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pages of inspiring wedding ideas
REAL WEDDING IDEAS & INSPIRATION
WEDDING CAKE
WHAT SIZE IS YOUR CAKE GOING TO BE? HELPING YOU CHOOSE YOUR BOUQUET
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Wedding Dress Style
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Manor Hill House is a beautiful, rural, contemporary and exclusive use venue set in glorious North Worcestershire countryside, perfect for your wedding day. The four light and spacious reception rooms offer great flexibility of use allowing you to tailor your day to your unique requirements. You can also hire and enjoy our fantastic marquee that is directly adjoined to the house. In addition to this is full use of our picturesque gardens and barns. A perfect setting for outside ceremonies as well as fun styled street food, mesmerising photography and that wonderful feeling of 'the great outdoors’. At Manor Hill House we accommodate numbers of between 20 and 160 so however many guests you wish to join you, we are the perfect venue for you. There are four bedrooms including our stunning bridal en-suite which will be available for you and your wedding party to get ready in on the morning of your special day. We pride ourself on our catering and offer bespoke modern cuisine of exceptional quality. At your ‘Meet the Chef’ meeting you discuss all your needs tailoring your menu to match your requirements.
Our dedicated events team are committed to helping you have the perfect wedding day. We offer a friendly, fun and flexible approach whilst maintaining a highly professional service. At Manor Hill House, we help you to enjoy the experience from the first time you arrive for your initial viewing, through the planning phase and on to the big day itself. Our weddings really are personalised and no two are the same, we are honoured to be involved in your wedding day, it is as unique and special as you.
Swan Lane, Upton Warren, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 9HE (3miles J5/M5) Tel: 01527 861200 Email: weddings@manorhillhouse.co.uk www.manorhillhouse.co.uk
a note from the
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04 Find Your Venue 06 The Savvy Bride 2019
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elcome to our West Midlands Wedding Guide! If you’re planning a wedding in this gorgeous county, then we have all the advice and inspiration you’ll need to plan the perfect day. West Midlands has over 100 licensed venues to choose from, from rustic barns in Staverton to Georgian hotel in Wolverhampton, so if you’re on the hunt for the ideal place to say ‘I do’, take a look at our venue guide on page 4. Once you have your venue sorted, then we have top tips for all the details you’ll need to create your wedding vision, from flowers to cakes and the Pantone Colour of the Year - Living Coral, the perfect versatile shade. We even have a guide to picking the perfect wedding dress on page 10!
08 Real Wedding: Sophia and Alex 10 Your Perfect Wedding Dress 12 What Size is Your Wedding Cake Going To Be? 13 Wedding Flowers by Season 14 Living Coral Pantone Colour of the Year
Want even more wedding planning advice? You can find more fabulous West Midlands suppliers at guidesforbrides.co.uk, and check out the pages of our blog for even more beautiful inspiration and handy tips. Happy planning! Follow us on
Alison Hargreaves @guidesforbrides
Editor Alison Hargreaves
Features Isabel Hicks
Account Managers John Maddaford Ali Moore Amy Jaremchuk Christine King Denise Huff Elaine Rough Megan Wiffen
Design Claire Rowland
GfB West Midlands Wedding Guide 2019-20
Guides for Brides Ltd Larkhill Farm Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 8PJ T 01235 770078 E info@guidesforbrides.co.uk www.guidesforbrides.co.uk © Guides for Brides 2019
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Choosing Your
Dream Venue
in West Midlands
See our favourite wedding venues near you If you’re hitting the road to ‘I do’, with no idea of what kind of wedding venue would suit your tastes, this guide can help! Here are some of the most popular wedding venue types and who it would be suitable for, and we’ve picked some of our favourites from the local area to help get you started…
Hotel Wedding Venues Hotel wedding venues come with all the mod cons, often boasting luxurious rooms, on-site catering and acres of breathtaking grounds, with expert staff on hand catering to your every whim and desire. Plenty of hotels offer easily customisable wedding packages to make wedding planning as easy as possible, and your guests can easily retire to their rooms after dancing the night away only to meet you for a delicious breakfast the next morning.
Barn Wedding Venues Barns are a classic choice for an English wedding, as we have so many beautiful barn wedding venues throughout the UK. With their gorgeous rustic feel and wooden interiors, barns are perfect for couples who want something relaxed yet romantic. Enjoy the countryside views, beams strewn with fairy lights and bunting and beautiful photo opportunities, all while enjoying modern heating and sound systems. 4
OUR FAVOURITE VENUES IN WEST MIDLANDS Country House Wedding Venues For glamorous brides who want to feel like something out of a fairytale, you can’t go wrong with an elegant country house wedding venue. Country houses and stately homes have stunning spaces for both wedding ceremonies and receptions, so if you’ve always dreamed of tying the knot in a picture gallery or orangery before enjoying an evening reception in the ballroom, then a country house may be the ideal wedding venue for you.
