Your Devon and Cornwall Wedding news and ideas from around the area

LYMPSTONE MANOR RECEIVES GOLD AWARD FOR SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Michael Caines and the team at Lympstone Manor are delighted to announce they have received the Gold Award for Small Hotel of the Year at the 2024/2025 Devon Tourism Awards. The regional accolade celebrates hotels that deliver an exceptional welcome, unforgettable guest experiences and the highest standards across every aspect of their operation. Lympstone Manor, situated on the picturesque banks of the Exe Estuary in East Devon, has been recognised to exemplify these qualities. The award follows the recent recognition from The Telegraph, which crowned Devon as England's top county and described Lympstone Manor as "one of Britain's most exciting country house hotels."

Devon's Bovey Castle wins prestigious award

Devon's Bovey Castle has been named one of the best small hotels in the UK for the second time in a decade. The Eden Hotel Collection – which operates Bovey Castle in Dartmoor – has been named Small Hotel Group of the Year at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards that highlight the very best in British hospitality, honouring achievements across fifteen categories, reflecting the industry's commitment to innovation, quality and environmental responsibility. Eden was recognised for its consistency in quality and service delivery and for the excellent work around its employee experience, as well as its broader efforts in tackling sustainability. Eden's award win follows a year that has seen the business invest more than £3 million in venue refurbishments and colleague welfare initiatives plus sustainability projects.

Gladi-Waiter in the Buff – hen do firm offer

One of the UK's leading hen party planning companies is now offering Gladi-Waiters in the Buff in honour of the new Gladiator film hitting the big screen on the 14th of November. Butlers in the Buff are a hugely popular addition to hen weekends and are often scantily clad in just a small apron and a bow tie. However, GoHen are now offering buff butlers adored in gladiator helmets, shoulder pads and gladiatorial skirts. "Buff butlers are the modern-day gladiator," said GoHen's Head of Events, Ellie Silk. "They're performers, they're in great shape and they're often forced to entertain a rowdy crowd – what's the difference, really?

Give the Gift of Luxury as PoB Hotels Launches Black Friday Sale

This Black Friday, PoB Hotels - the exclusive collection of independent luxury hotels across the British Isles - is making luxury gifting more accessible with impressive savings on their new Experience Gift Vouchers. From November the 25th until December the 2nd, shoppers can enjoy tiered discounts of up to 20% on three specially curated experiences. These include 10% off when you spend £200; 15% off when you spend £300 and 20% off when you spend £500. There are three exceptional experiences to choose from including the Seasoned to Perfection package, the Pampers Paradise packaage and the Time for Tea package.

Valleyside Barn scoops South West Wedding Award

Valleyside Barn, based in Bickleigh, Mid-Devon has received a 'highly commended' award in the 'Barn/Country Venue' category at the 2024 South West Wedding Awards. It is the first wedding award Valleyside Barn has entered and were shortlisted as one of eight finalists. Emma Wright, co-owner, said, "We are over the moon to receive this award because it is voted for by couples who have hosted their wedding with us. We have just finished our third season of weddings at Valleyside Barn, and only a host a select number each year, so it makes this accolade even more incredible." The South West Wedding Awards recognise businesses which exceed expectations, providing outstanding service and inspire their clients to want to actively and positively promote them.

The ultimate gifting experience your friends, family - and you - will love

In today's busy world, it's not always possible to be there for every birthday, housewarming, or special occasion, but that doesn't mean you can't send a heartfelt message. That's where gift box specialist, Parcel London, comes in. Parcel London is here to offer the ultimate gifting experience - believing that the best gifts are about more than just the item – they're about the connection they represent. They're there for when you can't be. Working with a number of well-known and newly emerging independent brands, Parcel London connects you to the people who matter most through beautiful, useful, and memorable gifts. Every one of their Parcels is lovingly handpicked and carefully hand-wrapped, ensuring that each recipient feels cherished and valued. Whether you need a single gift for a special someone or thousands for a corporate event, they've got you covered

The Garden Café Newquay Picks Up National Good Food Award for Second Year Running

The Garden Café, based at the Heritage Cottages in Newquay's stunning Trenance Gardens has picked up a National Good Food Award for the second year running. After the delight of the first win in 2023 the café has worked hard throughout 2024 and through its customer service and value for money heritage menu has again been selected for the award. A spokesperson for the Good Food Awards said, "We celebrate top-notch food, service, and value, basing our awards on what matters most: customer opinion. By using customer feedback/online reviews/nominations/votes, we ensure our awards reflect genuine dining experiences. Many awardees continue to shine by maintaining the high standards that first earned them recognition."

