Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding news and ideas from around the county

Brits feel judged on wedding gifts

Almost one in five (20%) Brits feel judged by friends and family when they cannot afford wedding gifts and 14% say they feel judged when they can't afford to attend a wedding, stag or hen party. 81% are depending on a form of finance other than their main income to provide for their family New research has revealed that almost one in five Brits (20%) feel judged by friends and family when they cannot afford wedding gifts. A further 14% say they feel judged when they can't afford to attend a wedding, stag or hen party.

Sara Davies, Fred Sirieix and Raj Somaiya revealed as BBC judges

Launching in August, BBC Two's Ultimate Wedding Planner will see eight wedding planners battle it out to prove they are Britain's next best wedding expert as they design spectacular ceremonies for six couples. Dragons' Den star Sara Davies, First Dates favourite Fred Sirieix and wedding industry expert Raj Somaiya will be the judges and mentors - overseeing the planners as they create dream weddings for our couples. Throughout the competition they will send home the weakest planner until just two remain in the final where the planners will face one final challenge to decide who will be crowned the winner.

Vanbrugh House Hotel in Oxford launches bespoke party package

Calling all party animals! Vanbrugh House Hotel in Oxford has launched a bespoke party package to save guests the fuss of working out where to go and where to stay when in this iconic city. The Suite Celebration Package is the essential pre-party package, perfect for friends and families looking for a stylish space to get ready in. Parties can stay the night in lavish surroundings, before waking up to a champagne breakfast hamper in the room.

The 'anti-wedding' wedding trends making their mark in 2023

'Anti-wedding' is the hottest new wedding trend this summer, from ditching tradition with bridal pant suits, short wedding dresses and mismatched bridesmaid dresses - get ready to see these trends everywhere this wedding season. Wedding supply experts at Aura Print have scoped out TikTok to serve up the top 10 anti-wedding wedding trends to look out for this summer. More people are ditching traditional for unconventional, allowing for their special day to be even more unique to the couple.

Celebrate National Tequila Day on 24th July with The Cocktail Society

Celebrate National Tequila Day on 24th July with The Cocktail Society. The Oxfordshire-based brand has recently launched Spiced Tommy's Margarita, the newest bottled cocktail in the collection which is also available in a one-litre pouch, perfect for weddings. This balanced blend of tequila and chilli is best enjoyed poured over ice or stirred in a tumbler until chilled - bar quality cocktails at home have never been easier.

How to throw a Barbie-themed hen party this summer

With the launch of the new Barbie movie, searches for "barbie party" on Pinterest have seen a 121% increase in the last six months as people look for inspiration on how to throw their own, pink-themed parties. As the wedding season is in full swing, thortful.com has teamed up with Pippa Masson, party planning expert at Hen Party Company Fizzbox, to compile top tips on how to throw a Barbie-themed hen party this summer. From Barbie themed cocktails to choosing the perfect venue, this is how to have the ultimate bachelorette Barbie herself would even love.

Fun and luxe wedding gifts

Attending a wedding this summer? Looking for the ultimate addition to your wedding day gift list? Look no further, Who Icons, seamlessly combines refined luxury with a touch of casual elegance, creating the ultimate personalised wedding gift. Who Icons understands that love stories are unique, and so should be the gifts that commemorate them. Its exquisite collection of handcrafted treasures is meticulously designed to captivate the hearts of discerning couples. From The Royals to the Beckhams, Anna Wintour to Karl Largerfield, the debut collection featuring the world's most influential fashion icons - and here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we're finding it hard to pick our favourite, we'll just have to collect them all.

Take a break from the wed-min - 30 things which bring happiness

Although joyous occasions, planning a wedding can be stressful with money worries and family politics all thrown into the mix. If you feel like this is your situation right now, grab yourself a brew and a biscuit and read this heartfelt study by Samsung: a definitive list of 30 things which bring us pure moments of happiness! An optimistic 94 percent of those surveyed, agree that joy is all around us, we just have to choose to see it.

The Botanist launches summer menu packed with vegan options

Award-winning bar and restaurant The Botanist with branches in Exeter, Reading and Gloucestershire has announced its offering for the summer season with a brand-new food and drink menu. Customers can enjoy fresh seasonal flavours, lighter and brighter dishes, reviving botany-inspired cocktails as well as updates to its signature hanging kebabs. What's more, vegetarian and vegan diners can choose from a growing menu of options, with almost half (46%) of dishes being vegetarian and a third (30%) now suitable for vegans. Options include the vegan meatball kebab roasted with marinara sauce, katsu curry with coconut rice and pickled ginger, and the roast cauliflower and onion bhaji burger, complete with mango sauce and mint raita.

How to choose the perfect wedding ring

Often overlooked, there's a big difference between platinum, gold and white gold rings, even though they look very similar. Despite gold rings being the traditional choice platinum wedding bands have over 6.1k searches and platinum wedding rings 3.3k in the UK each month. Whilst gold wedding bands have only 1k searches and gold wedding rings 5.4k, this suggests that in 2023 the most popular choice may be a platinum band. But with more 15k searches for 'Wedding Bands' in the UK every month - the decision may not be as simple as what's on trend. Here, jewellery expert Sach Kukadia at 7879 recommends how to choose the perfect wedding ring a purchase far more more important than your regular jewellery! Find out the difference between platinum vs golds, delving into everything, including their pros and cons, through to how well they'll fare in the long run...

