Your Sussex Wedding news and ideas from around the area

5 unique winter wedding trends for 2023

From décor inspired by the season's natural beauty to creative ways to keep your guests warm, wedding supply experts Aura Print have searched TikTok to bring you the top five quirky winter wedding trends for 2023.While traditional wedding fayre often includes champagne toasts and wine, a hot chocolate bar offers a warm, decadent, and customisable alternative for the colder months. As the evening progresses and temperatures drop, guests can enjoy a sweet treat to keep them going on the dance floor. For younger guests or for those who don't drink alcohol, a hot chocolate bar also provides a great non-alcoholic option. With over 112.7 million TikTok hashtag views, the hot chocolate wedding bar trend is set to take the winter wedding season by storm!

A more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings

Reports suggest that 4,910 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used up and left behind at British weddings last year, with this in mind, 77 Diamonds has released a planning guide to promote a more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings. Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What's more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground. But it's not just plastic which has an impact. Food wastage is also a common theme for most weddings.

Kate and Kate Celebrants tipped for the top

Kate and Kate Celebrants are super-proud to be named in a 2023 industry list of the top 29 celebrants in the UK, especially since they're the only ones from Sussex! Kate and Kate say, "As we're knee-deep in 2023 wedding season we're loving meeting our couples, hearing their stories, getting a feel for the vibe they're after for their ceremony, throwing ideas about and drawing on our many years of experience to give them the best wedding ever. In fact, we still love the whole process as much as we did when we started. We're so thrilled that our couples thought enough of us to not only nominate us but follow up with votes of confidence in the form of five-star reviews.

AI creates the ultimate first dance song

There are over 217,000 first dances in the UK every year (1,950,000 in the US) yet couples usually pick the same handful of songs. Have you ever wondered why tracks like Etta James' At Last and Just You And I by Tom Walker are so popular at weddings? And what makes them so timeless? Function Central, a platform for finding and hiring musicians and bands for events, have answered exactly that! By analysing the most popular first dance songs to find the top 10 that couples choose, they have used AI to create the world's ultimate first dance song based on their findings, showing couples that they can have a timeless first dance song that is unique to their wedding.

A grand occasion at The Grand, Eastbourne

While visiting The Grand Hotel Eastbourne recently, I was able to pop in to its autumn wedding fair where guests could see this breathtaking venue wedding-ready in all its finery. Able to accommodate weddings of all sizes from 16 guests for a wedding breakfast on the Gallery to 250 reception guests in The Compton Room, The Grand had the whole range on display. I loved the intimate wedding area, with the Arundel Room set up for a ceremony, the Norfolk Room set up for a drinks reception and the Arlington Room set up for the wedding breakfast. Peacefully secluded along their own corridor these three rooms make sure you have the privacy you'd want on your small yet big day.

How to make your engagement ring shine for wedding day

Between shampoo, hairspray, moisturiser and hand cream – we can all agree that our beautiful engagement rings go through a lot on a daily basis. After all, many of us wear them every day without ever taking them off! But if your big day is just around the corner, it's crucial to keep your ring looking its best for those all-important wedding photos and to ensure your nearest and dearest see it in all its glory. With this in mind, experts at family-owned jewellers and diamond merchants, Chisholm Hunter, offer their specialist advice on how to get your ring gleaming before your big day... Max Brown, Retail Director at Chisholm Hunter, shares their top tips for ensuring your engagement ring is sparkling ahead of your wedding day: "If you want your precious jewellery to look its best on the big day, we recommend taking your ring to a professional jewellers for both ultrasonic and steam cleaning and using fine emery paper followed by a full polish to remove any surface scratching.

Venues for the perfect autumnal ceremony

New research conducted by ethical jewellery brand Sacet has revealed the top country wedding venues across the UK that would make the perfect location for an autumnal ceremony. By analysing a number of factors (including guest capacity, number of reviews, professionalism, quality of service and value for money) of over 30 wedding venues that offer barn, country and forest-style weddings in the UK, the top 10 were revealed. Brinsop Court Manor House and Barn, in Hereford, has been crowned the overall winner, with top ratings across all factors (quality of service, response time, professionalism, value for money flexibility and average rating). It also had the most number of reviews and can hold between 30 to 250 guests.

