Guides for Brides Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

Merseyside

M ON AG L AZ INE IN E 2020

12 pages of inspiring wedding ideas

REAL WEDDING IDEAS & INSPIRATION

WEDDING CAKE

WHAT SIZE IS YOUR CAKE GOING TO BE?

FLOWERS

BY SEASON

HELPING YOU CHOOSE YOUR BOUQUET

FIND YOUR PERFECT

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O N E L U X U RY E S T AT E | F O U R E X C L U S I V E V E N U E S With four exclusive venues, each tucked away in their own oasis of this extensive country estate, Thornton Manor offers a unique range of enchanting locations for your ceremony and celebration.

We invite you to enjoy every moment of your special day here. Say ‘I do’ in your chosen ceremony space, dine and celebrate in one of our fabulous collection of stunning venues - from the Georgian-inspired Music Room to our secluded Lakeside Marquee. And for the perfect romantic retreat after the magic of the day, spend the night in one of our beautifully appointed bedrooms or cottages.

THE MANOR HOUSE | THE LAKESIDE MARQUEE | THE WALLED GARDEN MARQUEE | THE DELL PAVILION

O U R E V E N T S T E A M W O U L D LO V E TO S H O W YO U A RO U N D

0151 353 1155 s a l e s @ t h o r n t o n m a n o r. c o . u k | t h o r n t o n m a n o r. c o . u k T H O R N TO N M A N O R , T H O R N TO N H O U G H , C H E S H I R E WED DI NG P H OTO GR AP H Y BY M ERED I TH P H OTO GR AP H Y | L E S L E Y M E R E DI T H . C O. U K

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Contents

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04 Find Your Venue 06 The Savvy Bride 2019

W

elcome to our Merseyside Wedding Guide! If you’re planning a wedding in this gorgeous county, then we have all the advice and inspiration you’ll need to plan the perfect day. Merseyside has over 70 licensed venues to choose from, from historic estates to chic city centre hotels, so if you’re on the hunt for the ideal place to say ‘I do’, take a look at our venue guide on page 4.

Once you have your venue sorted, then we have top tips for all the details you’ll need to create your wedding vision, from seasonal wedding flowers to the perfect size of wedding cake. We even have a guide to picking the perfect wedding dress on page 10! Want even more wedding planning advice?

You can find more fabulous Merseyside suppliers at guidesforbrides.co.uk and check out the pages of our blog for even more beautiful inspiration and handy tips.

08 Real Wedding:

Sophia and Alex 10 Your Perfect

Wedding Dress 12 What Size is

Your Wedding Cake

Going To Be? 14 Wedding Flowers

by Season 15 How To

Choose Your

Wedding Rings

Happy planning!

Alison Hargreaves Follow us on

@guidesforbrides

Editor Alison Hargreaves

Features Isabel Hicks

Account Managers John Maddaford Ali Moore Amy Jaremchuk Christine King Denise Huff Elaine Rough

Design Claire Rowland

GfB Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

Guides for Brides Ltd Larkhill Farm Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 8PJ T 01235 770078 E info@guidesforbrides.co.uk www.guidesforbrides.co.uk © Guides for Brides 2019

3

Choosing Your

Dream Venue in Merseyside

See our favourite wedding venues near you If you’re hitting the road to ‘I do’, with no idea of what kind of wedding venue would suit your tastes, this guide can help!

Here are some of the most popular wedding venue types and who it would be suitable for, and we’ve picked some of our favourites from the local area to help get you started…

Hotel Wedding Venues Hotel wedding venues come with all the mod cons, often boasting luxurious rooms, on-site catering and acres of breathtaking grounds, with expert staff on hand catering to your every whim and desire.

Plenty of hotels offer easily customisable wedding packages to make wedding planning as easy as possible, and your guests can easily retire to their rooms after dancing the night away only to meet you for a delicious breakfast the next morning.

Barn Wedding Venues Barns are a classic choice for an English wedding, as we have so many beautiful barn wedding venues throughout the UK. With their gorgeous rustic feel and wooden interiors, barns are perfect for couples who want something relaxed yet romantic. Enjoy the countryside views, beams strewn with fairy lights and bunting and beautiful photo opportunities, all while enjoying modern heating and sound systems.

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OUR FAVOURITE VENUES IN MERSEYSIDE Country House Wedding Venues For glamorous brides who want to feel like something out of a fairytale, you can’t go wrong with an elegant country house wedding venue. Country houses and stately homes have stunning spaces for both wedding ceremonies and receptions, so if you’ve always dreamed of tying the knot in a picture gallery or orangery before enjoying an evening reception in the ballroom, then a country house may be the ideal wedding venue for you.

