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| OUT NOW |
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Fit and fabulous
Get in tip-top shape for your big day with help from our experts
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Future forecasts
The County Wedding Magazines team predicts the must-have trends for 2012
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Marriage Ref
We tackle your pre- and post- wedding dilemmas
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The ultimate etiquette survival guide
What to do, and when to do it
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Back to black
Formal attire for fashionable grooms
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Real weddings
Be inspired by other brides and grooms
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Make a statement
Show-stopping hair accessories for the big day
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Band of love
Beautiful ring designs and tips from the region's jewellers
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Intimate and romantic
Venues to make your dreams come true
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Wedding of the year
Find out who won the last round and meet this issue's contenders
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| Plus... |
| Regular features, news, events, Q&A special - and much more |
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| Next Issue Out |
| 20th January 2012 |
| An intimate affair |
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| Image provided by The Bridal Photographer |
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Anna-Marie and Andrew combined humour with elegance when they celebrated their nuptials with close family and friends
Early days
Anna-Marie and Andrew met at work in 2005 but it wasn't until a few years later they got better acquainted. "Andrew started chatting to me about the TV series Friends, and it was at this point we quickly realised we had so many things in common," says Anna-Marie. "I suppose our first date was when he asked me to accompany him shopping in Milton Keynes to help choose a new shirt to wear to a mutual friend's birthday party. We ended up spending the whole day together."
The proposal
Andrew planned the proposal around Anna-Marie's birthday in January, 2010, when he took her to see a stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany's. "After the matinee performance we checked in at the hotel, although I wasn't expecting Andrew to book a luxurious suite overlooking Hyde Park," says Anna-Marie. "I had an inkling he might be planning something special, although I didn't let on to him I had my suspicions." The moment of truth came when Anna-Marie entered their suite. "There were balloons, a bunch of flowers, chocolates and champagne! Before I had the chance to get my coat off, Andrew got down on one knee and popped the question."
Hen and stag
Anna-Marie and 10 hens enjoyed a tea party at her home followed by a private evening meal in a local hotel. "My best friend and bridesmaid arranged a few surprises for the evening, including a 'Mr and Mrs' quiz, balloons, favours, a sash and crown to wear, as well as a box of presents from everyone. We all had a fantastic time."
Meanwhile, Andrew and six friends spent a weekend in Brighton. "We set out quite early on the Friday, so Saturday was spent watching the FA Cup Final while we recovered from the previous night," says Andrew. "On Saturday evening we all dressed up as film characters - I was Woody from Toy Story, my brother was Buzz Lightyear, and my friends were dressed as Robin, Bananaman, Tigger, Captain Jack Sparrow and Maverick from Top Gun. We had a great night and were stopped for photos all evening."
To read on see page 28 of the current issue. |
| Hot topic: Flowers |
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Decor on a budget
Q - I love everything vintage and would like to surround our big day with touches of vintage flora. Can you suggest ways we could achieve this on a limited budget?
A - Joanna says: The vintage look is best done with really informal and eclectic bunches of flowers in jam jars, old teapots or galvanised steel pots on the tables. I would recommend picking a range of six to seven different types of blooms in your colour palette and then arrange them randomly, making sure each table has a slightly different mix of flowers.
Use blooms that might be found in a meadow or English country garden, such as antique style roses like amnesia, sweet avalanche, talea, old Dutch or dark hypnose, as well as stocks, antirrhinum, ammi majus, astrantia, scabious, sweet peas, trachelium, hydrangea and veronica. These flowers are all perfect for bridal bouquets as well. The key is to pick soft or slightly faded colours and a nice mix of textures and shapes. |
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| Festive fun |
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As a recent newlywed, I love reminiscing about the wonderful celebration my new husband and I enjoyed and for you lucky brides-to-be that have it all to come, we have an issue full of hints and tips on how to make your day one to remember. On page 71 we look at how to look and feel your best on the big day with our feature on getting in shape, and on page 37 we showcase inspiring wedding ring designs from the region's jewellery designers.
As ever we love to hear from newly engaged couples, and with this time of year being a hot bed for guys popping the question, we expect to get inundated with romantic proposal stories. If you're just about to embark on the planning process, you're in luck, our Future Forecasts feature on page 45 looks at the hot trends for 2012, spanning all areas of weddings, from fashion to cakes and entertainment to grooms - we've got it covered!
Happy planning!
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| Louise Prance, Editor |
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| Make sure you email editor@yourberksbuckswedding.co.uk to keep us up to date with all your news |
| Win a weight management package worth £650 |
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Winter is the perfect excuse to indulge in delicious, heart-warming food, puddings, creamy hot chocolate and good wine. But when the season's celebrations are done and New Year dawns, many brides-to-be will embark on a diet and exercise regime to shed those extra pounds.
