Co-founder of Togather.com, Hugo Campbell, unveils garden wedding ideas for the big day. As wedding trends evolve, couples may be seeking unique ways to celebrate their special day. For those looking to embrace a laid-back atmosphere and the shabby chic aesthetic, from Ottolenghi-style dining and Aperol carts, to enchanting fairylights and the perfect venue.
A festival theme Many couples are looking for maximum flexibility and the ability to perfectly match their food to the vibe of the day. This summer Togather.com is seeing many couples opting for a festival feel for their food, hiring multiple different street food trucks and allowing their guests a choice of handheld food rather than a sit-down meal. This means they can cater to all sorts of dietary requirements and preferences as well as give their guests a more relaxed feel.
Venue If you aren't able to hire a big piece of land or don't have a family member or distant relative with an unfeasibly large garden, don't worry, you can still have an outdoor wedding! Many wedding venues, especially rural ones and local pubs, will let you jazz up their beer garden for your wedding. If you've found the outdoor space, why not stretch your nuptials over a weekend and have your guests camp on site, dancing around their yurts until the sun comes up.
Ottolenghi style dining Couples this summer are also looking for big sharing-style plates with plenty of fresh produce and bright colours. Salads are taking centre stage, and even when couples are opting for meat dishes, they are still looking to serve them "family style" alongside plenty of vibrant sides.
Custom menu items Couples have been looking for very specific menu items that are personal to their relationships - for example, Togather.com had one couple looking for an orange and rosemary sorbet as it's a special flavour combo for them from the day they got engaged. The great thing about booking via Togather is that customers can chat directly with suppliers before booking to ensure that these requests are possible, unlike booking via a preferred supplier at a venue.
Aperol carts Move over champagne trays: Aperol carts are taking over. They make a great option for drinks receptions as they double as a photo opp, and that distinctive orange provides a perfect pop of colour for a summer wedding.
Decor If you're working with a big space, then hiring tents, tipis and marquees is a great idea and offers the perfect place for speeches, meals and your first dance, not to mention somewhere for your guests to take shelter should the heavens open. Once you've got these structures set up, it's really easy to decorate and make them totally your own. For a shabby chic festival wedding, think oversized pastel coloured balloons, bunting, bright ribbons tied into trees, festival flags, enormous wooden lettering for your guests to take photos in front of, and lots and lots of flowers! Lighting is the absolute key and bad lighting will really make itself known when the evening comes. It needs to be moody and atmospheric, created using fairy lights and lanterns... no industrial lighting allowed.
The ultimate commitment: What couples must know before buying a home
For decades, the "gold standard" of commitment was a ring. Nowadays, many are opting to get on the ladder first, before considering a bigger wedding celebration. What's important to remember however is that while a wedding is a promise to each other, a mortgage is a legal commitment with your lender or bank. You aren't just responsible for your half of the loan; you are both legally liable for every penny of it. So, if you're planning to make the ultimate commitment this Valentine's Day, Ryan Etchells, Chief Commercial Officer at Together shares his top four tips for navigating the path to co-ownership:
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Trending Stag Do Destinations for 2026
2026 looks set to be the year of the European stag weekend, with more guys looking at heading abroad than staying in the UK. Yes, according to one of the UK's leading stag do providers, a whopping 59% of stags are jetting off to celebrate in Europe with Benidorm, Albufeira, Prague and Lisbon all top choices for the groom's big send-off. "With the rise of budget air travel and comparatively cheaper costs abroad for food and drinks, it's no huge surprise more stags are looking at a weekend away over staying in the UK," said Jon Stainer, Creative Director at StagWeb.co.uk.
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I SA-y yes! How soon-to-be wedded couples and newlyweds can use their ISAs
From venues and catering to the dress and rings, wedding expenses can quickly add up. With the average cost of a UK wedding now more than £20,000, and with so many other pressures on our finances, putting money aside for your special day can feel challenging. A Cash ISA can be an efficient way for couples to save for their big day. With the Personal Savings Allowance limited to £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers, the tax-free allowance in an ISA has the potential to help you reach your goals sooner. Chris Henderson, Save and Pay Director at Tesco Bank, shares his top tips on how couples can save for a wedding and beyond.
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Married to your surname? 26% of women are planning on keeping theirs
Lots of people are ditching traditions when it comes to modern weddings and marriage - one of which quickly losing favour is the tradition of taking your partner's surname. In a recent survey carried out by Pandora UK, almost nine in ten (88%) women said they think that attitudes to married names are changing in 2026 ¹. When asked, over a quarter (26%) of unmarried women said they'd keep their last name if they got married, whilst less than half (45%) said they'd take their partner's name. This is indicative of the shift in opinion in recent years, as when married women were asked, only a sixth (17%) of women said they kept their maiden names when they got married, whilst the majority (78%) took their partner's surname, with just 4% choosing to double-barrel their last name with their significant other.
