Due to the lovely long Diamond Jubilee Weekend there will be no posts now until Wednesday 6th June. Bristol Wedding News would like to wish everyone a fantastic break and here's a few of the activities you could get up to in Bristol this weekend.

Street Parties: The council has granted permission for 219 street parties over the weekend. Bristolians know how to party!

Visit Millennium Square: Official jubilee events such as the Thames Jubilee Pageant on sunday will be shown on the big screen.

Watch the beacon being lit: The Downs will host a fun day on the 4th that culminates in the jubilee beacon being lit. The Queen will light the first beacon and then they will be lit right across the UK to mark the celebrations.



                
Televised Diamond Jubilee Concert live from Buckingham Palace on Monday at 7:30pm. The concert has been organised by Gary Barlow and featuring lots of top artists.

Grimsbury Community Farm Celebration Fair: The farm near Kingswood has lots to do for families with a special jubilee event on the 4th June from 3pm to 10:30pm. It features stalls, rides, entertainment and more culminating in lighting a beacon. Find out more here

M Shed Big Jubilee Party: Saturday 2nd June with a range of family activities, fancy dress competitions, singing workshops and entertainment. Find out more here,

Enjoy your weekend and see you all for more wedding news next week.

Sarah Hoare was due to marry her fiance Alex Kaiser (known to friends as Kaiser) on a local family farm near Bristol on the 7th July until tragedy struck in late April and he suddenly lost to a little known condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.



                               
                               

Sarah says on the Kaiser Challenge website "We are a motley crew of cyclists, many of whom haven't been on a bicycle in years and so this is going to be a tough challenge, both emotionally and physically - but with Kaiser's strength and approach to life in our hearts and minds then there is no doubt that we will achieve it."

                                                           

If you would like to support Sarah and this great cause you can either sign up to be a cyclist or make a donation via the website towards the £20,000 target.

Visit the Kaiser Cardiomyopathy Challenge website for more information.

There is a new proposal video being called "the best proposal ever" and with over 2 million hits on youtube already. On May 23rd Isaac Lamb organised the mother of all proposals for his fiance. He asked her to sit in the back of a car with headphones on and then his friends and family performed an extraordinary "Live Lip-Dub" to Marry You by Bruno Mars.




Awww, well done for being so creative Isaac. How on earth are they going to top that with the wedding?!

What gorgeous weather we are having and perfect blue skies and sunshine make for fantastic wedding photos.

However it can also mean hot, tired and sunburnt guests so here's a few ideas for items to arrange in a pretty basket in the ladies loo to help keep your guests cool and happy.

It can also contain a few items that could deal with any little emergencies that crop up too.

Guest Basket Content ideas...

Sun Cream
Deodorant
Perfume
Blister plasters
Lip gloss
Safety Pins
Insect bite cream
Gel shoe insoles
Baby Wipes
Hair spray
Kirby grips
Paper fans
Paracetamol or Nurofen (As long as any medicines are kept safely out of the reach of small children)
Tampons
Tissues

Another fantastic idea is a basket of cheap flip flops for ladies to change into in the evening so they can dance the night away. Hot weather means tired swollen feet and you want your dance floor full for a really fun night.

Everyone loves weddings but there's always a few bits of the day that stand out as they are really emotional or fun for the guests. Here's our top 5 "Best Bits"...

1. Emotional Dads: The first time the bride's father sees her in her dress is such a poignant part of the day. This moment has caused many grown men to fall apart and many brides to have to re-do their carefully applied make up. If you have a photographer at home when you get ready make sure they capture this lovely moment.

2. The Brides Entrance: Next after the Dads it's the reaction of the groom as his bride enters the ceremony that is always a fabulous moment. For the guests too it's a favourite part of the day after much anticipation to finally see the bride looking so radiant on her special day.




3. The Kiss: Whether it's a little peck or a full on snog there's something so special about the first kiss as man and wife, usually met by a rip roaring round of applause by the assembled congregation.

4. The First Dance: Always a highlight of the day as the new Mr and Mrs take to the floor for the traditional "huggy shuffle" or perhaps a carefully choreographed routine. From a waltz to a full reenactment of Thriller, anything goes these days.




