Your North West Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Three spicy but sophisticated hen party ideas

Throwing a hen party that will please all attendees can be tricky. Striking a balance between risque and tame activities can be one of the most controversial challenges you'll face when planning. In fact, some of the more crude hen party gimmicks came out in the top 10 most hated parts of a hen party in this report. However, you can create a hen party that strikes the perfect balance between spice and sophistication, ensuring a night to remember for both the bride and her friends. Jess Martin, Hen Party expert at Ginger Ray has shared three amazing themes for the perfect spicy but sophisticated hen party:

Lakeside Hotel & Spa has refurbished its lodges

Lakeside Hotel & Spa is a four-star hotel on the southern shore of Lake Windermere. The hotel's lodges have been refurbished to create romantic accommodation for couples looking to stay the night after their big day. The two lodges have their own adjoining lounge, a huge picture window brimming with views of Lake Windermere and a luxurious outdoor bath.

Set by the lakeshore, with private patios and gardens within easy reach of the Aveda Spa and hotel's facilities, The Lodge is a private retreat in an envied position, yet only a few steps away from the hotel. It offers the best of two worlds: the peace and seclusion of your own place, with personal service, superb facilities and fine food.

Experts share 5 tips on accommodating deaf guests at your wedding

Planning a wedding can be challenging, especially when there are so many decisions to be made and so many things to be considered. Whilst this is your big day, considering your guests can go a long way, especially for those who have disabilities or are hard of hearing. In the UK, one in five adults is deaf, has hearing loss or tinnitus, so the likelihood of having someone who may need additional help when it comes to hearing in attendance is quite likely. Ashish Shah, Audiologist at The Hearing Care Partnership has offered his expert advice on how you can better accommodate your deaf and hard-of-hearing guests.

Bramall Hall is nestled within 70 acres of beautiful parkland

The first marriage at Bramall Hall took place on the 30th October 1599, when William Davenport, the heir to Bramall, was married at the age of 15 to Frances Wilbraham of Woodhey. Full of wonderful history, the property is nestled within 70 acres of beautiful parkland and is perfect for weddings.

The Chapel is available for ceremonies. With oak pews and authentic stone flag flooring, your ceremony will take place in front of the grand alter, with stained glass providing a picturesque backdrop. The Chapel can accommodate up to 75 guests for a civil ceremony only, or up to 60 people for a civil ceremony in conjunction with a wedding breakfast.

These daily habits are ruining your wedding ring

If you've been the lucky recipient of a diamond ring or a piece of jewellery, Nilesh Rakholia, jewellery expert and founder of Abelini, has shared exactly how to care for your precious diamonds to ensure they last a lifetime... Nilesh says: "While it can be tempting to wear precious items such as an engagement ring all the time, daily habits such as cooking and cleaning can damage your jewellery. To avoid this, we always recommend removing jewellery before showering or washing up because the soap can cause a film to form, which can leave rings and bracelets looking dull.

Wedding traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations

Researchers surveyed Gen Z couples and found many traditional wedding and proposal traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations. But it's good news for the father-of-the-bride, as 54 percent said expecting parents to cough up for the big day was no longer necessary. Other things which are likely to fall out of favour are asking the bride's father for permission to propose (43 percent), sleeping apart the night before the wedding (38 percent) and the bride taking their partner's name (35 percent).

Of the 2,000 18- to 27-year-olds, surveyed by Churchill, as many as 86 percent believe the traditional stereotype of men proposing to women is old hat – and women should be able to pop the question too.

A third (29 percent) think that being given away is no longer necessary, while 27 percent say that tossing the bouquet is out of style. Being carried over the threshold (26 percent), promising to obey in the vows (25 percent) and wearing a veil (19 percent) are also falling out of favour.

A third of Brits decline wedding invites due to cost Klarna finds

The wedding season is just around the corner! What is normally a cause for joy can often become a financial strain for guests. Travel, outfits, gifts – the costs can quickly soar to unexpected heights. This is also confirmed by a recent survey by Klarna*, the flexible choice for smart, secure payments: One third (36.4%) of those surveyed said they had declined wedding invitations in the past due to associated costs. Moreover, 30.2% of respondents said they have not attended a Stag or Hen party due to the expenses involved.

Hawkshead Relish in the Lake District has received four national awards

Hawkshead Relish, based in the heart of the English Lake District, has received four national awards in the Great British Food Awards 2023. Launched earlier in 2023, the company offers slow-cooking sauces and jams that are perfect as wedding favours.

Maria Whitehead, MBE, co-owner of Hawkshead Relish, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have collected these four prestigious awards, not only for the products but for our whole team creating our new slow cooker sauce range. We are also incredibly proud to have been selected as the North of England regional winner against so many other amazing top producers, making this a truly exceptional achievement."

9 in 10 newlyweds say budgeting is the biggest wedding stress

New research of newlyweds has revealed that 9 in 10 newlyweds find budgeting to be the biggest wedding stress. Queensmith's research surveyed 1,000 recently married couples throughout the UK, exploring the most and least enjoyable aspects, as well as the most stressful moments, leading up to their weddings and during the day itself. Weddings take a lot of time to plan in order to make them fabulous, but they also cost a pretty hefty sum of money too. Looking at the most stressful aspects of wedding, a whopping 93% of respondents said budgeting was the most stressful part of planning a wedding.

The Langdale Chase Hotel has reopened its doors following a careful 12-month restoration

Standing on the shores of Lake Windermere, the Langdale Chase Hotel has reopened its doors following a careful 12-month restoration. The hotel's new look adds a contemporary touch with calming colours to its 30 bedrooms while being sympathetic to the building's history, which dates back to 1890. Langdale Chase Hotel combines warm service with plenty to do, offering a charming and homely lakeside getaway. Guests can choose to do as much as they wish or kick back and fine-tune the art of doing absolutely nothing at the hotel's private waterside location.

Hen party dos and don'ts according to brides

Planning a hen party can be a stressful task, and with more and more brides opting for weekends over one last night of single life, there's even more pressure to get it right. To help you create the perfect celebration, Amy Greenshields, party planning expert at cardfactory spoke to 10 recent brides and bride-to-bes, unveiling their hen party dos and don'ts. Using this insight, Amy shares her top tips for 'kissing the miss goodbye' in style.