Your East Midlands Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Lab-grown diamonds dominating the market in 2024

In 2023, rather than reassessing their budget, many couples have started to become more conscious of their spending habits and switching to gemstones rather than diamonds and opting for lab-grown diamonds. According to exclusive internal data from Queensmith, lab-grown diamonds have continued to dominate the market due to their lower cost per carat, resulting in more affordable prices. These highly sought-after diamonds have enabled couples to still find the perfect engagement ring, without inflating their budget. The affordable option, at 60-80% cheaper than natural diamonds, accounted for nearly 80% of Queensmith's diamond engagement rings sold in 2023. Not only can consumers expect larger carat weights and higher quality diamonds, but also a more environmentally friendly and sustainably sourced alternative to mined diamonds.

The Speech Surgery part two - icebreakers and tips for the best man

The Speech Surgery part two, Heidi Ellert McDermott shares her tips on icebreakers and advice for the best man. The wedding speech tradition is as prevalent as ever and is still very much one of the key parts of the day. For some, public speaking comes quite naturally, and they wouldn't think twice about standing up and 'performing' on cue, while for others it may cause sleepless nights and anxiety but the pressure of pleasing a loved one means you can't say no! Fear not, whether you're a pro and want to heighten your speech, or a novice and you need some advice on how to settle those nerves, Heidi is here to answer your all-important questions...

The worst Valentine’s Day presents ever gifted

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, many people in relationships will be facing one of the toughest questions of the year - "What do I buy my other half?". There have already been 43,000 online searches for "Valentine's Day gifts" as people look for inspiration and whilst some people might receive extravagant and romantic presents, some people are less fortunate. With this in mind, Ninja surveyed the nation to find out what the worst presents people had been given for Valentine's Day, and between a bag of crisps and cat food, the results will shock you

Hen do and stag party tips 2024

Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk provides her top tips on reducing the cost of a hen or stag do: "Many bridal and groom parties begin planning their respective hen and stag dos throughout the months of January and February. Taking the time to plan carefully is crucial, especially if you are planning on jetting off somewhere. "But, with rising living costs and foreign destinations being more expensive than ever, I've put together my top tips to help you have some pre-wedding fun without breaking the bank - either domestically, or abroad.

2024 is here and it's time to get organised with a new wedding planner

Whether it's a new year's resolution to get more organised, or you're feeling overwhelmed with the wedding planning, use the new Our Wedding Planner to keeping track of your dreams and decisions for a stress-free wedding planning experience - allowing you to focus on enjoying day! Our Wedding Planner will not only organise your big day, but also create treasured memories for years to come. Every detail of your wedding, including hen and stag parties and the honeymoon are covered, allowing you to create your perfect wedding and keep that all-important budget on track along the way. Bursting with easy to follow advice, and space to record details of every conceivable aspect of planning the big day, this new book offers a one stop depository for ideas, prices, venues, suppliers and guests.

The Speech Surgery - How many speeches are too many?

The Speech Surgery with Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy and author of The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches: The wedding speech tradition is as prevalent as ever and is still very much one of the key parts of the day. For some, public speaking comes quite naturally, and they wouldn't think twice about standing up and 'performing' on cue, while for others it may cause sleepless nights and anxiety but the pressure of pleasing a loved one means you can't say no! Fear not, whether you're a pro and want to heighten your speech, or a novice and you need some advice on how to settle those nerves, Heidi is here to answer your all-important questions...

A matchmade in heaven for wedding gifting

Habulous is excited to reveal the latest addition to their range of personalised products, the perfect match striker pot. Handmade in the UK these personalised ceramic match striker pots look at home in your living room. The wheel-thrown pot is carefully glazed with a choice of personalisation inside the heart - reminiscent of those retro love doodles! Filled with pastel matches in complementary shades, the jars come in five signature colours: Cornflower Blue, Mint Green, Off White, Pale Pink, Light Yellow.

HARIBO giving free wedding cake to Gummy Ring proposals this Valentine's

From lockdown couples to celebrities, the last few years has seen the nation embrace their inner child by getting engaged with HARIBO's iconic Friendship Ring. To mark this Valentine's Day, HARIBO, the UK's number one sweets manufacturer, is delighted to declare that lovebirds ready to unleash their inner child and dive into marital bliss with its iconic gummy ring will get the sweetest reward – the chance to win their very own HARIBO Heart Throb Wedding Cake for their big day.

TikTok’s wedding trends - what we can expect in 2024

TikTok has become the best place to source beautiful wedding inspiration, from wedding dress fashion to food. But what were the biggest TikTok wedding trends of 2023, and what can we expect to see in 2024? By analysing TikTok hashtags, ethical jewellery brand Sacet provides insights into the most influential trends of 2023, the wedding trends on the decline, and predictions for the upcoming year.

Wedding floral trends for 2024

Bloom & Wild florist, Emma Forsey, presents a vision of floral enchantment that goes beyond the ordinary. From local blooms and wild meadows to bold colour clashes and the evolution of AI, here's what to come in 2024 for wedding blooms. Local flowers have been getting the love they deserve in the wedding scene, and it looks like they're going to be the go-to choice for UK weddings in 2024. More and more couples are valuing the eco-friendly element of homegrown blooms, appreciating the chance to support local flower growers. British flowers aren't just a trendy word anymore; they're becoming a significant and lasting part of the wedding flower industry.

Inside the UK’s most ‘Traitorous’ castle

The Traitors is Britain's hottest new reality competition, where a group of twenty strangers come together for the investigation of their life: to find and stop the Traitors from stealing the ultimate prize pot! It's a show full of mind-games, backstabbing and trust, and its second series proves to be gripping the nation once again. And the setting of this treacherous game makes it all the more entertaining: a beautiful castle in the Scottish highlands. In fact, enquiries about this castle have shot up since the show first aired in 2022.

