Bristol Wedding News will be back on Monday 2nd January 2012 and packed full of Wedding planning tips, Wedding venues, Wedding fairs, real Bristol Weddings, top trends, theme ideas and more. See you in 2012.

Steph xx

Local company Aspire Venues has collapsed leaving the future of it's local Wedding venues in question. Aspire Venues owns Chewton Place in Keynsham as well as Brockley Combe Manor and Eastington Hall in Stroud.

All of the companies websites are currently down and phones are not being answered meaning uncertainty for couples with Weddings booked at any of these venues. A recorded message at Chewton Place states that the venue is in negotiation with  another company to potentially take over the business, which would come as a massive relief for those with imminent Weddings.


                                                     

However uncomfirmed reports on social media suggest that Weddings in January have already been cancelled. Longleat venue Homewood Park, which is located 6 miles from Bath has offered to help couples relocate their Weddings if they have availability.

Bristol Wedding Planner Steph Allison of How 2 I Do Wedding Planning is also offering a discounted recovery package to anyone having to relocate their Wedding at short notice due to the closure of these venues. This includes finding a new venue, contacting all suppliers, liaising with the new venue and coordinating on the day. Con if you need any help or support.

If you do decide to tie the knot in the Winter you will probably want a way to keep warm and stylish if you do venture outside for any photos. Here's a few stylish ideas to keep warm and dry on a wet or snowy Winters day.



                                         


How about a shrug to keep you cosy. The Fifi Ostrich Shrug above is from the Bridezillas website and costs £120. Visit the Bridezillas store for these great Catherine "weddingtons" to keep your feet warm and dry if you end up ankle deep in snow or puddles. They even have a little heel and a bow.



                                                 

This Ivory Connie Shrug below from Monsoon costs just £45.00 and would make a great Winter cover up.

                                               
 This scallop cape from Phase Eight is really pretty and would look lovely to cover chilly shoulders. It costs £99 and can be ordered online here.

  

This Christmas Bristol Wedding Planning and Candy Buffet company How 2 I Do are offering 10% off any new services booked between now and the 31st January 2012. How 2 I Do offer a fantastic range of great Wedding Planning packages with On the Day Wedding Coordination from just £350.00 to full Wedding Planning with the Professional Package at £1295.00.


How 2 I Do also provide gorgeous vintage inspired Candy Buffets from only £1.90 per head that can make a great alternative to traditional Wedding favours. There are several Wedding packages on offer from the silver package for 75 guests up to the platinum package for 150.




As the editor of Bristol Wedding News Steph Allison, owner of How 2 I Do has a fantastic knowledge of the Bristol Wedding Industry and works with all of the top suppliers in the area. She has over 10 years experience in the hospitality industry and has worked on numerous Weddings, parties and events,

Visit the How 2 I Do website here.

Learn more about Candy Buffets here.

To get 10% off and quote code XMAS10.

Wow it's less than a week until Christmas now and Bristol Wedding News will be taking a little rest for the festive period with the last post of 2011 on Friday 23rd December. But never fear, we will be back from Monday the 2nd January and packed full of all of the latest news, ideas, tips and inspiration for your Bristol Wedding. We will be featuring,

• Bristol Wedding Suppliers
• Bristol Area Wedding Venues
• Real Bristol Weddings
• Planning Tips
• Style and Theme Ideas
• Wedding Fairs
• Supplier News and Offers

If you are a quality Bristol Wedding Supplier, please send us any press releases, news, offers and images. Its free to feature and you can reach around 1000 Brides per week. For even more exposure we also have very reasonable advertising available.

If you are getting married in Bristol don't forget to send in your planning questions and photos of your big day once you have said I Do

Email us  to get involved. We look forward to hearing from you.

What says Christmas more than champagne and chocolate (well apart from Santa, turkey and reindeer). If you want something rather special at your Wedding how about a Raw Chocolate Parlour in a gorgeous pink lined yurt. Imagine your guests indulging in raw chocolate canapes and champagne love potions.


                            

We introduced you to Wedding Yurts in a post back in August. Read all about them here. The best news about the Raw Chocolate Parlour is that the chocolate is actually good for you as it's packed full or anti-oxidants and nutritional values.


