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

Sarah’s Sugarcraft is offering readers who book 24 free wedding cupcakes

Based in Wick, near Bristol, Sarah Churchill at Sarah's Sugarcraft has been creating beautiful, handmade wedding cakes for more than 20 years. For her, baking started as a hobby, but 12 years ago she decided to turn her passion into a business and has never looked back.

"I'm extremely passionate about what I do, and understand that a beautiful cake can make all the difference to a wedding. It's for this reason that I take great care with every one I create, ensuring it not only looks fantastic, but is the perfect consistency throughout, even before it's delivered," Sarah says. She has spent many years learning her craft and is now experienced in many different techniques as well as being a member of the British Sugarcraft Guild. So, you can certainly be sure your big-day bake will taste as amazing as it looks.

County Wedding Magazines' competition winner!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ, we love nothing more than to hear from the winners of our competitions. In the crazy world of wedding planning, it's exciting for us to be able to offer our lovely readers some exciting giveaways and competitions which will hopefully give you a much-needed pick-me-up during on the countdown to your wedding day.

In the Autumn of 2022, CWM ran a competition, 'Win a two-night stay in the heart of The Lakes!' and the winners were nearlyweds Steph and Michael! The lucky pair enjoyed a stay, with dinner, bed and breakfast at The Wild Boar Inn a traditional Lakeland inn with oak beams, log fires, an in-house microbrewery and smokehouse all in the rolling countryside of the Gilpin Valley.

Orchardleigh Estate is a family-owned country estate in Somerset

Nestled amidst 500 acres of parkland and lakes, Orchardleigh is a family-owned country estate in Somerset. The estate boasts a beautiful 19th-century stately home, romantic island church, 18-hole golf course and plenty of luxurious accommodation. Orchardleigh House and grounds will be exclusively yours for the duration of your day complete with plenty of stunning backdrops for your photographs.

Ceremonies can be held in The Ballroom (up to 100 guests), The Great Hall (up to 144 guests), The Belvedere (up to 144 guests, or The Pergola (unlimited numbers). Alternatively, the estate's island church is a super-romantic place to exchange your vows. Lit purely by candlelight, St Mary's Church is situated on an island at the heart of the estate.

10 Most Instagrammed UK Wedding Venues

With over 278,000 UK weddings expected to take place in 2023, there's no doubt that couples across the country are already scrolling through Instagram in search of inspiration! With this in mind, Aura Print has discovered the most Insta-worthy and beautiful wedding venues of the UK. Analysing over 200 venues around the UK, they searched Instagram to discover which venue was being talked about most, narrowing it down to the 10 most desirable wedding venue locations in the UK.

How to save money on your next wedding gift

Receiving an invitation to a wedding is always an exciting time. However, deciding what gift to buy the couple, and especially how much to spend, can be daunting - now more so than ever due to the increased cost of living. Data from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals guests will spend an average of £113.39 for each gift they buy when attending a wedding which, for many of us, is a hefty amount. Anita Naik, Savings Expert at the UK's most trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, has some great tips on how to save money on your upcoming wedding gifts without skimping on the sentiment:

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is celebrating after being crowned Best in Britain at the Hoseasons Awards

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is celebrating being crowned Best in Britain at the 2022 Hoseasons Awards, with the title showcasing the Somerset venue's excellence in hospitality and facilities.

At an event in Newport, the retreat won first honours in the Lodges and Parks – Large Park category. Owned and operated by Darwin Escapes, the retreat and adjacent function room, are blessed with a location boasting rare natural beauty. Nestled between the trees and on the banks of a picturesque brook, it's easy for guests to forget they're only three miles from the historical centre of Bath.

Unique theatre venues for your vows and and bows!

Finding the wedding venue of your dreams can be a difficult task, especially if you're looking for something with a little less traditional with a little more drama. According to Google trend data, searches for 'unique wedding venues' have seen an uplift of 769% in the last month, and more specifically, searches for 'theatre weddings' have risen by an enormous 1250%. SeatPlan reveal the most unique, musical, dramatic, and theatrical wedding venues around the UK, so you can be centre stage and in the spotlight on your big day.

