Your Glos and Wilts Wedding news and ideas from around the area

Barnsley House in Gloucestershire offers options for weddings in all seasons

Located in the picture-perfect village of Barnsley, this country house hotel offers a luxurious home-away-from-home. With its magical gardens and heritage architectural features, it makes the perfect backdrop for a summer celebration, or an intimate winter wedding complete with roaring log fires and rustic charm. With 18 individually designed hideaway rooms and secret garden suites, Barnsley House also offers exclusive hire of the hotel and its facilities for those seeking an exclusive wedding experience. During the winter months, wedding vows and rings can be exchanged at Barnsley House's Potager restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer enchanting views of the frost-capped gardens, lovingly cultivated by the revered garden designer Rosemary Verey. Couples can also hire a marquee for up to 150 people in the hotel's enchanting grounds, where a champagne and canapé reception can be enjoyed post-ceremony.

UK's 15 most Instagrammed venues to get hitched

As UK searches for "wedding venues" skyrocketed by 110%* over the past months, the wedding experts at Aura Print scoured social media for the most popular autumn/winter wedding venues nationwide, and tallied Instagram hashtag numbers to reveal which venue stands out as the most memorable for weddings this season. Top 15 most Instagrammed wedding venues for autumn/winter 2023 to be inspired by...

Save money on wedding party gifts

With more and more couples choosing to thank their bridesmaids and groomsman with presents, Anita Naik, savings expert at the UK's most trusted savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk, has some great tips on how to save money on your wedding party gifts, without sparing the sentiment: Spend within your budget: Set a budget and stick to it. Often people can go down a rabbit hole when browsing for gifts, looking at items that are way over budget. It's important to set yourself a strict budget and spend an amount that you're comfortable with.

Wiltshire's Whatley Manor invites guests to go green during their stay

Whatley Manor is a five-star country house hotel located in the Cotswolds that prides itself on its beautiful gardens and sustainable horticulture as well as its locally sourced Michelin-star cuisine. The hotel is inviting guests to switch off and absorb the green haven during their visit. Located near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, the hotel is situated in 12 acres of beautifully kept grounds, organised into 12 individually designed garden rooms, including an abundant kitchen garden which provides for the Michelin-starred restaurant, The Dining Room. Based on the original 1920s plans of the grounds, the gardens were designed by renowned British architect, Septimus Warwick, who favoured the Arts and Crafts style. Today, the hotel's custodians have a passion for ecological horticulture and make a special effort to restore the gardens as closely as possible to their origins.

Whatley Manor in Wiltshire holds one Green Michelin star

Following the recent Michelin guide announcement, eight members within the PoB Hotels' collection have successfully retained their Michelin stars. Be it a classically British dish, moreish street-style feasts, or award-winning cuisine served with tasting menu finesse, PoB Hotels offers a fantastic selection of delicious foodie experiences at each of their hotels, located across the British Isles. Enjoy a truly exceptional dining experience at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury, Wiltshire (pictured) which holds 1 Michelin star and 1 Green Michelin star. The Dining Room at Whatley Manor offers seasonally changing menus displaying an inspiring use of flavours, accomplished cooking and very dishes. Whatley Manor is also proud to have a Green Michelin Star – a recognition of their sustainable gastronomy efforts.

County Wedding Magazines launch new websites!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ the office is abuzz with excitement at the launch of our new websites – I'm sure you can hear the *collective oohs and ahhs* from where you are! So yes, it's here, after months of hard work, sweat and tears (maybe less tears but more cheers!), our shiny, new, glorious websites are ready to be viewed by our much-loved readers – we really hope you like them as much as we do! Wedding planning at your fingertips - What's new, we hear you ask? Well, everything! The County names are as important as ever, it's our ethos after all, but we have a lush new font and modern colour scheme that really makes our County Wedding Magazine titles jump off the page.

The best of English sparkling wine, with Amelia Singer this National Champagne Week (1-7th October)

There's the New World of wine, and then the New New World: English Sparkling Wine is on the rise. This National Champagne Week, wine expert, Amelia Singer selects her favourite bubbles from our own green pastures... Which country comes to mind if you think of "wine"? For most, I imagine France, Italy, or perhaps even the USA these days, probably dominates. We all know, however, that the world is a-changing and so should our concept of wine and where it comes from. English wines are on the rise, and it's my opinion, along with a fair few of the worlds top wine experts, that they are the new frontier of wine making – even beating out top champagne houses in sparkling wine competitions.