                                                

The chocolate also supports the Ashaninka Tribe whose home in the Peru Amazon has been threatened by logging. Raw chocolate helps them through fair and sustainable trade of cacao. Find out more about having your own sumptuous Raw Chocolate Parlour here

Photos courtesy of The Raw Chocolate Parlour

Christmas is also a great time for a Candy Buffet, whether for paries or Weddings. Here's some Christmas Candy Buffet and dessert table ideas. The gorgeous one below is from Frog Prince Paperie. If you get chance click the link to see the whole post as it's full of festive cheer.

                  

To create a magical Christmas look you need to include ginger bread men, candy canes and swirly lollies. Gingerbread houses are really magical too and add to the festive cheer. The final one from Hostess Blog shows you don't need to stick to the traditional Christmas colours to look festive.

           

If you want a Candy Buffet for a Wedding, party or event, contact Bristol Candy Buffet who can create a bespoke buffet to match your theme.

 If you are planning a Wedding for 2012 or 2012 then wedding fairs are a great place to meet suppliers and get ideas. World of Weddings is back at the Holiday Inn on Sunday 8th January and with 75 Wedding suppliers in attendance, plus two fashion shows its certainly worth a visit.


World of Weddings is now in its 14th year and is in an easy to access location at Junction 1 of the M32, ideal for visitors who are using the M4, M5 or the M32. There is also lots of free parking available. All visitors are given a complimentary glass of wine or squash.

Two fashion shows take place at 12 noon and 2.30 pm featuring bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride and men’s formal wear.

Entry costs £2 per person. To find out more visit the website now

Are you struggling to find a stylish Bridesmaid's dress that suits all of your Bridesmaids and can be worn again? With adult Bridesmaids it's nice to have a consistent theme or colour but to allow them to express some individuality. Also it's essential to consider that Bridesmaids come in different shapes and sizes and some may not feel comfortable in short, strapless or low cut.




These dresses can be bought in Bristol from the Mews, Clifton. You can also buy a matching bandeau to go underneath for a more modest look, which is great for curvier girls. They even work on pregnant Bridesmaids too thanks to their flowing silk jersey design. They also make ties to match all of the colours for a complete look for the guys too. The Photos below courtesy of Two Birds at the Mews Clifton, show the full length dress with two of the 15 options.

If you have left it a bit late with the Christmas cards, or just prefer a more modern approach, she also has a great range of e-cards. You can subscribe to a range of 12 e-cards designs for £5 per year and send as many as you like, with a choice of 1500 images.




Visit Rachel's website now to look at her brilliant designs for Christmas and Weddings.

Images courtesy of Rachel Goodchild Designs

A while ago I promised you some gorgeous winter weddings. Well, you're in for a treat with this beauty, courtesy of the Little Wedding Helper, who styled the day. The lovely Bride & Groom were Ellen & Neil Sanders who tied the knot at Westbury-On-Trym Parish Church before heading to the fantastic Kingscote Barn for their winter themed reception.



Although it was Christmas the couple opted for colours of purple, teal & green, which look stunning. A special mention also for the Brides shoes, which I am reliably informed are the exact same shoes that Carrie wore at her Wedding to Big.

If you are looking for a dress and haven't visited The Mews Bridal Gowns of Clifton, then you are missing out on a really fabulous experience. They stock an amazing range of designers such Alice Temperley, Jenny Packham, Stephanie Allin, Suzanne Neville and more. How beautiful is this Jenny Packham gown...sigh!


                                                 

Also great news if you are on a tight dress budget as you can now buy some of the sample dresses for half price - an amazing opportunity not to be missed.


                                          

Visit the Mews website for directions and opening hours. Please contact the Mews to enquire or to make an appointment to view or try any dresses.

There has been a bit of a buzz in the Wedding Industry lately about a certain lady. Her name is Emma Woodhouse and she also goes by the name of "The Wedding Reporter". Best of all she's from Bristol so local Brides have her creative talents at their fingertips, though she works across the UK as well as writing for Wedding magazines and other publications.



Today she has written us a special piece about her life as a Wedding Reporter. Over to Emma to explain what exactly a Wedding Reporter does...