That's so Fetch: 10 Ideas for the ultimate Mean Girls-themed hen party

It's time to channel your inner Regina George and party like it's October 3rd! To celebrate the release of the new Mean Girls movie on 19th January 2024, Fizzbox has the rundown on Mean Girls themed hen party ideas that are so fetch! In a world where wearing pink on Wednesdays isn't just a choice but a lifestyle, this is the ultimate way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials in style, whether you're an aspiring Spring Fling Queen or a Mathlete. So break out the Burn Book and dust off your Plastics-approved heels. Get in loser, we're going on a hen do!

From casual to formal, here’s how to plan your picture-perfect engagement party

Firsty, congratulations! You're getting married! After a proposal, there are so many things to think about, but before preparing for the big day itself, an engagement party is a great way to share your exciting news and get your nearest and dearest together to celebrate. Pinterest trends1 revealed the largest peak in searches for 'engagement party ideas' were in January last year, now is the time to get the ball rolling and start planning for the prelude of the main event. Whether you're planning an intimate gathering or a lavish affair, party planning expert at Ginger Ray, Jess Martin, shares 10 tips for your celebration, no matter how big or small:

County Wedding Events coming to Fynn Valley, Suffolk!

If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Fynn Valley, Suffolk for inspiration on Sunday 25th February 2024! Sister company to County Wedding Magazines, the event brings couples that are desperate for face-to-face wedding planning in touch with local professionals who are on hand to help plan the wedding day. From photographers to cake makers, musicians to florists you're sure to tick a lot off of your to-do list by attending one of our County Wedding Events. Fynn Valley Terrace is a fabulous oak-framed, purpose-built wedding venue near Ipswich, featuring stunning panoramic views across the golf course fairways, complemented by outside south-facing terraces and lawns for your guests to enjoy.

The wedding gifts couples in 2024 really want...

When it comes to wedding planning, there is so much to think about, the same goes for wedding gift lists & etiquette. Gifting Guru at The Wedding Shop, Liza Baucher, answers you everything you need to know about wedding registries... In short, we advise adding 2-3 gifts per wedding guest invited. Adding a variety of gifts to your wedding list caters to the differing budgets and preferences of your guests. It's a thoughtful approach to include a wide range of items, from smaller, more affordable pieces to a few higher-end gifts. The key is balance and variety. Typically, having slightly more gifts than the number of guests or households invited allows for enough choice without overwhelming your guests.

Fall in love with the new Bella Donna Collection

Brides dream of their wedding day as a celebration of love and individuality, and the new Bella Donna Collection embodies this vision. Named after the Italian phrase for 'beautiful woman', it pays homage to the inherent beauty of each bride. Crafted by Aureus Flos, a brand specialising in handcrafted bridal accessories and jewellery, the collection is a harmonious blend of styles, materials, and inspirations. It features an array of sets, each with a distinctive charm. Inspired by the goddess of flowers, Flora exudes an ethereal allure with Italian silk taffeta to capture nature's delicate beauty. Rosa evokes the enchantment of Italian gardens, bringing the romance of nature to wedding attire. Diana offers minimalist grace for those who cherish timeless elegance, while Victoria exudes vintage charm with glistening rhinestones and intricate patterns.

Wedding ring trends 2024 according to Queensmith

Symbolising unconditional love, devotion and commitment, wedding rings represent the union of marriage between two people and unlike engagement rings, they are worn by both. Often, wedding rings tend to be more simple and minimalist, but there are still so many different choices you can make from the metal colour, style and bandwidth. As such, experts at engagement and wedding ring jeweller, Queensmith, have released exclusive internal data to help guide couples on what wedding rings will be popular in 2024.

2024 wedding trend: cocktails to serve at 70s-inspired weddings!

Pinterest has launched its Pinterest Predicts report and '70s-inspired weddings are set to be huge in 2024, with searches for 'groovy wedding' increasing 170% and 'retro wedding theme' spiking 80%. Experts at NIO Cocktails have shared popular cocktails from the 1970s that you should serve at your retro wedding: "The era that brought us the rise of disco music, retro prints and bell bottom trousers also brought us a resurgence in classic cocktails and new ones, too! There were many cocktails that were popular in the 1970s and if you're wanting to throw the perfect '70s-inspired wedding, we'd definitely advise including our top three '70s cocktail picks in your wedding."

Read all about Stapleford Park in Leicestershire

Surrounded by acres of English countryside in Leicestershire, boarding Lincolnshire and Rutland, Stapleford Park creates a charming setting. With maintained gardens, a 5 km nature trail, extensive activities and plenty of wildlife, the surroundings are full of photographic backdrops. Couples will find intimate spaces full of natural lighting and period features inside, with abundant history waiting to be discovered. The Morning & Gilt rooms provide intimacy and affection for ceremonies with up to 30 people. The Orangery offers guests the perfect unification between indoors and outdoors. Elegantly housing up to 150 guests, the space is the ideal location to enjoy the stunning gardens of Stapleford Park while exchanging vows. Alternatively, the Harborough Room is a unique space filled with character and history.

2024 food and drink trends predicted by the experts

From flexitarianism and the rise of sharing plates, to higher demand for whiskies and the rise in under-loved species of fish; here, renowned chefs and drink experts predict what will be the food and drink trends to take 2024 by storm - inspiration for your big-day catering too, with so much choice it will be hard to pick your favourite trend!