Outdoor Wedding Venues When it comes to outdoor wedding venues, the possibilities are endless. Ranging from a botanical garden wedding to a relaxed beach celebration by the sea, if you’re a bride that’s at one with nature, this type of wedding venue is for you. So, swap your wedding shoes for cowboy boots or flip-flops and get hitched in the great outdoors!
Hotel: Fairlawns Hotel & Spa, Near Walsall View details of this venue
Barn: Skylark Weddings, Staverton View details of this venue
Country House: Hawkesyard Estate View details of this venue
Outdoor: The Bond Company, Birmingham View details of this venue
Still looking? Click here for more West Midlands Venues
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Savvy
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If you’re feeling on edge about the cost of a wedding, don’t worry, it’s totally normal! Couples can often be too focused on prices and end up compromising on areas of their wedding that they loved at the beginning. Our savvy pointers will help you stay within your budget, keep calm and find ways to incorporate everything you want for your big day. 6
www.guidesforbrides.co.uk
How to be a Savvy Bride 2019 Pinterest is a great way to follow trends and gather inspiration for your big day. If you don’t have it already downloading it is an absolute must. It will soon become your best friend. Pinterest allows you to pin your favourite images, build a board and even share your ideas. This is a nice way to involve your mum, bridesmaids and friends in the wedding planning process, plus it’s free! Click here for Pinterest Being organised is one of the most important elements in order to stay savvy. If you love spreadsheets, you’re going to be in your element! However, if spreadsheets aren’t your thing and you want someone to do the hard work for you, sign up for the free online Guides for Brides Wedding Planner. You can work through a checklist in the lead up, manage your suppliers and quotes, organise a guest list and table plan, all while keeping track of your budget! Sign up for your FREE Wedding-Planner
It sounds cheeky but everyone does it! Have a sneak peek at other people’s weddings and see what it is you like about them and what worked well for them. The perfect place to do this is our Real Weddings section, where we feature endless beautiful weddings, oozing inspiration.
’ s weddings e l p o e p r e th O
A personal touch is what makes a wedding your own. Being a DIY bride is no bad thing and can end up saving you hundreds of pounds! Friends and family are often happy to help, so why not organise a night in for you and your nearest and dearest to get creative! Click here for more great wedding ideas A massive trend this year is couples creating their own wedding website. You can add your engagement story, collect your RSVP’s, share the menu choices and order of the day, all with your guests! You don’t even need to send physical invites but ‘e-versions’ – a great way to save on stationery costs.
GfB West Midlands Wedding Guide 2019-20
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Wedding Real
A stone barn Spring wedding in the glorious countryside.
Joanna &Mathew Photography Ben Wetherall Photography
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oanna and Mathew met as many couples often do through work - and became a couple within the month. From then on they were inseparable, getting engaged four years later on a morning stroll through Wychwood Forest. The pair really wanted the wedding to be in Spring; the fresh bright days and pastel colours complemented their vision perfectly (plus it’s Joanna’s birthday in April - the perfect present, don’t you think?).
A truly magical place to get married. 8
After browsing Guides for Brides and doing plenty of research, Joanna and Mathew decided on Merriscourt as their wedding venue. Their ceremony took place in the Stone Barn (one of 3 rustic interlinking barns at Merriscourt) before it was transformed into the perfect space for dancing after dinner. The couple loved so much about the venue; the panoramic views across the countryside, the incredible food, the opportunity to bring in your own alcohol with no corkage fee, being able to get ready on the day in the onsite pumphouse, as well as getting exclusive use of the venue for the whole weekend, allowing them to take their time decorating from Friday lunchtime with no rush to “check out” on the Sunday www.guidesforbrides.co.uk
M oment s Favourite part of the day: Joanna - listening to the speeches. Mathew - when the speeches were over! et was made ouqu up eb h of T be lish roses in soft p e Eng a ch ul es tif au
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decorative suc c with u l en ts.
- a truly magical place to get married. On the day, Joanna wore a Suzanne Neville gown from Ellie Sanderson Bridal Boutique - the floating organza silk skirt made her feel so special. We think she looks just stunning! After a beautiful ceremony and wedding breakfast surrounded by friends and family, the party hit the dancefloor with the live band Uproar, plus a photobooth provided by Giggling Genie.
Click to see more Real Weddings
The couple jetted off on the Monday following the wedding to spend a week honeymooning in sunny Barbados - a birthday to top all birthdays! 9
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ne of the best things about wedding dresses is that they come in all shapes and sizes, so no matter your bridal style, there’s something to suit everyone. Here’s our guide to finding the perfect silhouette for your big day…
Dress by Phil Collins Bridal
Click here for Wedding Dress Suppliers
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www.guidesforbrides.co.uk
It’s a classic for a reason!
Dress by Phil Collins Bridal
If you’re imagining a typical fairytale princess dress, then what you’re thinking of is probably a ballgown! The most voluminous wedding dress silhouette, a classic ballgown is fitted on the bodice, and flares out from the natural waist in a full skirt. This silhouette suits pear-shaped, hourglass and bigger busted brides, as it makes the most of your curves and still gives you a fairytale look; but it can also make apple shapes look wider. Taller brides will be able to pull off the large skirt, but petite brides may look swamped, so we’d recommend steering clear if you’re under 5’3”!
