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Visitors to the Ideal Home Show sponsored by Zoopla*, have voted on their favourite royal wedding cake from 38 towering masterpieces designed in celebration of the forthcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Entries from both professional and amateur cake-makers are displayed at The Ideal Home Show at Olympia, London, with ideas ranging from a ‘whirlwind romance’ typhoon-style concoction to the more conventional multi-layer cake in traditional colours. 

SOMERSET brides-to-be can get crafty during a hen party with a difference at a shop in the county and learn the basics of chalk painting, so they can upcycle their own furniture at home.

The Emporium Somerset in Wellington says its chalk painting workshops are a great, crafty alternative for hen parties.

Cato Cooper, Co-owner of The Emporium Somerset on Mantle Street, which includes more than 50 different shops across three floors, selling thousands of home and gift items, said: “These days brides-to-be and their hens are looking for something a bit different to a night out on the town and we think our chalk painting workshops are a great idea for crafty brides and their bridesmaids, family and friends.

A hen party is a rite of passage for every bride-to-be - one last carefree and mischievous celebration with the girls before saying, ‘I do’! However, the humble hen do has come a long way since hot pink L plates, polyester veils and plastic tiaras. In fact, research shows that in the UK we now spend an astronomical £507 per hen party, as celebrations have become more extravagant than ever. 

Sound familiar?! Not to worry, with wedding season just around the corner, the experts at i heart Wines have created the ultimate DIY hen party guide to ensure you give the bride-to-be a night to remember – without breaking the bank!

Penshurst Place in the Weald of Kent is a grand family home and gardens, welcoming up to 40 weddings per year to the 11 acres of formal grounds, and 2,500-acre wider estate. 

Dating from 1341 and at the heart of the house is the original medieval Baron’s Hall, which is available to couples for both ceremonies and receptions. It is adjoined by a further two historic reception rooms and a third outside space that can be also be used for ceremonies or entertaining. The private Inner Courtyard, which is only available for use by weddings, is a beautiful area to welcome guests for a drinks reception in summer, and in the winter, a lined-marquee can be erected as an additional reception option. 

At the end of last year, Kent bride Leah Jones married her partner Richard wearing her dream wedding dress. The dress not only symbolised the best day of her life but also achieving her greatest goal of losing over 6 stone. Leah found her gown at the infamous Confetti and Lace and will be appearing on hit TV show Say Yes to the Dress this summer, you’ll be able to see her big day from start to finish. If you’re slimming down for the gown and are in need of some inspiration, read Leah’s story to find out how she did it, with lighterlife.

As far as traditions go, there will be a long list Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will need to go through on their day, and in the run up to the 19th May. Following the footsteps of Prince Charles and Camilla, the wedding will take place at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor castle. The guest list will include fellow royals, foreign leaders, church officials and celebrities and Meghan will be carrying a bouquet made up of myrtle – a tradition set by Queen Victoria. But what about the catering? As food trends change throughout the years, so does the royal wedding menu.

THE WHITE Hart in Weston In Gordano is officially launching its stunning, novel and contemporary wedding breakfast and reception venue for newlyweds this March 2018.

The Somerset gastropub has a 10-metre high tepee with firepit in its all-weather garden that can host events for more than 100 people and this year it is opening it up for wedding parties.

New research has found that one in ten brides and grooms (11%) have never washed their wedding clothes. The study, conducted by online clothing retailer Banana Moon Clothing, looked at how often people wash their clothes and how long they think they can get away with wearing dirty items. The results revealed that women are worse than men for not washing their wedding clothes.15% of brides confessed they hadn’t cleaned their dress after the wedding, compared to only 7% of men who hadn’t washed their suit.

Almost a quarter of those living in Aberdeen (23%) said they hadn’t cleaned their wedding clothing since the big day, followed by over a fifth (22%) of those in Coventry and 16% in Wolverhampton.

With Spring just around the corner (please be true!), Charlotte Ricard, Founder & Creative Director of luxury wedding and events planning company La Fête gives her predictions for the top Spring wedding trends of 2018 we’ll all be seeing in the months ahead.