Your Kent Wedding news and ideas from around the county

How to throw an insta-worthy engagement party

You never have to scroll too far to stumble upon a celebrity engagement party on instagram and if you've recently got engaged yourself, you're probably thinking - should I throw one too? The short answer is yes, absolutely. While planning the wedding is always top priority, there's no reason why you shouldn't have a party to get all your loved ones together and celebrate the big news straight away - particularly when most weddings take place a good 12 to 18 months post-proposal. However, hosting an engagement party of your dreams can still be quite a daunting task. To help, wedding jewellery experts, Queensmith have pulled together 11 tips for taking your celebratory soirée to the next level.

Hythe Imperial Hotel sits on the beautiful Kent seafront

This classically-styled, four-star Hotel sits right on the beautiful Kent seafront in Hythe, a position that boasts uninterrupted panoramic views across the English Channel. The perfectly-manicured garden to the front houses the impressive gazebo, and given the area's microclimate, this is the perfect place for an exquisite outdoor ceremony.

The Hythe Imperial's rooms and suites range from spacious and decadent, to intimate and cosy; sea view or garden view; cottage style suites and family rooms. The Belcourt Suite, the choice of many wedding couples, is at the top of the hotel and offers spectacular sea views.

Spotify data reveals the most popular wedding songs

Luxury engagement ring retailer, Diamonds Factory, has scraped Spotify to find the top 100 most popular wedding songs to include in your playlists. To do this, Diamonds Factory analysed over 100 Spotify playlists containing the word 'wedding' and found the most featured songs across all playlists. These playlists included 3500 unique songs, and the data scrape also used additional keywords to reveal the top wedding ceremony songs, wedding party songs and top wedding artists, too.

New planner reveals when you can afford to tie the knot

With wedding costs rising by 3,000% since the 1950s, and set to reach an all-time high in the 2020s, making and sticking to a wedding budget can be a real headache for couples. To help would-be newlyweds with the complex task of budget planning their big day, the wedding finance team at money.co.uk have created a new wedding budget planner, to help couples account for all their costs for each stage of their dream wedding. The new planning tool also helps you calculate the earliest date you should set for your big day, based on how long it will take you to save up enough money to pay for your dream wedding. The wedding budget planner page also has lot of tips to help couples save cash, including:

Win a ‘One Night Luxury Four Poster Hotel Break for Two’ in Colchester

County Weddings Magazine has teamed up with The Rose and Crown Hotel to give our readers the chance to win a 'One Night Luxury Four Poster Hotel Break for Two' in their 700 year old hotel. The lucky winner will receive a voucher which can be redeemed any time in the next 18 months. Also included is a bottle of champagne waiting in your room on arrival, breakfast in the morning, early check-in and late checkout, and a delicious three course dinner in their onsite restaurant.

Beautiful in Curves is a new boutique for curvy brides

New to Kent is Beautiful in Curves, the county's dedicated boutique for curvy brides. Owner Zoe Dowle tells us, "With many years of experience in the bridal industry, you can be assured that we've done our homework in order to offer you the greatest choice of fashionable and affordable gowns in sizes 16 to 34, all available to try on in the boutique." From the ever-popular A-line or princess silhouettes and on- trend boho styles, to super-elegant Bardot necklines, lace, satin or sleeves – you name it Beautiful in Curves has it!

The new boutique stocks gowns by a wide variety of incredible bridal designers including White Rose, Millie May, Victoria Kay, Lou Lou and British Bridal. These exciting collections have all been selected by Zoe specifically for the care and attention they put into their dresses, particularly in terms of internal support, which means you have all the comfort you could wish for without the need to worry about a bra. Beautiful in Curves offers a full alteration service too, ensuring you get the perfect fit.

The most popular wedding foliage 2022 revealed

Wow, 2022 was quite the year for weddings with a bumper amount taking place. Looking back at what was trending last year, perhaps inspiration for those tying the knot in 2023, wedding insurance specialists Protectivity have researched the most popular wedding flowers, based on UK Google Search Volume. The most popular wedding bouquet foliage was Eucalyptus, with 585,000 searches! Followed by, Ivy 495,000, Jasmine 458,200, Rosemary 374,600, Ferns 351,200, Monstera 319,500, Silver Birch 219,600, Philodendrons 219,400, Olive branches 143,000 and Myrtle 133,300.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is set in 600 acres of private parkland

A magical setting steeped in history, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is set in 600 acres of magnificent private parkland and home to 900 wild endangered animals.

