Your Kent Wedding news and ideas from around the county

The 'anti-wedding' wedding trends making their mark in 2023

'Anti-wedding' is the hottest new wedding trend this summer, from ditching tradition with bridal pant suits, short wedding dresses and mismatched bridesmaid dresses - get ready to see these trends everywhere this wedding season. Wedding supply experts at Aura Print have scoped out TikTok to serve up the top 10 anti-wedding wedding trends to look out for this summer. More people are ditching traditional for unconventional, allowing for their special day to be even more unique to the couple.

Explore Bromley Court at its August wedding showcase

Bromley Court is steeped in history and allows guests to enjoy the warm atmosphere of a wonderful and intimate country house. Years of hospitality experience have gone into fine-tuning is rooms and events spaces, while the glorious gardens are full of both beauty and heritage. The 200-year-old Italianate Gardens are a particular highlight with urns and terracing still visible today, with and array of colour blooms on display all year round. The Hotel can host ceremonies and receptions across several charming rooms and suites, from the intimate Leona's Room for 20 nearest and dearest, to the grandest Garden Suite with space for up to 250 guests.

How to throw a Barbie-themed hen party this summer

With the launch of the new Barbie movie, searches for "barbie party" on Pinterest have seen a 121% increase in the last six months as people look for inspiration on how to throw their own, pink-themed parties. As the wedding season is in full swing, thortful.com has teamed up with Pippa Masson, party planning expert at Hen Party Company Fizzbox, to compile top tips on how to throw a Barbie-themed hen party this summer. From Barbie themed cocktails to choosing the perfect venue, this is how to have the ultimate bachelorette Barbie herself would even love.

Fun and luxe wedding gifts

Attending a wedding this summer? Looking for the ultimate addition to your wedding day gift list? Look no further, Who Icons, seamlessly combines refined luxury with a touch of casual elegance, creating the ultimate personalised wedding gift. Who Icons understands that love stories are unique, and so should be the gifts that commemorate them. Its exquisite collection of handcrafted treasures is meticulously designed to captivate the hearts of discerning couples. From The Royals to the Beckhams, Anna Wintour to Karl Largerfield, the debut collection featuring the world's most influential fashion icons - and here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we're finding it hard to pick our favourite, we'll just have to collect them all.

Take a break from the wed-min - 30 things which bring happiness

Although joyous occasions, planning a wedding can be stressful with money worries and family politics all thrown into the mix. If you feel like this is your situation right now, grab yourself a brew and a biscuit and read this heartfelt study by Samsung: a definitive list of 30 things which bring us pure moments of happiness! An optimistic 94 percent of those surveyed, agree that joy is all around us, we just have to choose to see it.

Emily&Me, ten years and still going strong

Happy birthday to Lympne-based wedding florist Emily&Me, which is currently celebrating a decade in business! "It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since I founded Emily&Me from my kitchen table," says business owner Sam Reynolds. It's an inspiring story, as over the years Sam has won countless titles and awards including three Kent Wedding Awards and two UK titles. Outstanding customer service, exceptional flower quality and a gift for interpreting a couple's vision have kept this local lovely at the top. So we send our congratulations to Sam and her team as we look forward to seeing more beautiful designs in 2023! Find out more at www.emilyandme.co.uk

How to choose the perfect wedding ring

Often overlooked, there's a big difference between platinum, gold and white gold rings, even though they look very similar. Despite gold rings being the traditional choice platinum wedding bands have over 6.1k searches and platinum wedding rings 3.3k in the UK each month. Whilst gold wedding bands have only 1k searches and gold wedding rings 5.4k, this suggests that in 2023 the most popular choice may be a platinum band. But with more 15k searches for 'Wedding Bands' in the UK every month - the decision may not be as simple as what's on trend. Here, jewellery expert Sach Kukadia at 7879 recommends how to choose the perfect wedding ring a purchase far more more important than your regular jewellery! Find out the difference between platinum vs golds, delving into everything, including their pros and cons, through to how well they'll fare in the long run...

Theatre and wine at Gusbourne

Gusbourne is delighted to welcome Revels in Hand to the estate for a special performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of the most loved of all Shakespeare's plays.The performance will take place amongst the vines and will be followed by a two-course lunch or dinner. Your experience will start with a sparkling wine reception. You'll then stroll into the vineyards where, amongst the vines, you'll stumble across scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. As the theatre plays out around you, you'll be served a different glass of Gusbourne's sparkling wine at each location. After the performance, you'll return to The Nest to enjoy a two-course lunch or dinner prepared by head chef Anthony Coppard. Wines will be available to purchase with your meal and your knowledgeable Nest hosts will be on hand to make wine-pairing suggestions.

How to nail your bridesmaid gifts

Finding that perfect thank you gift for your bridesmaids can be a mind boggling task. How can you truly thank them for supporting you on your big day? New research* from gifting experts at Getting Personal shows that apart from our parents, friends are the hardest people to shop for with one in seven (15%) admitting they struggle. To help brides give envy-inducing thank you gifts gifting expert at Getting Personal, Tara Butler, shares eight tips for figuring out what they really want... without having to ask.

The perfect wedding gift that couples will love

Wedding season is upon us and picking out the perfect wedding gift that is personal, but also has character and a luxe feel to celebrate the couple's big day can be a daunting task. However look no further, whether it's to say thanks to your bridesmaids, or to celebrate the happy couple, Yvonne Ellen, a home and interiors designer who specialises in hand-painted home gifts, has picked out some of her top gift ideas to suit all types of couples including gifts for loved ones and the bridal party.

