Your Kent Wedding news and ideas from around the county

Whet your appetite at County Wedding Events' Signature Wedding Show

With catering and drinks exhibitors at County Wedding Events' Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World, on April 16th 2023, couples can enjoy tasty samples and hopefully find their big-day supplier. Combining artisan hog roasts with bespoke wedding menus, Spitting Pig provide unique catering options for your big day. From elegant hog roast buffets to handcrafted canapes and gourmet three-course meals, our tailormade wedding menus give you the style of food you want and the standard of service you deserve. Thanks to our vibrant, freshly made food and flawless finishing touches, you and your guests will be treated to unrivalled hog roast catering and a memorable dining experience.

New personalisation company exhibiting at Mercedes-Benz World

Whether you are newly engaged, arranging a hen party or getting ready to walk down the aisle, recently launched brand Mrs D has a statement piece for you - whatever the occasion! From sweatshirts and t-shirts for the bridal party, to beach bags and shorts for the newlyweds to take on honeymoon, each item can be personalised to suit your style and personality! Owner and designer Cheryl says, "When I was planning my own wedding, I really struggled to find unique, good quality, non-mass-produced statement pieces for myself and my lovelies, so I started creating my own.

Navette Jewellery has announced a new bridal collection

Natalie Towell, owner of Navette Jewellery in Ashford has been hard at work on a new bridal collection – Nelina. Inspired by vintage lace, the range of pieces depicts delicacy and romance infused with soft feminine charm. Discreetly complementing the bride, pearls drop down from the signature motif stationed along sections of a delicate chain, which is available to order in all colours of 9ct or 18ct gold. From mid-February 2023 the collection will be expanded to include a selection of matching earrings so do keep an eye out for those.

There's still more though, so time for the gents to look in. Natalie is also ready to launch a ring for grooms who wish for something more dynamic and edgy. This wedding ring is a fusion of the historical signet ring, which in the 14th century was worn as a betrothal band, with a modern wedding band to create a uniquely masculine and on-trend ring. Also available to order in all colours of 9ct or 18ct gold, as well as platinum, to suit your style, you have the option to have the groove darkened too.

21st birthday celebrations for Surrey bridal boutique

Walton-on-Thames-based bridal boutique Love Me Do Brides is approaching its 21st birthday! The super-friendly boutique has dedicated 21 years to its beloved bridal industry and boasts approx 300 designer wedding gowns in sizes 8-32. Not only can you pop along to the County Wedding Events' Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World on Sunday 16th April 2023, to view a snippet of the collection, but the boutique is also hosting a Spring sale currently.

Find your dream wedding dress and receive £100 off!

When visiting the Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World this April, brides-to-be looking for their dream wedding dress can take advantage of this fab offer. Pop along to the Brides Visited stand at collect your £100 voucher when you book an appointment to view the boutique's fabulous collection at its studios in Ashtead, Surrey. The collection boasts an array of top designers such as Enzoani, Sophia Tolli and Romantica of Devon.

Venue inspiration at Mercedes-Benz World

Historic Brooklands Museum, a wedding venue unlike any other. Whether you are looking for a small intimate wedding or an extravagant celebration Brooklands Museum caters for it all, including licensed ceremonies on Concorde. Pop along to our stand at County Wedding Events' Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World on Sunday 16th April where our friendly team can talk you through all the amazing experiences you can have for your special day. First opening in 1907, Brooklands has been through two World Wars, the Jet Age and beyond. It's a place of great endeavour and ground-breaking achievements, spawning many great pioneers, drivers, aviators and engineers. Couples can take advantage of the many photo opportunities, such as under the wings of the Concorde, with the wedding car on the oldest remaining British motor racing track or next to remarkable motor racing vehicles.

Are you looking for the best photographer since sliced bread?

