Not Just Any Ordinary Wedding Show...

Well those Clever Ladies and Leading Lights in Loveliness behind the genius of the UKAWP have done it again! 
If you're getting a little uninspired and disheartened by some of the more lacklustre wedding fairs and shows out there that seem to be ten a penny these days, then you're in for a treat with this Wedding Retreat! 

The Wedding Sanctuary is the brainchild of the UKAWP, an 'an innovative wedding show designed to offer top design inspiration, personal style advice and the best one on one planning support available.'  Hosted at the prestigious Somerset House, the cream of the wedding crop will be on hand to inspire and guide you through your exciting planning process. 



"Top names in the industry such as Julia Boggio Photography, Amanda Austin Flowers, Sternberg Clarke and Gorgeous Film Productions will be paired with the fabulous wedding planners who make up the UKAWP to offer top tips and the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding every element of your wedding day. International bloggers Staggered will even be on hand to assist Grooms with their suits, stag dos and speeches. The Alliance will also be offering a range of talks addressing the trickier issues when planning your wedding like how to set and stick to a budget, and how to get the best from your suppliers. You will also be able to have a personal tour of the sumptuous Somerset House and enjoy the splendid views and facilities on offer.

BE INSPIRED
You will be invited to sip champagne and nibble delicious canapés courtesy of renowned event caterers Table Talk whilst browsing the inspiration zone for design ideas. 5 stunning dining tables will be styled by wedding planners of the UKAWP alongside Zoe Clark Cakes and Cutture Stationery, displaying the very best of what is available to hire for your wedding reception, with pricing guidelines and practical information included.

GET THE LOOK
Brides in need of style advice can meet in the boudoir where the likes of Sassi Holford and Emmy Shoes can dress you from head to toe whilst hair and make-up expert Elle au Naturel and top personal stylist Katrina Choat offer consultations on how to look and feel your absolute best on the day.

The Wedding Magazine team will also be there to chat through your ideas."

EVENT DATE

Sunday 20 March 2011


SESSION TIMES
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm


(Select either the morning or the afternoon session to ensure every guest has a great experience and benefits from lots of personal attention). Guest numbers are limited for each session so please book early to avoid disappointment; a very limited number of tickets will be available for purchase on the day.


TICKET PRICES
£10 for a single ticket
£15 for a double ticket (so you can bring your groom)


After the show why not pop along to the magnificent One Marylebone for a spot of afternoon tea at The Luella's Boudoir Wedding Fair. With lots more fabulous suppliers to see and a fashion show showcasing the latest wedding dress, accessories and bridesmaids dress designs, this is the perfect opportunity to solve all your wedding dilemmas in one day. Combined tickets to both events are available at special discounted rates of £20 (single) and £30 (double).

Much Love x

Sparkling Spotlight Tonight: Heirloom Wedding Bouquets

Fit for a Princess….Designed by a Twitter Queen!

For the Social Butterfly Brides out there who follow the wedding industry on Twitter (and if not, why not?!) you’ll have already tweeted, LOL’ed, #followfridayed #weddingwednesdayed (and sometimes *blushed*) with the reigning Wedding Queen of Twitter, @hhjtinygems aka Sarah Marks, owner and designer at Tiny Gems. Sarah has run with the number one spot of the Top 100 Wedding Tweeters for umpteen weeks, months even, giving Bryan Adams a run for his money in the Twitter world.

Everything I do, I do it for...You “All our jewellery is handmade; therefore each item is as unique as you are.”

Tonight’s Spotlight is on Tiny Gems’ beautiful Heirloom Brooch Bouquets.

“Traditionally, brides have flowers for their wedding bouquet however Tiny Gems have designed something that is bespoke and is perfect if you want to make a statement or take a break from tradition. Each wedding is individual so why not have a bouquet that is unique with a Tiny Gems Heirloom Bouquet.

The beautiful heirloom bouquet is made to each bride's specific requirements making it a complete one off original. Tiny Gems will create a mood board for you, and consult on your colour scheme for the ribbon handle and the collar of the bouquet to tie in perfectly with your colour scheme.