The venue offers a variety of wonderful indoor and outdoor locations for your wedding ceremony. The Pergola is set among 14 acres of perfectly manicured gardens and can host up to 100 guests. The Spencer Roberts Room is hand painted and showcases a mural of animals, some of which live on the reserve. It can seat up to 50 for the "I dos" or 30 for the wedding breakfast. The Long Room offers incredible views over the Southern Terrace and reserve. It can accommodate100 for the ceremony or 50 for the wedding breakfast.

Honeymooning in your married name

If you are dreaming of jetting off to sandy shores with your sparkling new ring, spouse and matching passports...then this guide from NameSwitch will tell you how to make your dreams come true. Please do have a proper think about whether having matching passports straight away is really that important to you because, trust us when we say, it's not an easy thing to pull off! With recent changes to how processes work, effects of the Pandemic, and added complications like not being handed your marriage certificate on your wedding day, or needing the name on your NHS records to be the same as the one on your passport, an already stressful undertaking just got even more nail-biting! Now it's not mission impossible, but you do need 3 key things to be aligned (and nerves of steel) if this is going to work...

Updown is a newly opened restaurant with rooms set in a former farm

Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown are now welcoming guests to dine at Updown, their newly opened restaurant with rooms set in a former farm near Deal. Over the last few years, the couple have been carefully restoring the farmhouse and grounds to house seven rooms including two cottages. Set among seven-and-a-half acres of rolling Kent countryside, the 17th-century Grade II listed farmhouse, hidden in its own magical woodland and mature wildflower gardens has been conscientiously restored to celebrate its working history and rural setting.

In the main house, you can stay in one of four beautifully appointed rooms, all overlooking the grounds. Each one has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the character of the location. Alongside these, Ruth and Oli have transformed the farm's outbuildings including its stables to house three new guest rooms.

Dreamland Margate is a British seaside entertainment and amusement park

Dreamland Margate is a unique British seaside entertainment and amusement park, set by the sea in the UK's unofficial capital of cool, offering a one-of-a-kind wedding venue.

The elegant Grade II listed ballroom is licensed for ceremonies for 250 seated guests. The space comes with a bar and has two smaller adjacent rooms, which can be hired at an additional cost. This is useful for extending the bar, or as dressing rooms for entertainers.

For receptions, Dreamland's sunny outdoor VIP huts can be hired along with the surrounding area overlooking the park and Scenic Stage Arena. This space has a bar and capability to add a food offering. It can host 120 guests, but can be extended to 200 if the viewing platform is included.

The rise of double-barrelled surnames

n the past couple of years, there's been a continued increase in the number of people wishing to join their names. For example, in November, research by The London Mint Office to mark The Queen's platinum wedding anniversary shows that 11% of married couples between the ages of 18 and 30 joined their names. As the UK's leading Name Changing Service, NameSwitch has also seen an 18% year-on-year growth in couples wishing to adopt a double-barrelled surname, which accounts for 12% of the thousands of name changes we've assisted over the last 12 months. So, why are more of us opting to double-barrel their surnames?

Your wedding, your way

With the Pandemic derailing wedding plans since 2020, the next few years look set to be a busy time for couples celebrating their union. But couples themselves are evolving – from individuals who feel shoehorned into traditions or cultural expectations they don't feel comfortable with, to those who feel more confident creating their own idea of how a wedding should be, encompassing a far wider range of preferences, traditions, and cultures. When NameSwitch was invited to speak on diversity at a recent industry event, Bridelux Symposium, the overwhelming consensus of wedding professionals was that they, too, are seeing a change in how weddings are becoming more individually unique; created to celebrate the heritage (often blended) and preferences of each couple.

Kent’s Fitzgerald Jewellers has won Store Design of the Year

The winners of the UK Jewellery Awards 2022 were revealed recently at the Hilton London Metropole, and Kent's Fitzgerald Jewellers in Canterbury scooped up the win for Store Design of the Year. The store was praised by the expert judging panel for its imaginative design, which creates a space applauded for being completely unique.