The most popular spas to escape to have been revealed by Spabreaks.com

The most popular spas to escape to have been revealed by Spabreaks.com, with East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa featuring in the top five. The UK countryside offers some of the most dramatically beautiful and diverse retreats you could ask for when it comes to a spa escape. From classic and exquisitely luxurious country house hotels to eco spa; total wellbeing retreats to family friendly escapes with plenty of space to roam outdoors. We're spoiled for choice here in Sussex and indeed the UK when it comes to idyllic locations for a mini-break. All rooms in the contemporary East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa overlook either the resort's 18-hole championship golf course of the 1,000 acres of lush green South Downs countryside, setting the scene for a relaxing getaway with your best girls or your soon-to-be spouse.

Are these popular 2023 wedding song cursed?

Research from wedding entertainment providers Function Central shows couples are taking risks choosing songs for their weddings with shockingly high divorce rates. Function Central used existing data on the songs most likely to end in divorce to see whether couples were still taking risks by adding these songs to their upcoming nuptials. This data was then cross-referenced against existing wedding playlists of engaged couples to see whether couples were still choosing these songs for their weddings. The results were concerning for any superstitious couples worried about whether certain tracks were deemed bad luck for long lasting marriages.

Lady M Occasion Wear voted Women's Best Clothing Brand 23/24

Lady M Occasion Wear based in Newick, East Sussex, has just been voted the winner of Women's Best Clothing Brand 23/24 by Prestige Awards. Our huge congratulations go out to the team! The boutique offers a wide range of mother-of-the-bride and -groom attire by the best designers in the business and can accommodate all types of weddings, from formal to relaxed and everything in between. You'll find a full range of sizes and styles to suit all body shapes and tastes, as well as a good selection of wedding guest outfits and a collection of hats and fascinators to coordinate beautifully with any outfit.

5 reasons couples fail at sticking to their wedding budget

With the cost of living on everyone's minds, budget expert Isabel Smith, offers some insight into how couples can set (and stick to!) their wedding budget. The number of couples who are going overbudget on their wedding is dropping, from around 2/3 in 2018 to somewhere around 50% this year. This may be due to savvier couples setting more realistic budgets, or people simply refusing spend a penny more than planned owing to future financial uncertainty, but either way, I am all for it! I've never been an advocate for getting in debt over your big day, no matter how special you want it to be.

The perfect couples advent calendar

Couples looking for that x-factor idea to get them in the Christmassy mood this festive season need look no further than A Twist Of Date's personalised couples' advent calendar. This personalised QR-code collection of romantic, fun and creative couples' activities adds a spark of magic that is sure to make 2023 a December to remember. Perfect for long-term busy couples looking to reconnect through heart-warming moments, it's a no-brainer alternative to the typical chocolate-filled Christmas countdown. Whether it's an impromptu trip to your local ice rink, engaging in an act of kindness together or writing each other a romantic letter to be opened on Christmas, each day brings something new and exciting to share together.

How to master taking the perfect engagement ring photo

Proposals are often one of the most memorable, special and magical moments in a couples life, so it's only natural they want to share this joyous news with their friends, family and colleagues. In 2023, one of the most common ways for couples to share the news of their engagement is through social media. Couples often post gorgeous pictures in real time of themselves along with the dazzling engagement ring. Sharing the news via social media is a quick and easy way of telling your loved ones the news without having to individually call everyone, which can be overwhelming and time consuming. However, taking the perfect photo can be a bit of a challenge. Whilst it's not a competition to see who has the biggest ring and whose ring sparkles the most, a lot of people want their ring to look as desirable and shimmering as possible.