Padstow Distilling recently won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals

Cornish distillers, Padstow Distilling recently triumphed at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), earning four awards: Gold, Silver and two Bronze medals. Specialising in crafting spirits with ingredients farmed and foraged on the North Cornwall coast, Padstow Distilling has gained a reputation for its small-batch spirits. Founder David McWilliams and his team use Cornish barley grown one mile away from the distillery to create their base, with the process taking three weeks to ensure the highest quality of provenance for the distillery's spirits. Wins for Padstow Distilling include a Gold award for its vodka Padstow Vodka Gun Point, a Silver award for its gin Padstow Gin St George's Well and Bronze awards for Padstow Rose Gin Hawker's Cove and Navy Strength Gin Stepper Point.

Seasonal style

As seasons change, it's important to be aware of how the weather affects the wedding. Editorial Assistant Millicent Garton takes you through some suggestions of how to embrace the chill and celebrate the sun. Much like seasons, it's only natural that weddings and their themes flow and evolve with changing year. From the cake and catering to the dress and décor, all elements of the big day can be influenced by the time of year, so it's only fitting that special attention should be given to those minor details.

Luxury Lodges offer pet-friendly accommodation in Cornwall

With 34% of UK households now owning a pet dog, the demand for pet-friendly accommodation has unsurprisingly rocketed. Luxury Lodges are meeting this demand head-on with the addition of multiple, new pet-friendly lodges across their sites, located in Britain's most loved holiday destinations. These are perfect for wedding guests who want to travel with their four-legged friends. Luxury Lodges' beautiful North Cornwall site, Bude Coastal Resort, as well as its stunning South Cornwall site, Clowance, are surrounded by nature and coastline, offering the perfect base for guests and their furry friends to explore the stunning surrounding scenery and nearby beaches.

PoB Hotels launches new Experience Gift Vouchers

Just in time for the gifting season, PoB Hotels, with properties in Devon and Cornwall, has unveiled a collection of new experience gift voucher offerings. These include Seasoned to Perfection, Pampers Paradise and Time for Tea. Each gift voucher allows visitors to experience any of the hotels across the PoB Hotels collection. With choices ranging from £100 to £200, the Seasoned to Perfection experience voucher can be used at any of the collection's hotels, whether for a relaxed lunch or a memorable dinner. The Pampers Paradise experience voucher can also be used at any of the collection's spa hotels, including a soothing spa day, a bespoke treatment or a refreshing wellness class. There's also the Time for Tea £50 or £75 voucher.

Devon hotel Bovey Castle wins top HR award for approach to wellbeing

A boutique hotel in Devon has landed a national award for the way it looks after its workforce – including a scientific approach that aims to promote happy chemicals. The Eden Hotel Collection – which runs five-star Bovey Castle on Dartmoor – collected the Excellence in Reward & Recognition Award at the Annual Awards for Excellence in HR, which is organised by the association HR in Hospitality. It comes nine months after Bovey Castle refreshed its recognition strategy, including the introduction of the Happy Hub, which is a programme focusing on activities that help to generate the four key hormones that drive positive mental health – dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins.

Celebrate Great British Game Week with the Adam Handling Collection

Known for his commitment to sustainability and zero waste, Chef Adam Handling MBE is celebrating Great British Game Week at the Adam Handling Collection by showcasing the most sustainable of game meats, wild venison, at his pubs The Loch & the Tyne, in Old Windsor, and The Tartan Fox, in Newquay. Guests are encouraged to try the traditional dishes with a delicious twist, such as venison scotch egg, tartare sauce, venison and apple croquettes, venison burger, cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, and grilled venison haunch at The Loch and the Tyne in Berkshire. Roast loin of venison, celeriac, girolles, brambles will be served at their latest opening, The Tartan Fox, which launched in June of this year in Cornwall.

New premium holiday cottage provider, Devon Hideaways launches

The Hideaways Holiday group has announced the launch of Devon Hideaways, a portfolio of cottages spanning the North, East, Central and West Devon, along with South Hams, Torbay and Dartmoor. Devon Hideaways is the Hideaway Holiday Group's ninth regional brand and follows the success of its neighbouring brands, Cornwall Hideaways and Dorset Hideaways perfect for honeymoons. Predominantly rural, with rolling hills and huge, open skies, Devon is most popular for Dartmoor and its quiet seaside villages and towns. Devon Hideaways' collection of idyllic holiday cottages means it's never been easier to escape for a honeymoon, mini-moon or staycation and the growing selection of properties ranges from rustic thatched cottages and elegant family manors to lighthouse keepers cottages.

