Your East Anglian Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Planning a Hen Do? Here are 6 ways to do it on a budget

With wedding traditions dying fast, modern couples are truly setting the bar for what's possible at contemporary nuptials. What will always be popular though, is the hen/stag or ('sten' if you're joining forces) do! Although, even these have altered in their format, gone are pub and nightclub crawls till the early morning, and in are wellness breaks, pottery and classes and the much-loved British Brunch! The UK's leading bottomless brunch platform, Bottomless Brunch, has compiled a list of ways you can save costs whilst planning an unforgettable hen party.

Renowned Essex wedding venue's Open Day

Luxury Great Braxted wedding venue Braxted Park is hosting an open day on Sunday 18th September! A must-attend event, this is a fantastic opportunity to explore the venue, meet the team and speak to plenty of recommended suppliers who can help make your wedding day extra special. There will also be complimentary drinks in the bar, canapés served throughout the day and the chance to sample some of the excellent wines from the Braxted Park wine list.

Wedding gift list ideas from designer Emma Britton

Decorative Glass Designer Emma Britton has launched a new glassware collection, Exotic Floral, which is proving very popular amongst guests looking for wedding day gifting ideas.Exotic Floral adds a touch tropical splendour to your table featuring dahlias, red hot pokers, canna lilies and digitalis firebird. This new floral design is inspired by the geometrics and structural beauty of these flowers and is etched on to various glassware items such as high balls, tumblers, wine glasses and champagne coupes - the latter is the perfect gift set of two for newlyweds.

Top five wedding cars from Avis car hire

There's no better way to live up to the wedding excitement than making a grand entrance. With over 508K #weddingcar posts on Instagram, there are endless options for couples to be spoilt for choice when picking their dream wedding car. From vintage classics to chic campervans, Avis has analysed and rounded up the most Instagram-worthy cars for your wedding day. These top five wedding cars have also been carefully selected by celebrities to honour their big day, so they have the power to make the couples the 'talk of the town,' on their special day.

Bespoke wine label offering

Pink Diesel, from the iconic Rosé region of Provence, France, has launched a bespoke label offering to help transform the wine selection on your big day. Personalised with a beautiful illustration these bottles will create a memory that can be cherished and shared with your family and friends. This one of a kind service is designed to help couples #FuelGoodTimes with magnum bottles of expertly crafted light rosé which serve 10 generous glasses for only £32.95 per bottle, plus a £70 design fee.

Budget friendly ways to propose to your bridesmaids

Weddings are one of the costliest events in life which get more expensive year on year. Asking your besties to be your bridesmaids is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of the process, however, this can soon chip away at your budget when looking at personalised presents or expensive goodie bags to pop the question to them. To help save some costs, greetings card specialist thortful (thortful.com) has shared five budget-friendly, yet fun and creative ways, to ask your besties to be your bridesmaids. From having a spa day at home to custom fortune cookies, these bridesmaid proposal ideas are sure to get the reaction you want without breaking the bank.

Before I Do - the honeymoon must-have, you won't put it down!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we do love a good book to get our teeth into - not literally of course, cake's great for that - and the description for this new novel Before I Do from Sophie Cousens already has us hooked! What would you do if the one that got away turned up the night before your wedding? Audrey is marrying Josh; steady, dependable Josh, the love of her life. They share a flat and a bank account, and it's the only relationship that Audrey's ever had that feels like something she can put her trust in. But romance should be full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey's found herself wondering if Josh really is 'the one'. So, when Josh's sister Miranda arrives at their rehearsal dinner with Fred - Audrey's 'What If?' guy, the man she met six years ago and had one amazing day with but never saw again - Audrey can't help but see it as a sign.

Brits would end a relationship if they're not engaged after five years

With a +360% increase in Brits searching for 'how to hint at an engagement' and a +215% increase for a 'dream wedding'* it seems many Brits are eagerly waiting for their partner to pop the big question – but how long do Brits wait? A new study by greetings card marketplace thortful.com, who polled 1,000 Brits who are either engaged or newly married, revealed just how long you might be waiting for a ring and the nation's true thoughts on everything to do with getting engaged.