Gabriella Casemore launches new range of innovative, transformable poppy hairpins

Inspired by the wildflowers of the Sussex Downs, jeweller Gabriella Casemore has launched a new range of innovative, transformable poppy hairpins that beautifully combine modern bridal styling with sustainability longevity. Created for brides and bridesmaids, each piece is cleverly designed to instantly transform into timeless jewellery to wear forever, as a unique reminder of the most special of days. Personalised bridesmaids' gift packages are available too, perfect for an unusual pressie idea. Hand-crafted with meticulous dedication to sustainability, each piece is created using recycled silver and ethical gemstones. Other flower designs are also available with a variety of jewellery choices at www.gabriellacasemore.com/pages/bridal-collections

Sober hen parties are on the rise

While hen parties are often characterised by celebratory cocktails, drinking games and wild night outs, the hen-do could soon be shrugging off its booze-fueled persona. Global searches for 'sober hen do ideas' have doubled over the past year while 'sober bachelorette party games' has also seen a 50% increase. On TikTok, #soberliving has seen a surge in popularity, with videos including the hashtag boasting over 650 million views. If you're a bride-to-be looking to celebrate your 'last night of freedom' tee-total-style, party planning expert, Amy Greenshields at cardfactory has shared her four top tips.

Sleep in style at Cottesmore Hotel Golf & Country Club

It's all go at Cottesmore Hotel Golf & Country Club! Last issue we gave you a sneak peek inside the new getting ready room, and now the team have announced the stunning new makeover of the venue's honeymoon suite. The dual aspect, first floor windows overlook the grounds offer swoon-worthy views across the golf course. Using a mixture of rich, velour fabrics in blue and sage green with hints of ochre and red, it really is a room you'd wish to return to after your perfect wedding day. Animal prints and fauna appear in the bespoke wallpaper and artwork, which is a feature throughout the whole venue. There's also a spacious bathroom with a roll-top bath, walk-in shower and his-and-hers basins.

Is lasting love magic, logic or luck?

Does it matter how a couple met? Contented Couples, a new guide to long-term relationships, features candid, intimate interviews with eighteen couples, based in the UK and USA. Each pair tell of how they met, how they formed a relationship and how they've thrived to become a truly happy union. One couple met and married within a month, whilst another two were thrown together repeatedly by a matchmaker who refused to give up - and it is not only guy meets girl either. The couples speak from an array of circumstance, culture and sexual orientations, including arranged marriage, friends-to-lovers and dating apps.

The five best weather apps to keep your eye on it leading up to the big day

Wedding jewellery experts Austen & Blake have listed some of the best weather apps to keep an eye on in the lead-up to your big day. The UK weather has been anything but predictable lately, with September set to be a particularly rainy and unsettled month, according to The Met Office. Top-rated apps help to track and plan your wedding day accordingly. Weather apps are invaluable when it comes to planning your nuptials, but sometimes there's no avoiding the inevitable. That's why, along with listing the best apps for tracking grey skies, the jewellery experts have teamed up with a professional wedding photographer to provide tips on how to get the best rainy snaps.

Even when the weather's a washout, it doesn't mean your wedding photos have to be! Here are some of the best weather apps to keep an eye on and how to strike the perfect pose if rain is predicted:

Don’t like your engagement ring? Relationship experts reveal what you need to do!

A marriage proposal is filled with an overwhelming amount of emotion and is a moment both you and your partner will remember forever. But once the initial rush fades, what if you come to terms with the fact that the ring placed on your finger isn't what you envisioned it to look like? Leading diamond jewellers, Diamonds Factory, teamed up with relationship experts Georgia Sturmer and Sharin Shafer, who have shared their top 3 tips on how to handle this delicate situation in the best way possible.

Fraser Hart launches its stunning lab-grown diamond collection

Fraser Hart, one of the UK's leading purveyors of fine jewellery, is redefining affordable luxury with the launch of its Born Lab Grown Diamonds collection in 10 new stores nationwide. Optically, physically and chemically identical to an earth-grown diamond, here cutting-edge technology is used to create timeless diamonds in a laboratory setting. Blending craftsmanship with innovation, Born Lab Grown Diamonds are breathtaking in their clarity, delivering the same sparkling wow-factor as traditionally mined gems, but with a more accessible price tag. The Born collection includes a stunning choice of "buy now, treasure forever" heirloom jewellery pieces. With exquisite diamond rings starting at just £799, diamond and white gold stud earrings from £799, classic diamond encrusted tennis bracelets from £5,250, and diamond pendant necklaces from £850, investing in luxurious, exceptional quality and utterly timeless diamond jewellery pieces has never been more attractive.