NEARLYWED NEWS

Natalie Towell, owner of Navette Jewellery in Ashford has been hard at work on a new bridal collection – Nelina. Inspired by vintage lace, the range of pieces depicts delicacy and romance infused with soft feminine charm. Discreetly complementing the bride, pearls drop down from the signature motif stationed along sections of a delicate chain, which is available to order in all colours of 9ct or 18ct gold. From mid-February 2023 the collection will be expanded to include a selection of matching earrings so do keep an eye out for those.

There’s still more though, so time for the gents to look in. Natalie is also ready to launch a ring for grooms who wish for something more dynamic and edgy. This wedding ring is a fusion of the historical signet ring, which in the 14th century was worn as a betrothal band, with a modern wedding band to create a uniquely masculine and on-trend ring. Also available to order in all colours of 9ct or 18ct gold, as well as platinum, to suit your style, you have the option to have the groove darkened too.

For further information check out https://navettejewellery.co.uk

www.laurenpotterphotography.co.uk NEWS Nearlywed

Catch up on the latest from around the county

RECOGNITION FOR ROCHESTER

Wedding bells rang for The Rochester Corn Exchange after the historical 18th-century venue won acclaim at the South East Regional Finals of the Wedding Industry Awards. It was the first time the building had entered the prestigious UK-wide awards, voted on by a panel of judges and recommendations from couples who had previously booked the venue. The team attended the gala awards evening at The Ravenswood, West Sussex, proudly coming away with a highly commended in the historical venues category.

As you exchange your vows in The Corn Exchange you’ll be standing in a place with centuries of tradition, making it the perfect romantic backdrop for a wedding ceremony, function or evening celebrations. The luxurious, Grade I listed building was constructed in 1706 by the rather splendidly named Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovel, whose coat of arms can be seen above the High Street entrance. It has since enjoyed a rich, varied history as a butcher’s market, a courtroom, a concert hall and a cinema. But for the past 100 years it has functioned as a wonderful venue for weddings and events offering couples the flexibility they desire for the dream day.

Find out more at www.therochestercornexchange.co.uk

THE PERFECT PRESENT

New to the wedding scene is Kent-based brand April & Bloom, with a vision to redefine wedding gifting by providing a range of elegant presents for the bride-to-be, bridal party proposal and for the morning of.

The luxe gifting brand promises on-trend products and Insta-worthy moments, through its carefully-curated range of signature floral gift boxes, wedding planner and notebooks, bespoke gift box service and wedding favours.

April & Bloom’s signature keepsake boxes are filled with stylish products from a range of desirable brands including Whispering Angel, Pale Fox, Charbonnel et Walker, Chalke Valley and more. All come adorned with preserved posies, and all wrapped up in luxurious ribbons and bows for that precious wow moment. There are 13 options available on the website in blush, cream and neutral colours.

If you love the brand’s gifts, but can’t find your theme or colour palette, don’t worry as it also offers a bespoke gifting service where you can curate your own keepsake boxes, featuring products and colours to fit your vision.

That’s not all! If you’re planning a hen party, bridesmaid proposal or big day, April & Bloom offer a selection of favours that will help to add that allimportant finishing touch. From Marc de Champagne truffles to mini bottles of Whispering Angel rosé and scented candles, these favours promise to look pretty on your place settings completing the fairytale tablescape.

To find out more, visit www.aprilandbloom.uk

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WINE AND DINE

Gusbourne, near Ashford, is one of the UK’s most successful English wine producers receiving acclaim for its award-winning sparkling wines and exceptional visitor experience. Founded in 2004, Gusbourne produces a range of sparkling and still wines from grapes grown at its vineyards in Kent and West Sussex. Its sparkling wines are well known, but it’s also growing its reputation for great still wines, and is soon to launch its first 100 per cent Pino Meunier.

The vineyard in Appledore, Kent, is home to The Nest tasting room, and it’s here editor Kelly visited one particularly dark, dank and dreary afternoon. She says, “Located in a beautiful spot The Nest at once feels welcoming and oh-so modern. We were warmly greeted and shown to our seats on the ground floor for our Sparkling Tasting Flight, accompanied by a plate of absolutely delicious local crackers and cheese. Here, mum and I spent an incredibly enjoyable hour sampling the vineyard’s delightful produce, and being educated on how each came about along with how to pair them.

“English sparkling wine is experiencing a heyday at the moment, with plenty of domestic producers giving the Champagne region a run for it’s money. With delightful sparkling wines like Gusbourne’s it’s very easy to see why. It’s so difficult to pick a favourite as it feels like this would be doing the wines I didn’t pick an injustice, so I’d definitely recommend booking this wine flight for yourself to see which would work best with your wedding breakfast.

“After the wine flight we headed upstairs for a Wine Lunch, which gave us a good idea of what wines complement various courses, meats, fish and so on. We started out with an aperitif of the Brut Reserve, which would be the ideal glass of bubbly to serve at a wedding drinks reception. Fine and delicate it’s bursting with orchard fruit notes, perfect for summer nuptials. It’s also worth mentioning the lovely 2018 Rosé here, which we sampled on the wine flight – an English summer’s day in a glass it boasts a fresh palate dominated by red cherry, ripe strawberry and raspberry.

