West Weddings Winter 2011 out soon!

West Weddings Winter 2011 is out next month.  To wet your appetite here’s a sneaky peak at what to expect inside: Keep your eyes peeled for our beautiful shoot at Cadbury House with modern and vintage styling (spot the oxymoron readers).  We have a feature on pregnant brides, the infamous best man speech and reception entertainers.

Lily Allen looked stunning in her vintage inspired wedding outfit

and the cast of Sex and the City look fab for Miranda's big day.

But what will our verdict be?

Both Lily Allen and Sarah Jessica Parker are cropping up in the’ What’s Hot and What’s Not’ feature this edition.  But who’s is hot and who’s cooling faster than an unattended bath?

Find out next month!

Hannah xxx

A sense of place

Couples are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding venues for wedding ceremonies and receptions in the West Country. With stately homes and castles, boats and barns, and even a planetarium, it can be hard deciding what to choose for your wedding day. So because we’re nice like that, we’ve put together a guide to some of the best venues in the area to help you make your decision. Sit back, put your feet up, grab a cup of tea and read on…

Park life

 

Set in 90 acres of rolling green countryside, the newly renovated 16th century country estate of Ellenborough Park is the very picture of a romantic English country house, with its centuries of history, stately limestone architecture, detailed Tudor-style interior and sumptuous furnishings.

There are several places within the grounds where vows can be exchanged, from the beautifully carved sandstone gazebo to the Ellenborough Gallery with its lofty ceilings, glass fronted balcony with tiered seating and original arched windows.

For couples needing to unwind before the big day, the hotel’s onsite spa offers a range of treatments, as well as bespoke wedding make-up and hair services for the wedding day itself.

Tudor treasure

 

Looking for the wow factor? With its magnificent medieval architecture, impressive Tudor Hall, luxurious bedrooms and walled gardens, Thornbury Castle certainly has this in spades.
If you’re a foodie, the castle has an excellent pedigree when it comes to food and has won many prestigious awards over the years. Head chef Mark Veale uses locally-sourced, seasonal produce for his modern British menu, and will create a delicious wedding breakfast for you and your guests to enjoy.

After the ceremony couples can choose to stay in a variety of luxurious bedchambers including the Duke’s Bedchamber, where Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once slept and which features an impressive antique four-poster, an open fire and a freestanding bathtub. Or you could opt to spend your first night as a married couple in the Woodstock with its arrow slit windows and secret bathroom.

 

Bathing in elegance

 

A visual reminder of Bath’s rich history, Bath’s Historic Buildings are perfect for couples who are inspired by architecture and elegance - or for those who secretly want to be in the pages of a Jane Austen novel for the day. The complex provides a number of venues licensed for civil ceremonies. The Assembly Rooms can offer couples the choice of the Grand Ballroom or the unique Octagon - one of the most popular venues in Bath for civil ceremonies. Or, for something a little different, how about a torch lit ceremony next to the steaming waters of the Roman Baths?

For receptions, you’re equally spoilt for choice. The range of rooms available means Bath’s Historic Buildings can cater for guests ranging from 20 to 300. Go on, unleash your inner Elizabeth and Mr Darcy…

Sweetness and light

 

Doubletree by Hilton Cadbury House, set in beautiful North Somerset countryside, provides a fantastic mix of traditional and modern for your wedding day. Couples can enjoy luxury surroundings with stunning views and locations for wedding photos, as well as dedicated staff to make the day memorable.
The hotel can cater for large or small marital celebrations from wedding ceremonies to wedding receptions and evening celebrations. It’s licensed to hold civil marriage ceremonies and same gender commitment ceremonies any day of the week and has a number of rooms available for this. Our favourite is the outdoors thatched gazebo, with its spectacular panoramic views of the rolling countryside. The beautiful lake and garden will also provide a great backdrop for your photos – as will the hotel’s lifesize fibreglass cow!

