http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/rss.php?feed=newswire WeddingPath NewsWire en-us http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/46/910/ Before booking booze, take on board some expert advice on selecting wine for the wedding from Peter Stewart, Glasgow Director of Inverarity One to One. Research! Taste as many wines as possible in your preferred price range. You are looking for "crowd pleasers", fruity wines that most people will be happy quaffing. Merlot, especially from the New World is a banker. Keep it simple. You can't possibly please everyone, and it's madness to go down the route of getting in a single bottle of Puligny because it's all that Aunt Millie drinks. Ideally one white and one red, possibly with something special for the top table. How much is enough? You get 5 decent glasses of fizz to a bottle...so take the number of guests, multiply by two (if you want them to have a glass on arrival and one for the toasts) and divide by five to give you the number of bottles required. I would also round it up a wee bit as a safety net...you don't want to run out and most wine merchants do sale or return. So for 80 guests having two glasses each, you would need 32 bottles, which I would round up to 36. For the table wine, roughly half a bottle per head is a decent estimate. Champagne or sparkling? There are some excellent sparkling wines on the market, so you don't have to go crazy...although some people prefer to do both, starting with champagne and moving on to fizz. Again, try as many as possible beforehand! Food matching. Worth thinking about as the right wine with the menu will increase everyone's enjoyment of the day. The dominant flavours in the dish are the important ones, don't worry about the garnishes. Ask your wine merchant what he or she would recommend. Money. Pick a price range and stick to it, whatever you are happy spending. Remember to factor in any corkage charges. Photo © Freeman Photographics, iStockphoto Read more Wedding Planning TipsDownload the WP factsheet on wedding catering http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/41/1041/ It has to be the perfect lingerie - and no compromises. Katy Bensley (formerly of Playtex Wonderbra) gives some style and shopping advice. We all want to look fantastic on the big day and finding the perfect fitting lingerie is key to looking good. With a huge range to choose from, it can be difficult to find the right style to flatter your figure and make the most of your wedding dress. Katy says, ‘You need to get professionally measured, there are too many women wearing the wrong bra size! Having found the bra size that suits and fits you with no red strap marks in sight, you need to decide what lingerie style complements your figure - and your dress’. Balconette Bras are generally half or quarter cup style bras and create a flattering look, best suited to A-D cups. Triangle Bras are becoming more popular and are soft cup bras which are great for A-C cups. Full cup bras provide maximum support and coverage and are great for larger sizes with a D cup and above. ‘Lingerie Designers are finally offering a greater range of bigger sizes, including those for smaller backs - which is a growing size trend' says Katy. Now to the bottom half. Men are still buying thongs as gifts, while women are generally opting to buy the brief or French knickers. Either way, ladies want a flattering look for their 'derrieres'! French knickers suit most figures and give a flattering fit with their short style cut, suited to most style dresses. Full or bikini brief gives more coverage at the back and again provides a flattering fit. Thongs need no introduction and provide a cheeky, minimum coverage! 'The golden rule is to avoid the VPL. Your choice of pant should flatter the style of your dress while the perfect bra set should complement your silhouette', says Katy.‘Finally, accessorise with suspenders and stockings - follow your dress size for a good suspender fit. And remember to pack a 'baby doll' for the first night!'All that’s left is to choose the colour of your lingerie! Photo © Knickerbox, Panache, Chantelleclick to read more fashion ideasclick to download the WP factsheet on choosing your dress http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/43/1102/ We know that WP brides are d.i.y clever when it comes to making favours and wedding invites. We think you'll love this paper-pretty place! Ann-Marie Edmondson has designed a gorgeous range of stationery, cards, favours, gifts and decorations for weddings, now available online at Natural Design. Perhaps best known for their paper petals, Ann-Marie supplied 300,000 petals for the film Alexander and also had her petals featured on Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire. Using Saa paper, derived from the bark of the mulberry tree, it is