Bristol Wedding News is taking some time out to eat, drink and be merry with friends and family. Thank you so much to everyone who has read, contributed to and supported the blog during 2012.

Posts will start again in the New Year with some great 2013 wedding trends and all of the usual news on wedding fairs, events, suppliers, tips and venues.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

If you want to add some sparkle to your shoes for the office Christmas party or make your wedding shoes stand out then you should check out Mi-Clips. Mi is a clever and versatile new shoe clips brand, which allows you to instantly transform the look of your shoes - they are perfect for brides to be or wedding guests.

 

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 wedding industry judges, based on customer testimonials.

                                                           

We recently listed those Bristol wedding suppliers who had been regionally shortlisted. Now the regional winners have been announced and many of the South West winners are based here in Bristol. Again 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. Michelle won the national award earlier this year so good luck to Michelle at the award ceremony in January 2013.



Congratulations also go to Kingscote Barn who won Best Wedding Venue. Hermione Harbutt also won her category for best Wedding Accessory in the South West. You can read all about the opening of her stunning showroom in Clifton here. Congratulations to the other local winners listed below,

Best Wedding Videographer: I Do Wedding Films www.idoweddingfilms.co.uk

Best Wedding Florist: Bramble and Wild www.brambleandwild.com

Best Wedding Stationery: Archibald Edwards www.archibald-edwards.co.uk

Best Wedding Menswear Hire: Men's Hire Thornbury www.menshire.co.uk

Best Wedding Entertainment Darren Campbell Musician www.darrencampbellmagic.co.uk

Best Wedding DJ: The Celebration Roadshow www.celebrationroadshow.co.uk

Best Wedding Hair Stylist: Fordham Hair Design www.fhdmobile.co.uk

Learn more about the awards here.

The Square was originally founded as Bristol's no.1 art hotel. It is now a great venue lavished in quirky, boutique furniture and stunning art and nestled perfectly in Berkeley Square just off the Clifton triangle. Not only do they welcome reception meals and parties, they are also fully licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies.


                                                 

Some of the most recent weddings they have held have been tea party themed, autumnal wonderland and vintage. Having their own resaurant means they do lots of different menu options from afternoon tea to hog roasts to the more traditional three course meal with champagne reception and canapes.


                            


                            

They offer an in house wedding planner and the team say " The Square is a contemporary, unique boutique venue for weddings and civil services in Bristol. We cater for the full package from the ceremony right through to the wedding breakfast and party.

The Square aims to provide something different to the large corporate hotels and make sure your day is tailored specifically to suit your needs. We are proud to be one of Bristol’s most sought after wedding and civil ceremony venues."


                                        

The Square offers a range of spaces for your civil ceremony or receptions including a secluded outdoor terrace that can be lit by fairy lights, a cocktail bar, lounge and restaurant. You can find out more on the Square's website here.

Images courtesy of the Square website and Pinterest

Recently Hermione Harbutt launched her stunning new showroom in Clifton Arcade to show case her beautifully intricate wedding and red carpet head pieces. The cream of Bristol's thriving wedding industry were out in force to support Hermione as well as a few famous faces with DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles in attendance with his wife Jessica.


                                             


Musical entertainment was provided by the Marionettes who performed two acapella numbers. Guests mingled in the arcade as they sipped champagne or sparkling elderflower and nibbled delicious canapes. Many of the female guests had fun trying on some gorgeous sparkling head bands.




The collection features a wide range of colours and designs. As with the bridal collections, inspiration was taken from bygone eras and applied to current colour trends to create modern pieces with a vintage feel. Large deco roses silhouetted against the hair, concentric circles of delicate beading and bright turquoise framed with gold and lapis are just a few styles of pieces available.

Congratulations to some of Bristol's top wedding suppliers who have been regionally shortlisted at the National Wedding Industry Awards.

                                     
   

Hermione Harbutt has been regionally shortlisted in the accessory category for her gorgeous head pieces. She has just opened a stunning show room in Clifton arcade that we will be featuring soon.