New Cornish beauty brand Belle Natural unveils new range

Founded in Cornwall, family-run business Belle Natural has introduced a new range of seven innovative products for natural beauty and well-being with more to be launched soon in the coming months. Belle Natural provides a trustworthy alternative for a more natural approach to personal care. Founder Freddie Latham says, "Belle Natural seeks to meet our client's skin and hair care needs with natural solutions which are effective yet feel indulgent. All products are crafted with entirely plant-based ingredients and are free from harmful chemicals. The range includes a variety of products for skin and hair - for women and men alike."

Make sure your wedding day is protected! 

When you're planning a wedding, getting insured is important to protect yourself against anything that could go awry just before, or on the big day. For those aiming to tie the knot this year, Alex Cross, Insurance Director at Tesco Bank shares his top tips on things to consider for your wedding day and make sure you're covered so things can run as smoothly as possible. Weddings can be a pricey affair, with the average cost of a UK wedding in 2024 coming in at around £20,755. Knowing the total cost of your wedding and how much you're spending on each element of your big day is crucial before choosing your insurance policy. Identifying any big-ticket expenses that you'll want covered should anything go wrong, such as venues, caterers, photographers, or dresses is also key. This can also help you decide if standard insurance policies will be enough or if you'll need something more specific or customised.

Enjoy idyllic self-catering lodges in Cornwall this season

Enjoy idyllic self-catering lodges for couples, families and groups in Cornwall this season with the Luxury Lodge Collection that offers stylish, five-star, self-catering resorts across the UK, located in some of Britain's most popular holiday destinations. These resorts provide the ultimate autumn retreat and are the ideal choice for mini-moons, family-moons and wedding guest accommodation. Guests can immerse themselves in the beauty of the season, surrounded by stunning parklands, while enjoying absolute luxury at Clowance Estate in South Cornwall, or Bude Coastal Resort in North Cornwall. Best for outdoor enthusiasts - Bude Coastal Resort (Glass House Lodge) provides guests with a truly idyllic coastal getaway in Cornwall.

LYMPSTONE MANOR IN DEVON RECEIVES SUITE OF AWARDS

Devon's Lympstone Manor has announced award wins following the first Michelin Hotel Awards and the AA Hospitality Awards. Lympstone Manor retained 5 AA Rosettes at this year's AA Hospitality Awards. Honoured for their culinary excellence, the award places Lympstone Manor amongst just 19 other restaurants in the UK to hold 5 AA Rosettes. The hotel was also acknowledged in the AA Notable Wine List, making it one of only 298 establishments awarded the AA Notable Wine List Award. Following from the first inaugural awards ceremony on October 1st; Lympstone Manor was awarded Two Keys in the newly launched Michelin Hotel Awards.

How to avoid pre-nups becoming a wedding alarm bell

As one of the most popular seasons for wedding proposals approaches, couples are being reminded to factor pre-nuptials into their plans well ahead of the big day. No longer associated with the rich and famous, people from all walks of life and finance levels are entering into nuptial agreements. And often it's not the couples themselves who initiate the idea to enter into a nuptial agreement, it can often be suggested by their parents. "It's becoming more common for couples to take out an agreement because their parents have helped them financially more than perhaps, they did 5 to 10 years ago," said Sally Ward, a Senior Associate solicitor in Family Law at leading law firm, Ellisons Solicitors.

Salcombe Gin partners with Fortnum & Mason

Salcombe Gin, renowned for its craftsmanship and distinctive flavour profiles, has partnered with Fortnum & Mason to create Salcombe Gin x Fortnum & Mason Moscatel Cask Aged Gin 2024 Release, the iconic British retailer's first single cask aged gin. The special new release, which is exclusive to Fortnum & Mason, is available from all Fortnum & Mason stores and online. The single cask aged gin is £69.50 and available in a 50cl bottle, ABV: 46%. Inspired by Salcombe Gin's love of adventure, the exceptional single cask aged gin showcases a unique approach to cask ageing of cask first, liquid second. Working with world famous Fortnum & Mason, known for its extraordinary food and drink experiences, the new release started its journey in Portugal.