Your London Wedding news and ideas from around the capital

Discover The Amadeus in London

For the past 30 years, The Amadeus has provided a wide range of dry-hire events. The converted former Welsh Presbyterian chapel in London's Maida Vale is the perfect location for memorable weddings, thanks to the passionate team who understands that every event is special. They pride themselves on providing excellent service from start to finish, with two event spaces on offer. The Upper Hall's elegant windows with stained glass borders provide excellent natural illumination. The original pipe organ, wood-panelled balcony and graceful Victorian architecture complete the impressive space. The venue offers a range of versatile amenities to enhance further events, including a lighting and PA system for playing background music.

Big-day gifting ideas from Yvonne Ellen

With careful eyes on tight-budgets, it's easy to forget the charm of gift-giving but with careful planning and your eye in the right place you can still find wedding gifts for loved ones. Based in London, Yvonne Ellen is an independent British home and lifestyle brand specialising in home and giftware that is quirky yet timeless. Bringing her passion for home design to life in 2017, award-winning designer Yvonne Ellen hand paints her illustrations on a wide range of fine china home and lifestyle products that's inspired by her love of travelling, fashion and London, bringing a colourful and bold statement either on its own or as part of an eclectic assortment of goodies.

2024's biggest gifting wedding trends revealed with The Wedding Shop

Gifting Guru, Liza Baucher from The Wedding Shop, reveals the 2024 wedding gifting trends that are set to be huge next year. According to The Wedding Shop's recent gifting survey, 99% of wedding guests will still give a gift in 2024 and the average price of a gift is higher. Which means, despite the cost of living - people are still spending more on wedding gifts. Liza adds, "In an era of rising costs, it's inspiring to see wedding guests prioritise the joy of giving. The significance of being part of someone's special day hasn't diminished, in fact it has grown stronger!

Discover Loveness Lee's new jewellery collection

London-based jewellery brand Loveness Lee has introduced the new Mushroom Collection, an 18-piece jewellery adventure with texture-filled designs paired with the largest combination of lab-grown gemstones the brand has ever created – it's perfect for boho or rustic-themed weddings. Inspired by the beauty within, owner Loveness foraged an array of curious-looking wild mushrooms from the forest floor while on her morning run. After bringing them back to her OXO Tower studio, she plucked underneath each pillow-like shell to uncover intricate patterns and forms. Working closely with her team, she used their signature wax casting technique to capture the textures, then formulated how each casting could be transformed into wearable art using her unique eye for design. Luxury gemstones were added to extenuate each texture.

Launch of SpeechyAI - a new wedding speech writing tool

SpeechyAI, the first (genuinely decent) wedding speech writing tool has launched, giving you plenty of help and inspiration for planning your big-day speech whether you're the bride, groom, bestman or any member of the bridal party that's volunteered or this all-important role. Heidi, the founder of Speechy (the wedding speech ghostwriting team who were featured on The Drew Barrymore Show & The New York Times), has spent the last nine months working with an innovation company and, using Speechy's speechwriting techniques and tips, has developed something they're now proud to launch. As writers themselves, the team were very sceptical that AI would ever be able to produce a witty, coherent, and original speech, but through extensive testing we realised the AI, despite ongoing rumours to the contrary, can be very funny. Heidi adds, "So, with our 'secret Speechy recipe' we've now developed SpeechyAI and we hope the speeches created will surprise the majority of people who are still sceptical about AI's ability!"

The Hurlingham Club is the perfect setting for weddings

Set in 42 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens, with an elegant Georgian-style Clubhouse and south-facing terraces overlooking the River Thames, The Hurlingham Club is one of the world's most exclusive private members' clubs. The venue is a quintessentially British hidden gem in the heart of London. The event space offers a versatile blank canvas with various options to make events extra special. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows running the entire length of the south façade, the club provides unparalleled views of the venue's beautiful grounds and the River Thames beyond. The doors also open onto terraces, offering guests the chance to enjoy the ambience of the venue's grounds during the summer months.

