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