Your Bristol and Somerset Wedding news and ideas from around the county

Winter wedding inspiration from leading wedding planner

Matthew Shaw, founder & creative director at sauveur. shares his winter wedding inspiration for those looking to tie the knot at this time of year. Winter weddings have grown hugely in popularity. The festive season can be a truly magical time of year to host a wedding and stand out from the crowd but it does bring its own set of considerations for the planning. Whilst the key areas of your wedding planning will be the same as a wedding in any other month, there are a few different elements to consider to create an incredible winter wedding celebration.

How to kick-start your wedding planning

Samantha Gilchrist, Co-Founder and CEO of the UK's largest wedding venue collection, The Gilchrist Collection, shares her top tips on how to kick-start your wedding plans, taking away any unnecessary stress and disappointment in preparation for that special day. Set a Date - possibly the most important aspect of planning as getting this date in the diary will allow you to move forward with your plans. When choosing a date, it's worth carrying out a simple checklist to help you nail that day down such as: Think if there is a time of year you both always wanted to get married in? A season you both love or a month that is special to you is a great starting point.

5 unique winter wedding trends for 2023

From décor inspired by the season's natural beauty to creative ways to keep your guests warm, wedding supply experts Aura Print have searched TikTok to bring you the top five quirky winter wedding trends for 2023.While traditional wedding fayre often includes champagne toasts and wine, a hot chocolate bar offers a warm, decadent, and customisable alternative for the colder months. As the evening progresses and temperatures drop, guests can enjoy a sweet treat to keep them going on the dance floor. For younger guests or for those who don't drink alcohol, a hot chocolate bar also provides a great non-alcoholic option. With over 112.7 million TikTok hashtag views, the hot chocolate wedding bar trend is set to take the winter wedding season by storm!

A more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings

Reports suggest that 4,910 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used up and left behind at British weddings last year, with this in mind, 77 Diamonds has released a planning guide to promote a more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings. Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What's more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground. But it's not just plastic which has an impact. Food wastage is also a common theme for most weddings.

Find County Wedding Magazines on YouTube

We're never satisfied when it comes to providing our readers with enough wedspiration, which is why we've created our very own County Wedding Magazine YouTube channel! You'll find tons of big-day ideas, from venue tours to dream dresses, then take a peek behind the scenes of styled shoots featured in our titles past and present. We're adding more content all the time, so why not hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a thing? Simply head to YouTube and search for 'County Wedding Magazines' now

Keep it classy with Booth Nineteen!

We asked Craig Cheber from Booth Nineteen (https://booth19.co.uk) for his advice on personalising a wedding. Here's what he had to say: Creating a bespoke wedding day epitomises refinement and elegance. Elevate your celebration with personalised touches that echo your distinctive love story. Here's how to curate a wedding resonating with discerning couples. Now, first things first..! Boutique photo booth: Elevate your wedding entertainment with Booth Nineteen's boutique photo booth, capturing candid moments, creating bespoke keepsakes mirroring celebration's sophistication. Ceremonial grace: Elevate your ceremony with tailored vows and anecdotes weaving your unique journey into celebration's fabric. Luxurious décor: Adorn your venue with opulent décor mirroring your love story. Incorporate heirlooms, fine art, plush textiles resonating with refined tastes.

AI creates the ultimate first dance song

There are over 217,000 first dances in the UK every year (1,950,000 in the US) yet couples usually pick the same handful of songs. Have you ever wondered why tracks like Etta James' At Last and Just You And I by Tom Walker are so popular at weddings? And what makes them so timeless? Function Central, a platform for finding and hiring musicians and bands for events, have answered exactly that! By analysing the most popular first dance songs to find the top 10 that couples choose, they have used AI to create the world's ultimate first dance song based on their findings, showing couples that they can have a timeless first dance song that is unique to their wedding.