Get an extra night’s sleep with Young’s rooms this January

Two nights are always better than one, and with 1,000 nights to giveaway, cosy up in the comfort of the pub with Young's Rooms this winter. To redeem, simply book your two-night stay online between 3rd January – 15th February 2024 (for stays up to 29th February 2024) and use the code ONEMORESLEEP to receive 50% off your booking.Whether you fancy a city break in the capital, a getaway in the glorious British countryside or a seaside escape, make your stay count with 42 pubs with rooms in London and in the South of England to choose from. Ranging from snug stays for solo travellers to family bedrooms and one-of-a-kind feature rooms, complete with plush furnishings, uber-comfy Hypnos beds and Bramley toiletries, there is no better place to unwind than the cosy surrounds of the great British pub this winter.

Tips for keeping your 2024 New Year’s Resolutions

As 2024 approaches, many of our thoughts will turn to self-improvement and how we make the New Year as successful, satisfying, and productive as possible. Whether it's improving our health, focusing on professional advancement, learning a new skill, or exploring something totally unique, we typically create our list of goals during this time of year. To help ensure that 2024 is the year that your resolutions are kept, Toastmasters International offers these 8 tips that will help you to achieve your goals. Be realistic. Having lofty goals is commendable, however, it's important to make sure they are realistic, or you may end up feeling frustrated that they are too difficult to achieve.

Intimate Weddings are in for 2024: Venue expert offers tips

Micro weddings are on the rise, with a 100% increase in searches for 'intimate wedding venues' recorded in the past 12 months alone worldwide. In the UK specifically, searches for 'micro wedding venues near me' have risen by 100% in the past two years, and searches for 'intimate wedding venues UK' by 50% in the past 12 months. Forced small gatherings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have clearly rubbed off as scaled-back nuptials have stuck around, offering couples the opportunity to be in the moment, create memories with their closest loved ones, and eliminate the feeling for couples that they may need to gain approval from or impress guests on their big day.

5 ways to make your bridesmaids feel special

On average, it costs a bridesmaid around £408 to have the privilege to stand by their dearest friend as they tie the knot. In fact, from organising a memorable hen to booking accommodation and buying the right accessories for their dress, the expenses can slowly creep up. But even if the role comes with pressing responsibilities, the reality is that bridesmaids are more than delighted to support you during the preparations and celebrations. As the bride, it's only right to thank your bride tribe for all their dedication, as they are likely to have been through all your highs and lows.

Blossoming love on a budget - top tips from YouFloria

Wedding albums can be a garden of memories with the enchanting presence of flowers seen in every snapshot. Flowers can play an integral part of a wedding narrative, adding a tapestry of texture and colour into photos, bringing out personality and creating an overall feel to a wedding. From bouquets to table centres, pew ends and buttonholes, flowers are incorporated into every wedding memory... Creating your own wedding floral displays and bouquets can be an easy way to cut the cost, and the perfect way to make your wedding a little more personal - also, super fun and easy to do! You don't have to have a good track record of keeping house plants alive to be able to throw together a show-worthy, eye-catching floral masterpiece, no matter how big or small.

A festival proposal

Kent-based Lou Lou Event Design, has shared her love of Christmas with this festive proposal collaboration. "We love a Christmas proposal. Twinkling fairylights, classic board games and hot chocolate snuggled under blankets; the holidays are an iconic backdrop to love," shares Lou. "While festive spirits are high, it's the perfect opportunity to strip back on big proposal theatrics and focus on what really matters - being together. "Our Christmas proposal shoot shares all the love, laughter and passion of a December engagement. We chose a London home for our location and styled its living room with bows, foliage and modern art. We mixed traditional seasonal elements with contemporary, opulent touches like Isabelle's red mini dress and platform shoes, and Ross' black velvet braces."

Le Gothique offers a winter wonderland setting

The Grade II listed Victorian Gothic-revival façade of Le Gothique is one of the best original exteriors of its kind in Britain. The spectacular towering spires, gargoyles and large statue of St. George give it a dreamy castle-like feel. An enchanting award-winning Secret Garden is found tucked within the venue. It's the perfect al fresco space for celebrations that can be covered, heated and lit for 250 loved ones to enjoy. A hard-standing patio with a barbecue is surrounded by neatly striped lawns and hanging floral baskets. Inside, the venue is split into two levels, with formal dining on the mezzanine floor and a Gothic bar occupying the ground floor.