a great option for 'green' weddings.A sustainable resource, the mulberry tree naturally sheds its bark 1-2 times a year and can therefore be made into a natural paper without destroying the tree. The pretty hand made and hand coloured petals are £6.95 for 200 - enough to scatter on three or four round tables. We also love these litte heart wreaths (around 25cm hight) made with hand made paper roses (£16.95) and these paper roses in mini terracotta pots (£3.50 each). The little pots make great place settings or favours with a name tag attached. For D.I.Y. brides, you can buy a range of individual stems, including these medium paper rose stems (£1.75) which look lovely placed on a napkin with a name tag. You'll also find pretty ribbons and little essentials such as dry oasis block and dried moss. click to read more decor ideas http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/45/1829/ Where are you placing your gift list? WP has some essential questions to ask before registering with a gift list company!So the golden rules are...1. Make sure that the company you choose offers plenty of choice - having two lists is always confusing for guests and you end up not getting what you want from either list. 2. Choose a gift list service that allows you to keep your list open for as long as you want and to open it whenever you want it to go live.3. Make sure the gift list service is flexible - if you put a fondue set on your list and someone bought you one independently, make sure that you can swap the list one for something else that hasn't been bought on the list.4. These days it's important that guests can see your wedding gifts and buy online, but make sure that guests also have the opportunity to buy a gift over the phone if they don't have internet access.5. Check out extra charges - you don't want guests to have to pay for the service and nor should you.©iStockphoto http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/44/1725/ Lego is not only our favourite toy, it is a funtastic wedding hotspot with a fabulous mansion overlooking Legoland and Windsor Castle. If you're a big kid at heart and want a bit of fun on your wedding day, check out St. Leonard’s Mansion, overlooking Legoland Windsor in Berkshire. Steeped in history dating back to the 18th century, the mansion provides the perfect elegant setting for your big day, while all the fun of Legoland lies spread below. Only one wedding is ever held in a day, with all the guest rooms on the ground floor of The Mansion House at your disposal. Both the Windsor and JFK Suites are spacious and have great views overlooking the park, with double doors leading out onto a spacious terrace where pre-reception drinks may be served. The Windsor Suite is a beautiful oak panelled room. ideal as a play room, a quiet space for guests or even as an evening buffet area. The room has two sets of double doors leading out to the garden terrace with beautiful views over the park and Windsor Great Park. Exclusive venue hire is from £1400 for the JFK Suite, Bar, Terrace and Foyer areas (Excludes Windsor Suite) of from £1800 for complete exclusive hire of the mansion (all ground floor rooms). Wedding packages start at £65 per head and include access to Legoland theme park for all guests during opening hours. To find out more, call 01753 626209 or go to legoland.co.ukClick to read more unusual venues:Theatrical Touch - rooftop location and access to costume hire.On the Farm - get married festival style in the countryside.Love Train - Rachael and Ian's wedding at Kew Steam MuseumClick to download your venue fact sheet: WP Venues Fact Sheet - everything you need to know and ask when choosing a venue http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/50/1092/ Making a speech can be nerve-wracking, but with a few good one-liners up your sleeve to break the ice you will soon have family and friends laughing. This week we review a handy new book. Top speech writer Mitch Murray has put together the perfect gameplan for making a speech. Including his own tips and techniques and masses of one-liners to be lifted and adapted for your own in-the-spotlight moment. Rather more than the title suggests, Mitch Murray’s One-Liners for Wedding Speeches (Foulsham £8.99) is a complete DIY kit for all those having to make a speech on the big day. It offers a rich selection of ideas, one-liners, quotations and quips you can adapt or import for the occasion. A successful speech depends very much on how the ideas are arranged and structured … it’s not what you say that counts, it’s the way that you say it! Mitch includes the gags. He shows you how to deliver them. He shows you how to structure everything for pace. And most of all, he produces everyone's dream, the successful wedding speech.click to read more on speech-making Photo © Freeman Photographics http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/47/1828/ St Lucia is still voted number one as a honeymoon destination - we check out this paradise island in the sun.Surrounded by the bluest of blue Caribbean waters, St Lucia is one of the most stunning islands in this tropical corner of paradise with its famous landmark Pitons, a pair of immense peaks that rise like towers from the water's edge.  