Tonight the ultimate battle of the brides is back on, Four Weddings returns this evening for round two! One of TV’s most talked about shows of 2009 returns with more battling brides than ever before. Each episode sees four brides-to-be put their special day under scrutiny, inviting three rival brides to critique their nuptials, all in a bid to win every newly wed’s dream prize – a luxury honeymoon.

From the beautiful to the bizarre, series two throws up a colourful mix of both conventional and quirky ceremonies, as each bride goes all out to be crowned the number one newlywed. Surreal ceremonies to look out for include a haunting Halloween theme, a Star Wars obsessive, a garrison service for a returning service man, and, in episode one tonight, a naturist couple revealing more than just their love for each other…

Competition for star wedding supremacy is just as fierce as eight famous faces go head-to-head in two special celebrity episodes (episode two and episode eight); with each star determined to lay on a wedding to remember, will it be tasteful or tacky as the designer dresses, mammoth marquees and all important celebrity turn out goes under assessment. With a £5000 donation going to the charity of their choice for the winner, it’s all to play for!

Read on…

Imagine your wedding ceremony set amongst the beautiful English gardens in Central Park, followed by champagne and canapés in one of New York’s most exclusive restaurants, or maybe a romantic reception overlooking New York’s famous skyline, completed with a beautiful horse and carriage ride snuggled under a blanket watching the stars.

The Bridal Consultant offers the ultimate tailored experience for exclusive destination weddings. New York weddings range from themes such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 50’s inspired weddings to more traditional ceremonies – anything is possible in the cosmopolitan city that never sleeps! Guests can even implement the famous sights of New York as part of the reception package, with visits to the ‘Sex And The City’ set, where you can walk around Manhattan a la Carrie Bradshaw or visit ‘Friends’ legendary coffee house ‘The Central Perk’ and Broadway, nothing is too much for the Bridal Consultant who can tailor every single aspect to make it the perfect dream wedding.

Read on…

The full-service deluxe Lancaster London hotel is hosting a special Wedding Open Day on Sunday 25 April 2010 to showcase its wedding services and facilities.

The event will present the hotel’s varied wedding spaces, as well as the wedding suppliers to the hotel, which can provide everything from beauty treatments to wedding cars, flowers to photographers.

The first fifty couples to arrive at the event will receive a complimentary glass of Champagne, and canapés will be available all day.  Attendees who register before 16 April 2010 will be entered in a prize draw to win some fantastic prizes, including dinner for two people to the value of £100 in the super-chic Island Restaurant & Bar.

The Lancaster London Wedding Open Day
Date: 25 April 2010
Address: Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, London, W2 2TY
Room: Nine Kings Suite
Time: 10am – 16.30pm
RSVP: Wilmine Davids, wd@lancasterlondon.com

Caroline Castigliano and Jimmy Choo Couture, two of the world’s biggest names in bridal fashion, came together in the Middle East to showcase their latest designs in two fabulous events hosted by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.  The events were held at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, Muscat and Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai and were sponsored by Oman Air.

VIP guests were invited to experience a “wedding reception” style dinner, where the main entertainment for both evenings were breath-taking fashion shows by Caroline Castigliano. A selection of stunning Jimmy Choo Couture shoes were also on display for admiration by all.

Read on…

Returning to the roots of the business, Olivier Laudus has added thirteen new designs to his wedding ring cushion collection. The idea of creating a range of luxury wedding ring cushions first came to Olivier Laudus in 2004 after he tried unsuccessfully to find one for his own wedding. It was then he decided to commission his own. The reaction, Olivier and his wife received from all who saw their ring cushion, convinced them to share this with others.

Six years on, his online bridal boutique offers a wide selection of beautiful bridal accessories; however it would be fair to say that Olivier is still the leading designer of wedding ring cushions and the exclusive collection features stylish unique designs which complement most styles of weddings.

Read on…

Ind?v?dual invites is a new, young and vibrant company offering contemporary wedding stationery. They offer a collection of set designs that are far from traditional, perfect for those wanting a more modern feel. Colours on all designs can be changed to perfectly match the colour theme of your wedding.

To complement their stunning collection of five key designs, they have recently launched two beautiful new designs for 2010 ? ‘Get me to the church on time’ and ‘Spring blossom’.

