NEWS Nearlywed

Catch up on the latest from around the county

Dressed To Impress

The Old Kent Barn’s dressing room has had a makeover! Designed thoughtfully to maximise the space, light and photo opportunities, the look centres around the pink sofa, a feature synonymous with the barn’s main dressing room.

A new glam station, soft furnishings, accessories, luxury hard floor and kitchenette are just a few of the exciting updates elevating wedding morning experiences, alongside a stylish backdrop for preparation pictures.

There’s a cosy seating area for relaxing and enjoying the fun throughout the morning, clever storage solutions to keep belongings organised and easily accessible, and a dedicated sound system with speakers, controlled by an iPad, with access to Spotify for playing wedding morning soundtracks.

The barn’s award-winning events team are passionate about supporting you and your wedding party throughout the morning. Their on-hand service, renowned attention to detail and support, ensure you have an unforgettable experience.

Find out more at www.theoldkentbarn.co.uk

Stars In Your Eyes

With a mission to empower women through jewllery, Nikita is a female-owned jewellery brand based in Kent. Whether it’s a gift for a bridesmaid or a treat for yourself as you walk down the aisle this summer, we love the brand’s new Zodiac Disc Necklaces (£50). The water and sweat resistant pendant hangs from a chain with a four-inch adjustable area, meaning you can wear it as a long necklace or a choker depending on the neckline of your dress. With the star sign and symbol printed in cursive on opposing sides, this necklace looks gorgeous however you choose to wear it.

What’s more, it comes wrapped in an all black, recyclable gift box containing an empowering message and complimentary cloth, so if you are gifting this gorgeous necklace to members of your bride tribe, there’s no need to wrap!

Find out more at www.nikitabyniki.com

Winners Announced

Celebrating their 10th year, the Muddy Stilettos Awards have been announced for 2023. Designed to support and promote local businesses and high streets, they’re prized for recognising those with originality, creativity and quality. This year, 77,000 were nominated and an astonishing 800,000 votes were received. On hearing of the announcement, we here at Your Kent Wedding eagerly scanned the list of Kentish winners to see if any of our local wedding industry pals were fortunate enough to take home a gong and we’re pleased to report there was a whole host!

First up, massive congrats go out the team at Vicki’s Bridal Boutique in Tenterden (www.vickisbride.co.uk) who deservedly collected the award for Best Bridal Boutique. Owners Hannah and Megan say, “We’re so excited an honoured to have been awarded The Best Bridal Shop in Kent. We pride ourselves on making sure every bride-to-be who walks through our doors feels just as at home in our happy place as we do.”

In the Best Jeweller category there was plenty of reason to celebrate as two long-time Your Kent Wedding contributors were recognised. The lovely Natalie from Navette Jewellery Studio (https://navettejewellery.co.uk) in Ashford was delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist, while Fitzgerald Jewellers (www.fitzgeraldjewellers.co.uk) in Canterbury ultimately took home the prize. Olivia Fitzgerald from Fitzgerald Jewellers told us, “We genuinely can’t believe we’ve won Best Jeweller in Kent with Muddy Kent for a second year in a row. It’s such an incredible honour to be recognised by our loyal customers for the service we deliver. We’re blown away by the messages, emails and even phone calls of people calling to congratulate us. It feels like such a prestigious award simply because it’s voted for by the general public. If we could say anything about it, it would be, ‘thank you.’ We couldn’t be more proud.”

Some of Kent’s finest wedding venues were also recognised across several categories. Hever Castle (www.hevercastle.co.uk) was awarded Best Family Attraction, while Cave Hotel (www.cavehotels. com) in Boughton went away with Best Hotel/Inn. We caught up with Kayleigh Wild, group sales and marketing direct at Cave Hotel & Golf Resort, who said, “We’re absolutely thrilled and grateful to be named the winner of this category. This prestigious award is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team who continuously strive to provide our guests with an exceptional stay, exceeding their expectations at every turn.” Finally, The Orangery in Maidstone (www.theorangerymaidstone.com) was heralded as the Best Wedding Venue in Kent. Congratulations one and all!