Personalised wedding gifts from Pen Heaven

Find beautifully crafted, meaningful, and personalised wedding gifts to cherish forever with Pen Heaven. A master of exquisite stationary design, Pen Heaven was founded in 2008 and offer a comprehensive range of luxury writing instruments, leather journals and gifts. Specialists in classic brands such as Parker, Cross and Lamy, Pen Heaven also boast some more unusual and hard-to-find items such as the Japanese hand painted Platinum range, Italian calligraphy sets and the design focused Worther brand. Offering an in-house, by-hand engraving and embossing service, Pen Heaven are the ultimate destination for meaningful gifts with a personal touch perfect for big-day gifting.

PoB Hotels unveils collaboration with Madeleine Shaw

PoB Hotels unveils a new collaboration with Madeleine Shaw for a new wellness experience dedicated to skin health that's taking place across the portfolio of properties, including at Bovey Castle in Devon, Barnsley House in Gloucestershire and The Vineyard in Berkshire. This partnership offers guests an exclusive opportunity to glow, both inside and out through indulgent treatments and delectably nutritious dishes, all expertly crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients to enhance overall skin health and well-being. Madeleine Shaw's exceptional expertise certifies these extraordinary treatments and delightful dishes, available at select PoB Hotels from September 2023 to March 2024. Madeleine has proudly partnered with PoB Hotels, sharing her 'Get the Glow' Philosophy. Madeleine Shaw boasts over a decade of unparalleled experience in the wellness industry.

County Wedding Magazines' readers share their prize win story!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ, we love nothing more than to hear from the winners of our competitions. In the crazy world of wedding planning, it's exciting for us to be able to offer our lovely readers some exciting giveaways and competitions which will hopefully give you a much-needed pick-me-up during on the countdown to your wedding day. In March 2023, CWM ran a competition, 'Win a minimoon in Northern Ireland!' and the winners were nearlyweds Jennifer and her partner.

Gloucestershire-based Forever Bouquet Fine Art offer wedding heirloom

Why not commission Caroline Evans from Gloucestershire-based Forever Bouquet Fine Art to create an oil painting of your bouquet? It's not just a keepsake, it's a heirloom which couples can enjoy for a lifetime. Capturing the blooms in a painting is a straightforward process, it doesn't require the bouquet to be sent anywhere, Caroline simply asks for a good photograph to work her magic from. The flowers will look exactly like they did on the special day - perfect and in context. It makes the ideal wedding gift or couples can treat themselves to one as a first anniversary present.

Halloween hen party ideas for 2023

If you're looking to throw a hen party that's nothing short of magical, mysterious and oh-so-memorable, then you're in for a treat, not a trick, with a Halloween hen party! This bewitching night is filled with laughter, eerie enchantment and spine-tingling surprises. Halloween, with its unique blend of the spooky and the playful, makes for a perfect theme that'll have everyone howling with delight. And just think of the costumes! Leading hen party company, Fizzbox is our guide as we embark on a haunted journey through the land of Halloween hen party ideas that will make your last night of freedom the talk of the town.

Wedding day aesthetic according to your star sign

Jewellery brand Diamonds Factory, has spoken exclusively to celebrity psychic and astrologer Inbaal Honigman, who has shared her top tips on how to plan your wedding according to your zodiac. Vibrant Colours for Aries, known for their fiery and youthful nature, embrace the vibrant energy of red. This intense hue symbolises their passion and dynamism. To capture their directness, a bow and arrow motif, reminiscent of Greek deity Eros, perfectly embodies Aries' spirit on their special day.

Enjoy the new Rewild and Relax package at Calcot & Spa with PoB Hotels

A picturesque Cotswold country house hotel, Calcot & Spa is offering a Rewild and Relax package that invites guests to immerse themselves in the wild landscape of the Cotswolds for two nights. The package includes a guided early bird nature walk with Calcot's wildlife expert, Ed Drewitt, to fully enjoy nature's chorus at its best, highlighting the plethora of flora and fauna to be enjoyed on the hotel's doorstep. After a hearty breakfast, guests will be shown the hotel's on-site beehives by resident beekeeper, Martin, who will give guests an insight into these amazing creatures busy making use of the wildflower meadows and surrounding hedgerows.

