Your Yorkshire Wedding news and ideas from around the county

The Gamekeeper's Inn Wedding Showcase!

Taking place on Saturday 25th February, 2023, the Yorkshire based Gamekeeper's Inn will be showcasing its stunning Netherside Suite venue, which will be set up in both a ceremony style and a wedding breakfast style, to allow you to picture your perfect day. The wedding showcase will be running between 11am and 3pm, so do pop by the see it for yourself!

The rise of double-barrelled surnames

n the past couple of years, there's been a continued increase in the number of people wishing to join their names. For example, in November, research by The London Mint Office to mark The Queen's platinum wedding anniversary shows that 11% of married couples between the ages of 18 and 30 joined their names. As the UK's leading Name Changing Service, NameSwitch has also seen an 18% year-on-year growth in couples wishing to adopt a double-barrelled surname, which accounts for 12% of the thousands of name changes we've assisted over the last 12 months. So, why are more of us opting to double-barrel their surnames?

Blooming gorgeous blooms!

Jill Alexander from The Little Flower Hut, based in West Yorkshire, brings weddings to life with the most beautiful British blooms. 2022 was a wonderful year for weddings for The Little Flower Hut with some totally stunning weddings right across Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Northumberland – and 2023 is going to be an even more exciting year working on lots of absolutely, beautiful weddings for the most wonderful couples.

Your wedding, your way

With the Pandemic derailing wedding plans since 2020, the next few years look set to be a busy time for couples celebrating their union. But couples themselves are evolving – from individuals who feel shoehorned into traditions or cultural expectations they don't feel comfortable with, to those who feel more confident creating their own idea of how a wedding should be, encompassing a far wider range of preferences, traditions, and cultures. When NameSwitch was invited to speak on diversity at a recent industry event, Bridelux Symposium, the overwhelming consensus of wedding professionals was that they, too, are seeing a change in how weddings are becoming more individually unique; created to celebrate the heritage (often blended) and preferences of each couple.

GREAT! romance to Launch on Thursday 5th January 2023

Dreaming of cosying up with some love-ly film entertainment in the New Year? GREAT! romance, a new, free-to-air, TV channel dedicated to bringing feel-good, romance films to TV screens, all day, every day, is launching on Thursday 5th January 2023. If you have a soft spot for romantic movies and are looking to indulge in escapist entertainment this winter, then look no further! Romantics across the UK can fall head-over-heels with the only TV channel that promises back-to-back love stories all day every day - for free! - and the curated selection of movies is guaranteed to melt anyone's heart at the start of 2023.

Top 10 engagement ring styles from 2022

With a seemingly endless stream of celeb flashy engagements this year (hello, Kourtney Kardashian, Megan Fox & J.Lo), it's no surprise that proposal-fever has gripped us all in 2022. From enigmatic emeralds to perfect princess cuts, it seems we've been privy to every cut and colour suited for a ring finger, but what were the most popular engagement ring styles? Independent and Ethical jeweller Nightingale has uncovered the top 10 most popular engagement ring styles in 2022, according to Google search results. But what was the coloured gemstone that nearly took classic diamonds off the top spot? And which cut dominated our Pinterest feeds? Nightingale's General Manager, Claire Beatson has revealed which engagement ring styles reigned supreme in 2022 and why.

Christmas winter wedding music

Getting married at Christmas doesn't mean that you have to plan a Christmas-themed wedding. Here, roaming band The Travelling Hands, suggest songs that would work well for a Christmas winter wedding and the songs to avoid! When it comes to music, the same rule applies. Just because you want to get married at Christmas it doesn't mean that your musical playlist has to be full of Wizzard & Cliff Richard if you don't want it to be there. When our acoustic roaming band The Travelling Hands perform at winter weddings we see a wide variety of decisions when it comes to Christmas songs. Some want to embrace the Christmas classics - adding these into their day. Others like a few placed in here and there, whilst some want to just stick to their favourite songs without any Christmas numbers added in at all.

Dreaming of a White Christmas with Nudea

Sustainable underwear brand, Nudea, (stocked at Frillies Boutique located in Penistone in Sheffield) is this month adding a timeless off-white to its signature Sheer Deco collection. Featuring Nudea's sheer geometric pattern, delicate Italian recycled lace meets supportive silhouettes to create elevated everyday essentials with an added feminine touch. Beautiful bridal or festive underwear to make you look and feel your best!

Outdated wedding laws need to change

In an article earlier this year there was discussion and praise aimed towards the Government's plans to allow outdoor weddings to be made permanent. The article also highlighted the eagerly awaited Law Commission report into marriage laws, which was due to be published in July. Now it has been published and we have had some time for the dust to settle, Kate Van Rol, Barrister at 4PB has looked into these recommendations, "Are wedding laws at present 'confusing, outdated and restrictive' as the Commission suggest, or would the implementation of their suggestions trivialise weddings and commercialise the ceremony?". Kate continues...

Late date availability wedding package!

A Kelham Island Museum wedding is steeped in Sheffield's history. Located in the city's coolest quarter, the authentic industrial spaces are the perfect setting for your special day! The venues exciting wedding package offer is for 80 day guests and 100 evening guests for spring, summer and autumn dates in 2023.The late date availability, £10,000 wedding package is on selected dates only. So, what are you waiting for!?