Bearing Fruit

Ashford-based winery Gusbourne is delighted to announce the debut of its first sweet wine, Chardonnay RS180. Chief winemaker Charlie Holland has long had sights on creating a dessert wine for Gusbourne’s portfolio, and using 2022 vintage’s beautifully ripe Chardonnay 809 fruit, he worked with the team and achieved it. The result is this lush, sweet wine –golden-hued with sumptuously ripe flavours of stone fruit and a delicate marmalade character. It’s beautifully flexible, working with pastry and sweet custard desserts, perhaps even wedding cake, as well as fulfilling the role of a Sauternes with rich pâté or cheese.

This newbie has been introduced alongside Gusbourne’s existing Chardonnay Guinevere, which we love. It has a pale golden colour with a nose brimming with honeyed citrus, orchard fruits and toasted nuts. On the palate its silky texture is bursting with flavours of lemon zest, green apple and pineapple, and pairs perfectly with fish, seafood, light meats and cheese.

Gusbourne also makes a wonderful range of sparkling English wines perfect for toasting your nuptials. To find out more head over to www.gusbourne.com

Time To Explore

Bromley Court is steeped in history and allows guests to enjoy the warm atmosphere of a wonderful and intimate country house. Years of hospitality experience have gone into fine-tuning its rooms and events spaces, while the glorious gardens are full of both beauty and heritage.

The Hotel can host ceremonies and receptions across several charming rooms and suites, from the intimate Leona’s Room for 20 nearest and dearest, to the grandest Garden Suite with space for up to 250 guests.

If this sounds like your dream venue, head down to its next Wedding Showcase Event on Sunday 6th August, 2023, from 12pm to 3pm. Nibble on tasty canapés, while sipping a glass of bubbly as you explore the Hotel, and chat to the team. You’ll also be able to enjoy performances from a live singer, as well as a drink tasting in the Garden Bar.

Tickets are £2, which will be donated to Chartwell Cancer Children’s Trust, and are bookable via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ wedding-showcase-event-tickets-519096821567. Find out more at https://bromleycourthotel.co.uk/weddings

GET £150 OFF YOUR WEDDING VIDEO PACKAGE WITH EDIT OUR DAY

Matt Pickard is a broadcast cameraman and editor, based in Headcorn. Like many small business owners during the pandemic, he was forced to find other revenue streams and EDIT OUR DAY was born. Today the brand is already becoming super-popular among couples. It’s wedding videography, but not as you know it!

EDIT OUR DAY utilises guests’ smart phone footage to edit together a unique, personal and affordable wedding video. There’s no need to have an unknown videographer at your wedding, as Matt doesn’t actually need to be there in person. “We don’t want guests to have their phones out the whole day, all we require from the people who’d usually take some video, is to share it with us,” he says.

The process starts when you receive your care box, which includes letters to give out to the wedding party, fully versing them on how everything works. Also included are bathroom posters, which give reminders to guests along with some tips on how to take amazing videos of the day. They’ll be able to upload their footage for seven days and after that three films will be produced for the couple: a feature-length version (up to 15 minutes), a highlights video (up to six minutes), and a social media reel (one minute).

Currently EDIT OUR DAY’s basic package is £500, which includes everything above, but we’ve teamed up with this fab new local business to offer readers the same at an incredible discounted price of £350. To claim, simply get in touch via hello@pickture.co and quote “YKW78.”

Head over to www.pickture.co/edit-our-day or www.instagram.com/edit_our_day to find out more.

GET £50 OFF WHEN YOU SPEND £500 WITH PRETTY PETAL CAKE CO

Pretty Petal Cake Co creates elegant, modern, professional wedding cakes. Specialising in realistic sugar flowers with impeccable attention to detail, your cake will beautifully complement the style of your day.

Your bespoke cake is designed alongside you. At your consultation Pretty Petty Cake Co’s owner, Miranda, will take inspiration from your dress, flowers, colours, décor and more, for a design that will fit in perfectly as a stunning sweet centrepiece at your reception. What’s more, there’s a great choice of delicious flavours to choose from. All cakes are covered in Belgian white chocolate ganache before being topped with professional sugar paste icing. There’s also a wide range of finishes to choose from.

We’ve partnered with Pretty Petal Cake Co to offer you £50 off when you spend more than £500. To claim, simply call Miranda on 07734 455 787 and quote “Your Kent Wedding.” Find out more at www.prettypetalcake.co.uk/wedding-cakes