Michelle Jetzer who won the best wedding planer in a venue lst year has been shortlisted again for her work at the Riverstation. several other local wedding venues also make the list including
Eastington Park, Old Down Manor in Tockington and Eastwood Park in Wotton-Under-Edge

Local caterers Fosters Events www.fostersevents.co.uk who work at many top venues across the Bristol area are shortlisted as is Bristol based venue stylist The Little Wedding Helper.

See the other Bristol area shortlisted suppliers below.

Archibald Edwards 

The Celebration Roadshow

Fordham Hair Design           

Darren Campbell Magician


    

Karma Kars Cotswolds

I Do Wedding Films

Bramble and Wild Florist

Martin Pemberton Photography see engagement shoot image below


                             


Sorori Design Florist

Photo Dabek Creative Wedding Photography

Jo Hansford Photography

The Mews of Clifton Bridal Gowns


                                  

Catherine Mead Photography

The Regional Winners will now go on to compete for National Awards at a glitzy ceremony in London in January.  Learn more about the awards here.

If you are looking for a beautiful wedding reception venue  in Bristol, have you considered the impressive Clifton College? Situated in stunning Clifton, right next to Bristol Zoo Gardens and steeped in history, it really is worth adding to your venue short list for your special day.

   

                               

Clifton College dates back to 1862 and boats a number of different options for Wedding Receptions. The Cricket Pavilion is perfect for small parties where guests can enjoy the outdoor space for drinks and you can choose a formal three course meal or a relaxed barbecue in the grounds.

For larger wedding parties of up to 180 guests, you can welcome your guests with a drinks reception in the Newbolt Room and the adjoining East Cloister.  The Grand Hall, with its high ceilings and beautiful windows is another fabulous space where your guests can dine in style before dancing the night away.




                               

Clifton College offers exclusive use as well as on site catering. The beautiful Chapel is available for blessings, though only Old Cliftonians can marry there with special consent. The Chapel can be used as a superb backdrop for your wedding photography to take place.

                     

To find out more visit the Clifton College website or to request a brochure and arrange to visit. Please note that Civil Ceremonies cannot take place on site and receptions can only take place during the school holidays. Term times are available to view on the website.

Images taken from Events at Clifton College. Credits © Lee Hatherall Photography and West Photography

We featured the stunning work of Rupert Ward-Lewis last year and while watching some of his wedding films I was a blubbering wreck. His films have a beauty rarely seen in standard wedding videos where he seems to capture the day in the way a still photographer would. This creates both beautiful and incredibly flattering images with a real cinematographic feel.

Take a look at Rupert's show reel here. If he looks familiar it's because he was previously an actor, working on shows such as Heartbeat.


Visit his website to find out more

The Riverstation is hosting an Eco Wedding fair on Saturday 3rd November from 11am to 4pm. The fair is a must for couples who want their wedding to be environmentally friendly and sustainable. The fair is being organised by Michelle Jetzer who won Best Wedding Coordinator in a venue at the 2011 Wedding Industry Awards.




She says ‘The Eco Wedding Fair’ has all its stalls booked with the most incredible ‘Eco & Ethical’ companies the South West Wedding industry has to offer". There is free entry and an ‘Eco treat’ goody bags to those that register online and on the day there will be fashion, workshops, nibbles, bubbles,   advice from wedding experts, music, theatre, cafe, gifts to purchase, Rickshaw rides, wedding boat to explore, ice cream to taste, plus more!

Learn more and see the list of exhibitors here

The Last Detail (www.thelastdetail.co.uk) is a great website offering all of the finishing touches you need for your dream wedding theme. They have written a fantastic Wedding Table Decorations Guide Ebook' - packed full of beautiful images, top tips and over 30 pages of step-by-step help to decorating the most awe-inspiring wedding tables.

The guide is completely free to download, and they want to share it with as many brides as possible. If you sign up online you can instantly view the guide or have it emailed to view at your leisure of keep in your wedding planning file for future inspiration.