Outdoor Wedding Venues When it comes to outdoor wedding venues, the possibilities are endless. Ranging from a botanical garden wedding to a relaxed beach celebration by the sea, if you’re a bride that’s at one with nature, this type of wedding venue is for you. So, swap your wedding shoes for cowboy boots or flip-flops and get hitched in the great outdoors!

Hotel: Mercure Haydock Hotel View details of this venue

Barn: Oaklea Barn, Lydiate View details of this venue

Country House: Knowsley Hall, Prescot View details of this venue

Outdoor: Thornton Manor, Wirral View details of this venue

Still looking?

Click here to view more Merseyside venues

5

Satu rday

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Savvy

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If you’re feeling on edge about the cost of a wedding, don’t worry, it’s totally normal! Couples can often be too focused on prices and end up compromising on areas of their wedding that they loved at the beginning. Our savvy pointers will help you stay within your budget, keep calm and find ways to incorporate everything you want for your big day.

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How to be a Savvy Bride 2019 Pinterest is a great way to follow trends and gather inspiration for your big day. If you don’t have it already downloading it is an absolute must. It will soon become your best friend. Pinterest allows you to pin your favourite images, build a board and even share your ideas. This is a nice way to involve your mum, bridesmaids and friends in the wedding planning process, plus it’s free!

Click here for Pinterest Being organised is one of the most important elements in order to stay savvy. If you love spreadsheets, you’re going to be in your element! However, if spreadsheets aren’t your thing and you want someone to do the hard work for you, sign up for the free online Guides for Brides Wedding Planner. You can work through a checklist in the lead up, manage your suppliers and quotes, organise a guest list and table plan, all while keeping track of your budget!

Sign up for your FREE Wedding-Planner

It sounds cheeky but everyone does it! Have a sneak peek at other people’s weddings and see what it is you like about them and what worked well for them.

The perfect place to do this is our Real Weddings section, where we feature endless beautiful weddings, oozing inspiration.

’ s weddings e l p o e p r e th O

A personal touch is what makes a wedding your own. Being a DIY bride is no bad thing and can end up saving you hundreds of pounds! Friends and family are often happy to help, so why not organise a night in for you and your nearest and dearest to get creative!

Click here for more great wedding ideas A massive trend this year is couples creating their own wedding website. You can add your engagement story, collect your RSVP’s, share the menu choices and order of the day, all with your guests! You don’t even need to send physical invites but ‘e-versions’ – a great way to save on stationery costs.

GfB Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

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REAL WEDDINGS

Je󠁙ica & Mi󠁕a󠀘 Click to see more Real Weddings

The sweetest love story fromAston Marina Venue: Aston Marina Photographer: Jodie Brennan Florist: The Topiary Tree

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www.guidesforbrides.co.uk

The Day! Jessica and Michael have the sweetest love story - because they met while working at an ice cream shop! Five years later Mike popped the question after a meal out at Aston Marina with a white gold ring with a cluster of diamonds.

The couple loved Aston Marina so much that they chose to marry there two years later! Jessica and Michael chose an elegant white, navy and gold colour scheme for their September wedding. Both the groom and the two bridesmaids looked chic in navy blue, and the table decorations were sparkling gold jam jars and bottles.

Jessica and Mike fed their guests a delicious meal of gourmet pie and mash, and chocolate brownies, passionfruit cheesecake and prosecco. In the evening, guests could take a break from dancing to enjoy beef and turkey baps with salad and chips. We love it!

To see more from this real wedding, visit guidesforbrides.co.uk/ real-weddings

GfB Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

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O

ne of the best things about wedding dresses is that they come in all shapes and sizes, so no matter your bridal style, there’s something to suit everyone. Here’s our guide to finding the perfect silhouette for your big day…

Dress by Phil Collins Bridal

Click here for Wedding Dress Suppliers

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It’s a classic for a reason!

Dress by Phil Collins Bridal

If you’re imagining a typical fairytale princess dress, then what you’re thinking of is probably a ballgown! The most voluminous wedding dress silhouette, a classic ballgown is fitted on the bodice, and flares out from the natural waist in a full skirt. This silhouette suits pear-shaped, hourglass and bigger busted brides, as it makes the most of your curves and still gives you a fairytale look; but it can also make apple shapes look wider.

Taller brides will be able to pull off the large skirt, but petite brides may look swamped, so we’d recommend steering clear if you’re under 5’3”!

Dress by Lyn Ashworth, Daydreamer Collection

Dress by Willowby

The A-line silhouette (so-called because the shape of the skirt looks like a capital A) is flattering on practically every body type, thanks to the fact that it’s fitted up top and flares out from the waist. The wider skirt gives you plenty of room to walk and dance without being too big, and the fitted bodice shows off your waist while skimming over your stomach. If you want something a little more fitted without graduating to a fit and flare, then a modified A-line flares out a little lower, at the hip rather than the waist.