Hestercombe Gardens offers unrivalled views of glorious Edwardian gardens

The historical buildings at Hestercombe have plenty of wow factor and offer unrivalled views across the glorious Edwardian gardens and beyond to the imposing Blackdown Hills. The venue features no less than 50 acres of lovingly-restored gardens, representing three centuries of work and featuring lakes, cascades, temples, rills, shade-dappled pathways, and romantic corners. The beautiful scenery is tended by a team of skilled gardeners all year round providing a very special setting indeed for any big day.

Weddings don't need to cost the earth

With nearlyweds looking to opt for more sustainable choices when planning their nuptials, Talking Tables' new wedding rental scheme ensures this special occasion will look beautiful, without costing the earth. Would be spouses can choose from its best-selling tall glass candle holders in a variety of colours to suit every theme, both clear and brightly coloured bud vases, and handmade silver stainless steel plates and bowls. Tables can be exquisitely dressed for a fraction of the cost to buy and be happy knowing the items will bring more joy to others rather than sitting in the back of your cupboard - a sustainable solution!

5 songs to avoid on your big day

On top of organising flowers, dresses, venues and speeches, choosing the music for your wedding is yet another decision to make. But where do you even begin? The options are seemingly endless and the song you do pick will be the one that you define as 'yours' for the rest of your lives together. Wedding decor specialists Ginger Ray have crunched the numbers to reveal which songs and artists have made it onto the most Spotify wedding playlists and could be, dare we say it... overdone. So, whether you want to embrace the most popular choices (they are favourites for good reason after all) or whether you want to know which songs to avoid if you are looking to create a more unique soundtrack for your big day, here is Wedding Spotify, Wrapped.

Easton Social Dancing is offering readers 10% off all wedding packages booked before 31st March

No matter the style of wedding Tannith Perry at Easton Social Dancing in Bristol can help to make your special day unforgettable for your guests and even more enjoyable for the two of you. Unlike many wedding expenses, private dance lessons for your first dance can give you pleasure for the rest of your life.

Whether you want to wow the crowds or simply glide with ease across the dancefloor, learning some basic patterns, as well as lead and follow techniques takes a huge amount of stress away, leaving you to enjoy this special moment anxiety-free. Tannith says, "If you can walk, you can learn to dance! I've never had a student leave a lesson without at least being able to do one pattern nor without having a laugh.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s disco tour coming to a local venue near you!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Christmas Kitchen Disco UK Tour begins in November and here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we think it will make a great night out for your hen/stag or sten do! Tickets for shows are on-sale now The shows will feature hits from throughout Sophie's career, as well as some very festive classics, all in Sophie's own seasonal disco style. The tour follows on from the huge success of her 2022 Kitchen Disco Tour in which she brought her lockdown online sensation from her kitchen to sold-out stages across the country, including a sold-out finale at the London Palladium.

Brunel’s SS Great Britain first launched in 1843

For a one-of-a-kind, memorable celebration, the SS Great Britain is one to consider. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843, the beautifully restored ship lies in the heart of Bristol's harbourside, and offers spectacular views. Steeped in history, with versatile spaces both above and below deck, the ship is available for you and your loved ones to enjoy exclusively on your big day.

At almost 30 metres in length with mirrors and elegant wooden flooring, the Promenade Deck makes for an impressive aisle. Imagine exchanging your vows beneath the circular skylight, surrounded by 100 of your nearest and dearest, as natural light floods in creating a romantic ambience.