Meet Cemanthe, of Kent-based Lemon Feather Photography at our Signature Wedding Show by County Wedding Events at Mercedes-Benz World on 16th April 2023. "Welcome to the most fun you can have in one day!' says Cemanthe. 'I'm an award-winning documentary style wedding photographer, travelling across the UK to capture the big day that is your wedding. My aim is give you photos that remind you of the magic and love you felt on the day for many years to come, plus all the moments in between. I help you feel at ease on the other side of my lens, I will make you laugh and make you drink water. I'll be your right hand woman with spare hairpins, snacks and plasters in my bag.

Involving your family pet on the big day? Check out this personalised offering

Involving your four-legged friend on your wedding day? Are they taking a staring role walking down the aisle? If so, then you have to take a look at these smart and stylish personalised leather dog ring bearer pouches (£24) from Create Gift Love. Create Gift Love design and make personalised keepsake gifts and accessories to celebrate all of life's special moments, all handmade to order in its UK workshop from sustainable natural materials.

This collabroation between Kent and Sussex suppliers showcases the gorgeous Tonbridge School

Located close to the Kent/Sussex border Charlotte and Callum from C&C Imagery decided to put together a shoot featuring the work of fabulous local suppliers from both counties. Showcasing the stunning Tonbridge School and its glorious grounds, the team set about creating two shoots together; one with a warm winter boho feel, capturing the last of the snow, and the other Hollywood glam inspired.

The most popular 2023 trends according to Pinterest

To provide insight on the most popular wedding trends for spring 2023, the experts at Aura Print compiled a list of 25 popular trends after scouring Pinterest to discover the number of Pins for each. And here are the top 15 most popular spring 2023 wedding trends to be insipired by...First place for the most popular wedding trend for spring 2023 goes to the floral-themed trend. This trend had 22,148 Pins on the image sharing platform. It can include things like floral arches, flower-themed cakes or flower crowns. With a total of 11,765 Pins, the blue-themed wedding trend places second in the study. The trend also appeared on 116 Pinterest boards from 2022 onwards, cementing its popularity for the upcoming season. What is more, there's been a great interest in navy blue wedding invites, which had a whopping 16,725 Pins.

Wedding entertainment fair to be held at Evegate Artisan Business Park on 20th-21st May

Samantha Beeny at The Pretty Prep Studio in Ashford is in the process of organising a first-of-its-kind wedding entertainment-led fair, to be held at Evegate Artisan Business Park on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May, 2023, 10am to 2pm. There will be live acts, showcasing their talents, throughout the weekend including musicians and magicians sure to wow visitors. You can enjoy a drink from the micro-pub, while being thoroughly entertained as you select your all-important wedding entertainment. What's more, there'll be more than 30 other wedding suppliers, covering all specialisms on hand too, so why not cross a few more things off of your to-do list while you visit?

Bromley Court is a romantic hotel steeped in history

Bromley Court is a hotel steeped in history and has the atmosphere of a wonderful and intimate country house. Years of hospitality experience have gone into fine-tuning its rooms and event spaces to guarantee you a great stay and the team like to keep things simple by making sure everything you could ever need is included as standard.

The grounds are bursting with both beauty and 200 years of history. The Italianate gardens are a particular highlight with urns and terracing, plus a myriad of colourful flowers blooming all year round.

Fancy a big-day cocktail bar? Check out Whitebox Cocktails

Whitebox Cocktails, the ready-to-serve cocktail specialists, have everything you need to create the ultimate in wedding cocktail offering. From classic cocktails like the Pocket Negroni and Squeezy's Margarita, to unique and refreshing long drinks like Hippy Fizz and Disco Baby, take the hassle out of the perfect pour on your big day with a wide range of ready-to-serve cocktails to suit every taste. Expertly mixed by the award-winning team of bartenders, Whitebox Cocktails' convenient single-serve cans mean there's no need to limit your cocktail menu, as there's no mixing, no mess and no long wait at the bar. For casual weddings, cocktails can be served in ice buckets for guests to help themselves and enjoy straight from the can. Alternately, for a more elevated occasion, simply chill and serve the cocktail in a glass with ice and a garnish of choice.