Each bouquet is made up of approx 30 vintage style brooches and will be a stunning finishing touch to any big day. It is also unique by the fact that this is something that can treasured forever, and pass down to your children for their wedding day.

“I wanted to design something that was bespoke to each bride and something that they could treasure. Each bouquet is specifically designed to meet each bride's requirements ensuring that it matches the colour scheme or theme of the wedding. It also offers something different from the normal wedding bouquet.”

Tiny Gems also offers a fantastic range of tiaras, wedding accessories, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and jewellery sets."

For further information please visit

www.tiny-gems.co.uk
sarah@tiny-gems.co.uk

Make Elbow Room for the Groom...

Get A Free Copy Of The Ultimate Wedding Guide For Men

Weddings have traditionally been seen as the bride's big day, with many women planning the details - including the all-important dress - from childhood. However, weddings traditionally also involve a groom and Staggered, the UK's leading men's wedding website, have just launched their ultimate wedding guide for men - and best of all it's free from www.iamstaggered.com/2011-Staggered-Directory


"The 2011 Staggered Directory covers absolutely everything a groom, best man or father of the bride might need to know," explains Staggered Editor Andrew Shanahan. "Men can pick up a copy for free and it will guide them from the proposal right through to the honeymoon and cover all the important areas like speeches, stag-dos and planning."

Although the groom is often overlooked, he is gradually becoming a much bigger part of the wedding. In large part this is because the financial responsibility for the wedding is now falling on the groom and his bride-to-be. One survey showed that in the 1960s nearly half of weddings (44%) were paid for by the father of the bride - and these days 71% of couples fund the average £21,000 cost themselves. So whereas the wedding used to be about the dad creating the daughter's dream day - now the groom is in more control.

"Let's be clear - absolutely no one is saying that the wedding isn't about the bride any more," Shanahan says. "However, the wedding is the start of a couple's marriage - so it's right that the day itself reflects both of them and who they are as a couple. The groom has a very big say in that and creating a celebration that is all about them and their relationship. To do that they need help and that's why they should get a copy of the Directory."

Grooms, best men, fathers of the bride (and even brides who just want to have a look) can get a free copy of the Directory from www.iamstaggered.com/2011-Staggered-Directory/

As a digital publication it makes it easy to send to a friend, print or download. It can also be viewed on various mobile platforms. If you need any extra incentive you can also win a £5,000 honeymoon in Mauritius and cutting-edge wedding suits from Hugh Harris.

She Looks Like a Sugar in a Plum - Plum Plum!

In the words of Caractacus Potts of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang "If you seek perfection in sugar confection, well there's something new on the scene"...

And that something new comes to you in the truly scrumptious form of Plum Sugar brought to you by the very sweet Lisa Alis!

Well, if like Dreams HQ Valentine's Day is Every Day, you will LOVE these sweet treats from the scrumdiddlyumptious sweet therapy that is Plum Sugar.

Plum Sugar's eatable tweetable treats are perfect for any occasion.

"Whether it be a birthday, christening, wedding, valentines or maybe an anniversary, there is a gift to suit your occasion. We customise a whole range of our products to fit in with every event imaginable, and it's a great alternative to liven up a table or goody bag with something everybody enjoys. We even work to your budget to give you the best value for money" says Lisa.  "Make your event or occasion even more special by personalising your gift to suit the occasion, with many styles of ribbon and packaging and of course your own custom tag or sticker, it makes endless combinations for your gift. 

Surprise a partner with some nostalgic love sweets from yesteryear or some heart shaped chocolates - show the special person in your life how much you care with any of our gifts and don't forget each one can be personalised with your own message.

Our sweet buffets are no ordinary buffets, they are a must for those who love to indulge in all their favourite sweets. From pick and mixes to specialist luxury sweet treats all presented in a selection of beautiful glassware with traditional confectionery tools from scoops and tongs to customisable candy bags. We also design your sweet buffet to colour match your event from ribbons and bows, to personalising your candy bags. A buffet that really completes any event."