Marking its 30th anniversary this year, the UK Jewellery Awards, organised by jewellery and watch industry title Retail Jeweller, is the country's longest-running and most prestigious trade awards event. With 21 targeted categories, the awards cover every aspect of the industry from jewellery design and ethical business practice to customer service and successful retailing.

GREAT! romance to Launch on Thursday 5th January 2023

Dreaming of cosying up with some love-ly film entertainment in the New Year? GREAT! romance, a new, free-to-air, TV channel dedicated to bringing feel-good, romance films to TV screens, all day, every day, is launching on Thursday 5th January 2023. If you have a soft spot for romantic movies and are looking to indulge in escapist entertainment this winter, then look no further! Romantics across the UK can fall head-over-heels with the only TV channel that promises back-to-back love stories all day every day - for free! - and the curated selection of movies is guaranteed to melt anyone's heart at the start of 2023.

Weddings At Brenley is a beautiful Georgian farmhouse

This beautiful Georgian farmhouse is surrounded by apple and pear orchards, hop gardens and vineyards. Indeed, you couldn't ask for a more serene venue. Outside on the lawn, just by the duck pond and barn with the picturesque farmhouse as its backdrop, you'll find a beautiful traditional gazebo, complete with Kent peg roof and timber posts. Here, you can seat 80 of your nearest and dearest on hay bales or chairs, which can be hired at an extra cost as they witness your vows. If the weather isn't favourable though, the beautiful converted Grain Store is an option and it too can seat 80.

The venue is blessed with a picture-perfect field just opposite the duck pond. Set in the glorious Kent countryside on this working arable farm, it can host up to 150 guests and comes complete with water and electricity. It really does offer the ideal blank canvas allowing you to design your day to suit your budget and vision.

Christmas winter wedding music

Getting married at Christmas doesn't mean that you have to plan a Christmas-themed wedding. Here, roaming band The Travelling Hands, suggest songs that would work well for a Christmas winter wedding and the songs to avoid! When it comes to music, the same rule applies. Just because you want to get married at Christmas it doesn't mean that your musical playlist has to be full of Wizzard & Cliff Richard if you don't want it to be there. When our acoustic roaming band The Travelling Hands perform at winter weddings we see a wide variety of decisions when it comes to Christmas songs. Some want to embrace the Christmas classics - adding these into their day. Others like a few placed in here and there, whilst some want to just stick to their favourite songs without any Christmas numbers added in at all.

We’ve partnered with Cake It or Leave It to bring you two fabulous offers

Bexley-based Cake It or Leave It offers stunning bespoke wedding cakes. Whether you've planned grand-scale celebrations or intimate nuptials surrounded by your nearest and dearest, owner Lyndsay Allen-Trott will work with you to create a big-day bake that perfectly complements your day, complete with real wow factor. All mouthwatering and delicious cakes are made using only the finest ingredients, including free-range eggs from Lyndsay's very own backyard hens and ducks.

We've partnered with local lovely Cake It or Leave It to bring you not one, but two fabulous offers! Firstly, benefit from a low deposit of £50 when you book (usually £100), then you'll also get a fabulous 10% off your wedding cake order.

Outdated wedding laws need to change

In an article earlier this year there was discussion and praise aimed towards the Government's plans to allow outdoor weddings to be made permanent. The article also highlighted the eagerly awaited Law Commission report into marriage laws, which was due to be published in July. Now it has been published and we have had some time for the dust to settle, Kate Van Rol, Barrister at 4PB has looked into these recommendations, "Are wedding laws at present 'confusing, outdated and restrictive' as the Commission suggest, or would the implementation of their suggestions trivialise weddings and commercialise the ceremony?". Kate continues...

The Yarrow is a beautiful Jacobean 280-bedroom hotel

The Yarrow is a beautiful Jacobean 280-bedroom hotel situated in the lovely seaside town of Broadstairs. Dating back to 1894 the Hotel is a stunning building combining rich history with modern luxury.

The venue offers an array of flexible wedding packages, which can be adapted to suit your requirements. All include the help of a dedicated wedding coordinator, and reduced rates on accommodation for your guests. What's more, the two of you are invited to stay in the Master Suite on your wedding night.