Editor loves and inspiration

Rosie and Jordi met through mutual friends at Glastonbury Festival back in 2013, and their wedding day took place 10 years later to the day, which couldn't have been more poignant for them. During a tense time for the country, in December 2021, while we were in lockdown but permitted a day to mix with one other household, Jordi proposed in front of Rosie's family at her home. “Safe to say, everyone needed a reason to celebrate at that time and we definitely did that,” Rosie says. Once it was safe to get out and visit venues, the couple checked out a few and although they liked them, none had the charm or convenience of Haselbury Mill for them. “We have a rather large group of family and friends, so the fact we could accommodate everyone on the grounds for the day and night was great,” Rosie explains. “We went along a couple more times before booking to try out the food and drinks, get to know the staff and get a feel for what the day was likely to bring, which definitely made our minds up for us. The food was incredible and the staff were very accommodating.” 

Read more about their day in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

Nicola and Andrew originally met in college, but went their separate ways after graduation. The two became friends again in 2001 and by 2012 their relationship had blossomed into something much more. Andrew popped the question at the couple's home over a Bonfire Night weekend. Having tried on numerous occasions to find the right time on 5th November, it eventually happened after cooking dinner for the two of them on the 6th! Nicola and Andrew were drawn to Clevedon Hall by the offer of exclusive use of the Orangery, not to mention everything else about this stunning venue. “We also wanted a location with accommodation for ourselves and our guests allowing us to have a weekend celebration rather than just one day,” the bride explains. So, that decided, they secured their date: 7th October, 2023.
Read more about their day in the latest issue available now. 

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WATERSIDE COUNTRY BARN
01823 461 817 | www.watersidecountrybarn.com

A hidden gem surrounded by fields with panoramic views of the stunning countryside, this is a charming and romantic barn venue. The grounds feature on-site glamping accommodation across four units sleeping up to 10, each with its own firepit. The site itself is surrounded by the River Tone, with a beautiful lake at its heart and abundant wildlife. The setting offers a gorgeous backdrop for those all-important photos and there's even a row boat, giant tree swing and old red tractor for some fun shots.

Read more about this venue the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

THE MILL AT RODE
01373 673 112 | www.themillatrode.com

Steeped in history and nestled in the heart of the countryside, The Mill at Rode is a characterful destination that's undergone a remarkable transformation. Once a bustling cloth mill, it's now a charming country eating house and bar. But this is not just a place for dining and drink! It's a location that's been repurposed to serve a multitude of functions with its wonderful events space and outdoor riverside terrace. 
The venue also offers a menu tasting with its gold package, and engraved padlock for the Love Bridge, plus a bottle of prosecco on your first anniversary.

Read more about this venue in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

Megan Lily Floral Design has recently introduced its new Cherry Picked Wedding Flower Service. Perfect for small and intimate nuptials, the service involves a collection of ready-designed wedding flowers available to collect from the workshop in Felton. So, if you know you won't need a full wedding flower package but you still want exceptional quality, this is ideal. The collections, although ready-designed, still feel personal and are available to order online as a simple, cost effective way to organise your florals. With a minimum spend of £350, there are two beautiful colour palettes to choose from. Megan will select the best quality seasonal blooms for your big day and put them together in her soft and delicate signature style. The new brochure containing everything you need to know about the new Cherry Picked Service is available to download at www.meganlilyfloraldesign.co.uk
Read more local news in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

If you want your wedding to be truly unique, we have some great news for you! Somerset Registration Service is introducing a new range of ceremony enhancements to allow you to personalise your day. As well as your choice of readings, music and personal vows, from April you'll be able to add a special unity element to your ceremony. The options on offer are a sand-blending ritual, romantic hand-joining vows, a fun knot-tying ceremony or you can create a meaningful memory box with letters to open on a future anniversary. The Registration Service has been working hard to create exciting new scripts after looking at hundreds of responses to their 2022 ceremony survey. You said you wanted more fun, more personalisation, more ways to make it really unique, and they've come up with the goods!
Check out the new ceremony packages, available at Somerset and North Somerset venues, at www.somersetweddingservice.org.uk
Read more local news in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