You can find Plum Sugar's goodies currently at the below outlets:

Neighbourhood cafe
Moon & Pea
Malmaison
Signature Living Serviced Apartments
Bloom Creative
Booker Flowers

Visit http://www.plumsugar.co.uk/ for more info or to visit the above links.

A Sweet Tooth's Dream Come True! x

It's the Kate Off!

Rule Britannia v Cool Britannia!

Two Kates, two weddings, one title.  But whose will be CROWNED the wedding of 2011? 

In the words of HRH (Harry Ruddy Hill), there's only one way to find out....

♥ CONGRATULATIONS KATE & JAMIE ♥

A decadent & daubached affair with a hint of festival chic, a measure of 1920's glamour and a spot (ahem) of obligatory leopard! Vintage inspired a la Mossy Style ♥

credits to follow...

Be the Sunday Times Dream Bride 2011

Want the ultimate fashion wedding? Well, now you can have it. Enter The Sunday Times competition and you could be their Style Bride 2011

 

With wedding fever in the air, The Sunday Times have put their heads together to come up with the ultimate fashion wedding — and you could win a part of it. They've thought about the dress, the flowers, the lingerie, the cake, even the honeymoon luggage, and scoured their address book to find you the pick of the bunch.

One lucky winner will be walking down the aisle in every girl’s fantasy wedding dress: a Vivienne Westwood couture wedding gown, up to the value of £15,000, made to your liking by the fashion designer’s bridal team. And 10 runners-up will each win an equally covetable prize towards their big day.

So, could it be you? If you are due to marry in the next year, they want to hear from you. Why do you think you deserve to be Style’s Princess Bride 2011? Write to them, or email, with a full-length picture of yourself, telling them, in no more than 250 words, why you deserve to win. It could be for reasons of pure romance, for triumph over tragedy, or simply for a love of fashion.
The Sunday Times will publish all the runners-up’s stories in Style, and the winner will be photographed in her dress by a top fashion photographer, and featured in the magazine in May. The winner must be available to come to London for four fittings, between February and April, and again for the fashion shoot in April.
Aside from the dress, there are also 10 runner-up prizes:

— A pair of shoes up to the value of £600 from every girl’s shoe designer of choice, Christian Louboutin.
— Anya Hindmarch luggage trolley for the perfect start to your honeymoon.
— Full-day passes to the spa at The Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge, for the bride and three of her hens, including smoothies and a light lunch, plus a facial and massage for the bride.
— A bridal hair consultation and goodie bag from celebrity hairdresser and bridal expert Richard Ward, to ensure your hair is salon perfect on your wedding day.
— A set of bridal lingerie worth up to £500 from Agent Provocateur, the ultimate name in naughty negligées.
— Guilty Pleasures personally DJ-ing at your reception, making sure the dancefloor stays full all night.
— Flowers for the bridal party from the fashionable florist, McQueens.
— The wedding cake of your dreams from bespoke cake creator Eric Lanlard, up to the value of £1,000.
— A wedding planner from the stylish stationer Smythson, a must-have for every bride-to-be.
— A day with Trevor O’Keefe, global make-up artist for Laura Mercier, for a consultation in preparation for your big day and a goodie bag of products to re-create the look.

To enter the competition, either write in to Style Bride Competition, 3 Thomas More Square, London E98 1ST, or email stylebride@sunday-times.co.uk 

Don't forget include a full-length photograph of yourself. The winner will be announced in the April 10 issue of Style

Terms and conditions

Entrants must be over 18 and a UK resident. If you are entering on behalf of someone else, you must get their permission. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant and will be judged on emotion, storytelling ability and best fit for the Style magazine cover image. The wedding must be planned for before February 28, 2012. One entry per person. One first prize and 10 runner-up prizes. See full terms and and conditions. The editor’s decision is final.

Love is on the Menu at this Elegant Country Wedding Venue

A Romantic Valentine's Evening...

Monday 14th February, from 7pm

West Tower opens its doors for a romantic evening to include champagne on arrival and a 3 course dinner.

