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| OUT NOW |
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It's all in the detail
Set the theme of your big day with your wedding stationery
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Real weddings
Be inspired by other brides and grooms
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One step ahead
New season styles straight off the catwalk
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Country cool
Heritage-style attire for fashion-forward grooms
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With this ring...
Get your wedding jewellery spot on with our top tips and expert advice
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Religious ceremonies and traditions
We take a look at eight different types of weddings from an array of cultures
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From Maldon to Burnham-on-Crouch
We take a look at some of the most picturesque settings in the area
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In first place
Tie the knot in a sporting venue
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| Plus... |
| Regular features, news, events, Q&A special - and much more |
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| Next Issue Out |
| 24th February 2012 |
| Love and laughter |
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| Image provided by PR Wedding Photography |
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Lola and Layi celebrated their meeting of minds with a decadent wedding at The Fennes Estate, Braintree
Laughter is said to be the best medicine, and this was certainly the case for Lola and Layi when they met through a mutual friend. Lola tells us, "I was standing alone by the DJ booth at a party when my friend introduced me to Layi - we spent the next three hours chatting before moving on to a different event where we danced the night away and got to know each other." For Layi it was an instant attraction, "I fell in love with Lola the night we met. And it was cemented when she laughed at my story about the Napoleonic monkey in Hartlepool that got hung for treason!"
Call my bluff
After falling for each other so quickly it was only a matter of time before the couple moved their relationship to the next level and, after much teasing, Layi finally got down on one knee. "We had discussed marriage on a few occasions but it came as a total surprise when he eventually proposed," recalls Lola. "He waited until a couple of days after our three year anniversary so I wouldn't see it coming. He had been teasing me about diamonds for weeks, however one evening I decided to call his bluff. I told him I didn't believe he had bought a ring so he went over to the drawer and presented me with a box. I was so excited that my hands were shaking, however when I opened it, it was empty. Layi was laughing as he came back into the room with the real ring box where he finally got down on one knee and proposed."
To read on see page 37 of the current issue. |
| A sweet tooth |
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Based in Westcliff-on-Sea, A Spoonful of Sugar has been established since 2005 and owner Samantha Elkins has 25 years of cake-making experience under her belt. Samantha explains: "I made my first wedding cake when I was just 18-years-old. It was a royal iced three tier cake with pillars and wired sugar flowers. In terms of design, things are very different now as pretty much anything is possible."
A Spoonful of Sugar offers a personal and bespoke service to every couple looking for a beautiful centrepiece on their big day. Samantha adds: "I believe every newlywed deserves an amazing cake to celebrate their nuptials and we make every effort to ensure they get the best cake possible."
Visit www.a-spoonful-of-sugar.co.uk for more information. |
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| Wedded bliss |
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For those of you yet to embark on your own fairytale wedding you're in for a treat. This issue is better than ever, with features on everything from wedding jewellery on page 59, how to ensure your stationery and favours
set the tone on page 43, and our exciting new groom's feature on page 112 where we'll be talking to a real groom about how to overcome the hurdles they have to deal with. And despite not being engaged, yet, James 'Arg' Argent from ITV's The Only Way is Essex kicks off the series, giving us the low-down on wedding music, the best man and his dream stag locations.
Enjoy!
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| Louise Prance, Editor |
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| Make sure you email editor@anessexwedding.co.uk to keep us up to date with all your news |
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| Win a photography package worth £850 |
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If you're after cutting-edge photography for your big day, this is one competition you can't afford to miss.
The Edge Photography, based in Chelmsford, is one of the leading wedding photographers in the county and has a modern and fun approach. Scott Johnson, owner of the company, tells us, "I set up The Edge Photography back in 2006 and we made it our goal to capture relaxed portraits, amazing details and natural moments at all the weddings we attend. We don't believe in staging everything and take great pride in our style and the presentation of our collections. Our aim is to capture timeless images couples will treasure forever." Scott has recently been awarded the Licentiate of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (LSWPP), which is the professional recognition he had been working towards for almost a year.
