NEARLYWED NEWS

A comfortable home with a traditional farmhouse feel, Batch Country House boasts cosy lounge areas and ample space. An exclusive-use venue it only hosts one wedding per day. The venue’s beautiful, award-winning, landscaped gardens overlook the Mendip Hills, and you’ll find plenty of water features dotted around including ponds, waterfalls and fountains. Plus, the outdoor photo opportunities are endless and it’s licensed for indoor and outdoor civil ceremonies.

This local lovely is hosting a wedding show on Sunday 5th February, 2023 between 11.30am and 3pm. It’s your opportunity to take a look around and meet some fantastic local suppliers.

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

PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES

Dance Factory Bristol is a vibrant dance company based in Bristol, founded by experienced dancer and choreographer Michele Webber. Its goal is to provide fun, informal dancing classes for people of all ages and abilities, covering a range of styles from ballroom and Latin to hip-hop and street. Whether you’re anxious about your first dance or want to wow with some impressive choreography, Michele can help with tailored dancing lessons. There are packages to suit everyone from one lesson to three, or more if you really want to put on a show! Whatever you go for, the team will work with you to make your first dance right for you. They’re also on hand to offer advice on music selection and will style your dance to complement your day. You can even challenge your wedding party to perform a number, as Dance Factory Bristol also welcomes group lessons.

Recently Michele has celebrated teaching her 1,000th first-dance couple, and is working with couples on increasingly exciting and diverse projects as she is helping one pair with a flash mob as part of their first dance, coming up in 2023.

To find out more about putting your dancing feet into action, check out www.dancefactorybristol.com

https://shutterbliss.co.uk NEWS Nearlywed Catch up on the latest from around the region

CEREMONIES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’!

Somerset ceremonies will be getting an exciting refresh in 2023. Somerset Registration Service has launched a survey to help them rewrite ceremonies that reflect what couples want. If you feel like sharing your thoughts on your ideal big day, now is the perfect time to have your say.

Readings, personal vows, optional extras, planning meetings, even the style of the ceremony itself, everything is up for review, and the team is keen to hear your ideas. Modern or traditional, relaxed or formal, just the basics or something elaborate: what kind of day is your dream wedding?

The online survey will be open until the end of January and is available to the already married, nearly married or the hoping-to-be married alike. Read more about it and complete the survey at www.somersetweddingservice.org.uk/ somerset-ceremony-survey

Local vocalist and saxophonist Lucy Harvey has won the Wedding Entertainment category for solo, duo or string quartet musicians at the 2022 South West Wedding Awards held in November. The annual awards recognise wedding suppliers throughout the South West who exceed the expectations of their customers by providing outstanding service, crowning these very special wedding suppliers as the best of the best in the region.

Wedding companies covering all aspects of the industry can enter the various categories available, including photographers, stationery, bridal hair and more. Votes can only be placed by couples who’ve used the suppliers for their own nuptials, making the winners very much the people’s choice. Lucy says, “I’m over the moon to have my music and dedication to the industry recognised by the couples I’ve entertained over the 2022 wedding season.”

Find out more at www.lucyharvey.co.uk

https://srwphoto.co.uk

DATE FOR THE DIARY

The historical Bailbrook House is reached via a private tree-lined drive, at the end of which you’ll be greeted by the hotel’s handsome and impressive Georgian mansion-house facade. Made of stone in various shades of soft gold the building boasts intricate stonework including carved pillars, decorative stone flowers and pretty bows above the entranceway, it offers a memorable and grand setting for your big day. What’s more, with 20 acres of grounds, you won’t be short of picture-perfect backdrops for your couple’s photoshoot.

To find out more about the venue, pop along to its Weddings and Celebrations Open Day on Saturday 28th January, 2023 between 11am and 3pm. Held in the beautiful mansion house itself this event is the perfect way to collect inspiration and information for your big day. Plus, the team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and to discuss your needs.

To register, head over to www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/bailbrook-house/wedding-showcase Introducing Cave Bristol, founded by hospitality veteran and wine specialist Martin Hagen, it’s an online bottle shop specialising in selling a carefully-curated selection of small producerled, organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines, mixed discovery cases, premium store cupboard essentials and spirits.