Champagne on Arrival

****

Home Cured Gravadlax

Horseradish Scented Potato Salad, Fresh Pea Shoots

Terrine of Pork and Chicken Liver

Prune Compote

Cauliflower Veloute

Stilton Croute

Warm Goats Cheese & Red Onion Tartlette

with Red Wine Syrup

****

Roast Rib of Beef with Peppercorn Crust

Wilted Spinach, Chantanay Carrots, Wholegrain Mash

Red Wine Jus

Chicken Supreme, Black Truffle and Wild Mushroom Duxelle

Fondant Potatoes, Fine Green Beans, Tarragon Cream

Fillet of Cod wrapped in Pancetta

New Potatoes, Tender Stem Broccoli, Sauce Bordelaise

Tomato and Spinach Tarte Tatin

Roasted New Potatoes, Tender Stem Broccoli

Rocket and Basil Pesto Dressing

****

Lemon Tart with Raspberry Sorbet

White and Dark Chocolate Mousse

With Passion Fruit Cream

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Butterscotch Sauce, Honeycomb Cream

Selection of Local Cheeses

With Celery, Grapes and Chutney

****

Coffee and Petit Fours

****

£49.95 per person

Mill Lane, Aughton, L39 7HJ

T: 01695 423328 F: 01695 420704

http://www.westtower.co.uk/ sales@westtower.com

Bridal Fayre...

If you don't get chance to sample their delights on Valentine's Day, West Tower are hosting their very own exclusive Bridal Fayre on Sunday 20th February, 10am - 4pm

Free Entry.  Watch this space for more information!

Location Temptation: West Tower, Aughton

"Built in 1785, West Tower has been lavishly redeveloped to incorporate a stylish yet elegant interior complementing many of its original features. It is one of the best country wedding venues in the region.

An array of beautifully designed reception rooms and meeting rooms means West Tower can build flexible event packages to suit your individual requirements. The elegant dining hall can seat up to 120 guests for formal dinners and host evening parties for up to 250 guests.

16 stunning bedrooms and 1 honeymoon suite offer your guests the very best in luxury and comfort.
Venue Capacities
Minimum capacities for exclusive venue hire: 60
Maximum capactities for exclusive venue hire: 250

Exclusive Accommodation
Our exclusive accommodation package provides you and your guests with luxury and comfort. With 16 beautifully designed bedrooms, West Tower is the perfect romantic wedding or event retreat. All bedrooms are included in the exclusive venue hire. All rooms are equipped with; En Suite Bathroom, Flat Screen Television and Free Wireless Internet access.

The Honeymoon Suite
This room is spectacular. Its design is about opulence and shear indulgence for the happy couple to spend their first night together. The suite has a spacious bathroom with double showers and a very large roll top bath in the middle of the floor. The bedroom houses a grand four poster bed.

The West Tower Hotel has grown into something special for your unique day; it has reinvented itself into the only exclusive wedding venue within the area, by Appointment Only. It is the finest luxury hill top venue, oozing understated elegance set in 8 acres of Lancashire’s country side."

Red Carpet Treatment for a Red Hot Lip Trend

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
Gwyneth Paltrow - actress

...And kick-ass this trend it is! Spring and summer’s signature red-lip trend has arrived with an almighty BANG. So when better to celebrate your inner Valentine Goddess with lashings of luscious RED lips? Make up GURUs, best friends and business partners Kathryn Rooney and Claudia Douglas of Red Carpet Make Up share their tips on how to achieve this positively perfect pout.

Get ready to paint the town red…

"Red Carpet Make Up is now in it's third successful year.  Initially mobile, we are both now based in elite South Liverpool salons; Kathryn at Saints on Aigburth Road and Claudia at Matt Cox, Woolton Road. We are specialists in wedding and special occasion make up. We only use the finest, luxurious products for our clients including the fabulous french make up By Terry (exclusive to Space NK), Bobbi Brown, YSL, Laura Mercier, MAC and Armarni, to name a few.


