Your Yorkshire Wedding news and ideas from around the county

Experts reveal five wedding trends set to be huge this Summer

With the new season comes new colours and trends, and with that being said, experts at Diamonds Factory have predicted five wedding trends that are set to be big this Summer. Couples will step away from the traditional colour scheme "Stepping away from the traditional black and white formal attire, we expect to see many wedding parties embrace colour this Summer. We saw the mismatched bridesmaid dresses trend resurge in popularity in late 2023, and predict this trend will take off even further this Summer, especially now it's getting warmer and with people experimenting with colour more.

The Speech Surgery: how long is too long?

The Speech Surgery: how long is too long? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this. My groom says he's finished his speech and he's really happy with it but it's almost 2,000 words long. Is that too much? Yes. All speeches should be under ten minutes long. It seems obvious but I've seen several speeches (generally the best men) go well over half an hour, oblivious to the yawns or heckling. That's no more than 1,300 words maximum, allowing for pauses or laughter on the day. Remind your fiancé that his first draft is just the start of the writing process.

Wedding favours for Kids: ToyChoc Box

PLAYin CHOC's ToyChoc boxes are a fantastic choice for entertaining kids at weddings. These eco-friendly, vegan, and allergen-free treats come in 100% recyclable packaging. Each box contains two creamy chocolate bars wrapped in compostable packaging, along with a 3D card puzzle toy featuring animals like endangered species, sea creatures, or dinosaurs - there's also a fun animal fact inside. At just £2.25 each on Amazon, these boxes are a budget-friendly addition to your wedding plans.

Titanic Spa celebrates the longest day with a Twilight Evening Spa Package

Titanic Spa, the UK's first eco-spa, is set to celebrate the summer solstice with its 'Twilight Evening' Spa Package. On June 22nd, the longest day of the year, guests are invited to indulge in a serene and rejuvenating experience as the golden hour bathes the spa's luxurious facilities in a warm, enchanting glow. Guests can immerse themselves in the magic of the summer evening sun, perfectly timed to capture the longest day's fading light. The package includes full access to Titanic Spa's extensive facilities, including the outdoor sunken hot tub, swimming pool, heat & ice experience, and relaxation areas.

Your ultimate guide to wedding gift etiquette

It's that time of year again where our inboxes and mailboxes are full of beautifully designed wedding invitations, we're scouring the web for the perfect outfit and excitedly researching accommodation and travel. Being invited to a wedding is a gift and it is tradition to provide a gift to the happy couple. But, where to begin? Luckily we've sat down with Georgie Mitchell, Wedding Planner, Coordinator and Wedding Expert, at online fashion destination SilkFred, who has shared her ultimate guide to wedding gift giving from how much to spend to how to make your gift stand out on the present table.

New venue alert! The Mile Wedding Barn in Pocklington

The team at Ales & Cocktails has recently launched The Mile Wedding Barn in Pocklington. A characterful, rustic-chic venue, the Barn and its grounds provide a blank canvas for you to create your dream wedding. When you book your big day here, you can expect a charming blend of rustic elegance and natural beauty, creating the perfect setting for your nuptials. You're welcome to decorate the Barn according to your own style and vision, so it's yours to inject your personalities into for such an important occasion. Alongside, the ample outside space available too, you and your guests will have the best of both worlds as you bring the outside in.

Green I dos: How to plan a sustainable wedding

The carbon footprint of a wedding in the UK is equivalent to driving a car around the world twice – both create 14.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Ahead of wedding season, sustainability experts from BusinessWaste.co.uk teamed up with leading wedding planner Georgie Mitchel from Georgina Rose Events to share the best ways to make a wedding more sustainable, while also saving some money. Georgie says: "Having been involved in hundreds of weddings, it's hard to see the amount of waste that is produced from that one day. However, it's so good to hear that couples are looking at ways to be more green! Here are my tips for having a sustainable wedding day."

The Speech Surgery: too many thank yous? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this

The Speech Surgery: too many thank yous? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy explores this here, ready now...I've written my bride speech but almost three quarters of it is 'thank yous'. Is that right? The thank yous are obviously very important but you also need to be wary of turning your speech into one long tedious list. For guests, thank yous are really only interesting if 1) they're personally getting thanked or 2) the thank yous are entertaining, from-the-heart and feel more than a cut and paste job...

Five ways to beat a wedding hangover

Weddings are notorious for booze with 50% of people admitting they wouldn't be happy to attend a wedding without alcohol. With an expectation for heavy drinking at most celebrations, lots of dancing and a late night, wedding guests often wake up feeling worse for wear. Those suffering the morning after a wedding can ease the pain with simple hacks, including drinking a pint of water before bed and sleeping on their left side. Nausea, thirst and aches can also be alleviated by having a lie-in, which helps to limit fatigue and irritation the next day.

Experience a fairytale wedding day at Hellaby Hall

Whether it be a lavish wedding for 200 or an intimate celebration with your nearest and dearest, Hellaby Hall Hotel can offer you a fairytale day. Hosting only one wedding per day, it ensures the team can give it's couples their undivided attention. After all, the Hotel's reputation is founded on providing its guests only the highest possible level of care and service, so you and your loved ones will be in the very best hands here. Each wedding package has been carefully crafted to make your special day unforgettable, ensuring every moment is filled with joy, elegance, and cherished moments.

UK vs US Brides: Wedding expert reveals 5 ways we differ

It's time to settle the score: do UK brides really do it better, or are our American cousins stealing the show? Let's dive into the wedding warzone and explore five spicy differences that set us apart! According to a survey conducted by the UK's largest wedding venue collection, the Gilchrist Collection, there are some key differences in the ways Brits plan their big day, compared to that of Americans. Samantha Gilchrist, the owner of the Gilchrist Collection, has had the pleasure of helping thousands of engaged couples with their wedding, across 12 venues, both in the UK and US.

