An Essex Wedding news and ideas from around the county

Give us some sunshine!

East Anglia is known for having a dry and mild climate - even though you wouldn't believe it right now! When the sun does shine in Essex it's glorious. So do make sure you're adequately protecting your face with a high SPF! Revox B77 has a factor 50 to save the day - plus it's available at your local The Fragrance Shop.

Planning for the night ahead – wedding nightwear from Chelsea Peers

West London based designer brand Chelsea Peers has an glamorous array of wedding nightwear for any bride on their special day, to complement the bride's style and luxurious taste. When wedding planning, you mainly focus on the particulars of the actual ceremony and the events of the day, however what about your first night as husband and wife? With Chelsea Peers, the elegant draping allows the bride to maintain an effortless silhouette while adding just a touch of splendour. For a spectacular wedding night, consider the chic and comfortable Satin Fringe Trim Long Pyjama Set – Ivory, that features a swishy flared shape that has plenty of movement, combined with smooth, lustrous satin.

Scentsational summer fragrances

Designer scents are back with a bang this summer - and to try them all, look no further than The Fragrance Shop on your local high street. There's stores in Chelmsford, Brentwood and Colchester to name a few so do switch up your fragrance wardrobe with a new bottle or two. Mark summer '24 one to remember with a signature scent!

The Speech Surgery: modern day etiquette with Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy

The Speech Surgery: modern day etiquette with Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy, and author of The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches: Some say addressing guests as 'ladies and gentlemen' is a mistake these days... what is the Modern newlywed speech etiquette? Let's start by saying (again) there are no wedding speech rules. When it comes to etiquette, it's simply a case of common sense and being polite. Honestly, that's it. When it comes to addressing your audience, 'Ladies and gentlemen' is becoming less common for two reasons.

Michelin star dining in Mersea Island

After making waves in Kent with their Michelin star restaurant Stark, Chef Ben and Sophie Crittenden have relocated the unique dining experience to Mersea Island. The husband and wife duo's long-term dream has always been to settle in the idyllic, Essex coastal area where Sophie grew up, and the new restaurant offers nearly twice the covers of the previous, 12 seat restaurant.

Creative ways to preserve and display your wedding bouquet

Your wedding day is one of the most magical days of your life, so you'll no doubt want to hold onto your memories for as long as possible. Here, Clare Price from framing specialists Wall Space shares their tips for preserving your wedding bouquet for years to come. Preserving your wedding bouquet can be a wonderful way to keep the memories of your special day alive. Techniques like drying and pressing are some of the best methods of flower preservation, and there are countless ways to show off your preserved blooms in your home once you're done. With the tips and ideas below, you can create lasting reminders of your cherished moments and remember your special day for years to come.

Diamond wedding couple celebrate magical anniversary

A resident of a local Laindon care home has celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary with his wife in style. John Archer, who lives at HC-One's Oaklands care home in Laindon, Essex, and his wife, Doris, got married on the 6th June 1964 – some 60 years ago. The couple were treated to a romantic lunch for two by the care home staff, who converted a training room into an intimate private dining room. They were also given a beautiful bouquet of flowers from all of the team at the care home.

Experts reveal five wedding trends set to be huge this Summer

With the new season comes new colours and trends, and with that being said, experts at Diamonds Factory have predicted five wedding trends that are set to be big this Summer. Couples will step away from the traditional colour scheme "Stepping away from the traditional black and white formal attire, we expect to see many wedding parties embrace colour this Summer. We saw the mismatched bridesmaid dresses trend resurge in popularity in late 2023, and predict this trend will take off even further this Summer, especially now it's getting warmer and with people experimenting with colour more.

The Speech Surgery: how long is too long?

The Speech Surgery: how long is too long? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this. My groom says he's finished his speech and he's really happy with it but it's almost 2,000 words long. Is that too much? Yes. All speeches should be under ten minutes long. It seems obvious but I've seen several speeches (generally the best men) go well over half an hour, oblivious to the yawns or heckling. That's no more than 1,300 words maximum, allowing for pauses or laughter on the day. Remind your fiancé that his first draft is just the start of the writing process.

Wedding favours for Kids: ToyChoc Box

PLAYin CHOC's ToyChoc boxes are a fantastic choice for entertaining kids at weddings. These eco-friendly, vegan, and allergen-free treats come in 100% recyclable packaging. Each box contains two creamy chocolate bars wrapped in compostable packaging, along with a 3D card puzzle toy featuring animals like endangered species, sea creatures, or dinosaurs - there's also a fun animal fact inside. At just £2.25 each on Amazon, these boxes are a budget-friendly addition to your wedding plans.