Choosing your photographer is one of the most important aspects of planning your nuptials as the images will be an ever-lasting memory of your big day. For more information about The Edge Photography call 0845 468 0159 or visit www.theedgephotography.co.uk
Essex Wedding has teamed up with The Edge Photography to offer readers the chance to win a fantastic wedding photography package. The prize includes:
- Pre-wedding consultation
- Coverage from the bride getting ready to the start of the wedding breakfast
- A full CD of high resolution images
- A 12x8ins album of 80 prints
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| Enter here |
| Love notes |
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| Image provided by www.abirdandabee.co.uk |
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There's nothing more exciting than seeing a wedding invitation drop through the letterbox; it sets the tone for the whole day as the anticipation and excitement starts to build for your guests. But choosing the right invitations isn't where your stationery choices end, or start; there's the save-the-dates, order of service, table plan and place names to think about too.
Your essential guide
Save-the-date cards... are sent to ask guests to keep the date of your wedding free. Information should include the bride and groom's names, the date of the nuptials, and the words 'invitation to follow'.
Invitations... are posted to guests 10 to 12 weeks before the big day with all the information about the wedding. RSVP cards should be included along with a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Order of service... is an outline of the ceremony with the words of hymns or songs planned, and details of the readings.
Table plan... is usually placed outside the wedding breakfast room to indicate what table each guest is on.
Place name cards... are for tables at the reception, and tell guests where to sit.
Favours... five sugared almonds placed in an organza bag are traditional favours. The almonds represent health, happiness, fertility, wealth and long life. Nowadays couples often opt for alternative favours such as alcohol miniatures for the men and mirror compacts for the girls - the choices, however, are endless.
Menu... lists the food and wines at the wedding breakfast.
Thank you cards... are sent to thank guests for their presents and for attending the day.
To read on see page 43 of the current issue. |
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To buy a copy for just £2.95 post free or to order a subscription of six issues for just £15, please visit our web site...
www.anessexwedding.co.uk or call us on 01376 514000 |
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| Take a look at our regularly updated Find a Supplier feature on our website where you find profiles, photographs and contact information from businesses in your area who will help you with your dream wedding. |
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| Find your local wedding suppliers... |
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| Picture perfect |
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Check out some beautiful venues from Maldon to Burnham-on-Crouch
Crowne Plaza Resort Colchester Five Lakes
Colchester Road,
Tolleshunt Knights,
Maldon,
Essex,
CM9 8HX
01621 868 888
www.cpcolchester.co.uk
Ceremony licence: Yes
Five Lakes offers elegant surroundings for your big day, with features such as the patio, gardens and outside terrace areas acting as ideal backdrops for your wedding snaps. Why not indulge in some pre-wedding pampering in the on-site spa while your husband-to-be enjoys a spot of golf on the 18-hole course? Catering for the entire day, the venue boasts three private rooms, all licensed for civil ceremonies, and an array of private bars, dancefloors, balconies and terraces. And with an impressive 194 bedrooms on site, your guests won't have far to go after the celebrations have drawn to a close.
For more venues in the area see page 17 of the current issue. |
| Is this the bride? |
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With Vera Wang's latest collection having a distinctly gothic palette, non-white dresses are officially en vogue. But will you still feel like a bride if you go to the dark side?
Catwalk-side trend-spotters watched bug-eyed as models paraded Vera Wang's latest collection at New York Bridal Fashion Week. The creations, as always, bore the designer's mark of excellence. They were romantic, elegant and beautifully made with the most luxurious fabrics.
They were everything a bride would expect from Wang, the wedding dress fairy godmother to thousands of contemporary Cinderellas. But this time they were black. And if Wang is stepping away from white, it is almost certain other fashion houses will follow her lead.
Indeed she is not the only designer dismantling the traditional bridal palette this season - the UK's own Vivienne Westwood has created ripples with her formidable scarlet wedding dresses.
But while colour may be the latest way to make a statement, there are many things to consider before turning your back on white.
To read on see page 85 of the current issue. |
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