“The incredible starter of spiced venison carpaccio, roasted beetroot, parsnip puree, sweet pickled onion, cheese, watercress and parsley emulsion was served with the Blanc de Noir. It’s a generous wine on the palate with notes of redcurrant, raspberry and red cherry, with floral hints of rose and jasmine. It worked beautifully with the gamey flavour of the venison. Main course was fish, a pan-roasted stone bass with butter beans, lemon, dill and sorrel, crispy pancetta, spinach, roasted cauliflower, toasted hazelnuts, golden raisins soaked in Gusbourne verjus and sea herbs. Again, every mouthful was perfect and we were treated to a glass of Blanc de Blanc along with one of the still wines, Chardonnay Guinevere. The citrus nature of both suited the delicate flavour of the fish beautifully. The meal was rounded off with a dark chocolate and sea salt tart, torched fig, Gusbourne honey and orange gel, vanilla whipped mascarpone, crushed pistachio and orange tuile.”

To find out more, visit www.gusbourne.com

SNAP HAPPY

Wedding photographer Lisa Ford at Forever Memories is celebrating another award win from Pretty Little Poser Magazine in recognition of her portrait-taking prowess. She tells us, “I applied for the All Stars category in May 2022 by submitting my image on the Facebook page. Hundreds were posted from all over the world. From there I was selected to go through to the editor’s choice and was narrowed down to the final 30, at which point the competition was opened up to a public vote. My image got the most votes and I was awarded Gold People’s Choice!”

In November 2022, Lisa decided to apply for another category, Perfect Beauty and the same happened again, with a second Gold People’s Choice award. So, one thing’s for sure, if you were to book Forever Memories for your big day, you’ll be left with showstopping couple portraits to treasure for lifetime!

Find out more at https://forevermemoriesphoto.com

BACK ON TRACK

The Kent Wedding Fair at Priestfield Stadium is back for 2023 following a three-year break. The event, organised by White Sky Events, is one of the largest wedding shows in the Medway towns and offers a wide variety of suppliers dedicated to making your special day perfect. The fairs will take place on Sunday 19th February and Sunday 21st May, 2023, and are open from 10.30am to 2.30pm at Priestfield Stadium, Redfern Avenue, Gillingham.

If you’d like to attend, you can now pre-register via the website www.kentweddingfair.co.uk, and all couples receive a goodie bag. For further information, check out the website or follow @kentweddingfair on Instagram and Facebook for news and updates.

THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

Located in the heart of Maidstone, luxury bridal boutique Victoria Elaine Bridal has been announced as one of five UK stockists to launch the Disney Platinum collection. Owner Victoria Walton tells us, “Until now, the collection could only be seen in the Say Yes to the Dress shop in Birmingham, but because we’ve been the top stockist of Disney Fairy Tale Weddings in the country, we were offered it too!”

The collection will be launching in the boutique on Valentine’s Day 2023 and is definitely one to seek out for the die-hard Disney fan!

Find out more at www.victoriaelainebridal.co.uk

MEET AND GREET

Hythe Imperial Hotel, a classically-styled venue on the beautiful Kent seafront boasts uninterrupted, panoramic views across the English Channel. The ornate Victorian gazebo set in a secret garden makes for a ceremony setting to remember, and the venue’s host of impressive reception spaces inside offer ultimate flexibility.

From January to March 2023 Hythe Imperial Hotel will be hosting Wedding Wednesdays with Georgia, its wedding coordinator. It’s your opportunity to go along and met her, as you enjoy a glass of prosecco and a show around. Wedding Wednesdays will be running 5pm until 8pm each week until the end of March.

Find out more at www.hytheimperial.co.uk

Snow White , Disney Fairy Tale Weddings https://parkershots.com

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Penshurst Place and Gardens has been named Wedding Venue of the Year 2022/23 by the Kent Wedding Awards, scooping the prestigious accolade for the fourth time. Set in the beautiful Weald of Kent and brimming with romance, Penshurst Place is a stunning 14th century country house, surrounded by 11 acres of historical gardens. The judges described it as a beautiful venue that would provide many lovely memories for its couples and were impressed with the clear and concise wedding packages offered. They commented that they especially loved how couples could tailor their day to make it truly individual and commended the hands-on, high-quality team who seamlessly guide their couples and wedding party from the initial enquiry to the very end of their big day.

Ben Thomas, general manager at Penshurst Place and Gardens says, “We’ve recently introduced new, in-house catering packages, which streamlines wedding planning for our couples, so it was particularly rewarding for us that the judges picked up on our bespoke elements and personal approach that we take with each and every wedding, no matter how big or small.”

The venue is offering show-round dates providing and opportunity to chat and discuss the finer details of your wedding day with Penshurst Place’s experienced wedding coordinators. To book a tour and find out first-hand why it’s been crowned Wedding Venue of the Year call 01892 870 307 or email banqueting@penshurstplace.com. Also check out www.penshurstplace.com

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