Christmas activities from The QHotels Collection

The festive season is almost upon us, bringing with it all that sparkles, from decorative baubles to candles, crackers, and colourful lights. But as December approaches, it's easy to let the time run away. So, The QHotels Collection list their top five ways to keep the sparkle alive, bring a little twinkle to your eye and warmth to your heart in the run-up to the holidays. 1.Start a countdown to Christmas - who says advent calendars are just for the kids? Extend the Christmas fun over the whole of December by finding a special way to countdown to the big day. Why not play a different Christmas song each day on your commute? To really get in the festive spirit why not book a festive activity for every weekend in December? It could be anything from making homemade wrapping paper to heading out to see the panto or enjoying a festive-themed afternoon tea with your mates.

Festive dining at GuestHouse

A quaint, traditional treat that we wholeheartedly believe in. Here's GuestHouse's take on the English institution that is afternoon tea with a festive twist or two! You can expect turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwiches, fruit cake and Wensleydale cheese and of course, a mince pie or two! No.1 York, is ready to get you in the festive spirit! Visit the website for more Christmas party ideas.

Pantone’s Colour of The Year - we love it!

Pantone's Colour of The Year, Viva Magenta, is oh-so gorgeous and perfect for wedding colour palettes whatever time of year. Claiming, 'It's a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative,' how very appropriate for weddings!

Global success for Titanic Spa

Titanic Spa celebrates receiving its fourth global award in the 2022 World luxury Spa Awards as it is presented with the prestigious global 'Luxury Eco Spa' title. The West Yorkshire based spa has once again flown the flag for England and is the only UK property to win a global award. Receiving a World Luxury Spa Award is known as the pinnacle achievement in the luxury spa and wellness industry and over 300 people flew in from around the world to attend the glitzy awards ceremony hosted in Turkey. The award serves recognition of sustained commitment to service excellence and outstanding achievement, and winners are selected by public vote, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication of the winning spas.

New Wedding Planner Journal & Keepsake collection

Just in time after the influx of festive proposals, Paper Crane Unique has announced the release of its Wedding Planner Journal & Keepsake collection launching January 2023. A bride- or groom-to-be's perfect planning companion; organise your wedding plans, write about your personal story and keep your photo memories safe altogether in one place that you can keep forever. The planners are 200 pages of wedding planning tools, inspiration boards, notes and journal sheets featuring a beautiful eucalyptus design inside, cloth cover and gold gilded edges. Priced at £32.95, the collection has a choice of four colours: classic ivory, blush pink, luxe gold and dusty blue.

The best boutique hotels in the UK revealed

The Top 50 Boutique Hotels in the UK have been unveiled. The much-anticipated list is curated and voted by leading industry experts, hoteliers, travel writers and influencers. Chris Lowe, Group Director, Hospitality and Manufacturing at William Reed says "We're delighted to be revealing this fantastic new list and see such strong movement in this year's Top 50 Boutique Hotels. Our number one has jumped up 18 places from last year and the highest new entry is number 5 which is testament to those teams' stellar efforts. With staycations continuing to be a focus for Britons, it is encouraging to see such strong regional presence this year and such a wide range of unique hotel experiences to enjoy."

Luxe gifting brand launches

Brand new to the wedding scene, April & Bloom have a vision to redefine wedding gifting, by providing a range of elegant gifts for engagements, the bride-to-be, bridal party proposals and for 'the morning of'. The luxe gifting brand promises on-trend products and 'insta-worthy' moments, through its carefully curated range of signature floral gift boxes, wedding planners & notebooks, bespoke gift box service and wedding favours. Filled with stylish products from a range of desirable brands – including Whispering Angel, Pale Fox, Charbonnel et Walker, Chalke Valley and more – April & Bloom's signature keepsake gift boxes are unlike anything on the market, and come adorned with preserved posies, all wrapped up with luxurious ribbons and bows for those precious "wow" wedding moments. There are 13 signature keepsake gift boxes available from the April & Bloom website (aprilandbloom.uk), in blush, cream and neutral colour schemes.

Charlotte Elizabeth Photography scoops the win!

The North of England Wedding Awards recognise businesses in the wedding industry which go the extra mile for their customers, providing outstanding service and inspiring their customers to want to actively and positively promote them. Each year, hundreds of companies enter into the awards. Votes are submitted in their thousands. From these votes finalists are created, and the winners are normally announced at York Racecourse. This year, Charlotte Elizabeth Photography scooped Best Photographer. Here, Charlotte tells us more about the night...

Luxury Christmas crackers!

Margaret Dabbs London invites you to join the festive spirit with their Christmas Boutique filled with a wonderful selection of luxurious gifting options for you and your loved ones. Created and manufactured in the UK, this range of beautifully elegant gifts make perfect presents. Yorkshire's Margaret Dabbs London Clinic can be found ideally located in stunning Montpellier Parade, Harrogate, and showcases the brands range of expertly crafted treatments and products which have made Margaret Dabbs London the benchmark in the luxury foot and hand-care market.

Winter weddings: how to create the perfect tablescape

Creating the perfect tablescape to bring that wow factor is an important part of your wedding. But how does winter change things? Here, Suzanne Pearce from the interior experts Casa Bella offers some tips. Planning the aesthetic and decoration for your wedding is an exciting task, but it can be tricky to know how to adapt to the seasons when you are having a winter wedding, as so many classic wedding tablescapes are inspired by floral summer designs. But there's still plenty that you can do to incorporate the seasons and make your wedding table look as beautiful and atmospheric as you like. The added drama of seasonal foliage and scenery can add a whole new level to your winter wedding, and can make for some truly memorable photos. Here, we'll show you how you can create a beautiful winter wedding tablescape that's personal to you and your partner.