Top tips for having a low waste wedding

Getting married is one of the most exciting days of your life, and you'll want it to be as special as possible. But you might also want your wedding to be kinder to the planet than the usual nuptials — indeed, a study found that British weddings create 18kg of plastic waste per event, adding up to 4,910 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Even for the biggest event of your life, this is a lot of waste to produce during a single day, and many people are increasingly looking to find ways of reducing it and have more sustainable nuptials. If you want to enjoy the big day but also make it more of an eco-friendly event, suppliers of catering equipment Alliance Online have put together some tips for you to take forward in your wedding planning. Even though getting married is a big event, you can still keep the carbon footprint small.

Proposing a prenup? A guide to practical romance this February

Some consider February to be one of the most romantic months of the year. With January finally over, we can start to look forward to Spring, and the warmer months ahead. Each leap year, the 29th of February is traditionally held as a day when the tables can turn and women are supposed to propose marriage to men, instead of the other way around. However, most obviously, February contains Valentine's Day and the celebrations of lovers up and down the country who look to St Valentine for inspiration for their friendships and romantic relationships.

No.15 by GuestHouse in Bath has been awarded Best City Hotel by The Good Hotel Guide

The Good Hotel Guide has revealed its annual list of 12 César winners with No.15 by GuestHouse in Bath (www.guesthousehotels.co.uk/no-15- bath) taking home the award for Best City Hotel. This boutique property occupies a trio of Grade I listed town houses in a Georgian terrace that is home to eclectic rooms with a touch of whimsy such as a coffee maker in a doll's house.

Established in 1978, the Good Hotel Guide is the only truly independent UK hotel guide. It features 650 hotels, inns, B&Bs and guesthouses with 414 main entries and 44 new entries (a combination of new properties and new entries). Readers play a crucial role by reporting on existing entries as well as recommending new discoveries.

Say ‘I Do’ to a Dry Wedding with Mavrik Alcohol-free Cocktails

With a growing number of people going sober or choosing to moderate their drinking, the traditional wedding 'knees up' may be a thing of the past as today's couples opt for a more sober affair - which everyone can remember! In the past, non-drinkers or designated drivers would be somewhat left out of the celebrations with access to only a sad selection of soft drinks or juices. However, now nearlyweds-to-be are putting as much effort into deciding what alcohol-free drinks to offer as they would apply to sourcing the Champagne for the toasts! Plus, not only are dry weddings a huge money saver, but they also allow guests to enjoy the day with a clear head and leave the event with all those special memories firmly in tact.

Dixon Road Studio 1 is an impressive blank canvas space perfect for alternative weddings

Dixon Road Studio 1 is an impressive blank canvas space, boasting high ceiling, exposed steel framework, brick and stonework, with the addition of an indoor garden area and fairylight wall. This creates the perfect setting for an urban or industrial-chic wedding and can be styled to your taste.

The Studio is located on an industrial estate, an unusual setting for a wedding. While limited on outdoor areas, the venue has created an al fresco seating area complete with colourful graffiti backdrop, as well as a secret indoor garden.

Five things that mean more to love than Valentine's gifts (and are free)

Dr Rachel Taylor is a neuropsychologist, podcast host and founder of UNBroken. She has this advice on the five things that mean more to love than Valentine's gifts (and are free). "The brain has many different circuitry mechanisms associated with feelings of love. Below are some suggestions that mean more to love than commercial gifts."To appreciate is to raise in value, so the appreciation of another is truly better than a gift. Appreciation of another triggers a part of the brain called the hypothalamus which is directly involved in controlling our circadian rhythm. We also get a dopamine hit which supports us to be more motivated to perform the same behaviour. The more we appreciate a person, the more motivated they are to carry on being the amazing person that we think they are.

5 ways to get your pooch involved in your wedding

Planning a wedding is a whirlwind of nerves and excitement, and if you have a dog, you might want to get them involved in the event too. But how? Here, Lisa Melvin from Webbox offer some ideas. Organising a wedding can be as overwhelming as it is exciting. If you have a dog, you might be wondering if you can involve them in the event too — your pooch is most definitely part of your family, and it's natural to want them to be a part of your special day. Read on to find out some ideas for how you can bring your pooch to the wedding.