If you are looking for the perfect keepsake from your wedding then look no further…

Ex fashion designer Lindsey Napp runs a small Surrey-based company called Picture My Dress, offering bespoke fashion illustrations of brides and their wedding dresses. They make a truly personal and unique wedding keepsake. She set up her business after many years designing for world renowned labels such as Nicole Farhi and Elizabeth March to name just a few.

Each illustration is completely original. Working from photographs provided by you, Lindsey will recreate your dress in a hand drawn illustration, which will be presented in a high quality double mount, you can choose from either framed or unframed.

You can even choose the type of paper you would like for your fashion illustration. Choose from either Hand-Made Himalayan Paper (Vintage Sepia Look) or High Quality White Watercolour Paper (Classic Look). All portraits are hand-drawn using Graphic Design Markers, Ink and Designers Gouache.

She also offers gift certificates, which come in a beautiful presentation box and can be given as a wedding gift.

Find out more on her website www.picturemydress.com

After over three years of being immersed in the wonderful world of vintage inspired wedding suppliers, following her own wedding in 2008 and setting up her own crockery, decoration, prop hire and styling company for weddings, A Most Curious Party, Rebecca Hoh-Hale is branching out and launching the Most Curious Vintage Wedding Fair.

Following the companies new year relocation to Norwich, the first of these will take place on Saturday the 16th of April 2011 at the apt historical setting of St Andrews Hall, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1AU. The first vintage wedding fair to ever take place in Norfolk!

With a continued passion for all things vintage for your Big Day, the Most Curious Wedding Fairs will be much like the colourful brand itself, featuring over 50 carefully selected wedding suppliers who not only represent the classic, elegant side of vintage but those who deal in the quirky, fun and decadent side of vintage too that ensure you and your groom’s can express your personality on this important day.

It will be a fair where photographers like rockabilly, florists love taxidermy, milliners are non-judgmental, cupcake are outlandishs, and prop suppliers feature Alice in Wonderland and Carnival style items not chair covers. All standing side by side with beautiful vintage lace, veils, trimmings and dress suppliers, titillating underwear designers, pretty stationary makers and pro planners.

There will also be the best vintage hair and make up stylists in the business doing demonstrations and live bands, from 40s style starlets to 60s Beatles cover bands performing on the day, with dance demos throughout.

You can find more details on the website www.vintage-wedding-fair.co.uk

The weekend will see the biggest Asian bridal exhibition in the UK, The Asian Bride Show returns to the world renowned Wembley Stadium for the third year running.

This highly anticipated bridal exhibition is brought to you by Asian Woman Magazine and Asian Bride Magazine and as always will bring together all the best bridal brands and services under one roof.

With over 200 exhibitors sprawled over two floors offering all the finest from the bridal world, from fashion and beauty experts to caterers and photographers, make-up and Mehndi artists, cake companies, florists, stationers, DJs, musicians and Mandaps, The Asian Bride Show really does have it all. With the trend lately for East-meets-West weddings, a la Katy Perry and Russell Brand and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – the Asian Bride Show will be the perfect setting to plan your dream wedding.
Read on…

Please help, I am looking for an outfit for my daughters wedding, I am a young looking mum and I want something that will reflect my unique personality but obviously nothing too young and out there.

Helen – St Margarets

Hi Lisa, there is not better excuse than your daughters wedding to get all dressed up and splash out on a new outfit. Finding the right place to buy this outfit is a more difficult question, but luckily this season Inspirato has brought out the most fabulous Spring collection, which I am completely in love with. The collection features most stylish outfits and gorgeous Headpieces. One of My favourite outfits for a Summers wedding is this stunning Scoop neck taffeta dress with pleating detail on the bodice worn with a double-frilled short-sleeved taffeta bolero. The floral headpiece completes the outfit perfectly.

