Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding news and ideas from around the area

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.

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.

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.

Meon Face celebrates its 10 year anniversary

Meon Face is an award-winning aesthetics and beauty clinic located in Petersfield, specialising in skin, face and body! Offering more than 10 years' experience, as well as the latest technologies and techniques, the treatments are performed by its experienced and dedicated team. Whether you want to hydrate and cleanse your skin or opt for tightening and body contouring, there's something for everyone. Meon Face offers exclusive promotions on treatments, which include Hydrafacial, skin rejuvenation with IPL, skin tightening with Venus Viva, body contouring and so much more! Book a free consultation to discuss your skin, face or body concerns, and what results you wish to achieve and its expert team will create a bespoke package. Meon Face is renowned for enhancing your beauty with noticeable results, so you're left feeling confident and looking your best for your big day.

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.

The wellness journals from Lovendu you need in your life

With Mental Health Awareness day falling in October, and as we approach the end of the year, take positive steps to improve your wellbeing in 2024 through journaling. The benefits of daily journaling are huge, from reducing stress and improving your mental health to boosting productivity and providing an opportunity to get in sync with your emotions. It's the ultimate act of self-care – and Lovendu makes it easy to take control of your life and truly thrive.

The Grange's Top 10 Tips For A Disaster-free Wedding

As the final of BBC's Ultimate Wedding Planner recently aired and people start planning their weddings for next year, leading historic wedding venue The Grange Hampshire has assembled the top ten tips to avoid wedding day disaster. The Grange, which was once home to royalty and hosted Winston Churchill, has hosted hundreds of celebrations and its staff have come to the rescue numerous times to help stricken brides and grooms - most recently carrying out a 'Repair Shop' style renovation on a three-tiered wedding cake that fell over during delivery by a friend. Coincidentally the same thing happened to another couple exactly a year before.

Getting married? Alcohol-free menu is the new must-have

Samantha Gilchrist, CEO of the UK's largest wedding venue collection, The Gilchrist Collection, conducted a survey of 2,000 UK adults to find out their wedding drinking habits. The study comes as the collection launches its new alcohol-free drinks menu, created in partnership with First Dates star bartender, Merlin Griffiths. The survey revealed that almost half (47%) of those who had attended a wedding in the last five years didn't drink alcohol during at least one of the events they had been to. Sober guests said they were often left feeling uncomfortable at weddings sipping an un-festive soft drink, as 35% of respondents said they are questioned on why they aren't having alcohol. Sadly, a quarter admitted to drinking alcohol at a wedding just to avoid awkward questions or having to share personal or medical information as an excuse.

WILDS Wedding Events

WILDS Events is excited to announce its exclusive Wedding Fayre on November 5th, 2023, at the picturesque Old Dairy Barn, Hatherden Farm in Hampshire, from 10 am to 4 pm. This premier event is tailored for those planning their special day in 2024, 2025, or 2026, offering a gateway to make dream weddings a reality. Attendees will step into a world of inspiration and creativity, featuring innovative setups and a selection of the finest local suppliers. From elegant wedding dresses to exquisite wines, live music, and interactive demonstrations, the fayre promises a glimpse into the myriad possibilities for wedding celebrations.

Find your wedding venue at CWE's Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World

"At Balfour Hospitality we'll take care of every detail to ensure that your wedding day is as perfect as you always imagined. Choose from one of our beautiful countryside pubs, The Goudhurst inn Cranbrook, The Ship Inn in Rye, The Tickled Trout in Maidstone, or The Woolpack in Tenterden, as the perfect setting for your big day. Each of our pubs are located within a stone's throw of stunning churches or halls to have your ceremony, with The Tickled Trout also having its own license to perform ceremonies on site. With our experienced team and stunning locations, we guarantee an unforgettable celebration that you and your guests will cherish forever.

