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

Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant offers festive dining incentives

Mickeys Beach Bar & Restaurant in Exmouth is hosting a trio of festive dining offers without breaking the bank. Kids eat free this winter until the 23rd of December. Those aged 12 and under can enjoy one free kid's pizza and a scoop of ice cream when dining with a full-paying adult, with a minimum spend of £15 on food. This offer is available from Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and cannot be combined with any other promotions. The Sea-nior Citizens Special is available on weekdays from October to March where senior guests can enjoy fish and chips, featuring a delicious beer-battered haddock fillet served alongside minted peas, tartar sauce, and a pot of tea, for just £17.50.

Expert reveals her ultimate tips on how to have a hen party on a budget

Getting married is an exciting time in your life, however, sometimes it can cost a small fortune. You might even be feeling the guilt of your loved ones having to fund their attendance to your events, during a cost of living crisis. Life insurance broker, Reassured polled 1,500 people to reveal the costs behind attending a hen party. To be exact, you'll be out of pocket by £979 for attending the hen party. From a boozy weekend staycation in a local city or jetting off to somewhere sunnier, the costs clearly build up more than you first imagined. However, some brides seem to have no regrets with over two-thirds (68%) being glad to have had a hen party, with 65% having high expectations and expecting their bridesmaid to organise the party for them as a surprise!

Enjoy the countdown to Christmas at the Bucket & Spade Café

For fun-filled festive feasting and entertainment this Christmas, look no further than the award-winning Bucket & Spade Café in Shaldon. With a host of live music events, a delicious festive menu and Christmas Afternoon Tea, it's THE place to celebrate throughout December. Join the Bucket & Spade team for a festive three-course feast with an incredible line-up of singers including the Josh Wheaton band, who will certainly get you dancing on the 15th of December. Covering a wide repertoire of genres from Motown, pop, soul and disco is singer Anais, who will take to the stage on Saturday 16th December. Go Tell Alice will return to the Bucket & Spade on Saturday 23rd December.

How to plan a wedding speech

Matthew Shaw, a leading wedding and events planner and founder of sauveur. - a superb events and creative studio - reveals his top tips to help you plan your big-day speech. Speeches can sprawl quite easily when you're trying to cover so much and this makes them difficult to follow. When you first start planning your speech it's definitely helpful to throw lots of ideas around but then try to focus on an overall theme or approach. This could be a personality trait, great jokes, or a more heartfelt approach, but it will help you, and the guests, if there is a clear angle to follow. In turn, this will help your guests follow along and you will be gifted with a better response from the room.

Fever-Tree's new cocktail mixers: the ultimate hosting hack

With Christmas and New Year being the key season for popping the question, there's double the amount of celebrations at this time of year! Get ready to elevate your festive hosting with Fever-Tree's innovative cocktail mixers, new for winter 2023. In a year where approximately 100,000 proposals will happen from Christmas to New Year, and 64% of consumers enjoy cocktails at home, busy hosts can now have it all serving Mojitos, Margaritas, and Espresso Martinis. The line-up: Fever-Tree Classic Mojito Mixer: Fresh Mexican Limes meet Moroccan Mint for a zesty, refreshing twist. Just add rum and ice, stir, and craft a Mojito masterpiece.

Enjoy a coastal Christmas with Harbour Hotels in Cornwall

Celebrate the festive season with Harbour Hotels and escape with a luxe three-night coastal break to Cornwall for lashings of coastal charm, beautiful panoramic vistas, delicious festive feasts, and a house party atmosphere. Take the hassle out of the holidays with the Harbour Hotel's Christmas Package, available at their Cornwall properties in St Ives, Fowey, and Padstow. Arriving on Christmas Eve, enjoy a festive afternoon tea with a glass of mulled wine, followed by a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. Waking up on Christmas day, enjoy a sumptuous breakfast followed by a Christmas feast for lunch. Take Boxing Day to recover and depart on the 27th of December with your cup (and your stomach) feeling full.

