Your Herts and Beds Wedding news and ideas from around the area

Check out Elegance China Hire's new wedding discount

Wedding breakfasts date back to the 17th-century, but many couples want to break away from the traditional three-course meal. The food choice is vast and couples can get creative with grazing tables, street food vendors or barbecues. Or why take a step back in time with a traditional afternoon tea? Elegance China Hire can provide a beautiful selection of vintage china for special events covering Hertfordshire and neighbouring counties. The company offers a beautiful selection of vintage items to grace wedding tables for wowfactor events. Owner Caroline Inglis arranges consultations with couples and liaises with caterers and event planners to develop a hire package to suit different budgets.

New cake stands launched in Spring pastel shades

Innovative UK cake stand brand, Prop Options has launched a new, sophisticated range of interchangeable pastel-coloured cake stands, giving couples and cake designers bountiful colourful options when it comes to displaying their wedding cakes. Known as the Reeded Stand, these pastel-toned contemporary cake plinths have removable top plates, allowing designers and couples to mix and match colourways for a truly unique, fun, yet elegant, design. Prop Options is bringing out six colourways in its Pastel Reeded Stand collection, namely pink, lavender, green, yellow, blue and 2024 colour of the year, Pantone Peach Fuzz. The stands are also available in white, black, and gold.

New Smeg products ideal for wedding gifting this season

Whether you're compiling your big-day gift list and looking for inspiration, or you're a guest attending a wedding in the coming months, these new items from Smeg makes wedding gifting easy! Adding to its of portfolio cooking essentials, Smeg has introduced its first countertop scales. The KSC01 Kitchen Scales are a welcome addition for both budding bakers and professionals in the kitchen. Joining the likes of stand mixers and cookware in Smeg's portfolio, the brand's all-new digital scales are both outstanding in design and packed with its advanced technology.

Discover wedding receptions at Fullers Hill Cottages

Fullers Hill Cottages is located on a working farm and airfield in the stunning countryside. It's a beautiful setting only a 20-minute drive from Cambridge City Centre, perfectly situated for a fantastic balance between a relaxing country affair and an exciting city experience. The 750-acre arable farm has seven luxury self-catering cottages, all with pretty gardens and hot tubs. There's also a children's play area, horse stabbing, and a private airfield – couples can arrive by sky, horse, or car! The team's Little White Book has lots of contacts, ideas and discounts to help create the most fabulous wedding receptions. Why not also check out the venue's Little Pink Book for hen parties and the Little Black Book for honeymoons?

7 top tips for including your pooch in your wedding

Considering including your pooch at your wedding? Here are 7 top tips from Petpals. With 57% of UK households boasting a furry friend, it is no wonder many couples dream of having their beloved dog join them on their special day. In fact, a whopping eight in 10 Brits say they would want their four-legged companion to be part of their wedding festivities. But before you entrust your pooch with the role of ring bearer, it is essential to be well prepared to ensure that your big day is nothing short of paw-some for both you and your pup. Here, Kevin Thackrah, Director of Petpals, the UK's longest-established pet-care franchise, shares some top tips on how to seamlessly incorporate your canine companion into your wedding day.

How to avoid guests over indulging on alcoholic drinks on the big day

One in six (16 per cent) wedding guests admit to driving home the morning after a wedding, when they could still be over the alcohol limit, reveals new research1 from Direct Line Motor Insurance. In a bid to remind drivers about the risks of getting behind the wheel after celebratory drinking, a car was crashed into a three-metre-high wedding cake outside Blenheim Palace2, one of the UK's most instagramable wedding venues.

With one in five (20 per cent) guests saying they have been driven home by someone they thought was over the drink drive limit, the morning after celebrating nuptials, the smashed wedding cake highlights the risks involved with driving the morning after.

6 Star Wars cocktails for the ultimate Star Wars hen do

Calling all brides-to-be and their intergalactic squadrons! Prepare to elevate your hen party to new heights as leading hen party company Fizzbox teams up with magical tavern, The Cauldron, to concoct a range of Star Wars cocktails, perfect for celebrating the bride's journey to the galaxy of marriage! Set your blasters to fun as The Cauldron's mixologists transport you to a galaxy far, far away with their selection of otherworldly drinks inspired by the iconic saga. From Darth Vader-inspired concoctions to drinks that will have you feeling like you're partying on the Millennium Falcon, there's something to delight every Jedi bride and her entourage.

Wedding homeware from Addison Ross

The heart and soul of British luxury Addison Ross, is a family owned British brand started in 1978; from a small business, it has now grown into a global sensation with a vast offering including an exquisite range of luxury homeware essentials that create the ideal wedding tablescape or wedding gift. A recent collaboration with India Hicks, saw the launch of a beautiful new photo frame collection, which India (King Charles' Goddaughter) used for her own wedding photos. These wonderful frames can also be used to create special moments at weddings including framing seating charts or cocktail menus!

The most popular wedding cars of 2024 and how much they will cost

As we head into the Spring/Summer wedding season, many couples will be tying up the last elements of their weddings before the big day. Often left to the last minute is transport, with many couples wanting to arrive and leave their wedding venues in style. Nationwide Vehicle Contracts decided to investigate which cars are the most popular when it comes to wedding hire, and also how much hiring one will set you back. To work out the most popular wedding car of 2024, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has analysed Google search volumes, Google search trends and TikTok data including the number of posts per model, monthly searches and the YoY search trend.

Dylans at The Kings Arms has been included in the Estrella Damm Top 100

Dylans at The Kings Arms has been included in the Estrella Damm Top 100 for the second year running, climbing an incredible 22 places to number 72 in the respected list. Housed in a beautiful 15th-century Tudor building on George Street in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans, this neighbourhood gem has an emphasis on quality ingredients such as txuleta prime rib dairy cow and fresh Cornish day boat fish, as well as an extensive range of craft beer, specialist wines, and spirits. Recently acclaimed as a place to eat one of the best steaks in the UK by Top Jaw and Sorted Food, its reputation for offering unpretentious but high-quality dining in a casual pub environment has grown over the past 12 months.

Young Brits looking to get hitched face saving for 30 Months

Young couples are faced with saving for over 30 months to reach their wedding savings goals, according to new research from Nationwide that charts what Brits are saving for in 2024.One in six young people are currently putting money away for their dream wedding. On average, these love birds are aiming to save £17,000 in preparation for their wedding – although the costs will likely be higher as many will also benefit from contributions from family and friends. Based on average monthly individual savings of £282, it would take a typical couple saving a combined £564 around 31 months to reach their target.*

Discover Beaumont Hall in St Albans

Nestled in St Albans, Beaumont Hall provides the perfect setting for outdoor weddings! The house is not for hire, but the beautifully presented Georgian Grade II farmhouse offers a beautiful backdrop for events. As couples approach the farmhouse, they'll be greeted by lime trees lining the driveway and the sweet perfume of lush natural greenery. The surrounding grounds are completely secluded. The venue doesn't have a ceremony license, but it does have a space for blessings. The Honeycomb Lawn can host 200 loved ones and overlooks a pond, providing a wonderful space for memorable moments. The lawn in front of the house provides the perfect setting for arrival drinks and drink receptions before heading to the reception space.

Spring Bank Holiday weekend is set to host second highest number of weddings for 2024

The team at hampers.com, who strive to bring joy and wholehearted togetherness through gifting, recently undertook a study to determine the most popular dates for weddings in 2024, surveying almost 2,300 UK adults who were set to get married this year. When asked what date they were getting married on, the most popular dates were found to be were these here...