The study showed that our partners are proposing 7 months too late as the preferred waiting time is just 2 years. And, on average, Brits would call time on a relationship if they're still not engaged after 5 years of being in a relationship.

Natural ways to relieve wedding day nerves

Wedding day jitters are normal — but not necessarily welcome! In this article Jo Webber, Herbal Education Lead at Pukka Herbs, shares four natural ways to keep them at bay. Weddings are one of the most significant life events you can go through, so its no surprise that wedding day jitters are so common. Even the most committed couple are bound to get butterflies when standing up in front of everyone they know to say their vows, and no matter how excited you are to tie the knot, nerves before or even during the ceremony are completely normal. That said, no one wants nervousness and anxiety to get in the way of enjoying their big day. But how can you relieve your wedding day jitters in a natural way? Here, I'll share four simple methods for curbing your nerves ahead of a wedding.

UK couples turning to ‘pet-nups’

With around 60% of UK households owning a pet, it's no surprise that who gets custody of any animals can be a key area of negotiation when relationships break down. Megan Bennie, a solicitor specialising in divorce and family law at Kent law firm Furley Page, said: "For many people a pet is not just an animal, it's a fully-fledged member of the family, so it's no wonder that pets can be a particularly emotive topic for clients when relationships end. Unfortunately, a pet's treatment by the law hasn't kept up with the way they are generally viewed by their owners."

Scent-sational weddings

When organising a wedding, it's easy to get caught up in how things look. From wedding décor to dresses, the focus is often on aesthetics. Understandably so, the photos from your day being one of the main ways you'll look back and remember those delicate details you spent what seems like forever planning. Fragrance, however, can be just as important in transporting you back to the joy you felt on the day you said I do. And in 2022, scent is taking centre stage as one of the biggest wedding trends of the summer. Here, Clare Logan from home, bath and body care brand ARRAN Sense of Scotland outlines everything you need to know about creating your own scent-sational wedding day. "This year, weddings are all about fragrance," begins Clare, who is just in the process of planning a wedding herself and being immersed in the world of perfumery on a daily basis, knows a thing or two about fragrance and weddings.

Vera Wang PARTY Prosecco DOC launches in the UK

Internationally renowned designer and style icon Vera Wang has just launched her premium Vera Wang PARTY Prosecco DOC wines here in the UK. The most stylish choice for weddings and every other kind of celebration, the top-quality sparkling white and rosé wines come in stunning matt silver bottles as striking as her fashion, fragrance, jewellery, home and accessories designs. "Prosecco isn't just for special occasions. Whether you are celebrating by yourself, or with friends, PARTY is about toasting every day, making the most of life's moments," says Vera Wang. The Vera Wang PARTY Prosecco DOC white wine is crafted from 100% Glera grapes and boasts aromas of apple and stone fruit, citrus notes and fresh acidity on the palate, with a soft and fruity finish. It's perfect for any occasion, brunch, party or wedding, paired as an aperitif with seafood, cheeses and salty snacks, or to serve with more substantial dishes including pasta, sushi, fried chicken and spicy Chinese takeaways!

Norfolk wedding caterer scoops top award

There's nothing we like more than giving a shout-out to homegrown, local talent. Step up Emma Boubaker, born and bred on the North Norfolk coast, she worked for several leading restaurants, pubs and venues locally before launching Bayfield Catering. Now the business has earned a top accolade as Best Norfolk Wedding Catering Company in the SME UK Enterprise Awards 2022. "It's awesome," says a delighted Emma. "Just to have been nominated is an achievement. A lot of work goes into weddings and it's nice to get recognition for what we do, not just for the day itself but all the work that goes on behind the scenes."

