All the latest wedding news for couples getting married in Kent, along with bridal fashion and beauty inspiration and honeymoon ideas.
A busy bridal boutique doesn't have much chance to give itself a makeover, but lockdown provided a rare opportunity for the lovely team at Dress Dreams to create a whole new brand identity, completely refurbishing the fabulous boutique in Sevenoaks, as well as undergoing a website refresh. "We've been busier than ever and are ready to welcome brides through our doors, wowing them with our breathtaking new interior," says owner Kate. To find out more, head over to www.dressdreams.co.uk
Posted: 29 July 2021
Not only has Maidstone-based JP Photographic extended its £200 Covid discount until the end of 2021, but it's now added an extra bonus. The team are kindly offering to prepare a movie that can be played during your reception depicting the two of you from birth to engagement. This largely depends on the material you're able to supply, so why not make the most of this fab opportunity? Material can include photographs, both digital and printed, movie clips and anecdotes.
Posted: 27 July 2021
Bromley Court Hotel has just launched a whole host of new wedding packages available for 2022-23. Costs range from £99 per person for the To Have and To Hold package to £137 per person for the Forever and Always package. We think the From This Day Forward option offers terrific value. At £122 per person based on a minimum number of 45 adult guests, it includes the following: a menu tasting for the two of you, wedding breakfast room hire, arrival red carpet, floral centrepieces, chair covers and sashes, a glass of prosecco on arrival and another for toasts, half a bottle of house wine per person, still and sparkling water, evening buffet for adult day guests, executive bedroom on the wedding night, and breakfast in bed for the newlyweds, plus the services of an experienced a wedding coordinator.
Posted: 22 July 2021
Established in September 2020, Naturally Beautiful Brides, is owned by Nicola Hollingsworth who began her level 2 hair and media make-up course in the same month. She offers a variety of packages ranging from make-up to photography. Due to Covid she's been modelling her make-up looks herself and you can check them out on her social media pages. "I'm excited to get back to work and make brides look beautiful," she says. To find our more head over to www.facebook.com/naturallybeautifylbride and www.instagram.com/naturally.beautiful.brides
Posted: 20 July 2021
Get those dancing shoes on - weddings are restriction free!
The day has finally come – wedding ceremonies and celebrations are restriction free! Grab your dancing shoes and get ready to sing at the top of your voice: "Celebrate good times... come on!"It's been a long road that many of us have tentatively navigated over the last 16 months; from us here at County Wedding Magzines HQ to suppliers and couples. There's been small highs and many lows, as each glimmer of hope was put out by another government announcement.Lockdown 1.0 turned into 2.0 and then 3.0, wedding guest numbers went from 0 to 12, 15 to 30 and now we can actually invite all of our loved ones, friends and family dear to our hearts to the big day.There's really been no better time to say 'I do', not only will it be mask free (personal choice), socially distance-free and rule-free; but it will be a true celebration of marriage, a union of friends and family, love and friendship.
Posted: 19 July 2021
Meet Kent's Louise Roots Wedding and Event Florist
It has always been Louise's long-term plan to start her own business and after a long career in the wedding-flower industry and eight years as Leeds Castle's head florist with a few gold medals under her belt, the time felt right to embark on her new venture. Louise is based at her workshop in Maidstone where he works alongside a team of highly experienced and creative florists. We caught up with her to find out more about the business and wonderful wedding florals. So, read on to find out more...Over the last year, we have been busy behind the scenes working on proposals and we are so excited and eager to get back to doing what we love. The interest has been amazing and it diary quickly filled up. I have been so lucky and thrilled with the success of our first few years.
Posted: 15 July 2021
If you've missed the buzz of a big event, 900-year-old Leeds Castle is now taking bookings for some super-exciting outdoor extravaganzas. This year sees the return of its Firework Spectacular, the biggest pyrotechnic display in the South East, which will light up the sky on 6th and 7th November. But if you can't wait until then, make the most of the summer nights with a trip to the Castle's outdoor cinema, which will be showing A Star is Born on 29th July, Bohemian Rhapsody on 30th July, Dirty Dancing on 31st July, and Star Wars: A New Hope on 1st August. So grab your fiance for a date night to remember.
Posted: 13 July 2021
Duo 2 of Harps have been busy during the pandemic, not only helping couples plan their wedding music virtually, but also developing as artists providing new content and inspiration. Between lockdowns the pair took the opportunity to spend time at a recording studio to lay down three new singles, which will be released later this year, as well as filming a music video. In addition to performing online, sharing music videos and keeping in touch with their couples, Adel and Karina have also been releasing monthly blogs and podcasts – check out Harpcast.
Posted: 8 July 2021
County Wedding Events comes to Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey!
If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey for inspiration! After 2020 was a year of lockdowns, post-poned weddings, rescheduled events and cancelled plans, it's great to have a date we can finally add to our diaries. It is also one of our first wedding shows post-lockdown for all those couples that have missed face-to-face wedding planning in the last few months...
