Your Glos and Wilts Wedding news and ideas from around the area

The most popular 2023 trends according to Pinterest

To provide insight on the most popular wedding trends for spring 2023, the experts at Aura Print compiled a list of 25 popular trends after scouring Pinterest to discover the number of Pins for each. And here are the top 15 most popular spring 2023 wedding trends to be insipired by...First place for the most popular wedding trend for spring 2023 goes to the floral-themed trend. This trend had 22,148 Pins on the image sharing platform. It can include things like floral arches, flower-themed cakes or flower crowns. With a total of 11,765 Pins, the blue-themed wedding trend places second in the study. The trend also appeared on 116 Pinterest boards from 2022 onwards, cementing its popularity for the upcoming season. What is more, there's been a great interest in navy blue wedding invites, which had a whopping 16,725 Pins.

Visit The Worcester Lodge Wedding Showcase at Badminton Estate this April

The Worcester Lodge Wedding Showcase offers an idyllic wedding venue, set within the grounds of Badminton Estate. The Wedding Showcase takes place on the 1st and 2nd of April 2023 allowing couples to visualise their wedding day. The venue will be fully dressed for a wedding with a marquee and glamping tents in the manicured grounds, all decorated by a selection of the venue's most trusted suppliers. The main room inside Worcester Lodge will be styled for a dinner or drinks celebration to suit a smaller wedding party. Guests will receive a complimentary drink upon arrival and delicious canapés. All of the suppliers can be booked as part of the Worcester Lodge wedding package with all information provided in the goody bags.

Fancy a big-day cocktail bar? Check out Whitebox Cocktails

Whitebox Cocktails, the ready-to-serve cocktail specialists, have everything you need to create the ultimate in wedding cocktail offering. From classic cocktails like the Pocket Negroni and Squeezy's Margarita, to unique and refreshing long drinks like Hippy Fizz and Disco Baby, take the hassle out of the perfect pour on your big day with a wide range of ready-to-serve cocktails to suit every taste. Expertly mixed by the award-winning team of bartenders, Whitebox Cocktails' convenient single-serve cans mean there's no need to limit your cocktail menu, as there's no mixing, no mess and no long wait at the bar. For casual weddings, cocktails can be served in ice buckets for guests to help themselves and enjoy straight from the can. Alternately, for a more elevated occasion, simply chill and serve the cocktail in a glass with ice and a garnish of choice.

The best UK cities for a hen do

With Google search volume data revealing a 402% search increase for 'hen party ideas' since December and 2023 wedding season in touching distance, organising a pre-wedding celebration is already on the bridal party to-do list. Getting all of your nearest and dearest pals together for a hen party can be challenging - whether it's catering to availability, budget, activity preferences or dietary requirements. Hen party decoration supplier, Ginger Ray, has done a little digging to find the top 19 UK cities to host your pre-wedding celebrations.

The Wedding Guest Chaperone launches

Poppy Hansford has launched The Wedding Guest Chaperone, a new business that helps assist elderly relatives at weddings. She is a qualified healthcare assistant who loves weddings, so decided to put the two together. Poppy tells us:" I can assist with getting relatives organised and ready for the day ahead. I can chauffeur guests to the venue and keep them company throughout the day, from fetching cups of tea to taking them to the toilet if they need assistance. When they're ready, I can take them home and get them settled for the evening. I offer an additional on-call service during the night of the wedding so that everybody can enjoy themselves and let their hair down."

New book launch: The modern couple's guide to wedding speeches

The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches is for grooms and brides who want their wedding speeches to be memorable for the right reasons and to kick off their marriage with a bang. This book is intended to benefit you whether you are straight or gay, whatever your religious beliefs are, or where you live. Heidi encourages us to reconsider old traditions, and tear up the outdated rulebook to create a modern wedding guide. Because speeches are such an important part of the day, she encourages couples to think about who they want to give speeches and what they want from the speeches.