 

Courting luxury

 

Sometimes it seems that venues are just made for weddings, and that’s certainly true of Tortworth Court. Lords, knights and dukes all played their part in weaving a rich historical fabric into the building, and today the house is a combination of Victorian splendour and contemporary luxury ideal for weddings.

Tortworth Court has a number of rooms licensed for civil ceremonies and can cater for a range of different-sized receptions. Choose from the grandeur of Moreton’s Library, steeped in character and tradition, or the sublime Orangery with its ornate glass panels. The newly-refurbished Westminster Suite is ideal for larger weddings, or a marquee can also be erected in the grounds, perfect for those mellow summer days.

 

Fairytale ending

 

If you dream of being a princess for the day, Berkeley Castle is the venue for you. Made from warm pink stone that glows softly in the sunset, it is intimate in scale, with uneven battlements, small towers and arched doors.

The castle is licensed to hold civil wedding and civil partnership ceremonies in six of the public rooms. In order to ensure exclusivity for couples, the facility is closed to the public on Fridays and Saturdays.

Winter weddings are particularly romantic there, with real fires in the Great Hall and the Long Drawing Room offering a special welcome and atmosphere on a frosty afternoon. Throughout the spring and summer, meanwhile, the gardens and grounds are a stunning backdrop for photographs, which include the Elizabethan terraces, the ornamental lily pond with high-jet fountain (originally the eighth Earl’s swimming pool!) and the mature pine and yew trees surrounding the lawns.

 

A day at the races

 

Imagine having a wedding with stunning views across the beautiful Bath countryside. Well, that can be yours at Bath Racecourse, where an exquisite backdrop provides the perfect setting to celebrate your marriage.

Bath Racecourse can cater for every type of wedding, from large wedding receptions to more intimate celebrations. It is also fully licensed for civil weddings and partnership ceremonies, so can accommodate you from ceremony to wedding breakfast through to reception. With a capacity of up to 500, the racecourse is also becoming a popular venue for Asian weddings.

A dedicated event organiser will be with you from start to finish, assisting with preparations, so you can be sure that your wedding will be a runaway success.

Sweeping statement

If a city wedding in the heart of the heritage city of Bath is what you’re after, then look no further than the Royal Crescent Hotel. Sitting in the impressive sweep of Bath’s premier street, the unique character of this hotel makes it an ideal setting for a wedding. Licensed for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies, the property offers an impressive number of elegant rooms in which to mark the occasion.
Set within an acre of grounds and gardens, the hotel can offer award-winning dining as well as the unique Bath House Spa, in-house floristry and the Lady Sophina, a beautiful vintage Thames river launch for private charter - perfect for a post-wedding boat party.

Inn fashion

The Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is an ideal location for a Bristol wedding. It is conveniently located near the M4 motorway and Bristol Airport, yet has beautifully tranquil grounds that form the perfect backdrop for your day.

Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is fully licensed to hold civil ceremonies for up to 280 guests in its bright function rooms. The team of experienced hotel wedding coordinators are dedicated to helping with your arrangements and can advise on all elements of the special day to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Enter your wedding ceremony in style with a red carpet on arrival while the services of your wedding host will keep arrangements running to time. Family and friends are also well looked after with discounts available for their accommodation. And with bespoke wedding packages starting from just £999, this venue is as affordable as it is stylish.

To the manor born

 

Nestled alongside Castle Combe village in the wooded Bybrook Valley, the Manor House Hotel and Golf Club offers two choices of venues for couples looking to get married in this idyllic Cotswolds spot.

The 14^th century manor house is one of the most romantic destinations in the South West to celebrate your marriage and is licensed for ceremonies. For those who like the outdoors, the garden pavilion, which incorporates fluted columns and ornate intricate patterned panels on an octagonal floor plan, is perfect for an outside wedding reception.

Next to the hotel is The Clubhouse, which boasts contemporary décor, breathtaking views of the wooded valley and its own lake – wonderful for the photographs.