Ind?v?dual invites will take care of your complete stationery package,  from ‘Save the date’ cards, RSVPs and the Order of Service, through to seating plans, menus, table cards and thank-you notes. Alternatively, if you want to add a personal touch and design something uniquely yours, then they also offer a bespoke design service – simply book a free consultation. Everything is professionally printed, giving a high quality feel and finish.

To find out more visit their website www.individualinvites.com

Award-winning British chocolate manufacturer has been working very hard over the last few months to develop a range of NEW chocolate themed wedding and celebration cakes that mirror their innovative and contemporary approach to chocolate.  All of the cakes are bespoke and of course – they are all handmade with a lot of love!

Yola Harvey, professor of cake and twice Masterchef quarter-finalist, and Simon, co-founder and professor of good taste, have been working for three months to create wedding and celebration cakes which use only Montezuma’s award winning house blends of chocolate, lots of local West Sussex ingredients and most importantly hundreds of half truffles.

The cake designs reflect Montezuma’s unique approach which is to start with a clean sheet and think outside the box.  Yola and Simon took inspiration from the Eden Project Biomes, local South Downs ancient forts and the perfect geometry of the double helix. These are not your traditional wedding cakes!

But these cakes are not just about appearances and the cake within reveals Yola’s real talent.  From the more traditional fruit cake with a chocolate twist to carrot cake with white chocolate tendencies and full on double dark chocolate, the possibilities are endless for the perfectly customised cake.

To find out more visit www.montezumas.co.uk

I love the idea of GlobalGiving.co.uk, it is an organisation that enables you to support well-vetted, grassroots projects all over the world.
You can browse projects from all over the world. Most of the projects on GlobalGiving.co.uk are in the developing world where a small amount of money usually goes a long way, benefiting communities that wouldn’t otherwise have access to supporters in the UK. Over £17 million has now been raised for 1,500 projects, across GlobalGiving’s US and UK websites.

Visit their website and watch their video to find out more www.globalgiving.co.uk

You can also find out more about setting up your gift list here www.globalgiving.co.uk/gifts/registries.html

The wedding season is rapidly approaching and luckily Jackie Tyson is here to help all you brides-to-be with some great easy-to-achieve make-up looks, not only for the rbide but also for your bridal party and guests. With 20 years  experience making-over the stars of stage and screen, Jackie is now sharing her secrets…

For the Bride

“Your wedding day will have you posing in front of the camera more than you have ever done before. It’s important to achieve a makeup look that you are comfortable with and allows your personality to shine through.

It’s not uncommon to have a sleepless night before your big day so have an eye treatment on-hand to cure all the tell-tale signs of a rough night. Expert Tip: cold, wet teabags or cucumber slices are miraculous at reducing redness, bags and dark circles, or for something more potent and fitting for a bride-to-be try new eyeSlices that get to work in just five minutes, packed full of botanicals to get your peepers in optimum shape.
Read on…

For brides-to-be and their mothers Whatley Manor, the beautifully restored private manor house that nestles in 12 acres of Wiltshire countryside, has devised a series of two full day spa experiences and an overnight Mother & Bride-to-Be Spa packages to help mothers and daughters escape from the preparations and indulge in some exclusive pampering in the luxurious surroundings of its award winning spa Aquarias.

Aquarias spa is the only La Prairie five star ‘Art of Beauty’ centre outside of London. These centres are only found in the most exclusive spas around the world and are a sign of outstanding quality.

With a choice of two full day midweek spa experiences guests can select either a two hour or three and a half hour series of treatments. The two hour series of treatments includes a sixty minute facial and a Jessica mini manicure and mini pedicure per person, plus full use of the spa facilities followed by a light lunch and refreshments and  costs £195 per person. Or alternatively the three and a half hour series of treatments comprises a ninety minute facial, choosing from a host of luxurious and signature facials plus a Jessica mini manicure and mini pedicure per person and full use of the spa facilities. This is followed by a light lunch and refreshments served in the spa lounge for £310 per person.

For those that wish to extend the indulgence and treat themselves to an Overnight Mother & Bride-to-Be stay, packages start from at £555, based on two guests sharing a standard room (Midweek only – Sunday  to Thursday night), full English breakfast, use of all the spa facilities plus a 60 minute spa treatment and mini manicure and mini pedicure per person and a light lunch and refreshments served in the spa lounge. Prices for a Deluxe room are £595 and for a Suite £655 based on two guests sharing.