Let's talk about sleep - the importance of rest

A new nationwide study has revealed as many as 86 percent of us now regularly struggle to drift off - not good if you're wanting to look and feel your best physically and mentally in the run up to your wedding day and on-the-day itself! Research has revealed the top 20 natural sleep inducers in the modern age – and counting sheep or mugs of Horlicks did not make the cut. In fact, modern Brits are more likely to get intimate with their other half, listen to a true crime podcast, watch a comedy show, tidy their room from top to bottom, or cuddle up with their pet. But the survey shows, simply reading a book is the number one snooze inducing activity (23 percent), followed by scrolling through social media (22 percent), despite the consensus that looking at phones is bad for our sleep patterns.

Calling all newlyweds and nearlyweds - County Wedding Magazines need you!

Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ, there's nothing we love more than our real wedding features - and we couldn't do them without you! If you would like to see your wedding grace the pages of one of our County Wedding Magazine titles, then please do get in touch! Grand and big-budget extravaganzas, to small and intimate I dos, themed from beginning to end, or personalised with a sentimental touch - we want to hear about them all!

Hurley House Hotel in Berkshire launches Omakase Sushi Bar

Hurley House Hotel is a privately owned exclusive and luxury boutique hotel and licensed wedding venue that specialises in bespoke events for up to 160 guests seated including weddings, private parties and special celebrations. It's set in a countryside location in Hurley close to Henley-on-Thames, Marlow and Maidenhead and recently unveiled its Japanese Omakase Sushi Bar. Bassam Shlewet, Hurley House's managing director tells us, "Our aim has always been to create unforgettable experiences for our guests. Having first introduced Japanese cuisine to the area in July 2019, it was only natural for us to extend our offering to include an authentic Japanese experience. Omakase, which translates as 'Leave it to me, is a unique dining ritual, in which your meal is carefully chosen and crafted by the head sushi chef right in front of you."

Antiques and vintage store now open at The Old Kennels in Cirencester

Independent antiques and collectables homewares store, Lily Antiques, is celebrating opening the doors of its new showroom at The Old Kennels in Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire. Inspired by rustic, everyday handmade objects from across Europe, Lily Antiques offers ever-changing collections of beautiful and useful items of excellent quality from one-off antique ceramics, including Capasoni olive oil jars and Spanish pots to Italian crockery platters and pasta bowls. There's also vintage furniture, decorative items, baskets and stoneware - the pieces are perfect for weddings and also gifts. Carefully hand-picked by Lily owners, Steve and Louise Pike, on regular and dedicated buying trips to the Continent, each piece was chosen for its unique, visually appealing and versatile aesthetic with weathered textures, tones and glazes in the best traditions of enduring design made by skilled craftspeople.

De Vere Tortworth Court features in new series Ultimate Wedding Planner

De Vere Tortworth Court features in the new hit series Ultimate Wedding Planner broadcast on BBC Two. Made by BBC Studios, the show sees Fred Sirieix, Sara Davies and Raj Somaiya judge eight aspiring wedding planners battling it out to see who's got what it takes to be crowned the Ultimate Wedding Planner. In episode four, the wedding planners are tasked with planning a multi-themed wedding, one of their toughest challenges yet. The engaged couple wanted an autumnal fantasy wedding, and the team set to work utilising De Vere Tortworth Court's Victorian Orangery as the perfect backdrop for the ceremony.

Sudeley Castle & Gardens in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire opens Orangery

Sudeley Castle & Gardens in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire has recently opened its stunning Orangery which, combined with the historic Old Coach House provides spacious dining and celebration areas to seat up to 150 guests, with many more able to enjoy the large terrace and outdoor bar. This timeless setting is located in the surroundings of the 15th-century Sudeley Castle and Gardens, with views of the castle exterior and across the rolling Cotswold Hills. The award-winning gardens sweep around the castle and grounds and are known as being some of the most romantic in the Cotswolds. With ruins and roses aplenty, there are awe-inspiring views and when the sun begins to set, the Cotswold stone of the castle and ruins magically glows.