5. The Disco: Everyone loves a wedding disco as it's one of the few opportunities to get everyone on the dance floor from toddlers to OAPs. All of the formal part of the day is over and everyone can relax with a few drinks and enjoy the celebrations.

What do you love about weddings. Please leave a comment with your own personal highlights. We'd also love to hear the parts that you don't enjoy for a future article.

Image Credits: How 2 I Do (Kiss photo by Rebecca Roundhill)

This morning it seems the wedding industry is all up in arms over one issue...Wedding Uggs! The general consensus seems to be that choosing to wear the white suede, irridescent silver or sequined wedding Uggs under your dress is totally wrong.


                                  


What are your thoughts? The only real benefit I could see for them is for a winter wedding where the bride needs to be outside for a while on a cold day for photos, but you could get some wedding wellies for a fraction of the price.

I can't imagine many brides choosing to deviate from more glamorous sandals, stilettos or satin shoes but if you don't like heels and live in Uggs and just want to be comfortable on your big day, then maybe these are the shoes for you!

Image Credit: Ugg Australia

If you are planning a fun stag or hen do in the next 2 to 6 weeks you could have the chance to star in a brand new TV documentary.

RDF Television are making a documentary called ‘Stags & Hens’. It’s a fun, light-hearted documentary series for Channel 4, which is looking to examine the world of brides and grooms on their pre-wedding celebrations.

Over recent years stag and hen dos have become events to rival the wedding, evolving from the traditional night out into whole weekend trips away.

They are seeking Brides and Grooms who are up for a laugh and would be happy for us to follow their Stag and Hen weekends in June and July.

If you are interested in taking part, please email [email protected] for more information on how to apply.

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg tied the knot with his long term girlfriend yesterday and used Facebook to announce it by changing his status to "married".

Technology and social media have undoubtedly changed the way we get married and also how we can involve our friends and family.

Often international guests can now be present at weddings via the joys of FaceTime on an iPad or iPhone 4. Facebook can also be used to create groups for your guests to share photos and comments about your day.

Many couples also use a blog or website to keep guests updated on a of the details of the big day including venue information, timings, gift lists and photos.

Will you be using technology as part of your wedding? Perhaps the first thing you will do is tweet a picture or like the new Mr and Dr Zuckerberg get straight on Facebook to go from "engaged" to "married". Check out this wedding where the couple updated facebook and twitter as soon as they'd said I Do.


  

However some are going to the other extreme and totally banning phones from their celebrations for fear that all of the guests will spend all day engaged with social media instead if interacting with each other in real life!

Do you think technology has a place for weddings or should we be sticking to the old fashioned invitations and newspaper announcements?

The market for Wedding Planners is steadily growing in the UK with more and more couples with busy work and social lives finding it hard to find the time to plan their dream weddings. Today Bristol Wedding Planner, Stephanie Allison from How 2 I Do Wedding & Event Planning talks us through how a wedding planner can help you.

Talented acoustic guitarist and singer Matt Bee provided a stunning musical backdrop to the Goldbrick House Open Day on Sunday which you can read about here. His singing and playing was so great that we though he deserved his very own post today showcasing some of his work.

                                

Matt plays songs by a range of artists such as the Beatles, Coldplay, the Rolling Stones, Kings of Leon, U2 and Paul Weller and also works with couples to perform their favourite music on the day. He also offers a range of packages to suit all budgets depending on how many sets he performs. His packages range from £350 to £600 including travel with 50 miles of Bristol.

Take a look at this video of Matt playing the gorgeous "You Do Something To Me" by Paul Weller.



You can find it more about Matt on his website as well as more videos and sound clips of his music.

Let's face it wedding favours can be a bit dull sometimes and end up being left on the tables meaning wasted time, money and effort for the bride and groom.

                                            

Why not do something a bit different with your favours like these fantastic coasters from new Bristol based company The Happy Dove. They are really fun and can be personalised, making them much more likely to be treasured by guests long after the big day.


                                          

They also offer wine glass charms that make great favours and place names for guests and all products can be colour matched to coordinate with your theme.