For further information visit their website www.whatleymanor.com

If you want your big day to be extra special (and sparkly!) then why not treat your guests to a wedding favour with a difference.

Breast Cancer Campaign is encouraging all brides to be to help beat breast cancer by treating their guests to one of its pink ribbon pin badges. Not only will they add a unique touch to your wedding, but using them as favours means you’ll also be helping the charity continue funding vital breast cancer research.

There are three types of pins available; either choose from the charity’s enamel pink ribbon or jigsaw pins (£1 each) or the elegant pink ribbon diamante pin (£5 each). Also, when you order the pins to use as favours Campaign will be able to provide small place cards to inform your guests of your charitable donation.

Don’t forget you can also support the charity by asking for donations in lieu of gifts. Campaign has a simple donation form for you to send out to guests with your invitations to make things as easy as possible and we can also help to ‘pink up’ your day by supplying balloons, banners, invitation cards and any other materials you may need.

For more information or to purchase any of the charity’s merchandise call 020 7749 3709 or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org

Every month I search high and low to bring you the best products for your Honeymoon! I have spent the last 4 weeks trying out all the best hair and beauty products so I can report back to you on which are the must-have, can’t-live-without products for you to take on your honeymoon!

SAVE – Treacle Moon The Raspberry Kiss Shower Gel £2.89
I am a huge fan of the Treacle Moon products, at just £2.89 this 500ml bottle of Raspberry Kiss is a real bargain. The shower gel smells absolutely divine and it lathers up beautifully! You can also use it as a bubble bath by just pouring a little in to your bath for delicious raspberry scented bubbles.
From Tesco Nationwide

SPLURGE – Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash £8.95
This is a gorgeous body wash from Weleda, it invigorates you with cleansing moisture and antioxidant-loaded, organic pomegranate seed oil. It leaves your skin feeling silky soft and it smells wonderfully exotic.
www.feelunique.com

SAVE - Just Desserts Body Custard In Strawberry Cheesecake
l recently discovered this scrumptious range of body creams called Just Deserts Body Custards. They have a wonderfully creamy texture and absorb really quickly, they leave your skin feeling fabulous and they really do smell good enough to eat!
www.getyourjustdesserts.co.uk

SPLURGE - Michael Kors Hollywood Fabulotion £34
This stunning body lotion from Michael Kors is part of the divine Hollywood range. It is creamy and feels fabulous on your skin, it absorbs super quickly leaving you with soft to the touch skin that smells out of this world!
www.debenhams.com
Read on…

Every month I test out dozens of product to bring you the very best hair and beauty buys for your Big Day! I only write about the products that I love so that you don’t have to spend lots of time and money testing things out before your all important day. I hope you love these products as much as I do…

SAVE – Anatomicals Rose & Jasmine Body Cleanser £5
I really like this natural body wash from Anatomicals, it has a gorgeous fresh, floral scent that lingers on your skin long after your shower. It lathered up beautifully and left my skin feeling squeaky clean.
www.asos.com

SPLURGE – La Vie Bath & Shower Crème £10
This a deliciously creamy body wash from La Vie that has a stunning subtle scent and can be used either as a shower gel or a bubble bath. It lathers up perfectly and my skin felt so silky and soft afterwards.
www.vieathome.com

SAVE - Korres Fig Body Butter– Fig £11.50
This gorgeously rich moisturising body butter not only smells divine but leaves your skin feeling amazing! Smother it all over your body, concentrating on extra dry areas such as elbows, heels and knees. The fig extract is rich in minerals and vitamins perfect for regenerating the skin. Shea butter in combination with sunflower, almond and avocado oils nourish and restore smoothness to the skin. After just one week my skin felt fantastic!
www.beautyexpert.co.uk
Read on…

Don’t miss your chance to receive up to 70% off an exquisite designer wedding dress at this amazing two-day sale. Over 1000 stunning dresses available from leading designers including Amy Michelson, Caroline Castigliano, Jenny Packham, Ronald Joyce and many more.

Tickets are strictly limited so visit www.bridaldesignersale.com to book them now!