Get together for a Great British Garden Party this summer

Dame Mary Berry, President of the National Garden Scheme and the Nation's undisputed Queen of Cakes, is championing the Great British Garden Party as it enters its fourth, delicious year in 2023 and its official event week from the 15th until the 23rd of July. This fundraising event has been designed by the National Garden Scheme to share the Nation's love of gardens and get-togethers to help raise vital funds for their beneficiaries, some of the UK's best-loved nursing and health charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, The Queen's Nursing Institute and Parkinson's UK. Speaking about the initiative Dame Mary Berry said: "As President of the wonderful National Garden Scheme, I am delighted to invite you to join me in gathering friends, family and colleagues for a Great British Garden Party this year.

How to nail your bridesmaid gifts

Finding that perfect thank you gift for your bridesmaids can be a mind boggling task. How can you truly thank them for supporting you on your big day? New research* from gifting experts at Getting Personal shows that apart from our parents, friends are the hardest people to shop for with one in seven (15%) admitting they struggle. To help brides give envy-inducing thank you gifts gifting expert at Getting Personal, Tara Butler, shares eight tips for figuring out what they really want... without having to ask.

The perfect wedding gift that couples will love

Wedding season is upon us and picking out the perfect wedding gift that is personal, but also has character and a luxe feel to celebrate the couple's big day can be a daunting task. However look no further, whether it's to say thanks to your bridesmaids, or to celebrate the happy couple, Yvonne Ellen, a home and interiors designer who specialises in hand-painted home gifts, has picked out some of her top gift ideas to suit all types of couples including gifts for loved ones and the bridal party.

10 things wedding guests really care

Whether it's an open bar, live band or fireworks, choosing the best elements to add to your wedding day could really make or break your big day, new research reveals. Wedding experts Queensmith analysed thousands of comments from Reddit to reveal the things that really matter to guests when attending a wedding. Unsurprisingly, an open bar is a consistent success with guests at a wedding, however, it seems seating charts and a late-night snack are just as important.

Your wedding playlist, according to DJ experts

Now that we have entered peak wedding season, (May-October), DJing experts from CD Pool have provided the ultimate wedding playlists for your reception that is guaranteed to keep the dance floor hopping with happy guests. CD Pool analysed Spotify API data, exploring 2117 playlists with the keyword "wedding" to compile four playlists that reflect the atmosphere at different stages of the wedding reception. The suggested No. 1 song to include in your wedding playlist is I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, a guaranteed floorfiller that appeared in over 320 playlists on Spotify, making it the most popular wedding-related track.

Top wedding travel tips for big-day guests

Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk provides her top tips on how to manage journey costs, when travelling to attend a wedding. "Wedding ceremonies are well known for placing financial strain upon guests, ranging from the cost associated with your gift, to a new outfit, and even – your transport. Whether the ceremony is being held in the UK, or further afield, consumers will likely have to travel to attend a loved one's big day. I've pulled together my top tips to help you cut costs and ensure you can enjoy your family and friend's nuptials without worrying about your finances.

UK road trips offer rental homes with a supercar in the Cotswolds

Take a road trip to remember in a Ferrari F8 Spider or Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante on one of the UK's stunning driving routes – from the quintessential Cotswolds to coastal routes through Dorset and Devon. StayOne - the community of like-minded owners and guests of the top percentage of the world's finest properties - has partnered with private members' supercar club, Auto Vivendi, with supercars delivered to, or collected from any StayOne home in the UK or Auto Vivendi Club Hub.

Save Your Spending as a Wedding Guest!

Weddings are one of the most joyous occasions to attend, however the cost of simply being a guest can add up quickly. Here are NetVoucherCodes' top tips to save money when attending a wedding.

Pinterest’s wedding trends we love this summer

Wedding supply experts at Aura Print have served up the top 10 summer wedding trends we need to know about, as loved by Pinterest. From disco balls, to Barbie-core, upcycling to anti-bridal - get ready to see these wedding trends everywhere! You can never have too much sparkle at your wedding, and we love the playful, retro feel to it. The trend started to pick up steam in 2020, when glitter balls and 80s playlists became a great DIY option to add some retro-meets-modern fabulousness to the big day. The trend is going nowhere this summer, with over 32k Pinterest pins and a 7400% global increase in searches since January. So get your groove on and be ready to dance the night away!

Henley Festival to champion next generation of artists with exclusive Audi x RISE Silent Auction

Henley Festival Presented by Westcoast – the UK's only boutique black-tie festival – is delighted to announce the launch of the Audi X RISE Silent Auction, in support of the Festival's charitable programme nurturing the next generation of talent: RISE. The RISE visual artists exhibiting their work in the Audi High RISE Gallery at this year's Henley Festival – Keren Golea, Sara Hoque and Sam Smyth – have each created beautiful, exclusive artworks for the Audi X RISE Silent Auction, with the proceeds of the Auction given to these artists. The Audi X RISE Silent Auction is running until Monday 10 July (1700hrs BST) and bids can be submitted by email (including full name, mobile number, the bid amount and applicable lot number to office@AudiUKVIP.co.uk with "Audi X RISE Artists Auction Bid" in the subject) or at Henley Festival 2023, which returns to the stunning riverside in Henley-on-Thames from Wednesday 5 July – Sunday 9 July with an unforgettable celebration of international music and arts.