NEARLYWED NEWS

Wedding planning can be stressful for everyone, including your mum, so why not treat her to one of Moddershall Oak’s new Mother’s Day packages? The Morning Package includes a drink on arrival, a selection of breakfast pastries, a hot drink and full use of the indoor and outdoor spa facilities. Alternatively, the Afternoon Package includes an afternoon of drink and sweets, use of the spa and a treatment each.

Designed with a contemporary feel in mind, Moddershall Oaks has a state-of-the-art sound system, Swarovski crystal lighting, hand-made Italian glass chandeliers, a glass bar and moveable walls. Situated in the heart of Staffordshire, the venue sits on the water’s edge and is surrounded by acres of stunning countryside. This warm and inviting property has a fresh and neutral décor throughout that’s ideal for a relaxing weekend away.

Discover more at www.moddershalloaks.com

DRINK IT ALL IN

Multi-award-winning St Maur is a small batch of premium elderflower liqueur handcrafted in Alcester, Warwickshire, using responsibly sourced ingredients, with elderflowers gathered in ancient family-owned woodlands. Ideal for weddings, St Maur is the creation of The Earl and Countess of Yarmouth, William and Kelsey Seymour, who first produced it for their wedding guests three years ago before deciding to turn it into a full-time family business at the start of lockdown. To help expand the business, the company have moved into a new premises.

William tells us: “We wanted a drink that would capture the spirit of that lovely day. Drawing on old family recipes handed down to us, we created St Maur, and we named it after our family heritage. We also gave it the colour of love.”

For more information, visit www.drinkstmaur.com

NEWS Nearlywed All the latest from around the West Midlands

HAIR GOALS

Warwickshire-based Ola Goldsmith is the owner of a new company called Naked Weave. Offering new hair extension techniques developed through many years within the industry, Ola started the business in 2012 and has built her business from the ground up to what is now a six-figure thriving business, specialising in developing new hair weave techniques. Ola was recently featured on Dragons’ Den, where although funding was not secured, Deborah Meaden gave her wise counsel.

Ola says: “Featuring on Dragons’ Den was the single most scary thing I’ve ever done in my life - the lead up to it was long and gruelling, and there was so much I had to learn about my business that I didn’t know before! I was also really eager to see Steven Bartlett during my time on the show and especially excited to hear what he had to say about my product.”

Check out www.facebook.com/nakedweave for more information.

Rosie Ginday MBE is the founder of Miss Macaroon, a Birmingham-based business that funds youth work for some of Birmingham’s most marginalised young people. At the end of last year, Rosie won the Gaia Award at the 2021 NatWest Everywoman Awards. This is awarded to an inspirational founder of a social enterprise who has combined strong community benefit with a sustainable business model. Rosie makes and sells macaroons to clients, and all sales fund Rosie’s ‘Macaroons Make a Difference’ scheme, which provides retail and kitchen-based training, employment and work experience for 18–35-year-olds.

Miss Macaroon offers bespoke wedding packages for couples who don’t necessarily want a traditional wedding cake. As well as elegant tiered macaroon towers, Miss Macaroon can also provide delicious wedding favours for guests and can even feature monogrammed macaroons entwined with the happy couple’s initials.

Julie Baker, the head of enterprise at the NatWest Group, says: “The winners show just a fraction of the wealth of female talent across the UK. We need to ensure women business owners have the same funding, networking and support opportunities as men. Everywoman does a phenomenal job of shining a light on inspirational role models, and I want to congratulate all the winners and runners up.”

To find out more about Miss Macaroon, visit www.missmacaroon.co.uk

BEAUTY QUEEN

Claire Harmer, a hair and make-up artist based in Warwickshire, was listed as a finalist for Best Make-up Artist in the West Midlands at The Wedding Industry Awards. We spoke to Claire to find out more about her business: “Make-up has always been a strong passion www.leewebbphotography.com of mine. I love being creative and bringing out the best of people’s features and making them feel the best possible version of themselves. I have more than 20 years of experience and have worked on many films and had work featured in a variety of magazines. With many years of experience and continually updating and learning new techniques and skills, I aim to give the best possible service to all my brides and clients, enhancing someone’s features and making them look and feel the best they can be is one of the best parts of my job. This is why I especially love doing bridal hair and make-up; I love it when I give the bride a mirror and get to see her reaction.”

Especially for Your West Midlands Wedding readers, Claire is offering a half price lash lifting treatment if you mention the magazine when booking. Valid until 8th April, 2022.

Find out more at www.claireharmerbeauty.co.uk

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

West Midlands-based catering company Caviar & Chips have been voted the Best Wedding Caterer in the West Midlands by The Wedding Industry Awards for the third year running and are now on their way to the national finals.

Caviar & Chips Catering have their production kitchen in Aston, Birmingham, and deliver weddings and events all around the UK. Caviar & Chips were founded by Jonathan Carter-Morris and Marc Hornby in 2017 when they were studying their MBAs at Aston University. Now, five years on they’ve been building their bespoke catering business into a brand that is award-winning and recognised for its tailored approach to creating any menu in any format their clients care to imagine.

Marc said: “We’re over the moon to have been awarded Best Wedding Caterer in the region for the third year running. In spite of the pandemic, we’ve been fortunate to grow our business quickly and successful by focussing on our clients’ experience first and foremost.”

Visit www.caviarandchips.co.uk for more information.

REST AND RELAXATION

The Arden Hotel, situated in the heart of historic Stratford-upon-Avon, is part of the Eden Hotel Collection; an award-winning group of dog-friendly, English country house hotels, that are rich in character and style. Boasting 45 boutique bedrooms, the wedding venue has an unrivalled town centre location, with an all-weather terrace, cosy afternoon tea lounge and award-winning No. 44 Brasserie. The property has recently teamed up with Shakespeare Distillery to offer couples a new experience. Shakespeare Distillery was founded in 2015 and is located only a short distance from The Arden Hotel. Not only will you get the chance to find out how gin is made but you will also get the opportunity to taste a selection of spirits and a refreshing glass of gin and tonic. The experienced guides from Shakespeare Distillery will take you on a fun and informative journey around the working distillery in Stratford-upon-Avon where you will discover how the gin is made, learn about the history of gin and experience all of the different ingredients used to make it! The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, and you will get the chance to come back to The Arden Hotel for a fabulous nights’ stay in one of the boutique bedrooms, including a delicious dinner in No44 Brasserie.

Head over to www.theardenhotelstratford.com for more information.