Chelsea Peers, has unveiled a stunning bridal edit

Modern loungewear brand, Chelsea Peers, has unveiled a stunning bridal edit designed with the bride tribe in mind! This elegant collection of women's sleepwear, loungewear and swimwear in silky satin and modal provides the perfect lounging look to take the crew from hen party to big day. From gorgeous satin PJs like the Sage Bee Print Button Up Short Pyjama Set (£38) to the lovely Gingham Scoop Back Swimsuit (£42) there's something for everyone to look and feel confident and wedding picture ready!

94% of dog owners getting married want to involve their pets

On the biggest day of their lives, 94% of dog owners planning a wedding for this year revealed they will give their dog a starring role in the celebrations. This shows a new trend for this year, increasing by more than a third (39%) since pre-Covid and reaching more than three times the level of 30 years ago (213% increase). The new research by charity Guide Dogs shows that the wedding roles dogs can expect to play over the next 12 months will vary. The most common roles were however found to be starring in the first dance (42%), walking a bride down the aisle (39%), being the Dog of Honour or Best Man (37%) or taking ringbearer responsibilities (30%).

The most Instagrammable wedding flowers

Trying to decide between roses and hydrangea for your wedding? Perhaps this latest research from gardening experts AllAboutGardening.com will help! The company analysed hashtag counts of over 100 different types of flowers, on Instagram to establish which flower is the most popular on the social media platform. Roses were revealed as the most Instagrammable flower. To date, there are 79.6million posts using the hashtag 'rose' or 'roses', contributing to its status as the most Instagrammable flower. Roses, when cut, can typically last up to one week but to keep the flower fresh requires additional care tips. The best way to keep roses fresh is to remove all the leaves from the stem, as allowing leaves to be submerged in water can lead to your roses harbouring bacteria and will speed up the process of your roses wilting. Similarly, roses should always be kept in a cool spot with vase water that is regularly changed.

Is a pre-nup on your wedding to-do list?

Whilst this wedding season, most nearlyweds-to-be will be considering invites, dresses, venues and flowers, an increasing number will have pre-nuptial agreements on their minds before they walk down the aisle. Market research from leading consumer legal services company, Slater and Gordon, shows that more than half (53%) of unmarried couples would only consider getting married, if a pre-nuptial agreement was put in place. The research is following the news that Britney Spears and her new husband, Sam Asghari, signed an "iron-clad" prenuptial agreement before their wedding, last month. It is understood that one of the conditions of the document is that if the couple were to separate, Sam wouldn't be entitled to any of the tens of millions that Britney earned prior to their marriage.

10 simple tips for a stress-free wedding

From trying to keep yourself and your spouse-to-be happy, to accommodating ample requests from friends and family, weddings can cause a lot of stress and anxiety during the planning period as well as on the big day itself. In the past year searches for 'wedding anxiety' have increased by +60% which highlights you're not the only one if you're feeling like this. To ensure couples have a wonderful and stress-free wedding experience, life insurance broker, Reassured has put together 10 helpful tips to reduce stress.

3 months for your father-in-law to like you!

A new survey, conducted by greetings card marketplace, thortful.com, has looked to reveal the time it takes father-in-laws to approve of their son/daughter's partner, revealing that the average amount of time is three months. The study quizzed 1,000 father-in-laws across the UK on how long it takes for them to approve of their son-in-law, as well as the attributes that are most important to them. It was found that a quarter of father-in-laws (25%) said they actually approved of their son/daughter partner from the first moment they met them, with just less than one in 10 (9%) taking 7 months or longer to approve.

The UK's most popular wedding venues

Here in the UK we're truly blessed with ample gorgeous wedding venues offering couples tying the knot in this country such variety; from historic castle to beach-side hotels, Victorian manor houses to tree houses and woodland weddings - the options really are endless. The wedding financial experts at money.co.uk analysed TripAdvisor to reveal the venues with the most mentions of 'weddings' in their reviews and then used Instagram data to discover which ones have been shared the most on the platform and ranked them from highest to lowest to reveal the most popular in the UK.