Dress by Lyn Ashworth, Daydreamer Collection
Dress by Willowby
The A-line silhouette (so-called because the shape of the skirt looks like a capital A) is flattering on practically every body type, thanks to the fact that it’s fitted up top and flares out from the waist. The wider skirt gives you plenty of room to walk and dance without being too big, and the fitted bodice shows off your waist while skimming over your stomach. If you want something a little more fitted without graduating to a fit and flare, then a modified A-line flares out a little lower, at the hip rather than the waist.
If you love the curve-hugging cut of the mermaid but are worried about it being unforgiving (or difficult to walk in!), then we recommend you try a gorgeous fit and flare gown. The fit and flare is also known as a trumpet silhouette, and is becoming more and more popular with brides thanks to its flattering cut. Unlike a mermaid wedding dress, the skirt on a fit and flare starts at the mid-thigh, rather than below the knee, which gives you more room to move as well as a more forgiving cut on the thigh and a more understated silhouette.
GfB West Midlands Wedding Guide 2019-20
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What does a Wedding Cake Symbolise? The wedding cake symbolises good fortune and fertility. It also brings good luck to everyone who eats it. The wedding cake should be made with an abundance of good quality ingredients to symbolise a long-lasting, rich, and happy marriage. The bride cuts the first slice of cake to provide good fortune in the marriage.
Tradition of Saving Your Top Tier Back in the 19th century, couples saved their top tier for the christening of their first child. Today, couples generally wait a little while after their “I do’s”, before having children, so they’ll save the top tier for their first wedding anniversary.
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www.guidesforbrides.co.uk
WHAT SIZE IS YOUR
WEDDING CAKE GOING TO BE? Deciding the size of your wedding cake can depend on the number of guests – using the information below will help avoid any leftovers! Click to find your nearest cake maker
6”
6”
7”
8”
8” 40 Servings
9” 51 Servings
9” 52 Servings
10” 65 Servings
(26 without top)
(32 without top)
(32 without top)
(40 without top)
7”
6”
8”
8”
9”
9”
10”
10”
11” 78 Servings
12” 78 Servings
12” 78 Servings
6”
79 Servings
(65 without top)
(64 without top)
(64 without top)
(64 without top)
6” 6” 8”
8” 10”
10”
12”
12”
14”
134 Servings
(120 without top)
210 Servings
(196 without top)
Our Top Favourite Cake Flavour Combinations When it comes to the cake, the flavour is just important as the look. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts! Here are some of our favourite flavour combinations... Vanilla Sponge, Fresh Raspberry Jam & White Chocolate Icing Toffee Sponge & Salted Caramel Icing – Red Velvet Sponge & Cream Cheese Icing Lemon and Elderflower Sponge with Elderflower Buttercream Icing Chocolate Sponge & Baileys Buttercream Icing – Fruitcake, Marzipan & Royal Icing Pink Champagne Sponge with White Chocolate Buttercream GfB West Midlands Wedding Guide 2019-20
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Wedding Flowers by Season Seasonal wedding flowers are cheaper and easier to source, so we’ve created a helpful guide of what’s in season in the UK! Click here for a wedding florist near you
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er Summ Peonies
mn
er Wint Hypericum
Sprin
Calla Lillies Tulips Ranunculus Anemones Irises Narcissus Forget-Me-Nots Freesias Gerberas Hyacinth Hydrangea Sweetpeas Lily of the Valley
Autu
Mimosa Alstroemeria Anemone Gladioli Orchids Cosmos Hydrangea Berries Roses Calla Lillies Physalis Chrysanthemum Phlox
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Foxgloves Stocks Dahlias Gypsophila Sunflowers Lavender Carnations Chrysanthemum Roses Lilies Marigolds Zinnias
Wax flowers Amaryllis Poinsettia Hellebores Ivy Holly Anemones Gorse Narcissus Pussy Willow Snowdrops Euphorbia www.guidesforbrides.co.uk
COCKTAILS
PAPERPAIR
LIPSY
Pantone Colour of the Year
INTERFLORA
TALKING TABLES
OLIVER BONAS
HOLLY YOUNG
CARO LONDON
CRAZY FOR CORAL Pantone have announced that their Colour of the Year 2019 is Living Coral, a beautifully vibrant shade that works perfectly for weddings. Coral is a flattering colour on most skin tones and hair colours, which makes it a
brilliant choice for bridesmaid dresses, and with roses, dahlias and peonies coming in a range of coral and peach tones, you won’t struggle to match your flowers. Pair with metallics such as gold or copper for a warm,
chic look, or try bright pops of colour with electric turquoises and sunny yellows. If pastels are more your style, Living Coral works perfectly with sage greens and duck egg blues. We love this versatile shade!
Image credit: Her Creative Studio hercreativestudio.com
Plan your wedding, your way with the Guides for Brides Online Wedding Planner • Checklist • Budget Planner • Suppliers List • Guest List Sign-up here for your FREE Wedding Planner
www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-planner