Whether you get a bird's eye view of the island from a zip wire above the rain forest or soak up the last rays of sun on a sunset cruise, St Lucia has something for everyone.Amongst the best loved resorts on St Lucia, Windjammer Landing (windjammer-landing.com) is located on one of the most romantic beaches in the Caribbean. Hovering above a perfect crescent of sand, the resort has a seductive selection of suites and villas, all with stunning views across the deep blue water with huge decks and plunge pools. All villas have a fully equipped kitchen which means if you can resist the five gourmet restaurants you can have a romantic night in. As well as the fine sand beach where you can enjoy watersports, the resort has swimming pools, a luxurious spa and the island's best 18-hole golf course right on the doorstep.Best of all, Windjammer Landing is celebrating its 20 year anniversary with some fabulous packages and offers for newlyweds. Check out the 20%-themed offers, including four-night packages (from £1531 per couple) in an Anthurium Lily Premium Suite by calling freephone 0808 1781819 or email tanise@windjammer-landing.com. If the wedding is not yet booked, weddings at Windjammer are the stuff that dreams are made of. Choose to get married barefoot on the beach under a conch shell lined awning, in a gazebo by the sea with hurricane lanterns or under a canvas of tropical fruit and mahogany trees on the garden terrace. If you stay for more than 10 days, bookings made in 2010 come with a free wedding package!  More honeymoon reviews! http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/42/1196/ We all want glossy, “just stepped out of a Charles Worthington salon” hair on our wedding day so follow these great tips from Skye Norman of Anita Cox salon, and you’ll have shiny locks to rival Jennifer Aniston. Keep hair in tip top condition Have some in-salon treatments a few weeks before your wedding. You can also use gloss and shine products to keep the hair looking glossy and sleek all day long.- Wedding trials Book at least two or three wedding trials before the big day, as finding the right stylist and hair style is very important. Take a camera to get some second opinions – and don’t forget to take your tiara if you’re wearing one. Once you’ve chosen your stylist, pre-book her for your big day well in advance to avoid disappointment- Choose a style that will last the dayA sleek up-style would be ideal where wind or rain are quite likely to play a part on your big day. A good hairspray such as Air Fix by L’Oreal will help hold your style in place. Take a pocket-sized spray with you in case of touch ups. Two weeks beforeHave your hair cut and colour two weeks before the day to ensure your hair looks fresh for your wedding day and will give you time for any last minute changes.On the day Wash your hair the night before, but don’t use conditioner as this will make your hair slippery. To maintain your up-do and keep it secure all day, your stylist will backcomb it or set it in heated curlers to give a strong secure base for the grips to lock into.Top advice Changing your hair dramatically just before your wedding can leave you feeling sometimes a little unsure and uncomfortable, so keep to the colour that suits you best and maybe have some soft highlights put in to give it an extra edge.click to read more beauty ideasPhoto © iStockphoto, Yarwood-White http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/48/1462/ Clare & David26 January 2008 They Met Clare met David whilst doing his make up and costume for a production of ‘Guys and Dolls’. They immediately hit it off and soon started dating. Nine and half years later, David proposed to Clare on her birthday, during an outing to Richmond Park. Despite Clare having been expecting a proposal soon, it was a complete surprise when David popped the question!Wedding Venue The couple wed at St Barnabus Church in Dorking, and celebrated afterwards at Hartsfield Manor in Betchworth. They chose the reception venue because it was only a short drive from the church and the beautiful building had lots of places to take photos in, even if it was raining! They loved the colourings and vintage feel of the house, fitting perfectly in with their wedding.The Theme David and Clare chose a theme of elegant vintage, with a colour scheme of ivory, cream, chocolate brown, mint green and pink. It all started with the lace detail on Clare’s dress, with the reception decorated with