73 per cent of adults opt for staycations such as seaside trips instead of a holiday abroad

According to a new study conducted by UK Saunas (www.uk-saunas.co.uk) 73% of adults are more likely to opt for staycations such as seaside trips instead of a holiday abroad as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, and Weston-super-Mare has been crowned in the top ten of most relaxing seaside town for a trip away. The study, which analysed the number of hotels and spas in seaside towns and villages, as well as their population, also ranked locations using categories from the UK Health Index related to peacefulness and relaxation. A wellness expert from UK Saunas has explained the benefits of taking a seaside visit:

How to make your engagement ring shine for wedding day

Between shampoo, hairspray, moisturiser and hand cream – we can all agree that our beautiful engagement rings go through a lot on a daily basis. After all, many of us wear them every day without ever taking them off! But if your big day is just around the corner, it's crucial to keep your ring looking its best for those all-important wedding photos and to ensure your nearest and dearest see it in all its glory. With this in mind, experts at family-owned jewellers and diamond merchants, Chisholm Hunter, offer their specialist advice on how to get your ring gleaming before your big day... Max Brown, Retail Director at Chisholm Hunter, shares their top tips for ensuring your engagement ring is sparkling ahead of your wedding day: "If you want your precious jewellery to look its best on the big day, we recommend taking your ring to a professional jewellers for both ultrasonic and steam cleaning and using fine emery paper followed by a full polish to remove any surface scratching.

Venues for the perfect autumnal ceremony

New research conducted by ethical jewellery brand Sacet has revealed the top country wedding venues across the UK that would make the perfect location for an autumnal ceremony. By analysing a number of factors (including guest capacity, number of reviews, professionalism, quality of service and value for money) of over 30 wedding venues that offer barn, country and forest-style weddings in the UK, the top 10 were revealed. Brinsop Court Manor House and Barn, in Hereford, has been crowned the overall winner, with top ratings across all factors (quality of service, response time, professionalism, value for money flexibility and average rating). It also had the most number of reviews and can hold between 30 to 250 guests.

New Townhouse branch opens in Clifton

Townhouse, the ultimate destination for luxurious nail care, has recently opened Townhouse Clifton. This signifies a significant milestone for the brand as it doubles its presence in Bristol, alongside Townhouse Cribbs Causeway, located in H Beauty at The Mall. The new salon nestled in the heart of Clifton, just a short stroll from The Ivy Clifton, brings Townhouse's industry-leading technology, chic interiors, and impeccable manicures and pedicures to the area. With a loyal following that includes Grammy award-winning singers and leading cast members from popular TV shows like Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and Made in Chelsea, the new branch is set to become the go-to destination for celebrity-worthy nail treatments.

Are these popular 2023 wedding song cursed?

Research from wedding entertainment providers Function Central shows couples are taking risks choosing songs for their weddings with shockingly high divorce rates. Function Central used existing data on the songs most likely to end in divorce to see whether couples were still taking risks by adding these songs to their upcoming nuptials. This data was then cross-referenced against existing wedding playlists of engaged couples to see whether couples were still choosing these songs for their weddings. The results were concerning for any superstitious couples worried about whether certain tracks were deemed bad luck for long lasting marriages.

What's in store at Somerset's Rookery Bridal

Rookery Bridal has been hard at work over the last few months working hard to improve its social media, looking at new ways to help its brides and improving the experience it offers when you visit. The team have also attended two big wedding fairs this October: The UWE Wedding Fair and The Big Southwest Wedding Fair. Owner Sarah Hackett says, "We're going to be busy bees looking after you all in the boutique and meeting you all outside of it!" It's gown ordering time of year too, so keep an eye out for new dresses arriving over coming months.

5 reasons couples fail at sticking to their wedding budget

With the cost of living on everyone's minds, budget expert Isabel Smith, offers some insight into how couples can set (and stick to!) their wedding budget. The number of couples who are going overbudget on their wedding is dropping, from around 2/3 in 2018 to somewhere around 50% this year. This may be due to savvier couples setting more realistic budgets, or people simply refusing spend a penny more than planned owing to future financial uncertainty, but either way, I am all for it! I've never been an advocate for getting in debt over your big day, no matter how special you want it to be.