 

This article was written by Helen and first appeared in West Weddings' sister publication Folio, a monthly magazine celebrating the best in Bristol and Bath. Folio publishes a wedding guide twice a year, so keep an eye out for the next one in Spring 2012.

A gem of an idea

Marilyn Monroe sang that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and ever since the deBeers advert campaigns of the 1930s, diamonds have been the favoured stone for engagement rings. If you’d like something a little different, however, there are lots of other gemstones available for those wanting to rock the non-diamond look. The list of alternative stones to diamonds is endless, ranging from the better-known rubies, emeralds, pearls and sapphires to semi-precious stones such as tourmalines, moonstones, topazes and peridots.

Aquamarine ring from Diana Porter

One beautiful alternative to diamonds is aquamarine; with its light blue colour and subtle sparkle it is becoming increasingly popular. Diana Porter, the jewellers on Bristol’s Park Street, sells a 9-carat white gold ring set with a princes cut aquamarine (pictured), and with prices for this starting at £600, it can be a much more affordable option than a diamond. Another idea for a less-expensive yet still beautiful stone is to use spinels, which are a type of gemstone that closely resemble more expensive rubies. If you like the rich red hue of a ruby but don’t have a budget to accommodate this, then a spinel can be a much more affordable alternative.

 

Clare Chandler, who runs Bristol jewellers Clifton Rocks, uses a range of stones in her work. One of her latest pieces was an unusual stack ring that used the customer’s own gold and featured sapphires, aquamarine and amethyst. Clare says: “I have had people using this style of wedding ring to represent them and their children's birthstones.” By selecting an engagement ring that features a stone personal to you in this way, you’ve instantly made it a talking point!

Stack ring from Clifton Rocks

You can take this a step further and have your engagement ring made as a one-off design especially for you, which is a great way to ensure that you can customise it exactly the way you want. "I can source any stone that the customers requires," says Julie Anne Palmer, who specialises in bespoke jewellery. "I will work with the customer through the making process to ensure the ring is exactly as they wanted." And as John Titcombe Jewellers say, who also offer a bespoke service, "the designs are only limited by your imagination!"

 

In this era of thrift and vintage, there is always the option of refashioning an heirloom piece to create something new. Perhaps you have a ring from a family member that doesn’t suit you, or an old brooch that you don’t wear any more. Diana Porter recently made a tourmaline ring for a customer who wanted to put a gemstone to good use. “The tourmaline stone was a customer’s own, which is a wonderful way to keep an heirloom yet have a contemporary design that suits the customer.”

 

When it comes to wedding bands, gold and platinum have certainly dominated the market for quite some time, but recently couples have started looking for alternative metals and designs. One metal that is becoming popular is palladium, which is from the same group of metals as platinum but with the added bonus of being cheaper than its more expensive cousin. Clare has certainly seen an increase in the use of palladium. “We sell a palladium slate ring which has been really popular for men buying a wedding band.” This trend has also been seen at Diana Porter. “Palladium is great alternative to traditional metals of gold and platinum. Its silvery colour is close to that of platinum but is lightweight and more affordable.” Another option is zirconium, a grey-white metal that Julie Anne has used for wedding bands and which can be grooved to create an unusual texture.

Palladium ring from Clifton Rocks

Grooved zirconium ring from Julie Anne Palmer

As well as an alternative metal for wedding bands, there are other ways you can personalise your wedding band so it’s unique to you. Diana Porter is well known for her etching and customers are utilising this by having their own words etched around rings. This can be great for a wedding ring, with the date of the wedding picked out in Roman numerals – simple yet beautiful.

Maybe it’s time to rewrite that song…

 

This article first appeared in West Weddings' sister publication Folio, a monthly magazine celebrating the best of Bristol and Bath. Folio publishes a wedding guide every six months, so keep an eye out for the next one in Spring 2012.

Creating the wow factor

So it’s time to shop for the dress. That’s right. The big one. The one everybody is asking about. Your wedding dress. But with so many styles and so many fabrics, the world of wedding couture can often be an overwhelming one. Luckily, the sheer number of styles out there means you have the freedom to express yourself and show a little of that great personality. Go on, be brave!

