NEARLYWED NEWS

EDITOR’S FAVOURITE I love the latest wedding stationery collection from Encore Graphics, especially this Christmas invitation. The talented team design everything from place cards to the order of the day in beautiful bespoke designs.

To shop, visit www.encoregraphics.co.uk/wedding-stationery A new sustainable tour operator is offering Christmas trips including a two-day break to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire with its spectacular light display colouring the palace and gardens. Toureasy is the UK’s first and only carbon-neutral coach tour operator with 15 pick-up points available and prices starting from £70 per person. The getaways are designed so that customers can do their bit for the environment without paying a premium or needing to sign up for longterm commitments. Holidaymakers will receive a certificate after each trip confirming the carbon offset made on their behalf and reinforcing the positive impact they have made in combatting the global climate crisis. The founder of Toureasy, Sean Taggart tells us, “We realised that far too often sustainable travel options are linked to luxury holidays, with a price tag to match. Our ambition is to offer affordable holidays where everyone NEWS that travels with us automatically makes a positive contribution to protecting our planet. Our holidays make that possible and we are proud to be operating some of our first tours from the South West.” To book, visit www.toureasy.co.uk Nearlywed The latest news from around the counties

COTSWOLDS HOTEL & SPA OFFERS

Luxury hotel, golf course and spa, Cotswolds Hotel & Spa located in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, is offering a Weekday Wellness & Light Lunch package where guests needing some pre-wedding pampering can enjoy a mid-week half-day at the spa. Lunch will be enjoyed in the Terrace Restaurant and one 25-minute treatment can include an Indian head massage, lime and lemongrass or volcanic ash body scrub or an express facial. Guests are invited to use the spa facilities between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm or from 1 pm with facility access until 4 pm.

Prices start from £64.50pp. To book, visit www.spabreaks.com MONKEY ISLAND ESTATE ALLOW ISLAND TAKEOVERS

YTL Hotels’ Monkey Island Estate in Bray is offering guests the chance to reunite in style this winter with exclusive takeovers of the stunning private island located on the River Thames. The estate offers 41 rooms and suites plus six private residences across seven acres, accessed by footbridge, boat or helicopter. Guests can look forward to a range of exciting activities, including indulgent treatments on the island’s bespoke Floating Spa Barge, exploring the stunning surrounding countryside by foot, bike or boat and enjoying the great outdoors with the estate’s very own Shepherd’s Hideaway experience. Green-fingered visitors can discover the herb garden, contributing to the exceptionally fresh menu at the Monkey Brasserie.

With Monkey Island Estate’s friendly and expert team on hand, island takeovers can be tailored to suit any size group. The entire island can be booked for a full weekend or parties can take over a private corner of the grounds and a marquee or tipi can be erected on the hotel’s lawns.

For a romantic end to the celebrations, newlyweds can step aboard Monkey Island Estate’s very own chartered vessel, The Dragonfly, for a sunset cruise, complete with champagne and canapés.

For further information, call 0207 657 8200 or visit www.monkeyislandestate.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION HOTEL CHAIN COMMIT TO BEING SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS Privately owned hotel company Exclusive Collection, which includes the Royal Berkshire country house hotel in its portfolio, has announced its certification as a B Corp, the first hotel group in the UK to achieve the certification.

Exclusive Collection joins a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose, as well as profit. The company has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

Danny Pecorelli, managing director of Exclusive Collection adds: “It’s been a long but rewarding process to achieve B Corp certification and we’ve learned so much and have so much still to do. We are now embarking on a new chapter for the Collection where we will build on the good that we’ve been doing for the last 40 years and look at how we can do it better. B Corp is a community that we are very proud to be associated with and we too will play our part in helping to educate and spread the word that business success is as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”

Kate Sandle, director of programmes and engagement of B Lab UK, says: Welcoming Exclusive Collection is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the hotel and hospitality industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are pleased to support Danny and the team in paving the way for a new way of doing things.”

To find out more about weddings at Royal Berkshire, visit www.exclusive.co.uk/royal-berkshire

COPPA CLUB’S THE SWAN AT STREATLEY ENJOYS REFURBISHMENT

Streatley-on-Thames’ Coppa Club location features The Swan at Streatley, a tranquil countryside getaway set along the River Thames. The 47-bedroom property has been newly refurbished and offers rooms opening on to the garden lawn overlooking the river. The grounds include the property’s own private island, perfect for riverside weddings, seating up to 130 people. Guests can access the property via car, boat or helicopter and have access to a selection of events and enjoy on-site paddle boarding, exercise classes, and a gym, plus the hotel is dog-friendly.

To book, call 01491 878 800 or visit www.theswanatstreatley.com

EDITOR LOVES

If you’re searching for wow-factor favours then check out the new wedding silhouette art by Silhouette Sarah. Designer Sarah uses specialised scissors and black paper to hand-cut the profiles of each wedding guest, resulting in these flattering miniature silhouette profiles that make a great talking point! It’s a fun ice-breaker for after the wedding ceremony while the couple portraits are being taken or during the wedding breakfast. Guests get to take home their very own silhouette memento of the special day, mounted in a stylish card, and the happy couple can have duplicate copies.

To find out more, visit www.silhouetteartist.co.uk