NEWS Nearlywed

Catch up on the latest from around the county SHOOT FOR THE MOON

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NEW VENUE ALERT!

Set among 250 acres of beautiful Kentish countryside, Betteshanger Country Park was created in the early 2000s as an outdoor recreational venue, based on the old Betteshanger Colliery. Not your usual wedding venue! It has since developed into the modern, vibrant and unique location it is today.

Purchased in 2019, the current owners have delivered their vision of not only an outdoor park and activity site, but also a beautiful location for events of all shapes and sizes.

The Glass Room event space and The Lamp Room bar/restaurant were opened in 2022 as Deal’s newest wedding venues. These stylish and tasteful spots offer characterful backdrops for your special day. You can expect support from an onsite team of wedding planners, and the in-house catering team can create bespoke menus ensuring your big day is everything you dreamed of. “We’re excited to be able to offer our couples the perfect setting for their special days,” food and beverage manager Tyler Christy told us.

Find out more at www.betteshanger-park.co.uk https://nphotography.co.uk

Ever wondered what a pre-shoot is? Also, known as an engagement shoot, it’s an informal photo session for you and your partner before your big day. You can choose when it takes place during the lead up to your wedding, whether it be in the same season, or at a different time of year. This is a fantastic opportunity for you as a couple to get to know your photographer and their way of working, after all you’ll be spending a lot of time in each other’s company on one of the biggest days of your life. So, never underestimate how much this process will help you to relax in front of the camera when it really counts. What’s more, when the big day finally rolls around you’ll then know exactly what to expect leaving you to feel at ease and relaxed. The result? Nothing but beautiful, natural images.

Nicky Tulip from Nicky’s Photography offers just such an opportunity, usually priced at £250. However, we’ve partnered with this local lovely to offer Your Kent Wedding readers a free engagement shoot when you book your wedding photography package with Nicky’s Photography for your big day. To claim, simply get in touch with Nicky before 30th June, 2023 and quote YKWfreePS.

Find out more at https://nphotography.co.uk

Hotel Hotspot

Brama, Bromley’s newest and only boutique hotel, has announced it will be welcoming guests just in time for summer, ideal if you’re set to wed in the area and guests need a stylish place to crash. With 23 beautifully designed rooms, Brama is set to combine convenience and comfort with appeal and bags of local flair.

The new lifestyle hotel is part of the major renovation of Bromley Old Town Hall following its addition to the Heritage at Risk register in 2009, bringing a new lease of life to the much-loved historical building. Steeped in history, the Old Town Hall officially opened in 1907, and has since played host to the wedding of David Bowie and been the local seat of government.

The design-led hotel is perfectly positioned for locals and visitors alike, in the heart of Bromley and close to shopping, train stations and connections to central London.

Rooms will start from £109 per night on a room only basis. Find out more at https://bramahotels.com

Nuts About You

Penshurst Place and Gardens now boasts a new licensed outdoor space for couples seeking a beautiful location for their “I dos.” Located among 11 acres of formal gardens, The Nut Garden is surrounded by an oak pergola covered with rambling roses, ivy and climbing wisteria. At its heart, a central arbour with flowering foliage create the perfect backdrop for exchanging vows amid the ethereal beauty of nature.

The Nut Garden can accommodate up to 100 guests and provides an intimate and private ceremony space ideal if you’re looking for a relaxed and informal setting. Additionally, you and your guests can enjoy the romantic scenery throughout the gardens as you make your way there.

Penshurst Place and Gardens has been hailed Wedding Venue of the Year 2022/23 at the Kent Wedding Awards. It scooped the accolade in recognition of its unforgettable architecture, amazing gardens, and various indoor and outdoor settings to suit every vision.

Find out more at https://weddings.penshurstplace.com

The Gift Of Chocolate

Goupie is a family-run chocolate confectionery brand based in Goudhurst, Kent, hand-making a uniquely textured treat based on an old family recipe. Better still, everything the team makes is vegan friendly, gluten-free and sustainably packaged. After receiving a number of requests from customers for wedding favours, it was decided this year to officially create some options. These include mouth-watering chocolate covered marshmallow totes, personalised boxes, and whole tins of dips and dabs. You can also opt for a celebration tower in eight and 12 person versions, which offer a fun alternative to dessert or perfect for a treat with coffee.

Currently, Goupie’s products are stocked with a number of local independent retailers including Liberty and the National Trust, as well as being available online. What’s more, the brand has won a Great Taste Award, Sustainable Business the Taste of Kent Awards, Ethical Business in the Love Where We Live Awards and most recently it was recognised as a Green Business in the Times of Tunbridge Wells Awards.

Discover more at https://goupiechocolate.com

Words Of Wisdom

The team of specialist family law solicitors at local firm Warners have a wealth of experience in drawing up bespoke pre-nuptial agreements to fit the needs of particular couples. It’s all too easy to get swept away in the prettiness of wedding planning and romance of the occasion, but sometimes we might need to take a moment, just a moment, to let our heads rule our hearts. So, we asked Kirsty Humphrey, marketing manager at Warners, to tell us more about pre-nups and why a couple might choose to get one.