The best UK cities for a hen do

With Google search volume data revealing a 402% search increase for 'hen party ideas' since December and 2023 wedding season in touching distance, organising a pre-wedding celebration is already on the bridal party to-do list. Getting all of your nearest and dearest pals together for a hen party can be challenging - whether it's catering to availability, budget, activity preferences or dietary requirements. Hen party decoration supplier, Ginger Ray, has done a little digging to find the top 19 UK cities to host your pre-wedding celebrations.

New book launch: The modern couple's guide to wedding speeches

The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches is for grooms and brides who want their wedding speeches to be memorable for the right reasons and to kick off their marriage with a bang. This book is intended to benefit you whether you are straight or gay, whatever your religious beliefs are, or where you live. Heidi encourages us to reconsider old traditions, and tear up the outdated rulebook to create a modern wedding guide. Because speeches are such an important part of the day, she encourages couples to think about who they want to give speeches and what they want from the speeches.

The Rochester Corn Exchange won acclaim at the regional finals of the Wedding Industry Awards

Wedding bells rang for The Rochester Corn Exchange after the historical 18th-century venue won acclaim at the South East Regional Finals of the Wedding Industry Awards. It was the first time the building had entered the prestigious UK-wide awards, voted on by a panel of judges and recommendations from couples who had previously booked the venue. The team attended the gala awards evening at The Ravenswood, West Sussex, proudly coming away with a highly commended in the historical venues category.

As you exchange your vows in The Corn Exchange you'll be standing in a place with centuries of tradition, making it the perfect romantic backdrop for a wedding ceremony, function or evening celebrations.

County Wedding Magazines' competition winner!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ, we love nothing more than to hear from the winners of our competitions. In the crazy world of wedding planning, it's exciting for us to be able to offer our lovely readers some exciting giveaways and competitions which will hopefully give you a much-needed pick-me-up during on the countdown to your wedding day.

In the Autumn of 2022, CWM ran a competition, 'Win a two-night stay in the heart of The Lakes!' and the winners were nearlyweds Steph and Michael! The lucky pair enjoyed a stay, with dinner, bed and breakfast at The Wild Boar Inn a traditional Lakeland inn with oak beams, log fires, an in-house microbrewery and smokehouse all in the rolling countryside of the Gilpin Valley.

10 Most Instagrammed UK Wedding Venues

With over 278,000 UK weddings expected to take place in 2023, there's no doubt that couples across the country are already scrolling through Instagram in search of inspiration! With this in mind, Aura Print has discovered the most Insta-worthy and beautiful wedding venues of the UK. Analysing over 200 venues around the UK, they searched Instagram to discover which venue was being talked about most, narrowing it down to the 10 most desirable wedding venue locations in the UK.

How to save money on your next wedding gift

Receiving an invitation to a wedding is always an exciting time. However, deciding what gift to buy the couple, and especially how much to spend, can be daunting - now more so than ever due to the increased cost of living. Data from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals guests will spend an average of £113.39 for each gift they buy when attending a wedding which, for many of us, is a hefty amount. Anita Naik, Savings Expert at the UK's most trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, has some great tips on how to save money on your upcoming wedding gifts without skimping on the sentiment:

New to the wedding scene is Kent-based brand April & Bloom

New to the wedding scene is Kent-based brand April & Bloom, with a vision to redefine wedding gifting by providing a range of elegant presents for the bride-to-be, bridal party proposal and for the morning of.

The luxe gifting brand promises on-trend products and Insta-worthy moments, through its carefully-curated range of signature floral gift boxes, wedding planner and notebooks, bespoke gift box service and wedding favours.

April & Bloom's signature keepsake boxes are filled with stylish products from a range of desirable brands including Whispering Angel, Pale Fox, Charbonnel et Walker, Chalke Valley and more. All come adorned with preserved posies, and all wrapped up in luxurious ribbons and bows for that precious wow moment. There are 13 options available on the website in blush, cream and neutral colours.