Feeling peachy with Pantone's Colour of the Year 2024 announcement

It's here, Pantone's Colour of the Year announcement for 2024 is... Peach Fuzz! We take a look at what this means for weddings! "A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel, and heal and to flourish from whether spending time with others or taking the time me to enjoy a moment by ourselves," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. "Drawing comfort from PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing. An idea as much as a feeling, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth."

Why are prenups no longer the reserve of the wealthy?

Wenup, a collaborative online provider of relationship agreements, conducted a comprehensive analysis of its first 120 customers. This data offers valuable insights into the changing landscape of prenuptial agreements, capturing shifting trends among couples from diverse backgrounds and providing a glimpse into the evolving dynamics of modern relationships. Recent celebrity divorces, involving well-known personalities such as Britney Spears, Sophie Turner, and Joe Jonas have cast a spotlight on prenuptial agreements. Despite their often sensationalised portrayal in the media, prenups are no longer the exclusive domain of the rich and famous.

Enjoy Christmas and New Year's Eve at Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

Celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve at Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling nestled in the coastal town of St. Ives. Ugly Butterfly is the perfect panoramic restaurant to visit this festive season for local Cornish food with sustainability at its heart. Including a festive afternoon tea, a Christmas Day menu, and a spectacular New Year's Eve party, Ugly Butterfly is the place for celebrations. In the comfort of the restaurant, guests can look across the ocean as they are welcomed in and offered a luxury festive afternoon tea with roast turkey and stuffing sandwiches, a Christmas pudding tree, roast apple and blackberry crumble and cinnamon and golden raisin scones. The menu will be available from Wednesday to Saturday from the 1st until the 31st of December, and is priced at £45pp, or £55pp when adding fizz.

Overwhelmed planning a wedding? A leading wedding planner shares top tips

Matthew Shaw, a leading wedding and events planner and founder of sauveur. - a superb events and creative studio - is here to reveal his Top Tips to help you plan and feel calm, confident and importantly, excited for the big day. ASK FOR HELP: I would always advise considering if you would like to engage a planner at the beginning of the process. They are true experts in their field and will help organise, inspire, and de-stress the process for you. There are planners available for varying wedding budgets so do reach out and request more information.

Weddings Wrapped 2023 - wedding special

With Spotify Wrapped 2023 having just dropped, Encore Musicians, the UK's largest musician bookings platform has analysed 2,300 song requests by newlyweds to see the most requested songs and artists for weddings in 2023. They also surveyed 1,000 of its customers and musicians to discover the UK's favourite and least favourite songs to hear at weddings. Although Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" ranked as the most common song for first dances, it also ranked as the second least popular song to hear at weddings with one in seven ranking it as their least favourite.

Could you have to pay inheritance tax on a wedding gift?

Before the big day comes around, whether you are a guest giving a present or contributing to the cost of the honeymoon, or perhaps a relative considering helping towards the cost of the wedding itself, you ought to consider the inheritance tax implications of making such gifts. James Mabey, partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood advises on the inheritance tax implications of wedding gifts. In the UK, if you die within seven years of making a gift, inheritance tax may be payable on the value of the gift after your death. This is because gifts are considered to be part of your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

Experience the magic of Christmas at Newquay's 'Miracle on Fore Street'

On Friday the 8th of December, from 4 pm until 8 pm, local businesses will host the Miracle on Fore Street, a late-night shopping event. This inaugural celebration promises to immerse you in the magic of the season, bringing the entire community together for an unforgettable Christmas experience. Prepare to have your senses overwhelmed as you stroll down Fore Street and Alma Place as local shops and eateries come together with delightful activities and offerings to get you in the Christmas mood. Browse through independent craft stalls for gifts and participate in festive activities such as face painting by Little Rainbows and biscuit decorating at Beach Shack or see a demonstration from Coastal Flowers and Gifts on how to create a traditional moss-filled Christmas wreath so you can bring the festive charm into your own home.

