NEARLYWED NEWS

DIARY DATE

The 15th-century Tithe Barn, known as the hidden heart of Dunster, will once again be throwing open its huge doors for its wedding fair on Sunday 23rd January 2022. A dream location, the spectacular venue is overlooked and surrounded by a wealth of historical gems offering a kaleidoscope of settings for any style of wedding photography.

However, it’s not only photographers that you’ll find at the wedding fair. The latest fashions for both bride and groom, jewellers, florists, hair stylists and beauticians will all be exhibiting. A choice of caterers offering a variety of different styles of menu, plus designer wedding cakes and favours will also be on hand to discuss your ideas. If your attention is turned towards the big-day entertainment it’ll also interest you to know that here you can also meet suppliers of discos, casinos, skittles, axe-throwing and more! Check out all styles of wedding-day transport, and get advice and ideas on your honeymoon.

The Dunster Tithe Barn can seat up to 120 loved ones for a wedding breakfast and up to 250 guests for the evening do. Here, you’ll find everything a modern wedding could need.

Check out www.dunstertithebarn.org.uk

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NEWS Nearlywed www.dalecherry.co.uk Catch up on the latest from around the region

INDUSTRIAL CHIC

Court Farm offers the ideal blank canvas and stunning setting for you to create your own special rustic-style country wedding weekend. Anything goes, from a traditional three-course wedding breakfast to a ceilidh and hog roast, the venue is so versatile, the choice is yours.

Nestled amongst the grounds is a large barn with exposed brick walls and a high-beamed roof overlooking the apple orchard and duck pond and now the team have added to this offering with a newly converted second barn, the Woolshed. A beautiful industrial-chic space, it works brilliantly as a banqueting space for the modern-minded, and is a great alternative to a marquee. It seats up to 115 and is furnished with trestle tables and benches, which can be arranged to suit your plans, as well as rustic lighting.

Find out more at www.courtfarmstanderwick.co.uk

IN THE RUNNING

Bristol-based décor hire specialist Creative Collections has been announced as a South West Wedding Awards finalist for the New Upcoming Wedding Business accolade. Finalists are selected by a judging panel who assess all applications and decide on the most worthy candidates. They look at how active and serious each company is within the wedding industry as well as their mission statements and links to publishing, social media and how they kept going throughout the pandemic. Owner Alison Hieron says, “When I received the email from the awards congratulating me on having been chosen as a finalist, I was thrilled as only four new business had been selected. Fingers crossed for the award evening, but being a finalist already means so much on its own.”

Learn more about Creative Collections at www.creativecollections.uk

RELAX AND UNWIND

Somerset recently saw the launch of Transformations, a new luxury day spa, based in the idyllic Dillington Estate on the outskirts of Illminster. Making the most of the Covid lockdown break for the beauty industry, owner Kerry Hole-Stuart relocated and rebranded from her previous location in Illminster town, launching the luxurious Transformations and opening its doors to those seeking hair, beauty and aesthetics treatments. Kerry’s goal from the outset of owning her own salon was to provide her clients with a relaxing environment perfectly suited to pure indulgence. Utilising the new location she was able to take this to the next level with the new day spa – somewhere her clients can receive superior treatments and top to toe relaxation for both men and women alike.

The boutique day spa has capacity to host up to six guests at one time, meaning it’s the ideal place for celebratory gettogethers, while the boutique style means it’ll never get too overwhelming if you’re in need of some pre-wedding R&R and would rather fly solo.

Find out more at www.transformations.org.uk

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NEW VENUE ALERT!

Waterside Country Barn is a new venue in Somerset, a one-of-a-kind lakeside gem that’s only available for a limited number of weddings each year. Offering the opportunity for its couples to enjoy full and exclusive use of the wedding barn and the six-acre field it sits in, it also boasts four glamping accommodation units, sleeping up to 10 for the whole weekend. You have the choice of two wedding packages or the chance to completely create your own bespoke version.

The owners are working with The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation, offering use of the venue free of charge to terminally ill brides and grooms and are keen to keep it local, so are looking to partner with the cream of West Country suppliers. There are plenty of exciting plans afoot for their first year in business, so keep your eyes on www.watersidecountrybarn.co.uk to stay up to date.

EDITOR’S SPOTLIGHT

We know there’ll be a lot of you out there, newly engaged over the Christmas period, wondering where to start. A question we often get asked is: what happens once the venue is booked – how do we sort out the legal bit? We turned to the Somerset Registration Service’s marketing officer, Amber Packer-Hughes, for advice.

Amber says, “The most important next step is to book your registrar. We take bookings up to two years ahead here in Somerset, though other districts vary. Do be flexible about the exact ceremony time, in case registrars already have a lot of bookings in their diary. We’ll always do our best to fit your plans and normally have space, but there are only so many 2pm slots we can offer!

“The other legal step is booking your Notice of Marriage appointment. It needs to happen at least 28 days in advance, but we recommend around three to six months before the big day. This is a face-to-face meeting you both need to attend in the district where you live, even if you’re marrying elsewhere. Once completed, you have up to a year to marry at your chosen venue. This is a handy flexibility in case disaster strikes and you need to postpone (we’re looking at you Covid!). If you change venue you’ll need to give notice again, so make sure your plans are firm first. The registrars will bring your paperwork on the day, so that’s one less thing to add to your to-do list.”

For further information head over to www.somersetweddingservice.org.uk

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Holly Berkley Jewellery designs and makes exclusive wedding accessories that have been featured in Vogue magazine no less than three times! From wedding crowns and matching jewellery to buttonholes and bridesmaids’ accessories, all pieces are hand-woven from wire and can be designed in any colour or precious metal you choose. You can even add pearls, semi-precious stones or crystals to make it extra special. Now, Holly has put together a new package whereby brides-to-be can design their entire wedding accessory list all in one. What’s more Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding has partnered with this fab local business to offer the first five readers 20 per cent off of this package. Turn to page 13 to find out more.

Check out https://hollyberkleyjewellery.co.uk