NEARLYWED NEWS

Cheshire’s Country Estate Carden Park Hotel has opened a new sculpture garden and exhibition, curated by Grant Ford, BBC’s Antiques Roadshow expert and fine art curator. Set against the stunning backdrop of Cheshire’s 1000-acre luxury resort, each unique piece will be available to buy through https://grantfordltd.com with prices ranging from £1,000 to £320,000. What a truly special memento of your big day at Carden Park one of these would be!

As a new destination for art and design, entrance to the sculpture garden will be free and visitors will be welcome to view the works by leading sculptors and artists both in the garden and hotel. Suitable for the whole family as well as art lovers to enjoy, every visit will be a new experience with changing exhibits throughout the year. Descriptive signage with QR codes have been added to assist and enhance your visit complete with information about the artist and sculptures. Notable works include Looking at Life, a bronze by Rowan Gillespie and the TORUS by David Harber, a perfect circular piece created in stainless steel and slate.

Find out about hosting your big day at Carden Park over at www.cardenpark.co.uk/weddings

NEWS Nearlywed Catch up on the latest from around the region

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PAPER MAGIC

Wirral-based Ling Warlow, founder of Paper by Dragonfly, is a paper artist who designs and produces stationery for weddings and special events. Having launched her incredible luxury paper flowers last year, she’s now able to offer couples bespoke package options, ensuring everything ties together perfectly for your big day from flowers to invitations and table stationery. Allowing Ling to compile the best package to suit your requirements also means you’ll benefit from a saving on individual item costs.

For example, for a guest list of 100 you could treat yourselves to a bridal bouquet, 50 invitations (including information, reply card and envelopes), table stationery (including 100 place cards, 10 menus and 10 table names) and a seating plan featuring wedding flowers to match the bouquet for £995, which represents a whopping saving of £140. Best of all opting for an expertly crafted paper bridal bouquet means it’ll be yours to treasure forever.

So, why not get in touch and learn about a bespoke package to suit your big day? Check out www.paperbydragonfly.com

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

In 2015, cake maker Debbie Fenton opened a small boutique bakery producing celebration cakes and cupcakes after leaving her career in local government. Her story started like so many others baking and creating cakes for friends and family until her work became so popular the shop was the next step. Since then, Lois’ Little Cake & Chocolate Co. has gone from strength to strength, employing two other full-time cake designers and producing edible works of art for a range of high-profile clients.

Six years of hard work and a pandemic later, the business is expanding into a larger premises in Sandbach. The design and creation of wedding and celebration cakes will remain at its heart, but with extra floor space, the team can now offer a tea room experience.

The Grade II listed premises boast a myriad of original features and offers a wonderful environment for afternoon tea. All of the edible treats served will be baked fresh on site and washed down with tea from a well-recognised merchant, Eteaket. For coffee lovers, a local Cheshire-based coffee roasting company will also be creating its own artisan brand and handmade chocolates by Belgian and Holland will still be available.

What’s more, a private dining room will be accepting afternoon tea bookings for parties up to 12, great for your hen party. Doors to the new store will open on Tuesday 16th November, ready for Christmas, with a planned official opening organised for Saturday 22nd January, 2022.

Find out more about Lois’ Little Cake & Chocolate Co. at https://loislittlecakecompany.com

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LOOK OUT FOR…

Sarah Nelson is the celebrant behind Moments To… A business so named because she creates ceremonies that give her clients moments to remember, celebrate and rejoice. She says, “Writing ceremonies to help people mark important life events is somewhat of a privilege. It’s all about helping them find the words at a time when their emotions can seem overwhelming.”

Passionate about what she does, Sarah will be taking part in a business fair at the Wicked Stadium, St Helens, on 17th November, promoting the role of a celebrant. It’s also well worth keeping an eye on her website, https://momentsto.co.uk, as she’ll soon be launching a monthly newsletter with reading and song suggestions, sure to be useful if you’re thinking about your own wedding ceremony. The newsletters will start in December and there’ll be a sign-up option on the website from November.

WINTER VOWS

The clever folk at Thornton Hall have put together an irresistible Christmas and winter wedding package available for their Cristal Suite on remaining dates up to March 2022. Based on a maximum of 80 guests it includes a civil ceremony at 5pm or 6.30pm (subject to registrar availability), sparkling wine drinks reception, pick ‘n’ mix buffet, ice chairs, black and white dancefloor, candelabra centrepieces, red carpet, executive bedroom for the night of your wedding (with the option to upgrade to a character bedroom for £150). Package costs start from £2,500.

Whether you’re able to take advantage of this offer, or you’re looking further into the future, if you’d like to know more, it’s worth heading over to one of the hotel’s open days on 9th January or 6th March 2022. Also, check out www.thorntonhallhotel.com/weddings

MAMA MIA

It’s safe to say it’s been a difficult year for brides- and grooms-to-be, but Warner Leisure Hotels is recognising the valiant efforts of the mums too by launching a service to help them unwind after the big day. Yep, Mamamoons are now a thing!

After discovering that 68 per cent of mothers-of-the-bride felt they deserved a relaxing holiday after their daughter’s big day, the chain, which operates 14 adult-only hotels and resorts across the UK, has pioneered the Mamamoon getaway to give hard-working mums a break after the wedding once the happy couple have jetted off on their honeymoon.

These wind-down packages include spa access, gin- and wine-tasting and complimentary breakfast and dinner for the new mothers-in-law, as well as stress-busting activities such as yoga and archery.

Mamamoon packages start from £199 per person. To find out more and book your mum a well-deserved break as a massive “thank you,” visit www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk/ breaks/Mamamoon. Your nearest participating venues are Alvaston Hall, Cheshire and Bodelwyddan Castle, North Wales.

TIME TO SHINE

Luxury British jeweller ROX has launched a nationwide hunt for the next big jewellery designer. The competition, Future Makers, is open to all aspiring jewellery designers and makers, with entrants invited to submit a commercial jewellery design, which will be manufactured by ROX in its workshop. The winner will also receive a four-week internship there.

Kyron Keogh (pictured), co-founder of the company and one of the competition’s three judges says, “We truly believe that British jewellery designers are still among the best in the world. Jewellery making is one of the few crafts that remains true to its roots in the modern world. While modern technology has aided design, the traditional techniques have remained consistent. It’s traditional craftsmanship that’s been passed down for generations that we want to celebrate through our competition, while encouraging entrants to bring a modern twist to the fore.”

Founded in 2002 ROX, has a flagship boutique in Liverpool, specialises in bespoke jewellery, diamond rings and watches. It also stocks a range of luxury brands including Bulgari, Chopard, Hublot, Gucci, TAG Heuer and TUDOR.

Check out www.rox.co.uk/future-makers