Cave Bristol on Gloucester Road opened two weeks before the first lockdown in 2020, but plans quickly had to pivot. Martin kept the store open, operating under government guidelines, but acted quickly to take the concept online. The online store launched soon after with great success offering a selection of properly sourced wines, local cheese and provisions unlike any available elsewhere in the city. Orders were, and still are, delivered by bike in Bristol using zero-carbon.

Martin says, “Choosing wine for your wedding can be a daunting task and it’s commonplace for venues to only allow couples to choose from their wine list, resulting in a lack of choice and poorer quality wine with a large markup. At Cave we’ve had many customers come to us with this problem but there are ways to circumnavigate this issue. One is to offer to pay a corkage fee, then visiting a local merchant or wine expert to select and purchase wines to better suit the occasion, your style and most importantly complement the food.

“The best scenario, of course, is not being tied to the venue’s wine list and this is where the fun begins. We’ve worked with a host of nearlyweds, helping them to select their wedding wine and it’s something we take great pride and passion in. People are generally much more conscious about serving high-quality food and drink at their weddings these days and a good merchant should always be able to help with pairing the menu perfectly, tailoring wines to suit their couples’ palates and finding great value to suit the budget. From whites, reds, oranges and fizz, classical or unconventional there are endless regions and styles to explore.”

Discover more at www.cavebristol.co.uk

Bristol’s directory of independent shopping locations has relaunched this year, focusing on locally-made, unique, consciously-created products, for customers who want to support small businesses.

The online directory is a collection of fantastic independents offering a diverse range of products from jewellery to plants, homewares to clothes. It’s a great place to look if you want to support Bristol businesses when compiling your wedding gift list and can find everything you could need to start your married life together all in one place, as well as thoughtful gifts for your wedding party. Whether you decide to shop in store or online, the support for your neighbourhood shops will always be appreciated.

Beck Prior, founder of Prior Shop in Cabot Circus, is spearheading the campaign and after a challenging couple of years, believes shopping local has never been more vital. She says, “It’s so sad to see many small business closing or on the brink. I think it’s incredibly important to stick together to make sure we collectively encourage customers to shop local and save our high streets.”

Check out the Shop Bristol Independent Directory at www.shopbristol.co.uk

©National Trust Images, Bob Fowler

GET THAT FESTIVE FEELING

Across Somerset, Bath and Bristol, National Trust places are full of warmth, magic and sparkle as the festive season approaches. Wrap up and embrace the chilly days with a romantic walk around a country estate, or get into the Christmas spirit with carols, open fires and mince pies. There’s lots on offer this season from guided walks and craft workshops to horse and carriage rides.

An Enchanted Christmas at Barrington Court is taking place now until 31st December, 10am-3pm. It offers a magical experience as you stroll around twinkling Christmas trees in the old cow shed and the wintry garden; shop for special gifts in the artisan workshops and complete the day with a warming drink in the cafe.

A Country Christmas is on at Dunster Castle daily from19th December to 2nd January, 10am-3pm. Here you can experience a cosy castle decorated for a family Christmas as the Luttrells enjoyed it when they lived there.

More festive magic can be found at Fyne Court with a festive family trail and carols in the Music Hall. At Montacute House there’s Mystery and Mischief and at Prior Park Landscape Garden there’s an advent trail. Meanwhile, at Tyntesfield you’ll find festive fun aplenty with guided estate walks, Christmas Victorian audio trail, Christmas horse and carriage rides, lino printing workshops, wreath-making workshops, and Chapel Christmas concerts.

For further information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

© Toby Mitchell

AWARD-WINNING SLEEP

The Good Hotel Guide has revealed its annual list of 12 César winners with No.15 by GuestHouse in Bath (www.guesthousehotels.co.uk/no-15bath) taking home the award for Best City Hotel. This boutique property occupies a trio of Grade I listed town houses in a Georgian terrace that are home to eclectic rooms with a touch of whimsy such as a coffee maker in a doll’s house.

Established in 1978, the Good Hotel Guide is the only truly independent UK hotel guide. It features 650 hotels, inns, B&Bs and guesthouses with 414 main entries and 44 new entries (a combination of new properties and new entries). Readers play a crucial role by reporting on existing entries as well as recommending new discoveries.

The Good Hotel Guide 46th Edition: Great Britain & Ireland is out now priced at £20 – well worth a read if you’re planning a UK mini-moon.