Posted: 7 July 2021
Win an overnight stay with Mercure
Whether you're planning a wedding, celebrating an anniversary or simply need a night away, this staycation prize is a welcome getaway treat courtesy of Interstate Hotels & Resorts.At one of the most sought-after Mercure wedding venues in the UK, the lucky winner and their guest will stay in the best room in the house, the Wedding Suite, with dinner and breakfast at the hotel of their choice.The Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel is one of the most desirable wedding venues Yorkshire has to offer, set in the picturesque Golden Acres Park with formal gardens and a picturesque gazebo for dreamy outdoor weddings. While, The Mercure Chester Abbots Well Hotel is a tranquil four-star hotel set amongst two acres of landscaped gardens with a backdrop of beautiful rolling Cheshire countryside and Welsh mountains providing an idyllic setting for any wedding. Or, why not check out Cotswold's Mercure Gloucester Bowden Hall Hotel for character and setting? This four-star Georgian country house boasts 12 acres of its own park and woodland providing the perfect Gloucestershire backdrop for a truly scenic wedding.
Posted: 29 June 2021
Toast the happy couple with a glass of NINE ELMS No.18
Award-winning NINE ELMS No.18 is a ruby velven – a new type of sophisticated non-alcoholic drink, created in London, that has been specially designed to complement good food.Intricately crafted from the juice of four types of dark berry and aromatised with a complex blend of botanical infusions and distillates, this intriguing non-alcoholic indulgence is full of flavour & character – complexity that gradually reveals itself when sipped & savored with something delicious to eat.With its juicy red & black fruit, uplifting herbaceous notes, warm & earthy spice, gentle acidity & soft tannins, NINE ELMS No.18 is most enjoyable served with something richly savoury - try it with antipasti, charcuterie, chargrilled vegetables, roasted meats or cheese.
Posted: 28 June 2021
Celebrate World Chocolate Day with Haute Dolci
Sweet-toothed diners are in for a treat this World Chocolate Day as London added a new luxury dessert parlour to its dining offer. Situated on Wembley Park Boulevard, Haute Dolci has a stunning open design that draws inspiration from both Italian and French heritage; the eatery combines fashion sensibilities with the art of food and desserts, to ensure a sumptuous and unparalleled customer journey. The restaurant boasts a backdrop of exquisite finishes inspired by Statuario marble and on the mezzanine level, a cherry blossom tree will transport diners to Paris' iconic cherry blossom display outside of the Notre-Dame, adding to the air of elegance at this must-visit dessert house. The tree, constructed from a real cherry tree trunk and six metres in diameter, will provide an ethereal focal point to the decadent eatery, with beautiful bloom-filled branches spanning across the width of the restaurant.
Posted: 25 June 2021
The UK’s Favourite First Dance Songs As Wedding Size Limits Lift
From the 21st June, limits on wedding sizes lifted and couples across the country will be getting their wedding playlists ready, but what could be more important than the first dance song - especially for the next four weeks when this dance it the only one allowed! Selecting a song which has meaning to the special couple can be tricky. Many couples know that whatever song they choose will go on to forever be known as 'their song', which adds pressure to making the right choice. It's perhaps then no surprise that there are almost 1,000 first-dance dedicated playlists on Spotify to help couples choose, but which songs are the most favoured?
New data analysed by five-star hotel, The Grand, York has revealed the most popular songs to play during a first dance in 2021. Analysing over 57,000 songs on Spotify, the current top ten list has been revealed, and the results might just be surprising. Securing both first and third place is the hugely successful Ed Sheeran and taking second, is 2021 X Factor winner, James Arthur.
Posted: 23 June 2021
County Wedding Events comes to Clock Barn Hall, Godalming, Surrey!
If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Clock Barn Hall, Godalming, Surrey for inspiration!After 2020 was a year of lockdowns, post-poned weddings, rescheduled events and cancelled plans, it's great to have a date we can finally add to our diaries. It is also one of our first wedding shows post-lockdown for all those couples that have missed face-to-face wedding planning in the last few months...
Posted: 23 June 2021
New launch from local vegan restaurant
If you're planning a get together with your best girls or boys, the latest launch by award-winning vegan restaurant brand Stem & Glory is just the ticket. Great for adding an authentic flavour to your pre-wedding celebrations, the business has introduced the 'finish-at-home' vegan pizza. The launch is part of a rapid expansion of its online store serving restaurant-quality meals well beyond its home towns of Cambridgeshire and London to all over the UK. The pizzas have a Stem & Glory healthy twist including a lip-smacking menu of toppings made in-house entirely from vegetables and each one arrives ready for you to bake at home. Founder Louise Palmer-Masterton said, "We created our artisan pizza menu during the first lockdown, intending to launch at our new Cambridge site, but the latest lockdown has allowed us to develop it into a finish-at-home version. It has been so well received we will definitely be keeping it in our online store after we open again."
Posted: 22 June 2021
Whether you're planning a night away for your hen do, or having your best buds getting ready with you on the morning of your wedding, elegant Instagrammable loungewear is essential! What's more, if you feel relaxed comfortable and stylish, this will show in the pictures. Luxury pyjama and loungewear brand Jayde, has a new white collection which will be perfect for the bride, the mothers, and her friends before the wedding, on the big day itself - and why not take the new items on honeymoon too!