If you love the curve-hugging cut of the mermaid but are worried about it being unforgiving (or difficult to walk in!), then we recommend you try a gorgeous fit and flare gown. The fit and flare is also known as a trumpet silhouette, and is becoming more and more popular with brides thanks to its flattering cut.

Unlike a mermaid wedding dress, the skirt on a fit and flare starts at the mid-thigh, rather than below the knee, which gives you more room to move as well as a more forgiving cut on the thigh and a more understated silhouette.

GfB Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

11

What does a Wedding Cake Symbolise?

The wedding cake symbolises good fortune and fertility.

It also brings good luck to everyone who eats it.

The wedding cake should be made with an abundance of good quality ingredients to symbolise a long-lasting, rich, and happy marriage.

The bride cuts the first slice of cake to provide good fortune in the marriage.

Tradition of Saving Your Top Tier Back in the 19th century, couples saved their top tier for the christening of their first child. Today, couples generally wait a little while after their “I do’s”, before having children, so they’ll save the top tier for their first wedding anniversary.

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WHAT SIZE IS YOUR

WEDDING CAKE GOING TO BE? Deciding the size of your wedding cake can depend on the number of guests – using the information below will help avoid any leftovers!

Click to find your nearest cake maker

6”

6”

7”

8”

8” 40 Servings

9” 51 Servings

9” 52 Servings

10” 65 Servings

(26 without top)

(32 without top)

(32 without top)

(40 without top)

7”

6”

8”

8”

9”

9”

10”

10”

11” 78 Servings

12” 78 Servings

12” 78 Servings

6”

79 Servings

(65 without top)

(64 without top)

(64 without top)

(64 without top)

6” 6” 8”

8” 10”

10”

12”

12”

14”

134 Servings

(120 without top)

210 Servings

(196 without top)

Our Top Favourite Cake Flavour Combinations When it comes to the cake, the flavour is just important as the look.

After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts! Here are some of our favourite flavour combinations...

Vanilla Sponge, Fresh Raspberry Jam & White Chocolate Icing Toffee Sponge & Salted Caramel Icing – Red Velvet Sponge & Cream Cheese Icing Lemon and Elderflower Sponge with Elderflower Buttercream Icing Chocolate Sponge & Baileys Buttercream Icing – Fruitcake, Marzipan & Royal Icing Pink Champagne Sponge with White Chocolate Buttercream GfB Merseyside Wedding Guide 2019-20

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WEDDING FLOWERS BY

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Seasonal wedding flowers are cheaper and easier to source, so we’ve created a helpful guide of what’s in season in the UK!

Click here for a wedding florist near you

ing

Spr

Calla Lillies • Tulips • Ranunculus Anemones • Irises • Narcissus • Freesias Forget-Me-Nots • Gerberas • Hyacinth Hydrangea • Sweetpeas • Lily of the Valley

Autum

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Mimosa • Alstroemeria • Anemone Gladioli • Orchids • Cosmos Hydrangea • Berries • Roses • Calla Lillies Physalis • Chrysanthemum • Phlox 14

Summe r Peonies • Foxgloves • Stocks • Dahlias Gypsophila • Sunflowers Lavender • Carnations • Chrysanthemum Roses • Lilies • Marigolds • Zinnias

nter Wi Hypericum • Wax flowers • Amaryllis Poinsettia • Hellebores • Ivy • Holly • Anemones Gorse • Narcissus • Pussy Willow Snowdrops • Euphorbia www.guidesforbrides.co.uk

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR

You’ll be wearing your wedding ring for the rest of your life, so it’s key to choose one that you love! Here is a quick guide on how to choose your perfect wedding rings...

Click here for a Wedding Jewellers near you Where to Begin?

Start by working out some basic preferences, such as the colour of the metal, and whether you want a simple or embellished band.

Start the Search!

Now you have a basic idea, start trying rings on! Plan to start shopping around 6 months before your wedding as you'll need time to browse, research prices and revisit rings. Also, some wedding rings need to be ordered or made bespoke and extras, like engraving, can take up to one month.

No Need to Match Don't worry if you and your partner have different tastes – there's no rule that says you have to choose the same metal or even style!

Finding something you personally love is key.

Finding the Right Style If you plan on always wearing your engagement and wedding ring side by side, consider how they fit together. You're going to wear this ring every day, so choose something that seamlessly becomes a part of your life. For example, if you regularly play sports or an instrument, a slimmer ring with rounded edges may make the most sense.

Finding the Right Fit Most people rarely take off their wedding bands, but your fingers swell and contract from heat, cold or weight gain. To find the right size that can deal with these changes, schedule your final ring fitting when you're calm and your body temperature is normal.

Wear it around the store for a few minutes and try writing and texting as a comfort test.

Be 100% Comfortable Wedding rings are extremely personal, so be sure to love what you buy! If you have any doubt, consider shopping around before making a final decision.

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