Propress launches the MINI Clothes Steamer - perfecting for wedding dresses!

Professional and long-established British fabric steamer manufacturer, Propress, has unveiled the Propress MINI Handheld Clothes Steamer. A revolutionary product that combines over 40 years of steaming expertise with cutting-edge technology, the MINI allows users to say goodbye to the days of wrestling with an ironing board and hello to the future of garment care with beautifully crease-free clothes, whether at home, in the office, or on-the-go.

The Propress Mini Handheld Clothes Steamer (£110) is available in Arctic Grey, Idol Blue or Vintage Pink from the Propress website. It heats up in under a minute offering the convenience of crease-free clothes with a simple touch of a button. Its efficiency and ease of use make it a must-have for every fashion-savvy individual, plus it is versatile enough to treat various home fabrics from curtains to bedding, and is ideal for weddings or even hoteliers.

Food Drink Devon reveals top picks for Christmas

Whether you're searching for foodie gifts for family and friends or treating yourself this festive season, then you need to look no further. Food Drink Devon has selected the best food and drink in the county from their recent 2023 Awards. All given the seal of approval by the esteemed panel of judges, these products were all recipients of a Platinum Award, achieving a faultless score of 100%. If you love nuts, Andrew King Chocolates - Signature Nine Nut Selection is the box of treats for you filled with delicate, crispy chocolate encompassing flavours including roasted pistachio and raspberry jelly, hazelnut praline with a whole roasted hazelnut and caramelised almond flavoured with a banoffee ganache.It was awarded 'New Food Product of the Year'.

Winter wedding inspiration from leading wedding planner

Matthew Shaw, founder & creative director at sauveur. shares his winter wedding inspiration for those looking to tie the knot at this time of year. Winter weddings have grown hugely in popularity. The festive season can be a truly magical time of year to host a wedding and stand out from the crowd but it does bring its own set of considerations for the planning. Whilst the key areas of your wedding planning will be the same as a wedding in any other month, there are a few different elements to consider to create an incredible winter wedding celebration.

How to kick-start your wedding planning

Samantha Gilchrist, Co-Founder and CEO of the UK's largest wedding venue collection, The Gilchrist Collection, shares her top tips on how to kick-start your wedding plans, taking away any unnecessary stress and disappointment in preparation for that special day. Set a Date - possibly the most important aspect of planning as getting this date in the diary will allow you to move forward with your plans. When choosing a date, it's worth carrying out a simple checklist to help you nail that day down such as: Think if there is a time of year you both always wanted to get married in? A season you both love or a month that is special to you is a great starting point.

5 unique winter wedding trends for 2023

From décor inspired by the season's natural beauty to creative ways to keep your guests warm, wedding supply experts Aura Print have searched TikTok to bring you the top five quirky winter wedding trends for 2023.While traditional wedding fayre often includes champagne toasts and wine, a hot chocolate bar offers a warm, decadent, and customisable alternative for the colder months. As the evening progresses and temperatures drop, guests can enjoy a sweet treat to keep them going on the dance floor. For younger guests or for those who don't drink alcohol, a hot chocolate bar also provides a great non-alcoholic option. With over 112.7 million TikTok hashtag views, the hot chocolate wedding bar trend is set to take the winter wedding season by storm!

A more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings

Reports suggest that 4,910 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used up and left behind at British weddings last year, with this in mind, 77 Diamonds has released a planning guide to promote a more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings. Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What's more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground. But it's not just plastic which has an impact. Food wastage is also a common theme for most weddings.

Find County Wedding Magazines on YouTube

We're never satisfied when it comes to providing our readers with enough wedspiration, which is why we've created our very own County Wedding Magazine YouTube channel! You'll find tons of big-day ideas, from venue tours to dream dresses, then take a peek behind the scenes of styled shoots featured in our titles past and present. We're adding more content all the time, so why not hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a thing? Simply head to YouTube and search for 'County Wedding Magazines' now