The perfect couples advent calendar

Couples looking for that x-factor idea to get them in the Christmassy mood this festive season need look no further than A Twist Of Date's personalised couples' advent calendar. This personalised QR-code collection of romantic, fun and creative couples' activities adds a spark of magic that is sure to make 2023 a December to remember. Perfect for long-term busy couples looking to reconnect through heart-warming moments, it's a no-brainer alternative to the typical chocolate-filled Christmas countdown. Whether it's an impromptu trip to your local ice rink, engaging in an act of kindness together or writing each other a romantic letter to be opened on Christmas, each day brings something new and exciting to share together.

How to master taking the perfect engagement ring photo

Proposals are often one of the most memorable, special and magical moments in a couples life, so it's only natural they want to share this joyous news with their friends, family and colleagues. In 2023, one of the most common ways for couples to share the news of their engagement is through social media. Couples often post gorgeous pictures in real time of themselves along with the dazzling engagement ring. Sharing the news via social media is a quick and easy way of telling your loved ones the news without having to individually call everyone, which can be overwhelming and time consuming. However, taking the perfect photo can be a bit of a challenge. Whilst it's not a competition to see who has the biggest ring and whose ring sparkles the most, a lot of people want their ring to look as desirable and shimmering as possible.

All new Bridal Cocktail Box from Penthouse Cocktails

Penthouse Cocktails recently celebrated its first birthday and has have released an all-new Bridal Cocktail Box to celebrate. Containing four cocktails, it's by the traditional rhyme something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Each box contains pre-mixed ingredients to make the cocktails, with bridal-themed garnishes and instruction cards. All you need are glasses, ice and a shaker. Each one is bar-quality and includes gin, tequila, vodka and rum, as well as amazing flavours such as cucumber and watermelon, coconut and chocolate. Ideal for spicing up a hen-do or as a quirky wedding gift. Instead of popping open the wine with your girls on the night before the big day, why not make it a memorable night with themed cocktails?

Sober hen parties are on the rise

While hen parties are often characterised by celebratory cocktails, drinking games and wild night outs, the hen-do could soon be shrugging off its booze-fueled persona. Global searches for 'sober hen do ideas' have doubled over the past year while 'sober bachelorette party games' has also seen a 50% increase. On TikTok, #soberliving has seen a surge in popularity, with videos including the hashtag boasting over 650 million views. If you're a bride-to-be looking to celebrate your 'last night of freedom' tee-total-style, party planning expert, Amy Greenshields at cardfactory has shared her four top tips.

Get back to nature with Mud + Bloom

Mud & Bloom is an independent, small but perfectly-formed brand creating products that aim to connect children aged three to eight years old with nature. Best of all, the company's products are ethically sourced, reusable or recyclable and hand-packed in Bristol, UK. These little bags of fun are great to give to flowergirls and pageboys, or even to keep other young guests at your wedding entertained. One, two or four activity party bags are priced from £3.95 with free postage. Each of the pre-filled, nature-inspired, eco-friendly party bags contain seasonal gardening and craft activities. Mud & Bloom's autumn-themed party bags are now available. Find out more at www.mudandbloom.com/party-bags

Is lasting love magic, logic or luck?

Does it matter how a couple met? Contented Couples, a new guide to long-term relationships, features candid, intimate interviews with eighteen couples, based in the UK and USA. Each pair tell of how they met, how they formed a relationship and how they've thrived to become a truly happy union. One couple met and married within a month, whilst another two were thrown together repeatedly by a matchmaker who refused to give up - and it is not only guy meets girl either. The couples speak from an array of circumstance, culture and sexual orientations, including arranged marriage, friends-to-lovers and dating apps.