Garden weddings, tips

A garden wedding – if Leila had her way

An alternative to getting married in a church could be to hold the wedding in your own garden. In today’s society, DIY (short for Do It Yourself) is more popular than ever, and for those of you who also want to save a bit of money, a garden wedding could be the perfect alternative to a civil ceremony.

In the cult TV series ‘Sex and the City’, the whirlwind Miranda married her Steve in a garden, thereby paving the way for a whole host of brides who dream of greenery and their grandmothers’ china rather than plain white catering crockery. Planning a garden wedding at home doesn’t have to be as complicated as organising a ‘traditional’ wedding; all you really need to do is book a wedding officiant and sort out the rest yourself.

Another advantage is that friends and family can help get everything ready for the wedding, and you don’t have to transport things back and forth. What’s more, a garden wedding makes things easier for parents of young children. Leila Lindholm, whom we recognise as a chef on programmes such as ‘Leilas Mat’ on TV4 Plus and whose books on delicious baked goods fill the bookshops, answers Bröllopsguiden’s questions on how to plan your own garden wedding.

What sort of food can you serve at a garden wedding?

— If you want a garden wedding, you can have a buffet featuring seasonal produce. But I think it’s fun to base parties on themes. If you’re at a farm, you could set the tables so that guests sit on hay bales with cushions and have a BBQ theme for the food. Go for an all-American style. It’s more fun to move away from the very traditional approach. Rule number one when organising a party or wedding is to set a theme and stick to it throughout – everything from the table settings to the music should be in the same spirit. It’s great when weddings take you by surprise, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I’d avoid anything too stuffy.

What should you bear in mind when buying the food?

— If you’re having a summer wedding, you could focus on buying plenty of new potatoes, salmon and ingredients for hearty salads. A buffet shouldn’t feel skimpy but generous, with large fruit platters and cheeses. Work with different levels to make the buffet look even more impressive. Mix standard platters with pedestalled platters. Place three- or four-tiered cake stands on the buffet to make it look inviting and substantial. People might think, ‘Oh dear, potato salad at my wedding?’, but if you’re just looking to keep costs down, it’s a good option. Though keeping costs down isn’t really the most important thing, as you only get married once.

Do you have any good decorating tips?

— Label the champagne glasses with name tags, and go for a really fun and personalised seating plan. As an adult, you’ll want to be seated near at least one person you get on with.

Do you have any tips for good vegetarian options?

— It goes without saying that there should be vegetarian options, but people will sort that out for themselves. I like simple food. Grilled asparagus with grated Parmesan on top makes a lovely starter; the vegetarian food should be on a par with the meat dishes.

How would you like to get married yourself?

— On the day I get married, I’d much rather have a garden wedding than a stuffy manor house wedding with waiting staff. I want a relaxed wedding, but I’ve never been the type to dream about my wedding.

Do you have any budget tips of your own to share?

— If there’s one thing I spend money on, it’s food, so I’m not very good at budgeting. Have a really lovely cake instead of both a wedding cake and a dessert, as that’s just cake on top of cake. I’ve heard of friends of friends who’ve spent a fortune on their wedding. A wedding isn’t an occasion to impress anyone else – it’s your own day; people make it far too complicated. You should invite the people you actually spend time with, not a bunch of superficial acquaintances who can’t relate to the speeches being given. They just bring the mood down.

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