                                            

                                             
Find out more about The Happy Dove on their website
      

The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning at the weekend in a beautiful dress by Jenny Packham.


                                                     


Designer Jenny Packham is known for her beautiful wedding and red carpet creations that are worn by many celebrities. However now we all have a chance to have our own bit of Jenny Packham glamour as she has designed a range for Debenhams called No 1 Jenny Packham.

This red chiffon maxi dress is very similar to the one worn by the Duchess and would be great for bridesmaids. At £135 it's very affordable too.



Check out the whole range of No 1 Jenny Packham at Debenhams for some gorgeous dresses and accessories or the Jenny Packham website for the full Jenny Packham range of bridal wear and accessories.
     

Image Credits: Jenny Packham News and Debenhams

On Sunday Goldbrick House opened its doors for a fabulous wedding open day to allow engaged couples to view the ceremony and reception rooms as they could look for their own big day. The rooms were styled by The Little Wedding Helper using stunning pink and green floral displays by Flowers By Thea.




Acoustic Musician Matt Bee created a relaxed ambiance while couples milled around viewing the range of rooms from the restaurant, which was set up for a reception, to the stylish champagne bar and loft, which was set up as a ceremony space, with access to the outdoor terrace ideal for summer weddings.




A selection of top local wedding suppliers were on hand to give prospective brides and grooms even more inspiration from sweets and lollipop favours from Bristol Candy Buffet (below) to vintage china hire from Bristol Vintage as shown above. There were also free wedding planning tips and advice from How 2 I Do Wedding & Event Planning.





For those with a sweet tooth there was lots to behold from Vintage Candy Buffets to stunning cakes by Chocolate Delores and The Custom Cake Shop.

Paper Sherbet had original design stationary and HQ Hairdressing were on hand to offer advice on wedding hair styling.




For more information on getting married at Goldbrick House, contact Katherine Minton or visit the website. Please also click the links above to find out more about any of the great suppliers who exhibited.

Chipping Sodbury based Bridal Boutique Future Brides are celebrating 10 years of trading and to mark the occasion they are offering a fantastic 10% discount to any new customers buying brides or bridesmaid dresses in May.

Future Brides' owner Tracey is shown below celebrating the boutique's anniversary.


                           

The Bridal and Bridesmaid collections on offer in store include, Alfred Angelo, Alfred Angelo Disney Princess collection, Romantica of Devon, Veromia, D'Zage, plus shoes by Rainbow and Else. Accessories by Amanda Wyatt and Blossom.

Find out more about Future Brides via their website or facebook page.

Image Credit: Future Brides Facebook Page

Bristol Wedding News are looking for guest bloggers to tell our readers more about their wedding businesses or offer some tips for brides to be.

If you are a local business and would like to feature your events, promotions and special offers on Bristol wedding News, please .

Please share your news with us, especially anything you are planning over the summer months. We also love to feature real local weddings and engagement shoots from local photographers or styled shoots from suppliers.

Please get in touch and get involved as .

Today we have a reminder about a great event taking place in Bristol this Sunday. The ever stylish Goldbrick House is having a wedding open day where you can view the rooms and imagine what they would look like on your big day.

The Little Wedding Helper will be styling the venue and some of Bristol's top wedding  suppliers have been hand picked to set up on the day to give you ideas. You will also get a goody bag and 25% in the cafe so why not pop in for brunch and take a look around if you are still looking for your dream venue or suppliers.

                          

The event runs from 11am until 4pm on Sunday 13^th May 2012 and there is no entry fee. For more information and to register your interest contact Katherine @

Image Credit: Bristol Bites

You may associate Longleat with lions, Lord Bath or Center Parcs but did you know they also offer weddings within Longleat House? As well as the famous safari park, Longleat boats a beautiful house with over 450 years of history as the ancestral home of the Thynne family and the current family home of the Marquess of Bath.


                             

Longleat House offers a range of historic spaces available for civil ceremonies and receptions from the Orangery to the Great Hall, Library or Lord Baths Banqueting Suite. There is also the option of a marquee in the grounds and drinks receptions in the secret garden.