 

With vintage refusing to budge, it would be easy to think that the only options a bride has these days were short dresses with a full skirt and nipped-in waist, but if the thought of a beehive barnet and pillar-box red lipstick have you quaking in your boots, the retro trend is not compulsory.

 

“Brides don’t want to be bland any more,” says Carina from Carina Baverstock Couture. “Today's bride wants to express her uniqueness and personality and, above all, ‘relaxed elegance’. Gowns are less structured than, say, five years ago; these dresses now appear stiff, awkward and unnatural. Brides want pure lines enhanced by good cut tailoring. Simplicity is the keyword – think Pippa Middleton – with stunning embellishments of feathers or Chantilly lace. Colour is changing dramatically from classic ivory to soft hues of honey, golden champagne and moonlight silvers – fabulous for pale English complexions.”

 

If you’re a Kate and not a Pippa (sorry but we’re still not over THAT dress), then think lace and classic lines. Kate’s skirt was full but by no means gypsy wedding size, so don’t be put off by acres of material. In order to achieve some shape to the skirt why not pile the pleats on the back and rock a bustle? That’s what Kate did and the narrower silhouette would also work well with a longer train and veil.

If flowers are your forte, then blousy blooms and floral hairpieces are for you. Designer Claire Pettibone (available through Carina Baverstock Couture) uses flowers in many of her designs with a 70s-inspired print, floral embroidery or a statement corsage.

Claire Pettibone Mystere dress

But if vintage really does have you salivating quicker than a slice of cake, don’t be afraid to go for it. With celebrities such as Lily Allen and Kate Moss giving vintage the nod of approval, it’s sure to be a favourite style for brides this autumn. All you need to do is pick a period; they’re all there from floor-sweeping silks to feather-trimmed micro minis or full skirts and bows. For the full effect match hair and make-up to the decade of the dress, or add a contemporary edge by matching it with something ultra sleek and modern. Designers such as Matthew Williamson and Jenny Packham (also available through Carina Baverstock Couture) have pulled influence from the past to create their latest collections.

 

Regardless of what style you go for, there’s always something about having a dress that has been designed with you in mind and with you making changes to it along the way. If you can find a designer who understands exactly what you’re looking for, then you’re onto a winner. Alison Miles, a wedding dress designer, is adamant that a bespoke gown is the way to go. “Brides are always looking for good value and having a dress made to measure can represent excellent value. Made to measure means made to flatter. The fabrics used are often of much better quality, which give a wonderfully rich look. High-quality craftsmanship means strapless dresses don’t slip down and individually made inner corsetry is very comfortable to wear. The level of service is often much higher and fittings can be arranged outside normal working hours to make life easier for a busy bride. The designer will often dress the bride on the wedding day to ensure ‘the look’ is exactly as the bride and designer had planned.”

An Alison Miles bespoke dress

When choosing the fabric for your dress Alison recommends softer, more romantic materials, which are popular at the moment. “Pearls and rhinestones being used alongside soft, flowing fabrics such as tulle, organza and soft crepe satin. Lace is popular but as part of a dress, rather than all over, as lace can be very expensive. Texture is increasingly important, with ruching and pleating swathing the figure then falling away into extravagant trains. It can also be added with flowers scattered onto the dress – over the skirt or shoulder.”

 

Alison is also a firm advocate for wedding dresses with sleeves. Not only do they leave brides free to dance without the fear of a dancefloor wardrobe malfunction, they provide cover up in the cooler autumn months. Alison says: “Fewer dresses that I make are completely strapless, with many now having cap sleeves or shoulder coverings in lace, chiffon or georgette.”