Download the free guide here http://www.thelastdetail.co.uk/table-decorations-guide/

Phase Eight have always been a good choice for Wedding and special occasion wear. However their new collection really takes their range to a new level and would be a great option for glamorous bridesmaids or wedding guests.


                                    

The range is a collection of eight limited edition evening dresses. Taking opulence to brilliant extremes, the Collection 8 dresses feature exquisite detailing to satisfy your deepest sartorial desires. Think dustings of beads, splashes of shimmering sequins and lashings of lace adorning luxury to‐die‐ for fabrics. Evoking Hollywood glamour, you are guaranteed to steal the limelight.

The Pippa dress shown below would make a great vintage feel wedding dress with it's antique gold lace and cut out back design.

                                      

The Giselle Flapper dress is bang on trend with the roaring 20s inspiring many designers and providing a great theme for a stylish wedding. If you offered this little number to your bridesmaids it would give them a great dress that they could definitely wear again.

                                     

The dresses are priced at between £250 and £300 and you can view the full range here

So, you're off to interview another DJ and listen to another wedding band in the hopes that you can find some passable entertainment for your wedding reception. Annoyingly the good ones are either already booked or your guests have already heard them at your friends weddings. You need unique entertainment, something that will amaze and dazzle your guests, and something that will make your wedding the talk of the town.

In the never ending search to create unique and exciting days to remember, wedding planners and couples across the country are booking more and more innovative acts to entertain their loved ones. Magicians with a twist, fire-eaters, stilt walkers and much, much more are now at the cutting edge of wedding entertainment ideas!

If you are looking for the wow factor for your special day Juggling Inferno will make your wedding day an event to remember. Their solo “Pyromania” performance or group fire shows are nothing short of amazing. They can do the shows with or without music and all the shows come with the option of a pyrotechnic finale to finish the show in style.

There's always a lull in the action between the wedding ceremony and the reception. Your guests sit around waiting for you to arrive. But the fire performers from Juggling Inferno meet and greet your guests, entertaining them with amazing tricks and chatter until you make your entrance. By the time you arrive your guests are already warmed up and ready to have a great time.

During the reception, the professionally trained fire jugglers, street entertainers and master magicians walk among your guests, entertaining and dazzling them while they mingle. They tell jokes, we juggle, we do tricks and we wrap it all up in a fire show, the perfect combination to keep your guests thrilled and amazed, while you get to relax and enjoy the party.

And don't worry, they say "Our performance is completely safe and appropriate for all age groups. All of our performers are professionally trained and, if you're worried about the health and safety, we can do glow shows with no fire as well. In fact, we can even set up special entertainment for children to keep them occupied while the adults enjoy themselves".



"Top off the evening with our grand finale – a stupendous group fire show that wows your guests and sears your wedding day forever into their memories. Our choreographed and freestyle shows, performed to the accompaniment of heart-stopping music, are wonderfully dangerous and exciting and leave your guests clamoring for more."

Planning your wedding on a budget? Juggling inferno say they can still help. "Whether you hire us to meet-and-greet your guests or to mingle among the crowd, or entertain for the duration, our package prices are perfect for most budgets and we can customize our performances to meet your needs."

Juggling Inferno have performers based through and the UK and are very happy to work anywhere. For more information on please visit this link

The Hollywood Estate is hosting a wedding open day on Monday 1st October from 1pm to 6pm. There will be Bucks Fizz on arrival and tasty canapes served throughout the day.

As the nights are getting darker and there's a crisp chill in the air, our thoughts are turning to winter. It's time to say goodbye to the glorious, ahem, British Summer and start thinking of warming our cockles in front of a roaring fire, searching for last years gloves (and normally only finding one) and having the eternal debate over if it's still ok to wear Uggs for another year.

It's also time to start thinking about winter weddings so if you're a winter bride or a photographer who has any lovely wintery weddings to share with us, please do get in touch. We'd love to dedicate November to winter weddings and December to all things Christmassy from Christmas Weddings to lovely gift ideas from wedding suppliers.