Posted: 21 June 2021
Government changes outdoor wedding restrictions
One thing the pandemic has highlighted is the archaic wedding laws couples are still governed by; and although this was due to be revised in government in the next year or two, MPs have decided to bring forward a change in outdoor weddings. From 1st July to 30th April 2022, couples can tie the knot outside without the restrictions of it having to take place under a permanent licensed structure, ie, a gazebo or pagoda. This is a much needed boost for wedding venues with booking in the next nine months and are having to adhere to social distancing requirements and outdoor weddings being preferable.
Posted: 21 June 2021
Do you live up to your star sign when it comes to relationships?
If you're here reading County Wedding Magazines you're on your journey towards walking down that aisle to meet your one and only at the end of it - aaah! Have you looked to the stars to see how compatible you are? Are there things you wish you knew about your partner to really put a smile on their face? From personality type to the perfect date here Holistic Therapist Katie May at Switchback Travel presents the kind of partner you are, according to your star sign....
Posted: 18 June 2021
Are memories a match made in heaven when planning a wedding? Here's what couples forget!
Here, the wedding experts for Autowise present 5 of the most common things left off the to-do list when arranging a wedding. 'You may think you're a person who remains calm under pressure, but when it comes to weddings, all bets are off! Planning a wedding is basically a full-time job in which you have dozens of people working underneath you. It's easy to miss some vital details here and there. With that in mind, here are the most common.
Posted: 16 June 2021
One small step for couples, one giant leap for weddings!
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's recent announcement only had one element that an estimated 50,000 couples - who have weddings within four weeks of June 21st – wanted to hear: can their wedding day go ahead??The great news is yes, weddings can happen from June 21st which was music to the ears of many – whoops and cheers! However, with every Government announcement there's some fine print too; so here's the lowdown of what you need to know....
Posted: 15 June 2021
The sun is shining - and here's why it's making us all happier!
It's almost a universal fact that many of us just feel better when the sun is shining. Whether it's because we can forgo our winter coats, or because we love sitting in a pub garden after work and can just relax, we all seem to feel calmer when the sun in shining. Here, Health Practitioner and Skin Specialist, Tammy Richards at Pure Optical explains the science behind why the sun makes us feel happier and how it can even improve our physical health and wellbeing...
Posted: 14 June 2021
When Mark Lee from Mark Lee Photography set up this shoot at Cheshire's Park Manor, he wanted to seek out like minded suppliers to collaborate on creating stunning inclusive images; and what better showcase this gorgeous shoot than Pride Month! Mark says, "For months I've been coming across posts on Facebook on issues from the LGBTQ+ community over double standards within the wedding industry. Some finding that they were being charged more or that some suppliers just wouldn't work with a same sex couple. Then a supplier wanted to know how to create a logo for same sex supplier so not to offend. And another supplier unsure how to word his contract... this got me thinking. Why is this so difficult? Why does there need to be an issue regardless of who you are and who you want to marry? The law has changed so why are people still living in the dark ages? It's time to accept everyone."
Posted: 11 June 2021
County Wedding Events comes to The Barn at Alswick, Buntingford, Hertfordshire!
If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at The Barn at Alswick, Buntingford, Hertfordshire for inspiration! After 2020 was a year of lockdowns, post-poned weddings, rescheduled events and cancelled plans, it's great to have a date we can finally add to our diaries. It's also one of our first wedding shows post-lockdown for all those couples that have missed face-to-face wedding planning in the last few months...
Posted: 9 June 2021
1920s wedding inspiration from renowned wedding planner
If you are looking for a wedding day with sophistication and style, you won't go far wrong with 1920s wedding inspiration to shape your big day. Celebrity wedding planner, entertainment agent and hospitality consultant, Liz Taylor of the Taylor Lynn Corporation, has noticed a recent renewed vigour among her clients for 1920s weddings. Here she shares her tips on how to create the atmosphere of the roaring twenties for a style-packed wedding: "Extravagant. Exuberant. Unrivalled glamour. And incorporating those alluring Art Deco touches that are synonymous with the era, a twenties wedding is, and always should be, a celebration in style," begins Liz. "Since lockdown began to lift, we've been inundated with requests for 1920s themed parties. People want to just let go and have fun, so what better era than the roaring twenties." "It may seem that a 1920s themed wedding is easy, but if you go over the top the event can feel gimmicky. The aim is to achieve the perfect balance of stylish 1920s touches without feeling like you've stepped onto the set of the Great Gatsby."
Posted: 9 June 2021
Plan the perfect wedding day with help from the ezyorganizer app
The excitement of planning a wedding is exhilarating and although it takes a lot of coordination, the task doesn't need to be daunting. The team at ezyorganizer has created the perfect app to help nearlyweds stay organised and make the planning process more manageable for them and wedding planners. The business has planned many weddings in the past and understands what it takes to create memorable moments and dream weddings. The app is like a personal assistant that allows nearlyweds to keep up to date with their wedding progress and on top of payments, budget, images and files – just like a digital filing cabinet.
Posted: 8 June 2021
