Your North West Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Involving your family pet on the big day? Check out this personalised offering

Involving your four-legged friend on your wedding day? Are they taking a staring role walking down the aisle? If so, then you have to take a look at these smart and stylish personalised leather dog ring bearer pouches (£24) from Create Gift Love. Create Gift Love design and make personalised keepsake gifts and accessories to celebrate all of life's special moments, all handmade to order in its UK workshop from sustainable natural materials.

SalonNo.7 is a new salon in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

SalonNo.7 is a new salon in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Owned by award-winning hair stylist Olivia Gregson, the salon has undergone a complete makeover to create a modern and relaxed atmosphere.

Situated on Moorland Road, the salon offers a range of services for brides-to-be and their wedding parties, with something to suit everyone.

Visit www.facebook.com/salonno.7stannes for more information about the salon and what it has to offer.

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.

Ponderosa Weddings Cumbria is a blank canvas that can be personalised to include a marquee or tipi

Ponderosa Weddings Cumbria is a blank canvas that can be personalised to include a marquee or tipi. There are two small ponds that look fabulous in photographs and offer impressive views of the surrounding countryside. With little light pollution, the sky explodes in the evening to reveal a night's sky that's a must-see for wedding guests.

With no set building, couples can choose how they want to celebrate their big day. The land can accommodate tipis, marquees and tents with room for up to 250 guests.

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.

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.

I Love You Thirteen is a new photography company in Whitehaven, Cumbria

I Love You Thirteen is a photography company in Whitehaven, Cumbria. "I've always been into photography and dipped in and out of it for years," says owner Joni. "Becoming a mam and seeing how quickly my son changed made me grab the camera again, so I could capture all those changes. My husband started his own business, which inspired me to take my photography professionally and start I Love You Thirteen. I focus on authentic, fun, unscripted photography that shows your individuality. I cover weddings, elopements, family, and brand photo shoots."

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.

Abbey House Hotel & Gardens is a luxury wedding venue

Originally a mansion designed by the famous architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Abbey House Hotel & Gardens has been converted into a luxury wedding venue. Set within 14 acres of private woodland, the property blends a contemporary style with impressive architecture to create a beautiful setting to tie the knot. The modern space recently underwent a multi-million-pound refurbishment making every room and suite tastefully modern.

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:

Bliss Events by Katie is offering any flower wall and neon sign for just £150

Bliss Events by Katie specialises in venue dressing and styling for weddings and events across the North West. Katie tells us more about her company: "We pride ourselves on being an affordable luxury. We believe 'event perfection' should be available to everyone, no matter the occasion or your budget. We will work with you to create an event for the memory books that will leave your guests in awe!"

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.

Rose Castle is situated within 60 acres of private grounds

Rose Castle is situated within 60 acres of private grounds and offers a diverse range of habitats, from manicured gardens to meadows filled with wildflowers, and open expanses for activities, such as al fresco dining, croquet, picnics and drinks.

With towers, mullioned windows, and centuries of history, Rose Castle is a truly breathtaking building. Offering views of the Lake District fells from the windows, there are plenty of places to explore and take those all-important photographs.

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.

A must see wedding show at Halliwell Jones Stadium

By Fairydust Events & Easy Tiger Events NW are hosting a must-see wedding fair on Sunday 12th March, 2023, at Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Come and see over 50 exhibitors at this stunning venue. Entry is free and includes a bridal catwalk, canapés, a free bridal magazine, complimentary fizz on arrival, a goody bag, exclusive competitions, amazing live entertainment and a surprise guest!

No matter what stage of wedding planning you're at, there will be something to suit with a host of venue dressers, photographers, videographers, jewelers, photo booths, wedding cars, stationery and much more.

Ponderosa Weddings is a new family-run business

Ponderosa Weddings is a new family-run business situated between Broughton and Broughton Moor in Cumbria. The owner, Beth Faulder, tells us more: "We offer a 300-acre farm which started up during the pandemic when I had time to start a new venture alongside my photography business. Ponderosa is perfect for holding tipis, marquees, and tents and overlooks the Lake District with a stunning pond and woodland, ideal for taking those all-important photographs. I wanted to hire out this beautiful piece of land and diversify into weddings as we feel it's the perfect place to celebrate your big day. We're planning to host 10 to 15 weddings a year and have just got our premises license."

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s disco tour coming to a local venue near you!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Christmas Kitchen Disco UK Tour begins in November and here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we think it will make a great night out for your hen/stag or sten do! Tickets for shows are on-sale now The shows will feature hits from throughout Sophie's career, as well as some very festive classics, all in Sophie's own seasonal disco style. The tour follows on from the huge success of her 2022 Kitchen Disco Tour in which she brought her lockdown online sensation from her kitchen to sold-out stages across the country, including a sold-out finale at the London Palladium.