Today we are featuring Port Out Starboard Home, a Bristol based Mother and Daughter business that came about after Georgie got married and made her own headband out of pieces found in her Granny's jewellery box.


                               



Jill and Georgie told us "We are passionate about beautiful, handcrafted jewellery and particularly enjoy using recycled and vintage items in our hair accessories. We love vintage jewellery, the rhinestone, paste and pearl pieces have an amazing lustre, sparkle and luxurious feel. Our glamorous hair accessories incorporate vintage items such as brooches earrings and necklaces and are carefully made to be timeless and classic heirlooms of the future."

                           

Mullion Cove is a Bristol based company specialing in Cornish food. Not only do their delicious biscuits and treats make brilliant Wedding favours, they also have loads of products on their website that would make ideal Christmas gifts.

I was lucky to try some of their Cornish Farings at an event and they are absolutely delicious.
they also offer hampers that would make a perfect present for a loved one at Christmas or a great thank you for someone in your Wedding.



They are currently selling limited edition white chocolate and cranberry fairings for Christmas so don't miss out on these as they look delicious.

Visit the website to order some lovely goodies now.

Can you believe it's December already. It's a bit of a quiet month in the World of Weddings but don't forget the Love Actually Christmas Wedding Fair at Bristol Zoo this Sunday.

On Saturday 17th December, there's a fantastic Wedding Planning Workshop held by How 2 I Do. Book tickets at www.how2ido.co.uk to learn how to pick a theme, make a mood board, plan a timetable for the big day and arrange a table plan, plus much more. It costs just £25 per person.

Also don't forget to open those advent calendars and make a list for Santa. This month we'll be featuring some great gifts available to buy from local Wedding suppliers as well as some Winter Weddings and DIY tips for decorations and treats.

Keep checking back and join us in feeling festive this December

Bristol Wedding Planner Steph Allison comes to the rescue to solve all those little Wedding problems. Today it's Post Wedding Blues.

Planning a Wedding takes a lot of time and focus and though it can be stressful at times all of your input is rewarded with a fantastic day that you will remember for the rest of your life. However one thing we often don't think about is what to do after the confetti has been swept up and your honeymoon tan has faded.

Often you are left feeling a bit deflated after your Wedding is over. Suddenly the stoplight is no longer on you and you have no exciting projects on the horizon. So here's a few tips to get you through this post Wedding lull.

1. Look through your photos and select which ones will go into albums or be framed
2. Send out hand written thank you cards to everyone who sent you a gift.
3. Watch your Wedding DVD if you have one to relive the day
4. Plan a new project together like a holiday or day trip somewhere fun
5. Have your dress cleaned, wrapped in acid free tissue paper and stored safely
6. Have your Wedding shoes dyed and wear them on a fun night out
7. Eat any left over cake (ask someone to freeze it while you are on your honeymoon)
8. Share your new Wedding expertise and help friends plan their big day
9. Make a Wedding box to store your garter, jewellery and other memories in
10. Make some photo books for family as they make great gifts. Try photo box for this

I hope these tips help and if you were wondering, it is still perfectly acceptable to buy Wedding magazines and read Wedding blogs after you are Married. Maybe just don't tell anyone!

The National Wedding Industry Awards are held annually to recognise and reward excellence in the Wedding Industry. As the UK Wedding Industry is not regulated it's a great way to find quality suppliers as Brides nominate in each category and winners are picked by a panel of expert judges, based on Customer Testimonials.

The Regional winners have recently been announced and some of the South West winners are based here in Bristol. This year Kirsten Butler, The Little Wedding Helper won the Best Special Touch Catergory for her fabulous Venue Styling. You can read Kirsten's hugely popular article for Bristol Wedding News on styling Village Halls here.


  

Michelle Jetzer also won Best Wedding Coordinator (Venue) for her work at the Riverstation. We recently featured one of Michelle's lovely Weddings, and you can read about all of the gorgeous details here.



Congratulations also go to Kingscote Barn who won Best Wedding Venue. We also featured this great venue recently, which really does go to prove that Bristol Wedding News tells Bristol Brides about all the best local venues and suppliers. Keep checking back for more fantastic Bristol suppliers and wedding news, tips and ideas.