The Watering Can Florist is dedicated to sourcing British-grown blooms

Based in Hudderfield, The Watering Can Florist, is dedicated to sourcing British grown blooms when it comes to her stunning wedding florals and has recently enlisted the help of several new British growers for a wonderful Mother's Day workshop hosted at local Lu's Place Cafe: Smith and Munson, Highcroft Nurseries, and Highlands Farm Cut Flowers, with foliage from Irish Green Guys. The workshop was a huge hit with the lovely mums, daughters and grandmas present, who created Mother's Day vase arrangements with these beautiful domestic blooms. It didn't end there though as owner Liz was on a roll, sourcing more glorious English flowers from somewhere even closer to home for the Easter weekend

Here are 10 must-have items to include in a wedding bathroom basket

Luxury bathroom experts at Posh.co.uk have shared ten must-have items to provide to make sure guests are well taken care of. Wedding bathroom baskets can be a really nice touch for couples to show their guests they care by providing them with everything they need for a comfortable evening. Including items like safety pins, deodorant, body tape and antihistamines will mean that guests won't have to worry about a thing. Andy Ellis from Posh.co.uk said: "Wedding bathroom baskets can be a really lovely touch at a reception by providing guests with all of those small but important items that they may not necessarily be able to bring with them.

The Speech Surgery: timings!

Unsure of when to have the wedding speeches? Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy & author of The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches has the answer: In the US, speeches are just as common at the rehearsal dinner (the formal dinner prior to the wedding that the 'top table' are invited to) as the wedding day itself. At many British weddings, the speeches are scheduled before the wedding meal; the idea that everyone is officially welcomed to the wedding and the speakers are quickly able to relax (and tuck into the free wine!).

Wedding day wines from leading English wine producer Gusbourne

English wine producer Gusbourne, has a stunning range of the finest vintage sparkling and still wines to elevate any wedding providing guests with an array of exquisite drinks that complement every element, from the welcome drinks to the wedding breakfast and toasts! With Gusbourne wines, every pour becomes a celebration of love and new beginnings, ensuring your wedding day becomes a truly unforgettable affair, brimming with sophistication, charm, and cherished memories. For a spectacular wedding reception, fill your guests' glasses with the exquisite Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018, a sparkling masterpiece that exudes elegance with its delicate bubbles and refreshing, crisp notes. As guests raise their glasses to toast the happy couple, each sip is vibrant and intense, setting the tone for an evening of celebrations.

Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire, the only accredited Healing Hotel in the UK

Broughton Sanctuary in Yorkshire, has met the exacting standards of Healing Hotels of the World, earning recognition as the only accredited Healing Hotel in the UK. This accolade celebrates Broughton Sanctuary's dedication to the healing power of wellbeing through activities and retreats, innovative rewilding initiatives, and sustainability. Why Broughton Sanctuary? Broughton Sanctuary, situated within 3,000 acres of beautiful landscape, provides the perfect setting for transformative experiences that heal body, mind and spirit. Anne Biging, Founder of Healing Hotels of the World, remarked, "The moment I entered the Sanctuary, I felt a peaceful inner contentment – a sense of having arrived in a place that vibrates with goodness, care, and a joyful welcome."

Biggest wedding faux pas to avoid on your big day

With more than half (53%) of married Brits confessing to having wedding day regrets, wedding expert and CEO of the UK's largest collection of wedding venues, The Gilchrist Collection, Samantha Gilchrist shares her thoughts on the biggest wedding faux pas' couple should steer clear of to guarantee wedding day success. "You've planned everything down to the tiniest detail and finally get to enjoy your day, why risk something spoiling it? While some of these things are a little outside your control, it's important to let your wedding planner and venue know what your boundaries are, and the things you would find unacceptable, were they to happen on your big day. They'll be able to support you in handling issues both ahead of time and on the day itself.

Bolton Castle awarded Best UK Wedding Venue 2024

Bolton Castle near Leyburn has been awarded the Best UK Wedding Venue 2024 by luxury magazine LUXElife in its Global Wedding Awards. Following in-depth research and fact checking by the publication's in-house team, Bolton Castle was judged to show commitment, dedication, expertise and high-quality services within their wedding offer. Jacqui Naylor, general manager at Bolton Castle adds, "We work hard to ensure our wedding offering is just as it should be for our couples. Whether you're looking for a full-on five-floor wedding or a bespoke tailored event for close family and friends, Bolton Castle offers several options to suit every wish list and budget.

These are the most popular 'first dance' songs of 2024, as online searches soar!

Scraping over 350 'First Dance' playlists on Spotify and analysing the 12,000 tracks that featured on them, Diamonds Factory ranked the songs that featured the most to determine the most popular first dance song of 2024. 60 years on, and Etta James' At Last is the most popular first dance song of 2024. The data revealed that Etta James' 'At Last' is the most popular first dance song for couples to choose for their wedding, with the song featuring in a whopping 46 'first dance' playlists. Regardless of the song being released over 60 years ago, Etta's love song is still proving to be a timeless classic for couples.

The Speech Surgery: does my wedding speech have to be funny?

'The Speech Surgery' with Heidi Ellert McDermott, founder of Speechy & author of The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches: I'm not funny. Does my wedding speech need to be? I've heard some lovely speeches that haven't contained any humour, but here's the thing...they are the exception to the rule. Nearly every speech is better if it contains a little humour. FACT. Generally, folk from the UK and Australia want their speeches to have a lot of humour in them, while clients from other parts of the world, namely the US, lean towards a sweeter speech, with lighter elements, as opposed to all-out funny.