You can view the Spring collection on their website www.ispirato.co.uk

There are few countries in the world that offer beaches to rival the Caribbean along with affordable luxury accommodation but Thailand is one of these countries. It has everything you could wish for whether it is a dream wedding by the sea or a romantic honeymoon at a world class spa resort. Ever since my first visit to Thailand 10 years ago I have been in love with the country. Just an 11 hour flight from the UK and you will arrive in a paradise full of culture, warm Asian hospitality and white sandy beaches as far as the eye can see.

I recently came back from a trip where I found some of the very best destinations for honeymooners and couples looking to tie the knot.

Phuket

When arriving in Bangkok, the island of Phuket is just a quick one hour domestic flight away. If you don’t plan to buy a ticket to Phuket and want to spend a few days in Bangkok first then you can often find extremely cheap domestic flights using one of the local airlines.

Once we arrived in Phuket we took a 30 minute drive across the island and arrived at our beautiful accommodation, The Shore at Kathatani. The Shore is a luxury beach front resort of pool villas on Kata Noi Beach set in a secluded cove overlooking a white sandy beach and sparkling emerald sea.

The resort is small and intimate and never feels crowded so is the perfect place for a small wedding or simply a romantic getaway with your new husband.
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Scotland’s biggest and best event for brides-to-be, The Scottish Wedding Show, is back at the SECC in Glasgow on 19 & 20 February 2011. The show will bring together over 300 of Scotland’s leading specialist wedding companies, showcasing everything needed to make the big day just perfect.

Visitors to the show will see all the latest products and services, from wedding planners to romantic honeymoons and everything in-between. There will also be the chance to watch the spectacular fashion show, which will be staged four times each day, where the catwalk will feature top models and the largest bridal collection in Scotland, from top designers and well-known high street names, for the bride, groom and the bridal party.
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If you are a foodie like me then catering is such an important part of the wedding planning process, with so many choices out there I wouldn’t even know where to start. Luckily this month I had the chance to sit down with Simon Goggin from Cooks & Partners and grill him on his tips and advice on wedding catering…

1. How far in advance should you book a caterer?

Ideally brides should be looking 10 months to a year ahead in order to book catering. As a caterer we can assist with not only the food and drink but the whole organisation of the day. Caterers also get booked up quickly so best to book early in order to guarantee your preferred date. Food, drink and service is one of the most important elements of the day and one that all guests will remember, so you are best to ensure you are happy with your decision and the menu you choose.

2. What are the signs of a good/bad caterer?

A good caterer will be prompt with the reply and professional presentation of proposals. They should ask the right questions to find out as much information about the wishes and desires of the bride and groom for the wedding day and ensure that they take this into consideration. Service, quality of the food, knowledge and presentation are all key elements to consider. You need to feel confident that the caterer will deliver as they promise.
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January the 4th marks a very important day in Ireland for Gay couples. Today will be the first day couples hoping to have a Civil Partnership can register for their ceremony. Well known wedding planning duo Ant and Dick are offering their services to loved up gay couples hoping to tie the knot in April this year when the first Civil Partnerships in Ireland will take place.  They even have suppliers on board offering their services for free!!

Ant and Dick say: “The worlds press will be watching how Ireland handle the first Civil Partnerships and it could even influence other countries such as America in their decision to allow gay couples the same privilege”

“This really is the biggest thing to happen in Ireland since Divorce and for Ireland to have come so far so quickly since decriminalisation really is fantastic”
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On Thursday the 20th of January Caroline Castigliano will be holding a champagne reception and spectacular Catwalk Show at the glamorous Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park!

This year Caroline Castigliano celebrates 20 years as the UK’s leading luxury bridal design house and the celebrations begin with a glamorous Catwalk Show as she unveils her exquisite 2011/12 collection at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Be the first to view the new collection and speak to the designer herself. You will be treated to champagne in the magnificent Ballroom as you enjoy bridal beauty advice and makeovers from Christian Dior and Paul Edmonds, view stunning accessories from De Beers and Aruna Seth; bridal stationary from Smythson and beautiful bridal flowers from Moyses Stevens. Plus, guests will receive a fantastic goodie bag worth over £75.

Tickets to the event are £25 and are strictly limited. To book call 020 8545 2665 or visit www.carolinecastigliano.co.uk