3 things no one tells you when it comes to setting your wedding budget

2024 is set to be a bumper year for weddings. In addition to the usual 275,000 or so which take place in the UK each year, the big day is finally coming around for a lot of couples who had to postpone because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is squeezing all those couple's budgets tighter than ever so we've asked Isabel Smith, wedding industry veteran, to offer her advice on setting (and sticking to!) that spreadsheet. Today, Isabel let's us in on the things no-one ever tells you when you're setting your wedding budget...

The Top 10 Instagrammable Spas in the UK

With National Spa Week taking place between the 4th and 10th of November this year, it is time to book your favourite location to totally relax! Whether with the girls, in a couple, or even on your own, treating yourself to a weekend away at a spa can revive you. Maddie, Senior Marketing Exec at Pink Boutique, says: "Reset the everyday stress with a weekend away at a luxurious spa and hotel. From acres of woodland setting the picture-perfect backdrop to dipping into a pool worthy of Aphrodite, you deserve to look as good as you feel, and with these spas, there's no doubt your followers will be that little bit jealous."

5 engagement ring trends for 2024

With the festive season being the most popular time of year that couples choose to pop the question, it's no surprise that internet searches for 'engagement ring' have been steadily increasing the last six months as we head towards the new year. Luxury diamond jewellers, Diamonds Factory, have used Pinterest Trends data from the last six months (4th April 23' - 26th September 23') to find out which engagement ring styles are set to be big in 2024...

The secrets to a happy relationship

Researchers surveyed 2,000 British couples who have been together for ten years or longer, and it revealed a host of secrets to a happy, long-term relationship, according to those who have achieved it - including having no secrets (43 percent), a similar sense of humour (41 percent), never going to sleep on an argument (31 percent) and regular sex (32 percent.) Over a quarter (26 percent) of the long-term couples polled, said a 50/50 division of household labour was essential to keeping things amicable. Being able to laugh at each other (42 percent), not trying to change each other (36 percent) and having an open phone policy (10 percent) all featured in the list. Almost half (44 percent) of the British couples surveyed, claim they are very happy in their relationship, while a further 29 percent said they were generally happy.

The top autumn and winter wedding trends for 2023

An expert has forecast the wedding trends we can expect to see in the remainder of 2023. Wedding-goers in autumn and winter can expect to see a large emphasis on sustainability, DIY and an ode to all things vintage, according to Rachael Kiss from Alliance Online. She commented: "Wedding trends change seasonally, so it's crucial wedding hosts stay ahead of the curve. Efficient spending, sustainability and a vintage feel are key focuses this season, and rightly so. Wedding hosts no longer have to feel obliged to over-indulge in their big day and can instead, save money."

Frost Point Production is exhibiting at County Wedding Events

Cotswold-based Frost Point Production is exhibiting at County Wedding Events' Signature Wedding Show at Mercedes-Benz World on 29th October 2023. Sam says "With a strong background in sound recording, I decided to further my passion to videography. I have gained a great level of experience in the field and am excited to share my passion for storytelling through video with the world. "Starting the business has allowed me to combine my love of videography and my desire to run my own business". "I am an extremely motivated, personable, hardworking individual, with a sharp eye for detail. With a genuine love for the industry, I am thrilled to be able to work closely with clients to bring their visions to life."

Sentimental wedding bands with Atelier VM

Fine Italian jewellery maker Atelier VM has just launched its beautiful new Impronta wedding bands, whereby brides and grooms can customise their special ring with their loved one's fingerprint. Each 18K ring is a unique piece made using the lost wax casting technique, of multiple finger prints layered, to create a beautifully personalised ring that makes a marriage of everlasting love extra special.

The therapeutic power of music on Mental Health Awareness Day

The issue of mental health has never been more important, three in five people in the UK suffer from some form of anxiety, but almost half of those people keep it a secret as they worry about being judged by others. And around one in six of the British population also suffers from moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Those shocking statistics show that the issue is still not spoken about enough, which means that sufferers feel excluded. But music can make a big difference! Making or playing music has been proven to deliver many mental health benefits.