10 things wedding guests really care

Whether it's an open bar, live band or fireworks, choosing the best elements to add to your wedding day could really make or break your big day, new research reveals. Wedding experts Queensmith analysed thousands of comments from Reddit to reveal the things that really matter to guests when attending a wedding. Unsurprisingly, an open bar is a consistent success with guests at a wedding, however, it seems seating charts and a late-night snack are just as important.

Your wedding playlist, according to DJ experts

Now that we have entered peak wedding season, (May-October), DJing experts from CD Pool have provided the ultimate wedding playlists for your reception that is guaranteed to keep the dance floor hopping with happy guests. CD Pool analysed Spotify API data, exploring 2117 playlists with the keyword "wedding" to compile four playlists that reflect the atmosphere at different stages of the wedding reception. The suggested No. 1 song to include in your wedding playlist is I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, a guaranteed floorfiller that appeared in over 320 playlists on Spotify, making it the most popular wedding-related track.

Top wedding travel tips for big-day guests

Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk provides her top tips on how to manage journey costs, when travelling to attend a wedding. "Wedding ceremonies are well known for placing financial strain upon guests, ranging from the cost associated with your gift, to a new outfit, and even – your transport. Whether the ceremony is being held in the UK, or further afield, consumers will likely have to travel to attend a loved one's big day. I've pulled together my top tips to help you cut costs and ensure you can enjoy your family and friend's nuptials without worrying about your finances.

Avoid the most common speech mistakes with Uniquely You Ceremonies

Speaking in public is an experience a lot of us dread. Let alone when it's to a room full of intoxicated strangers with high expectations that are ready and willing to heckle at any moment. Yes, we're talking about the dreaded wedding speech! Despite the fact that celebrant Lucy Prout-Laing from Uniquely You Ceremonies used to earn her living as an actor, she hated public speaking. Ironicallym she now coaches people on understanding the challenges and common mistakes of making a speech. From the first draft through to the final delivery. Giving a wedding speech is likely to be the most emotionally invested you will ever be when speaking in public. The stakes are pretty high and the pressure is on. To get you started Lucy has outlined a few of the biggest mistakes made when writing and delivering a speech. "Feel free to subtly, or blatantly, pass it on to the best man, maid of honour, father of the bride, or groom," she says. Read on as Lucy tells us more.

Save Your Spending as a Wedding Guest!

Weddings are one of the most joyous occasions to attend, however the cost of simply being a guest can add up quickly. Here are NetVoucherCodes' top tips to save money when attending a wedding.

Pinterest’s wedding trends we love this summer

Wedding supply experts at Aura Print have served up the top 10 summer wedding trends we need to know about, as loved by Pinterest. From disco balls, to Barbie-core, upcycling to anti-bridal - get ready to see these wedding trends everywhere! You can never have too much sparkle at your wedding, and we love the playful, retro feel to it. The trend started to pick up steam in 2020, when glitter balls and 80s playlists became a great DIY option to add some retro-meets-modern fabulousness to the big day. The trend is going nowhere this summer, with over 32k Pinterest pins and a 7400% global increase in searches since January. So get your groove on and be ready to dance the night away!

Wedding photographers can be sustainable too, says Kent-based photographer Emily Brown

Of all the suppliers who can build an sustainable ethos into their business and your wedding, you make not think a wedding photographer can do much to help. On the contrary, local photographer Emily Brown tells us. Member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, she's ready to tell us more. Emily Brown from Emily Brown Photography (www.emilybrown.photography) says: My brand and its ethos are based on my personal passions for sustainability and an overall respect or the natural world. You may not think there's too much a wedding photographer can do to help you achieve a sustainable wedding, but there's actually quite a bit. In 2022, I was accepted as a member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. Here are some of the ways in which I strive to work in an eco-friendly way. It's about making small changes that mount up to make a big difference.

Here’s how to include your dog in your big day

Wedding days are often filled with celebrations with the ones you love the most, so it's understandable that for many people it simply wouldn't feel right to celebrate their special day without their faithful furry companion. "From a 'dog of honour' to a ring bearer, the possibilities of including your pet at your wedding are endless," explains PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing. "While bringing your dog along to your wedding can be rewarding, it can also add some complexity so there's lots to think about to make it work." Nina has pulled together her top tips and some things to consider before saying yes to involving your pet on your big day!

7 wedding moments to capture in photos

Wedding photographers will have their own photos they will capture on the day with important ones including the first kiss, first dance and the bride walking down the aisle. However, couples should also have an idea of the kinds of photos they'd like to have and suggest these to their photographer if they haven't discussed them already. Matt Dahan from ParrotPrint.com says, "Your wedding happens once and you want to capture as much as you can so you have some really lovely memories to look back on. As a couple it's always a good idea to sit down with your wedding photographer and talk about how you want your pictures to look and the kinds of images you want captured.

Keep your wedding scheme alive at home

It's no surprise couples often suffer from the wedding blues after their nuptials, but with peak wedding season around the corner, to help those wondering how they can relive their special day, Stephanie King, Colour Expert & Creative Lead at Dulux, is sharing her savvy tips to help. Stephanie says, "Not only will utilising elements from your wedding help you save money when re-decorating, but recreating your wedding theme at home can help couples create a more meaningful space that brings personality and happy memories into the home. Weddings are full of sentimental value, so creating a space which reflects a shared experience and sense of nostalgia will act as a constant reminder of your beautiful moment and love for each other every day."