Kirsty says, “A pre-nuptial agreement is a document agreed by a couple before their wedding that sets out how their various assets would be shared if their marriage breaks down. Pre-nups aren’t binding in England and Wales, but the existence of such a document, if certain conditions are met regarding its creation, can be very persuasive in court when dealing with marital assets upon divorce. Entering into a pre-nup before getting married allows couples to discuss their views and express their wishes for how financial matters would be resolved in the event of a divorce. This can avoid lengthy and costly dispute arising in the future.”

If you’d like to know more, check out www.warners-solicitors.co.uk

KENT LIVE!

Having undergone significant renovations this year, Dreamland threw open it’s doors once more in April. It now features an exciting new family coaster, plus new amusements such as a reimagined mirror maze and pinball machines. These new attractions will sit alongside the much-loved scenic railway, the UK’s oldest wooden roller coaster, and the iconic big wheel. As in previous seasons, Dreamland will be free to enter and pay per ride.

This year the attraction will present its largest ever programme of music and events, with new gigs added to the previously announced line up of stars. New acts include Placebo, The Streets, Rag n Bone Man, The Cuban Brothers featuring DJ Yoda, and Ocean Colour Scene. Additional events will take place throughout the season too, bringing family days out, musical theatre, dance classes and Margate Pride to Dreamland.

Park goers can enjoy the delights of the retro roller disco, the popular arcade and amusements, plus food and drink provided by hand-picked local traders. This year, pop up activations, art installations and free outdoor screenings from the Scenic Stage are also set to entertain.

So, why not grab your best gals and guys and head to Margate for a hen, stag or sten to remember, packed with iconic local character? Find out more at www.dreamland.co.uk and we’ve been told by numerous guests that it’s like staying overnight in a museum. When the lights go down its wonderfully atmospheric.

What’re you most looking forward to about hosting weddings? Happy guests who’ll keep memories of our home for a lifetime. We live here in our very own private quarters, it’s our family home. We ask our guests to take off their shoes and walk around on the 100 per cent wool carpets, making themselves at home. We even see guests coming downstairs in their nightwear! It’s very comfortable and private, quiet for it’s town centre location and we’re not open to the general public. We’re able to accommodate a maximum of 18 guests ensuring they have plenty of room.

MARTIN FOX-ROBERTS, PROUD FOX CEREMONIES

www.proudfoxceremonies.com

This month, we caught up with the utterly fabulous Martin Fox-Roberts of Proud Fox Ceremonies, and his alter ego, drag queen Maria Hurtz. We wanted to know everything about how he became a celebrant as well as what it’s like to have a ceremony conducted by the mischievous Maria. Click play or scan the QR code to find out the answer to these questions and more!

SABAN DEMIRBASA, STONE COURT HOUSE

www.stonecourthouse.com

Having recently thrown open its doors to weddings, Stone Court House in Maidstone is one of Kent’s newest venues and will be taking bookings from May, 2023. Itching to know more, we chatted to owner Saban Demirbasa.

Tell us about the history of Stone Court House. Stone Court House is Grade II listed with both national and historical importance, and early records confirm that the building was the private residence of Lady Margaret Sackville (1562-1591) of Knole House, Sevenoaks, one of the top five National Trust properties in the country. Thereafter, it became the Crown Judges lodgings until the 1960s. In more recent times it sadly fell into disrepair until we purchased the property in 2019.

We understand there’s been extensive renovations going on. Can you tell us more about that?

We spent three years restoring Stone Court House, investing millions in the process. Only historical and natural building materials were used, such as sheep wool insulation, 45 tons of horsehair lime plaster, oak, wool carpets and water-based paints. Historic England officially removed Stone Court House from the Risk Register in November 2022, and we were shortlisted for the Historic Building Restoration Awards 2022.

What’s your favourite part of the venue?

All of it! It’s a truly beautiful and unique place, pictures don’t do it justice,

AMANDA WHITE,

Styled To Remember

www.styledtoremember.co.uk

Formerly Amanda Jane Events, Styled to Remember is a fresh new look, feel and lease on life for owner Amanda White. We got the lowdown on the rebrand, and heard of the business’ exciting plans for the future.

What sparked the rebrand?

Amanda Jane Events began more than 12 years ago, and after dealing with some life-changing moments, it felt like the right time for a fresh approach, new ideas and a business partner to share the highs and lows of our wonderful industry.

Changing the company name and rebranding was by no means out with the old and in with the new. We’re not trend-chasers, we listen to our clients’ ideas and needs, keep them within budget and ultimately create a wedding that’s unapologetically unique.

Are you doing anything different now that you didn’t do before?

When the industry was put into lockdown, it was debilitating for us as a supplier, but our couples missed sharing their love declarations with family and friends. Finding alternative ways to share moments took us out of our comfort zone and look to alternative ideas. We realised quickly that smaller weddings became more intimate, somewhat more meaningful. So, we decided to incorporate a service for intimate dining experiences. We now have many new products that we love; our flower walls are very popular for example.

Being known as a rustic-style supplier is something I’m proud of, but the classics are elegant and fresh, so we’re looking froward to seeing more of this.

What does the future hold for you?

We hope to develop our relationships with venues, suppliers and clients to provide a bespoke service for each of our events. In focusing on our venue styling and incorporating new ideas, we hope to pass on our passion for weddings and events to those we connect with throughout our journey.

What’s your favourite trend at the moment?

We’re huge fans of whimsical meadow flowers, monochrome palettes, bows on dresses and floral patterns.