If you would like to contribute a real wedding or you have products that would make great Christmas gifts, drop us an email soon.

There's a hot new trend in wedding decor and it's a very simple but hugely effective one that takes little skill or expense to make a big impact. Ribbons are huge for 2012 and 2013 wedding and can be used to make stunning backdrops, to decorate chairs and aisles or to hang from ceilings to create a canopy of colour.

Ribbons are a great way to decorate chairs as a modern alternative to white chair covers. This pretty image from Elizabeth Anne Designs shows.

                                           

Use colourful ribbons and paper lanterns or pom poms to add colour to ceilings, as this bright colour pop wedding shows.

                                              

                           

I love the pretty ribbon canopy shown above from Intimate Weddings via the Life Work Media Blog.

To see some more ideas of how you can use ribbons as part of your wedding decor, visit How 2 I Do Wedding & Event Planning's board in Pinterest here.

Goldney Hall recently hosted a wedding fair with a vintage twist in association with Auntie's Vintage. There was a great range of top suppliers on hand in both the main house and the stunning light and airy Orangery.




Couples had the opporunity to look around the venue and the gorgeous grounds featuring an ornamental canal with bubbling fountain, the stunning tower and the intruiging shell lined grotto.

Peter Undery, general manager, said: “We have a fabulous venue on offer which appeals to both traditional and cultural weddings.This event gives brides-to-be a chance to tour our grand ballroom and help couples plan their big day with an extensive range of top wedding exhibitors in attendance. Come and see the rooms set up, tour the exhibition and meet the experts who can help you plan your special day, as well as taking part in our charity raffle."

Admission is free and the event runs from 10.30am – 4.30pm. For further information visit www.thewintergardens.com

Le Soiree des Filles (that's "girls night out", if your GCSE French is letting you down) will be taking place at the iconic Holburne Museum in Bath on Thursday 20^th September. Doors open at 6:30pm and the event runs until 9pm. Guests will be greeted on the evening with a beautiful hand illustrated map of the venue so that they can plan their own bespoke programme of consultations and demos throughout the evening.

     

Set in the stunning surroundings of the museum’s glass atrium and the beautifully classic gallery space, bride-to-be’s will have access to some of the South West’s leading independent wedding experts who will be on hand with tailor made advice.




The line up includes floral demos from the Tallulah Rose flower school (shown above), bespoke stationery from Meticulous Ink and exquisite bridal dresses from The Mews, Clifton to heavenly patisserie from Cinnamon Toast and bridal hair by Melanie Giles as well as wine tastings, book signings and live music. Bride Electric will also be live blogging as the evening unfolds and streaming the highlights of the event via Facebook and Twitter. There is free admission and free parking.

Image Credits: The Hulbourne Museum and Tallulah Rose Flower School

On Sunday 16th September, local Bristol wedding suppliers are invited to
afternoon tea in one of Bristol's hidden wedding venues.

Arnos Vale will have free music, cakes, tea and tours around the buildings and general site. They are licensed to hold both Anglican wedding and civil ceremonies and can hold ceremonies from 2 people right up to 106. They also have on site caterers who can cater for up to 80 people for a banqueting style reception or up to 220 for a chilled out and relaxed buffet option.

Arnos Vale know that getting married in a cemetery might seem like an odd idea, but how many wedding already take place in chapels and churches sat amongst grave stones.

Arnos Vale say "This is an unusual, unique, funky, tranquil, beautiful, scenic venue and offers something a little different to the norm! If you have a couple looking for somewhere a bit different and a venue with a difference but without compromising on location or surroundings then please come along on the 16th September and find out more about Arnos Vale for yourself."

So, if you want to come along then call Sarah on 0117 9719117 (extn 202) or email [email protected] leaving your name, business type/name and how many are going to be attending with you.

Find out more on the website http://www.arnosvale.org.uk/index.php/news/440-afternoon-tea