Bags of ideas for your local, hen, stag or sten do whatever your vibe! We've all been on hen and stag dos where only half the group know each other and if you're not part of that half, it can become an awkward social situation. Not so, if your best guys and gals are able to engage in a hands-on activity such as cooking, while enjoying a few drinks. Any tension melts away and by the time you start eating, the noise and laughter will be cacophonous!
Cooking It is based just a five-minute drive from the centre of Bristol on Chandos Road (often known as Foodie Street) with plenty of parking around the kitchen. It's also mere minutes walk from Whiteladies Road and Gloucester Road where you can carry on the party afterwards. You're welcome to bring your own drinks as a prelude to your cookery session where, with a glass of wine in hand, you'll work through a menu designed to embrace any dietary requirements. With music in the background and under the guidance of the chef, you prepare the whole dish, dishes, feast or afternoon tea. An atmosphere of relaxed laughter and fun is assured. A variety of cook-off activities with varying prices, times and challenges are available, and most group sizes are accommodated. 

Find out about more exciting ideas in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

Admit it, whose mind hasn't immediately leapt to food whenever a wedding invitation arrives in the post. Or is that just us? For many of us, when we're not eating, we're thinking about it! So, it's reasonable to assume that your wedding breakfast will be one of the most highly anticipated elements of your day – no pressure. What you might not have considered though is that it's another medium through which you can express your personalities, thus making your big day uniquely you. The food should match your vibe, from formal, seated, three-course affairs, to chilled grazing spreads. And It's not only the way you eat that can speak volumes but also what you eat. Perhaps you met at a pub for your first date: opt for a menu of pub grub classics. Maybe you got engaged in a far-flung exotic location: give your menu an international twist. The options are endless and if you pick the correct caterer, they'll creatively work with you to come up with your dream menu, sure to keep guests satisfied and remembering your day for all the right reasons. Read on as we introduce you to some local folk who can help in the latest issue available now Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

“The trend seems, to me at least, to be couples opting for complete coverage cakes as opposed to the semi-naked look, which has been so huge in the cake world for a few years now,” says Bridget Essam from Baked by Bridget. Indeed, it's the increasing demand for fondant-iced showstoppers that are creating an increased surge in more symbolic sweet centrepieces. Joanna from Joanna Pyda Cake Studio says, “Fondant cakes open up the possibility for a huge variety of techniques to be used through texture and decoration, which make creating superunique, personalised designs with wow factor reflecting you as a couple so much easier. Sugar flowers matching the bride's bouquet will appear in many designs next year, as well as wafer paper textures and flowers. I'm so looking forward to creating all those gorgeous designs!”

Claire from Claire Hansen Cakes is on the same page: “Couples are using an image design-led approach to bring in those personalised elements to their big-day bake. The cake of mine pictured, for example, was inspired by vintage botanical journals and features an abstract, textured layering effect evoking pages from the books that inspired it. Movement of the fondant, layering of the pages and the textured ganache moss all combine to bring the whole theme together. Imagine the personalised possibilities you can create with your cake designer!”

Read the full wedding cakes feature in the latest issue available now. Read Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding magazine for free!

Emily met Joe at a gin bar while she was in her final year of college. There was an instant attraction from both sides. Joe credits the cobbled streets of Bath, at least in part, for the success of their first date. When walking Emily to bus stop she was wobbling around on them in her high heels and he was able to offer his arm to assist her – “And that was really where our love story began,” Emily says.

You can read all about their big day, celebrated at Old Oak Farm (https://oldoakfarm.co.uk), in the Dec23/Jan24 issue of Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding, free to download at www.yourbristolsomerset.wedding/free-download