County Wedding Magazines' competition winner!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ, we love nothing more than to hear from the winners of our competitions. In the crazy world of wedding planning, it's exciting for us to be able to offer our lovely readers some exciting giveaways and competitions which will hopefully give you a much-needed pick-me-up during on the countdown to your wedding day.

In the Autumn of 2022, CWM ran a competition, 'Win a two-night stay in the heart of The Lakes!' and the winners were nearlyweds Steph and Michael! The lucky pair enjoyed a stay, with dinner, bed and breakfast at The Wild Boar Inn a traditional Lakeland inn with oak beams, log fires, an in-house microbrewery and smokehouse all in the rolling countryside of the Gilpin Valley.

Enjoy a mini-moon in the quintessential Cotswolds this spring

Spring newlyweds should explore the Cotswolds countryside during a mini-moon in at Bergman Design House's one-bedroom private cottage. For those wishing to rustle up a feast, the popular Broadway Market and Daylesford Farm are located close by and provide the freshest, organic produce from local farmers. Ramblers in search of the most scenic spots will love the variety of rewarding walking routes surrounding the cottage, including the nearby grounds of the beautiful Sudeley Castle and gardens.

10 Most Instagrammed UK Wedding Venues

With over 278,000 UK weddings expected to take place in 2023, there's no doubt that couples across the country are already scrolling through Instagram in search of inspiration! With this in mind, Aura Print has discovered the most Insta-worthy and beautiful wedding venues of the UK. Analysing over 200 venues around the UK, they searched Instagram to discover which venue was being talked about most, narrowing it down to the 10 most desirable wedding venue locations in the UK.

How to save money on your next wedding gift

Receiving an invitation to a wedding is always an exciting time. However, deciding what gift to buy the couple, and especially how much to spend, can be daunting - now more so than ever due to the increased cost of living. Data from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals guests will spend an average of £113.39 for each gift they buy when attending a wedding which, for many of us, is a hefty amount. Anita Naik, Savings Expert at the UK's most trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, has some great tips on how to save money on your upcoming wedding gifts without skimping on the sentiment:

Wiltshire wedding venue Bowood set to host summer motoring event

June 2023 will mark the debut of Masters of Motoring, a new premium motoring lifestyle event from Great British Motor Shows that's being held at the luxury hotel wedding venue, Bowood. The new show, which is to be staged on Father's Day on June 18th should prove to be a great addition to early summer motoring enthusiasts and collectors show as well as to next year's social events calendar, both in the UK and internationally. Masters of Motoring will be a combination of high-level classic and performance car displays, married with a carefully selected mix of leisure and lifestyle luxury retail opportunities, excellent food, drink and hospitality - all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Lansdowne family home at Bowood house and gardens, in Wiltshire.

Unique theatre venues for your vows and and bows!

Finding the wedding venue of your dreams can be a difficult task, especially if you're looking for something with a little less traditional with a little more drama. According to Google trend data, searches for 'unique wedding venues' have seen an uplift of 769% in the last month, and more specifically, searches for 'theatre weddings' have risen by an enormous 1250%. SeatPlan reveal the most unique, musical, dramatic, and theatrical wedding venues around the UK, so you can be centre stage and in the spotlight on your big day.

Cotswold Hills wine sold in Packamama's eco-flat format bottle

Cotswold Hills, the Royal Agricultural University's award-winning wine and social enterprise based in Gloucestershire, has become the first UK vineyard to trial the use of Packamama's multi-award-winning flat wine bottles. A small run of the 2021 English white wine, perfect for weddings, will be available in the new sustainable eco-flat bottles as part of an ongoing, student-led, project undertaken at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and a celebration of how collaboration in the English wine industry can help create a more sustainable future. A core premise of the project is to allow students to gain first-hand enterprise and employability skills, learning about vineyard management, grape varieties, wine production, marketing and finances.