Also well done to Ambience Bristol who were nominated in the Special Touch category. The Regional Winners will now go on to compete for National Awards at a glitzy ceremony in London in January. Good luck to Kirsten, Michelle and Kingscote Barn at the Awards.

Learn more about the awards here.

The Occupy Bristol protest is still making its mark on the usually picturesque College Green, transforming it from an attractive Bristol landmark into a muddy camp full of colourful tents, discarded pallets and ramshackle wooden structures.

College Green is surrounded by Wedding Venues such as The Marriott Royal, Bristol Cathedral, The Council House and The Lord Mayors Chapel. This has got us thinking about how this occupation is affecting Weddings at these Venues. Most couples spend a lot of time thinking about their venues and probably don't dream of a site such as this on the door step when they pay large sums to book their ceremonies and receptions.

Bristol City Council describe College Green as "an ancient and peaceful city green space". Interestingly their site also says "due to the sensitive nature of the site, any proposal to hold an event...will need to be approved by the Landowners, Bristol Cathedral as well as by the City Council. This image shows how College Green normally looks.


It would normally make a lovely backdrop to Wedding photographs and I'm sure many photographers have had to seek new locations for romantic shots.

I would be interested to hear from any Brides, venues or suppliers who have been affected by the protest. Do you think the protesters should be moved on to protect this ancient space or should we be allowing them freedom of speech. Please share your views in the comments below.

Image Credits Wikimedia Commons

As if you really need reasons for a little trip to Clifton with it's gorgeous buildings, great cafes and fantastic shops but you are in for a real treat with Christmas at the Orangery on Saturday and a Christmas Wedding Fair next Sunday.

Love Actually are hosting a fair at Clifton Pavillions on Sunday 4th December, which has great views as it overlooks the zoo gardens. Pop along to meet some great suppliers and you can also take a look if you still need a venue for your big day as its fully licenced for civil ceremonies and makes a great reception venue.

Another brilliant Clifton Venue you can visit is The Clifton Club which hosts this years Christmas at the Orangery. Why not pop along and pick up some amazing and unique gifts and meet some top Wedding suppliers too such as Bristol Vintage, Chocolate Delores and Rachel Goodchild.

We had a post on fireworks and sparklers to celebrate bonfire night recently but how about this for another great alternative to entertain your guests. Smoking Hot Productions offer a range of stunning fire shows to suit all budgets from one performer to a full 10 person show.

Once you enter "The Wedding Years" in your late twenties and early thirties you can feel like your always at a Wedding. How many have you been to with a traditional three course meal. Was it pate or soup to start, chicken for the main course and then dessert? Probably as that's what hotels and venues offer and you end up going for something safe to please the masses.

However, it doesn't have to be this way. It's time to think fun and original and best of all, doing something different could actually save you money. Here's some different ideas.

• Burritos
• Moroccan Tagine
• Afternoon Tea
• Fish and Chips
• Tapas
• Hog Roast
• Barbecue

                                        
                                        


Another way to make your food and drink more fun is to hire a van, There are many available locally serving ice cream or drinks. How about A Couple Of Mugs, who have a vintage tea van that can be hired as part of your Wedding celebrations. Park him (he's called Cedric) outside the church or at your reception venue and use it to serve pretty much anything from tea and cakes to sweets, cocktails or G&Ts.


                               

Photo Credits: Fish and Chip Catering A Couple Of Mugs

Finally after months of speculation the biggest dress since Kate Middletons has been revealed. Twilight Breaking Dawn part one was released on Friday and cinema goers had the chance to see the beautiful woodland Wedding of Bella and Edward.

If you love the romantic look of their Wedding you can recreate it by buying a copy of Bella's gown. It was designed by Carolina Herrera and has been reproduced by Alfred Angelo and sold under the banner of Twilight Weddings. The dress is available in either ivory or white.


                             

The gown is made of lace and satin with a revealing back featuring 100 satin covered buttons. Bella wore hers with a long veil held in place with a vintage silver hair clip. If you want to recreate your own Twilight Wedding, think a Midsummer Nights Dream theme with lots of flowers, rose petals and romance.