                              

Catering options range from buffets to barbecues, hog roasts and more formal three course meals with choices of organic lamb, chicken or beef plus duck or venison and some great vegetarian options.


                              

To find out more about Longleat House, visit their website now or contact Rachel Sprules, Corporate & Wedding sales Executive by .

Image Credits: Longleat House

Marry Me In Somerset will be hosting a wedding fair in Bristol at Jack's Brasserie on Sunday 27th May
.

                                        


Admission is £3.00 per person with a free goody bag. Jack's Brasserie is situated on the Harbourside in Bristol and hosts weddings as well as private events and parties.It is owned by the Fosters group who also provide catering for weddings and events at many other prestigious local wedding venues such as Goldney Hall, The SS Great Britain and the Lord Mayor's Mansion.


                                           

   
Find out more about Marry Me in Somerset wedding fairs here

Image Credits: Marry Me In Somerset and Jack's Brasserie

Will it ever stop raining? I do hope so as these persistent downpours are really not good for the start of the spring wedding season (or my poor hair). Getting married in the UK is always unpredictable and apparently this early rain means we're in for a long hot summer (I'll believe it when I see it) but if you are planning your I Dos, don't get caught out as frizzy hair, runny mascara and muddy hems are never a good look.

Today we look at ways to work with the rain and not let it spoil your big day. You just need to forward plan and you can guarantee as soon as you buy a few brollies and some wellies, then the sun will shine all day long.

In fact I bought an ivory wedding umbrella "just in case" for my own May wedding in 2008 as forecasts had been mixed and it ended up being glorious all day. I thought it might have been a lucky charm so I lent it to each of my friends as their "something borrowed" and it's magic worked for all of them too!

Local Bridal Accessory Boutique, Bridezillas has a great range or umbrellas, parasols and "weddingtons" to keep dry and stylish on your big day. This Anna umbrella comes in white or cream and only costs £13.00

                                        


These "Catherine" weddingtons are so gorgeous with their heels, pearlescent finish, pink lining and bow and at £49.99 are a good investment, as you could hitch up your dress and head outdoors for photos even on the wettest of days.
 

                 



     


        

















Here's some handy tips to ensure that even the dampest of days can't dampen your spirits...

10 Top Tips for Wet Weddings

• Have a pretty bridal umbrella to hand
• Buy or hire golf umbrellas for the bridal party or guests
• Have a backup indoor drinks reception location planned in advance
• Speak to your photographer in advance about indoor or sheltered photo locations
• Get ready at the venue if there is a room available to avoid getting wet before the ceremony
• Have bridal wellies or weddingtons for outdoor pictures
• It's unlikely the whole day will be wet so be ready to head outside for pictures if the weather breaks for a while
• Plan ahead and inform your guests if the grounds will be muddy so they can plan too
• If you are planning a marquee check that walkways are carpeted or covered
• Don't let it worry you...there are some fantastic wedding photos taken under big umbrellas

Words by Bristol Wedding Planner Steph Allison of How 2 I Do Wedding and Event Planning

Image Credits: Bridezillas

Oxfam has chosen to mark the first anniversary of the Royal Wedding by launching a fantastic auction on ebay. The list of items you can bid for is impressive and includes...

"an exclusive consultation with Ian Stuart and choice of any of his Killer Queen dresses; a private consultation and champagne afternoon tea for two with sought-after wedding planner Sarah Haywood and cake-maker extraordinaire Peggy Porschen at her parlour in London's fashionable Belgravia; flowers from florists such as By Appointment Only and Philippa Craddock; and a luxury wedding tipi worth £5000". Oxfam website




Oxfam Weddings Ambassador Annabel Beeforth, who owns the gorgeous Love My Dress Wedding Blog has coordinated all of the fabulous suppliers who have donated to the auction and she reported yesterday that bids have already reached over £10,000 for the charity.

The auction runs until the 9th May so get bidding for a once in a lifetime chance to win some amazing items. We particularly love the Two Birds Bridesmaid dresses, the stunning wedding dresses and pretty cakes on offer.

You can view the auctions here or read more about Annabel and Love My Dress here

Image Credit: Ebay Oxfam Wedding Shop