Weddings don't need to cost the earth

With nearlyweds looking to opt for more sustainable choices when planning their nuptials, Talking Tables' new wedding rental scheme ensures this special occasion will look beautiful, without costing the earth. Would be spouses can choose from its best-selling tall glass candle holders in a variety of colours to suit every theme, both clear and brightly coloured bud vases, and handmade silver stainless steel plates and bowls. Tables can be exquisitely dressed for a fraction of the cost to buy and be happy knowing the items will bring more joy to others rather than sitting in the back of your cupboard - a sustainable solution!

5 songs to avoid on your big day

On top of organising flowers, dresses, venues and speeches, choosing the music for your wedding is yet another decision to make. But where do you even begin? The options are seemingly endless and the song you do pick will be the one that you define as 'yours' for the rest of your lives together. Wedding decor specialists Ginger Ray have crunched the numbers to reveal which songs and artists have made it onto the most Spotify wedding playlists and could be, dare we say it... overdone. So, whether you want to embrace the most popular choices (they are favourites for good reason after all) or whether you want to know which songs to avoid if you are looking to create a more unique soundtrack for your big day, here is Wedding Spotify, Wrapped.

The hottest new wedding venue in the Cotswolds opens its doors

Tucked away amidst beautiful private grounds in the heart of the sleepy Cotswold village of Ewen is Water's Edge, the hottest new wedding and party venue on the Cotswold scene that launched in December 2022 in time for the 2023 celebration season. Purpose-built in the form of a contemporary Cotswold barn, this stunning exclusive-use venue marries modern style with plenty of traditional rustic charm - perfect for couples in search of low-key elegance for their big day.

Relax with a wellness break at Glos and Wilts-based PoB Hotels

There's no better time to prioritise your health than during the colder months, when taking the time to relax, boost the immune system and refresh the body and mind is a must. Thankfully, PoB Hotels provide some of the most perfect locations in the British Isles for a Winter Wellness break, whether that be with a Cotswolds spa retreat or cosy stay in Wiltshire. PoB Hotels is a collection of carefully curated rooms, the finest restaurants and spas, and the most authentic regional experiences across the British Isles. Banish the winter blues with bubbles of all kinds, including unlimited spa time and a delicious Taittinger Champagne afternoon tea with Calcot & Spa's 'Winter Bubbles' package. Available for all midweek stays, this package also includes complimentary use of the hotel's bikes, with more than 220 acres of meadowland to explore in the surrounding area.

Top tips for having a low waste wedding

Getting married is one of the most exciting days of your life, and you'll want it to be as special as possible. But you might also want your wedding to be kinder to the planet than the usual nuptials — indeed, a study found that British weddings create 18kg of plastic waste per event, adding up to 4,910 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Even for the biggest event of your life, this is a lot of waste to produce during a single day, and many people are increasingly looking to find ways of reducing it and have more sustainable nuptials. If you want to enjoy the big day but also make it more of an eco-friendly event, suppliers of catering equipment Alliance Online have put together some tips for you to take forward in your wedding planning. Even though getting married is a big event, you can still keep the carbon footprint small.

Proposing a prenup? A guide to practical romance this February

Some consider February to be one of the most romantic months of the year. With January finally over, we can start to look forward to Spring, and the warmer months ahead. Each leap year, the 29th of February is traditionally held as a day when the tables can turn and women are supposed to propose marriage to men, instead of the other way around. However, most obviously, February contains Valentine's Day and the celebrations of lovers up and down the country who look to St Valentine for inspiration for their friendships and romantic relationships.

Enjoy Forest Yoga at The Swan at Streatley this February

Coppa Club is beating the February blues this year with a range of activities and classes for couples and families alike. Guests and locals can participate in yoga and art classes. Activities include Forest Yoga at The Swan at Streatley in Berkshire. At 9 am on 24th February, Coppa Club invites guests to immerse themselves and reconnect with the body and soul in its natural riverside surroundings. Yoga professional, Carlita, will guide guests through a 90-minute Forest Yoga practice followed by a 20-minute walk along the river to allow the practice to travel deeper through guests' bodies and spirits.