your teeth

The article states that the best way to combat acid erosion in your teeth is to eat a piece of cheese after every meal!

So why is eating cheese after every meal good for your teeth? Cheese contains alkali, which neutralises the acid left by the food you’ve consumed. Sweet things are particularly acidic, so eating cheese after your meal will be effective.

Cheddar contains the highest levels of alkali – so undoubtedly it is the best cheese for the job; sadly soft cheeses like Somerset Brie won’t have much of an effect. It doesn’t need to be a big chunk – just eating a small piece after your meal is a good way to protect your teeth quickly and easily, without having to leave the dinner table!

So if you want to hold that whiter than white smile on your wedding day….what better way to do this than by having a wedding cake made of cheese.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

What a year we have had from wedding cakes and silver anniversary cakes to birthday cakes at Radio 1. We have been very busy and we’d like to top the year off by mentioning just a few of our favourite cheeses.

Cornish Yarg – A scrumptious semi-hard cheese from Cornwall, wrapped in nettle leaves making it one of the most stunning cheeses to look at, as well as having a deliciously creamy taste. The nettle leaves create a natural and entirely edible rind.

Lincolnshire Poacher -Since we have been putting together cakes made of cheese, we have come to love the Lincolnshire Poacher – it is a superb cheddar – handmade, using unpasteurised milk from a herd of 170 Holstein cows.  Cheese makers’ quote: “Quite a lot upfront with a rich full flavour”.

Tornegus (Surrey) – Is a soft-rind cheese made with full-fat unpasteurised cow’s milk. The rind is washed in local Kentish wine, lemon verbena and mint. The flavour is simply divine – it is strong and fruity, softens and lengthens in the mouth.

Fowlers Warwickshire Real Ale and Mustard – To be completely honest we have never been huge fans of ‘mixed’ cheese, but this one is delicious, it is also very popular amongst the men – I wonder why?

Cornish Blue – Made in Liskeard by Philip and Carol Stansfield. It is a soft, mellow and sweet blue cheese – which will melt in your mouth! It is quite often a cheese we recommend for wedding cakes as they do a fabulous little truckle.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appleby’s – Cheshire cheese

Until recently we have never been fans of smoked cheese…

We were asked to put together a cheese wedding cake with a smoked cheese as a middle tier, so we started to research smoked cheeses and we discover Appleby’s.

Quite simply it is a delicious cheese – it is smoked traditionally in their smokehouse with oak wood chips for 3 to 7 days, dependent on weather conditions. The smoked flavour is very delicate and light on the tongue. If you are after a smoked cheese we couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

The family also make Appleby’s Cheshire and Double Gloucester. Their cheese making has changed little since they started in 1952; it is made by hand using unpasteurised milk from their own cows. The cheese is clean and zesty with a rich after taste and won gold at The Great Taste Awards 2010

Cashel Blue

A semi-soft handmade blue cows’ milk cheese – Ireland’s first farmhouse blue – created by a husband and wife team, Jane and Louis Grubb in 1984 using the milk from their own pedigree Friesian dairy herd. This softer texture cheese with a mature flavour  has won many awards from Gold at the World and British Cheese Awards to Silver at the Royal Bath and West.

Cashel Blue comes  wrapped in a gold foil, where its sister, Crozier Blue developed in 1993, is in  silver foil. Crozier is a handmade sheep’s cheese and renowned for its very special taste – a smooth buttery texture with a mild almost sweet flavour popular among the judges – winning gold medals at both the British and World Cheese Awards in 2003.

Birthday Cheese Cake…To B or Not To Beccy

So last week we were commissioned to put together Beccy’s birthday cake (assistant producer on the Scott Mills Show); sadly she was sick, so Scott took control, but couldn’t raise a smile on such a sad occasion!

Beccy's Birthday cake

The 5-tier cake, which apparently is Beccy’s most favourite thing in the world, consisted of a Somerset Brie, followed by an English Stilton, Lincolnshire Poacher and a Celtic Promise - ’cider-washed cheese’ and finished with a baby goat’s cheese topper!

Happy Birthday Beccy - Radio 1 Scott Mills' Show

Not a cheesecake, but a cheese cake made of whole cheeses, really is the perfect offbeat birthday cake or wedding cake you can have – the ideal alternative!