Whether it’s floral bohemia, Royal-influenced or a full-out vintage treasure, the important thing is that you love your dress. There’s something to be said for a bride wearing something that really means something to her. Don’t be swayed by what you think you should wear. It can be hard at times if someone else is paying for the dress or suggests styles you wouldn’t necessarily go for but, as Carina says, brides can afford to be a little more daring these days – you can too.

This article was written by Hannah and first appeared in West Weddings's sister publication Folio, a monthly magazine celebrating the best of Bristol and Bath. Folio publishes a wedding guide twice a year, so keep an eye out for the next edition in Spring 2012.

For those of you who know The Little Wedding Helper, I love weddings that look & feel a little different - weddings that step outside the box. 

http://www.greenweddingshoes.com/ 

When I came across these chair decorations I instantly loved them. Chair ribbons are an amazing alternative to chair covers and sashes; which are still very popular but not a decoration that all couples want. By simply looping ribbon on the back of a chair you can create a breathtaking look that combines colour and movement to your reception. 

They're perfect for the DIY bride and with a few simple measurements, to cut the ribbon to the correct length, the sky really is the limit when it comes to colour combinations.  I love the simplicity of this decoration. 

 

It will add style to your reception but would also look fab at any other celebration you may be wanting to make that extra bit special.

http://www.emmalinebride.com/

Kirsten is a venue stylist and runs her own business The Little Wedding Helper. To discuss how she can help make your special day as fabulous as possible visit her website and get in touch.

 

Hannah adds:

 

There are plenty of haberdasheries around so you shouldn't be hard pushed to find a good supply of ribbon near you.  If you are struggling to find the style or colour you want then why not check out these handy websites: Josy Rose, Not On The Highstreet and Fantastic Ribbons. Why not try ribbon with a printed detail?  You could have the names of the bride and groom printed along it's length, the date of the wedding or even memorable quotes that inspire you.  Guests could take a length home with them as a keepsake of the day.

 

This printed ribbon is from TheLonelyHeart on Etsy. 

Enjoy xxx

Intimate baby shower at Goldbrick House

Not to scare any brides out there but sometimes, just sometimes, you have a baby.  And so I didn't think it would be too out of place to share the baby shower I threw for my future-sister-in-law the other week at the gorgeous Goldbrick House.

I knew that Elly loves vintage crockery so was keen to get Ali Cook from Bristol Vintage on board as soon as possible. They have a range of options for brides wanting to include beautiful crockery for their special day, without having to find and store it yourself. My person favourite is the high tea package which has everything you need for a summery celebration; it even includes scones and cupcakes.

 

The other thing I knew needed including were sweets.  And lots of them! Elly has a major sweet tooth and loved the idea of having a candy buffet.  As an extra special treat I asked Steph of How2IDo to put together some tasty treats for the guests.  Steph recently started putting her candy buffets and will match the ribbons, the dishes and the colour of the sweets to the theme of your big day.  Because our theme was bright colours (not so much of a theme, I know) she made sure her corner of the table was just as colourful. But here's another thing; Elly and most of her family are vegetarian so Steph went above and beyond to make sure as many of the sweets were vegetarian friendly.  All but two were and they were clearly marked so we had absolutely no problems. Perfection.

We put together goody bags for the guests.  I ordered bags that matched the colour theme, and paper clipped a thank you note to the front.  The bags included a copy of a Beatrix Potter book, a ginger biscuit made by Elly and a copy her baby scan.

Because I was so busy running around on the day I completely forgot to take better pictures of The Library, the room we used at Goldbrick House. Unlike a lot of venues you do not pay to hire the room and pay for the bar on top, there is simply a deposit paid before the event and a minimum bar spend which varies depending on the time of day. We arranged to have hot and cold drinks so a coffee and tea table was set up in one corner, a small bar in the other, larger tables for the food and a small table for gifts.  The space is pretty, bright and tucked away from the rest of the venue so you really feel like the space is yours.

The pictures aren't brilliant but I just had to share them.  The shower was a triumph and it was all thanks to local  Bristol businesses coming together and making it happen.

Enjoy the sunshine,

Hannah xxx