Your Surrey Wedding news and ideas from around the county

County Wedding Events coming to Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey!

If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey, for inspiration on Sunday 18th 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. Celebrate your Surrey Wedding in the beautiful landscaped setting of the vineyard. Set in the heart of the Surrey Hills, an area known for its outstanding natural beauty, Denbies prides itself as one of the finest wedding venues in Surrey.

Get organised with Making Meadows

Need help keeping on top of the wedding planning admin? Making Meadows is an eco-conscious letter writing paper, gift and stationery shop offering beautiful writing paper, greeting cards, wrapping paper and unique stationery. Designed and made in the UK in small batches from its Surrey studio, it all began from an original painting, inspired by the British countryside. From personalised notebooks, to printed to-do lists and planners, booksmarks and ball point pens the items are pretty and perfect whether it's a gift for yourself or a loved one. Check out https://makingmeadows.co.uk

Love letters are all but lost

Once the staple currency of every romance, the simple art of writing a love letter has been all but lost, in an age of Snapchat and WhatsApp. A new study has revealed that nearly half of young Brits in relationships (45 percent) aged between 18 and 35, have never written their sweetheart a love letter, while 71 percent say they would rather send a romantic WhatsApp, DM or Snap. In fact, 88 percent say that traditional displays of affection such as love letters and flowers are old fashioned. Young lovers admit that they wouldn't know what to say in a letter (37 percent), with a third (29 percent) confessing they would feel silly, according to the poll by Bird & Blend Tea Co. who have created a Swizzels Love Hearts Tea.

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 rise in personalised gifts

This issue we asked our experts to tell us about their top trends for 2024. Here, Grace McIntyre from BrownieMe (www.brownieme.co.uk) gives us her thoughts... I think 2024 will see a rise in wholesome, personalised weddings. Although tradition has so much value, there's nothing wrong with adding a few special touches and elements to show off your personalities. For example, chocolate brownies with your favourite toppings and a sign that says: "These are our fave toppings, if you don't like them, tough luck!" This creates a wholesome feel as your guests see the two of you shine through. I think personalised gifts will also be on the rise in 2024,

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.

The world's your oyster with a personal travel consultant

After many years travelling the world as an IT Consultant, Sally Bosman had a total career change in 2020, becoming a personal travel consultant just before the world shut down! "I made good use of my lockdown start," she says, "advising people about refunds, traffic-light lists, travel requirements and so on, until the world began to open up again." Unlikely though it may have seemed at the time, Covid gave her a head start to offering great customer service with a personal touch and most of her first clients still book their holidays with her today. In fact, nearly all of Sally's business now comes from recommendations, especially honeymoons.

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.

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.

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...

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.

Dreamy Valentine's Day packages at Pennyhill Park

Situated in the heart of Surrey, Pennyhill Park is the most luxurious spa and hotel retreat in the area offering an exclusive Valentine's Day package this year for their afternoon tea and spa retreats. Valentines' Spa Packages. Elevate your romantic getaway with the ultimate spa experience. Pennyhill Park offers two exclusive Valentine spa stays that promise relaxation and rejuvenation. The Valentine Afternoon Spa stay, priced at £245 per person, includes spa access from 2 pm to 8 pm, Valentine's afternoon tea, and a luxurious 60-minute Comfort Zone Prescriptive Facial (with an optional £20 upgrade to a massage). For a mud-infused romantic adventure, the Valentine's Muddy Spa Day at £195 per person includes spa access from 9 am to 9 pm...

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.

Honeymoon planning sorted at Kuoni

Worldwide holiday company Kuoni has opened a new travel shop within its headquarters based in the heart of Dorking. Kuoni has a long-standing connection with Dorking as it's been the home of the company's business operations for almost 50 years. Staff, including Store Manager Sue Eaton and Assistant Manager Justine Poutney have been recruited to help customers in the Surrey Hills and surrounding areas plan their holidays around the world. From Africa to the Maldives and Italy to Thailand, Kuoni has become synonymous with premium travel experiences all over the world and the friendly team are able to create personalised itineraries to suit different budgets. The new store is located on the ground floor of the modern, dynamic offices, overlooking a bright courtyard.

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.

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.

January sample sale at May & Grace THIS WEEKEND

2024 has arrived, which can only mean one thing! May & Grace has its biannual sample sale just in time for wedding season. So, if you haven't found your dream dress yet and you are getting married in 2024, this event is for you. Some couture gowns have even been added with huge discounts! Call 01428 288012 to secure your place for THIS WEEKEND, 26th - 28th January 2024. All future brides are invited to come and find their dream wedding gown at May & Grace. The boutique will be offering amazing discounts over three full days, with up to 80 per cent off a huge range of international top designers.

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!