"The Perfect Pout"

Red lips are a timeless classic. Glamorous, feminine and always in style! Many women assume they can't wear it, but they're wrong, its just about HOW you wear it!


Rule 1
Red lips are dramatic and such a statement, it's important keep your other make up minimal. Opt for natural eye makeup and soft blush, that way your lips stand out and you avoid the 'clown' look!


Rule 2
Apply a lip liner. Red lipstick, especially if glossy, tends to bleed outside the lips, so line the lips with lip liner to avoid this happening. You can also fill the rest of the lips in with the liner, this acts as a primer so the lipstick sticks to it and therefore lasts longer.

Rule 3
Pick the right shade. Hair colour doesn't matter, its skin tone that counts! If your complexion is pink you'll look better in plum shades. If your tone is more yellow, warmer reds with a brown base will be more flattering and for dark skins orangey reds are better. Top tip - experiement by blending a couple of different reds to get the best shade for you!"


I experienced the luxurious Red Carpet treatment on the morning of my wedding day. Kathryn used a MAC Ample Pink gloss on me and I’ve been using it ever since. But I’m ready to vamp it up a bit and give Ample a well earned rest with the launch of MAC’s new limited edition lipstick, Russian Red (£15). This exclusive collaboration with Wonder Woman is available exclusively at Selfridges from 17 February and nationwide from 3 March. Call 0800 123400 and ask for the MAC counter to join the waiting list.  See you there…if you dare!

Special offers:
Valentines weekend Hair and Make Up package ONLY £30!!! - Saints hairdressing

For more information on bookings or forthcoming special offers contact

Kathryn on 07876 680 980 / Saints Hairdressing 0151 727 5268
Claudia on 07928 219 618 / Matt Cox Salon 0151 722 6686

Or find Red Carpet on Facebook!

The Liverpool Wedding Show - in Action!

Last month I blogged about the spectacular Liverpool Wedding Show brought to you by Bliss Wedding Shows, which was showcased over 2 days, Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th January.  I attended on the Saturday and spent the whole day there; meeting some really inspiring industry professionals and generally having a ball!  Kid in a sweet shop springs to mind.

The event was organised to perfection, the catwalk shows were choreographed beautifully, and...well, why don't you see for yourself?  I have some FANTASTIC blogs in the pipeline from my findings that day, so WATCH.THIS.EXCITING.SPACE....

Oh, and if you did attend, take a very close look for yourself.  I saw some very familiar shiny, happy B2B's in the crowds!!! X

Promotional video brought to you by www.marrymefilms.co.uk

The Liverpool Wedding Show 2011 Promo from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.

Eat, Drink and Be Very....Generous!

Host Your Own Dinner Party and Raise Money for Macmillian Cancer Support Saturday 26th February 2011

Get together with your friends, family or neighbours on Saturday 26th February 2011 for the second Smooth Radio Starlight Supper with Woman Magazine.

Smooth Radio want their listeners to come together once again and hold a dinner party to raise valuable funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, for the UK’s biggest dinner party and, to give you a helping hand, not only will they provide you with the complete Starlight Supper pack, but also the perfect soundtrack for your evening!

Your evening can be small and intimate for just a few close friends or a large and loud event for everybody in your address book. Arrange your own evening and ask your guests to each make a donation in exchange for some wonderful food and no doubt great company!

Every penny raised from each dinner party will go to the Smooth Radio’s chosen charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Register now to hold your own Starlight Supper and Smooth Radio will provide you with everything you need to make your evening a huge success including invitations, placecards, blank menu cards, donation envelopes, quiz sheets, paying in slips, gift aid forms and pre-addressed envelopes.

On the evening itself, Smooth Radio will provide you with the perfect dinner party soundtrack. From 8pm Smooth Radio will be playing four hours of your favourite music, non-stop. There will be no commercial interruptions, no news bulletins, just great music and many mentions to listeners across the UK who are hosting their own Starlight Supper.

So come on Bespoken Dreamers, EAT, DRINK AND BE VERY....VERY....GENEROUS! x