Fitting into that gorgeous gown is the perfect motivation, but it's also important to be aware of the health risks involved in going on a crash diet. Knowing what types of food will improve your metabolism and burn calories is vital, and with help from nutrition experts such as Weight Medics, you could be well on your way to achieving your desired weight, not just for the big day, but hopefully for a lifetime.
Reading-based Weight Medics specialises in weight loss and management. The company was established in 1988 and works under the ethos of providing the highest standard of care and service to its clients. In December 2004 it became one of the first clinics in the country to achieve registration under the Government's new Care Quality Commission.
"There is no `one size fits all' solution to managing weight," says CEO Daphne Rowan. "It depends on a range of factors, including a person's age, gender, build, lifestyle and medical history. We do not use starvation diets and all our eating plans involve real food, not shakes or powders."
The company's weight loss programmes take place under the supervision of a qualified doctor and involve healthy, nutritionally-balanced meals with controlled portion sizes. Meal plans and informative handouts are designed to educate clients and get them to incorporate healthy eating habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Weight Medics offers three levels of programmes, all supervised by a GMC (General Medical Council) registered doctor. The entry level membership is called the Gold programme and provides an expert doctor to manage your programme, a range of eating plans developed by nutritionists, and safe medication to reduce hunger.
A step up is the Gold Plus membership, which includes all the benefits of the Gold programme, plus:
- A monthly full body composition analysis to determine your basal metabolic rate, or how many calories your body burns each day to determine what your daily calorie intake should be to enable steady weight loss.
- The doctor will advise on changes to make in your eating plan to achieve the right daily food intake.
- You'll also learn your body fat percentage, your fat free mass (amount of visceral fat you have), and your metabolic age, i.e., whether you have the metabolism of a younger or older person than your current age.
- Access to The Vault, a password-controlled archive of videos and articles about weight loss and nutrition.
We've teamed up with Weight Medics to give one winner and a friend a three-month Gold Plus membership. |
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| Enter here |
| High tea |
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Add a touch of nostalgia to your big day celebrations by providing an afternoon tea party for your guests. To make organising the party easy and stress-free, Belle Vintage China Hire will provide a beautiful collection of authentic vintage crockery, each piece handpicked by owner Belinda Harding-Perry for its fine quality and design - choose from a variety of patterns and styles depicting different eras.
To carry the vintage theme throughout the day, the company can also supply a range of decorative accessories such as sweet stalls, Royal Mail lockable post boxes, deck chairs and a vintage-inspired video diary booth.
To find out more, call 07990 584 304 or visit www.bellevintagechinahire.co.uk |
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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.yourberksbuckswedding.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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| Fit and fabulous |
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Get in shape and tip-top health with the right balance of diet and exercise
Tips for healthy eating from nutritional therapist and yoga instructor Manjula Cote:
- Don't skip breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. This ensures your blood sugar levels are kept stable. This is crucial for general wellbeing and is also key to weight loss.
- Include a little protein during every meal and snack. This includes chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, pulses and tofu. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables packed with antioxidants, and introduce juicing (cucumber, celery, spinach, apple, carrots and ginger) into your daily diet.
- Avoid caffeine, sugar and too much salt. Cut out biscuits, crisps, cakes, sweets and pastries and substitute starchy foods with wholegrain such as brown rice and wholemeal pasta.
- Introduce beneficial oils into your diet. Flax, olive and hemp oil are good choices, but never heat any of these oils, as high temperatures destroy the nutrients. Take a daily fish oil supplement, which is an excellent source of Omega3.
To read on see page 71 of the current issue. |
| Intimate and romantic |
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Harte & Garter Hotel & Spa
High Street, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1PH
01753 863 426
www.harteandgarter.com
Small but perfectly formed, the Harte & Garter Hotel & Spa would suit couples who wish to tie the knot in an intimate setting with a fairytale backdrop. Situated opposite Windsor Castle, the range of cosy rooms with views of sprawling grounds are what set this venue apart from the rest.
The hotel is licensed for civil ceremonies and partnerships in the Lancaster Suite, where up to 70 guests can be seated.This elegant room benefits from plenty of natural light and has a majestic balcony where family and friends can appreciate the castle and its grounds.
Alternatively, the ballroom can be used for ceremonies of up to 200 people. This elegant setting features a sweeping oak staircase, ornate ceilings and stained glass windows, and is also ideal for wedding breakfasts for up to 150 people. More intimate parties of up to 50 guests are held in the Lancaster Suite.
The ballroom makes a perfect space for evening celebrations - it has a dancefloor and stylish Garter Bar which is available for exclusive use. And after the day's excitement, what could be better than unwinding in the hotel's Stables Spa?
For more of the region's charming venues see page 17 of the current issue. |
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