Be inspired... Parklands, Quendon Hall

Copper tones and hints of gold complemented this editorial shoot that took place at Parklands, Quendon Hall. The vision of shoot organiser, Lisa Curtis from Gemini Styling, was to inspire brides by the transition from summer through to autumn. The loose, cascading half-up hairstyle represented the fall of autumnal leaves embellished with golden accessories. The venue was dressed with rustic brown tones seen in the floral arrangements, accessories and detailed styling.

Your ultimate guide to wedding gift etiquette

It's that time of year again where our inboxes and mailboxes are full of beautifully designed wedding invitations, we're scouring the web for the perfect outfit and excitedly researching accommodation and travel. Being invited to a wedding is a gift and it is tradition to provide a gift to the happy couple. But, where to begin? Luckily we've sat down with Georgie Mitchell, Wedding Planner, Coordinator and Wedding Expert, at online fashion destination SilkFred, who has shared her ultimate guide to wedding gift giving from how much to spend to how to make your gift stand out on the present table.

A chat with Juliet from Vows Everlasting

Juliet spent much of her life - some 26 years - as a foster carer, looking after many young children, people, mother and baby placements - some with very complex issues. Friendly and nurturing, becoming a celebrant seemed like the next step for Juliet and hence, her company Vows Everlasting was set up. An Essex Wedding magazine recently chatted with newly qualified celebrant, Juliet Gee. Here's what she had to say...

Green I dos: How to plan a sustainable wedding

The carbon footprint of a wedding in the UK is equivalent to driving a car around the world twice – both create 14.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Ahead of wedding season, sustainability experts from BusinessWaste.co.uk teamed up with leading wedding planner Georgie Mitchel from Georgina Rose Events to share the best ways to make a wedding more sustainable, while also saving some money. Georgie says: "Having been involved in hundreds of weddings, it's hard to see the amount of waste that is produced from that one day. However, it's so good to hear that couples are looking at ways to be more green! Here are my tips for having a sustainable wedding day."

The Speech Surgery: too many thank yous? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this

The Speech Surgery: too many thank yous? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this here, ready now...I've written my bride speech but almost three quarters of it is 'thank yous'. Is that right? The thank yous are obviously very important but you also need to be wary of turning your speech into one long tedious list. For guests, thank yous are really only interesting if 1) they're personally getting thanked or 2) the thank yous are entertaining, from-the-heart and feel more than a cut and paste job...

Five ways to beat a wedding hangover

Weddings are notorious for booze with 50% of people admitting they wouldn't be happy to attend a wedding without alcohol. With an expectation for heavy drinking at most celebrations, lots of dancing and a late night, wedding guests often wake up feeling worse for wear. Those suffering the morning after a wedding can ease the pain with simple hacks, including drinking a pint of water before bed and sleeping on their left side. Nausea, thirst and aches can also be alleviated by having a lie-in, which helps to limit fatigue and irritation the next day.

Grandmother and granddaughter share magical venue!

Rebecca and Rob Magee chose Hylands Estate last year for their beautiful fairytale
wedding for many special reasons. The venue is elegant and timeless, and it's where Rob
romantically proposed to Rebecca in the grounds of the estate during the summer of 2021.
But it also has a poignant family history to it because Rebecca's grandparents, Ann and
Peter Elwell, also had their wedding reception at Hylands House back in 1961.

UK vs US Brides: Wedding expert reveals 5 ways we differ

It's time to settle the score: do UK brides really do it better, or are our American cousins stealing the show? Let's dive into the wedding warzone and explore five spicy differences that set us apart! According to a survey conducted by the UK's largest wedding venue collection, the Gilchrist Collection, there are some key differences in the ways Brits plan their big day, compared to that of Americans. Samantha Gilchrist, the owner of the Gilchrist Collection, has had the pleasure of helping thousands of engaged couples with their wedding, across 12 venues, both in the UK and US.

A fun filled day at Houchins

To celebrate Houchins' 10th year anniversary of weddings, the venue hosted a Garden Party in its grounds on July 9th - open to all of their lovely past and future couples as well as the general public. The garden was laid out with garden games, crazy golf, a children's entertainer, croquet and live music all day long from Three Mile Hill, Sister Sax & DJ Steve Meier.

Here are 10 must-have items to include in a wedding bathroom basket

Luxury bathroom experts at Posh.co.uk have shared ten must-have items to provide to make sure guests are well taken care of. Wedding bathroom baskets can be a really nice touch for couples to show their guests they care by providing them with everything they need for a comfortable evening. Including items like safety pins, deodorant, body tape and antihistamines will mean that guests won't have to worry about a thing. Andy Ellis from Posh.co.uk said: "Wedding bathroom baskets can be a really lovely touch at a reception by providing guests with all of those small but important items that they may not necessarily be able to bring with them.