The groom's guide to wedding planning

Matthew Shaw is founder and creative director at sauveur. a renowned event planning and management company based in London. Here, Matthew shares his groom's guide to wedding planning...

More often than not, the bulk of wedding planning lands up being the work of the bride with the groom being delegated select tasks but, wedding planning should be the work of a team and there may also be two grooms involved in the planning. Today's grooms are often much more involved with all aspects of the planning, something we very much encourage!

Giftlist predictions for 2024

As 2023 is drawing to a close, wedding gift list company Prezola, has pulled together their best-selling wedding gifts of 2023, whilst looking at predictions for 2024. Despite being in a cost-of-living crisis, it appears people are getting MORE generous when it comes to weddings. In a recent survey*, 99% of guests confirmed they would give a wedding gift, with 93% saying they find having a list to choose from helpful. Experiences continue to be front of mind for the adventurous Prezola couple, but they are also combining this with big home upgrades, including coffee machines, pizza ovens and more. The likes of Airbnb, Mr & Mrs Smith and Lastminute.com are extremely popular, alongside honeymoon funds, with 59% of guests giving cash for honeymoons and 39% of them donating towards a honeymoon through a fund like Prezola.

Unwrap the magic of Willy Wonka with Haute Dolci

This Christmas, Haute Dolci introduces their delicious Belgian milk chocolate Dolci Bar, that's not just a delectable sweet treat but also a golden opportunity! Inspired by the whimsical world of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and timed perfectly with the release of the much-anticipated WONKA film, Haute Dolci is excited to bring the enchantment of golden tickets to life...Recreating the magic of this Roald Dahl children's classic, each Dolci Bar comes with the exciting opportunity of discovering a Golden Ticket concealed inside and winning one of their fantastic prizes. Not every customer will discover one, but those who do will be in for a delightful surprise. Prizes range from free teasers of Dolci's finest creations to tickle your taste buds, a free drink to quench your thirst, a free dessert from their exquisite range, to charms which will give you from anything from 5% - 40% discount off purchases for an entire year, or the ultimate exclusive key, which will grant a year of free desserts.

Christmas gifts for the bride to be

The Christmas countdown is on – and if this isn't the only big day on the horizon, it's the perfect excuse to pull out all the stops If you're got a friend, sister or loved one who's about to celebrate their last Christmas as a Miss, mark it in style with a thoughtful and stylish gift from Team Hen. Responsible for giving hen parties across the world a serious glow-up, Team Hen is the ultimate go-to destination for fabulous accessories that are modern hen party goals. Forget the tacky L-plates or garish flashing tiaras, Team Hen is doing things differently – and in style. From fun festive goodies to super-stylish accessories, Team Hen has got all of your nearly-wed Christmas gifting sorted this year. The bride is going to love you for it!

Stockton House in Shropshire has won an award

Stockton House, situated in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, received the accolade of 'Best Venue (Other) in the West Midlands' at the Wedding Industry Awards, an evening that celebrates suppliers across the wedding industry. Stockton House and the dedicated team will now go on to compete in the national finals, which take place in London in January 2024.

Owned and run by the estate, the Georgian Grade II-listed venue opened its doors in August 2022 and has had a successful first year. There are two other tenant businesses on the Apley Estate, Brides View at Astol and Emmie Hair, based in the Estates Farm Shop courtyard, who have also been nominated as regional finalists.

Zetter Hotels group announces its latest opening

With award-winning properties across London, Zetter Hotels group announces its latest opening with the launch of The Zetter Bloomsbury, set to open in early 2025. As the first opening in ten years, the property will mark the rebirth of Zetter Hotels and a new phase of development for the iconic brand. With 72 bedrooms and suites, the venue is located near Russell Square and in the heart of London, in a beautiful position overlooking the British Museum. Blending six 300-year-old townhouses, the hotel will embody timeless imperfection. James Thurstan Waterworth aims to create eclectic and original interiors that are in keeping with the architecture and surroundings. Being a traditional Georgian townhouse, the building will feature antique reclaimed floorboards and original detailing.

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!