ivy, strings of pearls and candles, adding a romantic feel. As table centres, three stems of Amaryllis, tied with lace, were placed in glass bases with roses and trailing ivy. The couple chose favours of cream-coloured crackers, which were personalised and filled with Quality Street chocolates, acting as name places. What They Wore The bride wore a stunning, fitted A-line gown with a fishtail, in French Chantilly antique-style lace and ivory Duchess satin. The dress was especially designed and made by Clare’s dressmaking mother. The bride teamed it with a satin bolero jacket to keep out the cold, as well as a veil and pearl beaded tiara. Clare also wore long earrings with pearls, crystals and diamante as well as her grandmother's bracelet and ring, and LK Bennett gold shoes.The groom wore a black tailcoat and trousers with a white 1850 wing collar shirt, all hired from Dapper in Dorking. David also wore a waistcoat of ivory raw silk with an ivory cravat tie and handkerchief, and a buttonhole of Dolce Vita roses with ivy.Clare had two bridesmaids who wore full-length, strapless gowns in cappuccino brown silk, with beading and pearl detail on the bodice. Clare’s mother made bolero jackets, matching Clare’s, accessorized with feather headdresses and cream satin shoes. The groomsmen wore the same as David except with brown ties and handkerchiefs.The Cake Clare’s family made the three-tiered cake of the couple’s favourite dessert, baked American cheesecake. It was decorated with white chocolate curls and three small posies of flowers with ivy trailing between the tiers.The Flowers Clare wanted her flowers to carry on the vintage theme and had a seasonal bouquet of white oriental lilies, Dolce Vita roses, pink Lisianthus and ivy with pearl pins. The bridesmaids carried smaller versions of Clare’s bouquet, with the church and reception decorated with the same flowers.First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘Brown Eyed Girl’, performed by a live band who were friends, and the music continued with covers of rock bands and the couple’s favourite music.Moment To Remember Clare loved cutting the cake with her brother’s ceremonial sword. She also enjoyed going to the reception on a vintage, green line bus with the rest of the guests, giving the couple an opportunity to talk to everyone. The day finished with an amazing sunset, which added an extra special touch.Honeymoon David had arranged a safari in Kenya but it had to be cancelled days before the wedding, due to the political instability. Rushing around to book another holiday – all without Clare knowing - David arranged a honeymoon on Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. They stayed in a 5 star hotel on the beach for a relaxing two weeks.Any Advice Clare says, ‘Look at what you think you would like first, work out how much it would all cost, and then prioritise on what you think is really important. Making things yourself and getting friends and family to help makes your day really personal and helps keeps the costs down.’ David adds, ‘Have lots of hankies ready - and I'd really recommend bacon butties at 10.30 pm!’Clare & David’s Contact Book:Venue: Hartsfield Manor, Betchworth in Surrey Photographer: Anna Rosell www.annarosell.comGroomswear: Dapper, Dorking Flowers: Thistles, Dorking http://news.weddingpath.co.uk/newsdetail/46/968/ Getting groomed up and perfectly shaved is not necessarily a run to the local barber, but could be more a case of visiting a spa near you! Why settle for a short back and sides when you could be in for an excecutive manicure or a four palm massage?Check out the treatments on offer at your local spa and you'll be surprised to see plenty of men-only experiences - just right for getting you perfectly groomed for the day. At The Refinery, a slick spa based in London's Brook Street as well as at ooh-la-la Harrods, you can go for a regular spring clean with Deep Cleansing Back Treatments (£60 for 45 minutes), a Salt Scrub (£45 for 30 minutes) and an Executive Pedicure (£65 for 60 minutes). Alternatively, you could opt for a Four Palm Massage (£140 for 60 minutes), guaranteed to leave you feeling deeply relaxed and revitalised. For The Refinery experience in your own home, a range of gunk-free products has been created with essential oils and cutting-edge technology. For squeaky clean skin, use Face Scrub (£18), a purifying Chinese white kaolin clay. And get into a pampered-man shaving routine with Shave Oil (£21) or Shave Foam Gel (£12) both with great skin enhancing ingredients. The products are available by Mail Order (08452 305605) or on the high street at your local Boots.Their advice to you? Try not to shave the day before the wedding as it gives skin a well-needed rest. On the day, get showered and shaved just before you are ready for the big day finery. click to read more grooming ideas