Your North West Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa is a 17th-century venue situated near Keswick

Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa is a 17th-century property situated near Keswick on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. This four-star former stately home is set in the secluded splendour of 400 acres of deer park and woodland and is framed by the dramatic Skiddaw Mountain and Lake District Fells. As you arrive at this privately owned hotel, you will receive a warm welcome within the grand surroundings. Explorers will find luxurious wood-panelled lounges complete with roaring fires, elaborately framed paintings, luxurious bedrooms, and an award-winning spa.

Inside the UK’s most ‘Traitorous’ castle

The Traitors is Britain's hottest new reality competition, where a group of twenty strangers come together for the investigation of their life: to find and stop the Traitors from stealing the ultimate prize pot! It's a show full of mind-games, backstabbing and trust, and its second series proves to be gripping the nation once again. And the setting of this treacherous game makes it all the more entertaining: a beautiful castle in the Scottish highlands. In fact, enquiries about this castle have shot up since the show first aired in 2022.

Wedding floral trends for 2024

Bloom & Wild florist, Emma Forsey, presents a vision of floral enchantment that goes beyond the ordinary. From local blooms and wild meadows to bold colour clashes and the evolution of AI, here's what to come in 2024 for wedding blooms. Local flowers have been getting the love they deserve in the wedding scene, and it looks like they're going to be the go-to choice for UK weddings in 2024. More and more couples are valuing the eco-friendly element of homegrown blooms, appreciating the chance to support local flower growers. British flowers aren't just a trendy word anymore; they're becoming a significant and lasting part of the wedding flower industry.

That's so Fetch: 10 Ideas for the ultimate Mean Girls-themed hen party

It's time to channel your inner Regina George and party like it's October 3rd! To celebrate the release of the new Mean Girls movie on 19th January 2024, Fizzbox has the rundown on Mean Girls themed hen party ideas that are so fetch! In a world where wearing pink on Wednesdays isn't just a choice but a lifestyle, this is the ultimate way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials in style, whether you're an aspiring Spring Fling Queen or a Mathlete. So break out the Burn Book and dust off your Plastics-approved heels. Get in loser, we're going on a hen do!

From casual to formal, here’s how to plan your picture-perfect engagement party

Firsty, congratulations! You're getting married! After a proposal, there are so many things to think about, but before preparing for the big day itself, an engagement party is a great way to share your exciting news and get your nearest and dearest together to celebrate. Pinterest trends1 revealed the largest peak in searches for 'engagement party ideas' were in January last year, now is the time to get the ball rolling and start planning for the prelude of the main event. Whether you're planning an intimate gathering or a lavish affair, party planning expert at Ginger Ray, Jess Martin, shares 10 tips for your celebration, no matter how big or small:

Afflecks will start hosting wedding ceremonies in the summer of 2024

Afflecks, a shopping emporium in Manchester, has announced that it will start hosting wedding ceremonies in the summer of 2024. Say 'I do' amongst your favourite vinyl and vintage finds or in front of some of the emporium's iconic spots. The wedding licence will allow Afflecks to perform small, intimate, and inclusive ceremonies for any couple who wants to have a wedding in the heart of one of the city's cultural institutions.

Small ceremonies with up to 30 guests will be the order of the day, and all the spaces can be dressed and adapted. Whether you're a Japanese culture fan set on getting hitched in the Animaid Cafe, music lovers who want to say 'I do' in front of the iconic poster wall, or a long-term couple with special memories of hanging in the Afflecks cafe, there's something to suit everyone.

The wedding gifts couples in 2024 really want...

When it comes to wedding planning, there is so much to think about, the same goes for wedding gift lists & etiquette. Gifting Guru at The Wedding Shop, Liza Baucher, answers you everything you need to know about wedding registries... In short, we advise adding 2-3 gifts per wedding guest invited. Adding a variety of gifts to your wedding list caters to the differing budgets and preferences of your guests. It's a thoughtful approach to include a wide range of items, from smaller, more affordable pieces to a few higher-end gifts. The key is balance and variety. Typically, having slightly more gifts than the number of guests or households invited allows for enough choice without overwhelming your guests.

Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols announced as beauty partners for The Liverpool Wedding Show

Liverpool's favourite beauty hot-spot, Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols, has been announced as the headline beauty partner for the upcoming Liverpool Wedding Show. The highly anticipated event, which takes place at the Exhibition Centre on Kings Dock on 10th -11th February, will be showcasing over 70 leading suppliers, venues, and experts from across the North West wedding world. With live catwalk shows, a luxury VIP Club, festival style Tipi Village and oodles of on-trend ideas, the team are expecting strong footfall from couples who are embarking on their wedding planning journey or looking for last minute ideas to give their big-day some extra wow factor.

Eaves Hall is an exclusive-use wedding venue in the heart of the Ribble Valley

Eaves Hall is a breathtaking, exclusive-use wedding venue located in the heart of the Ribble Valley. Standing amid 13 acres of award-winning gardens, this magnificent Georgian mansion has been refurbished and redecorated to create a contemporary country house ambience. The building, with its stunning pavilion and lavish gardens, makes Eaves Hall a picture-perfect backdrop for your big day.

Fully licensed for civil ceremonies both inside and outside, Eaves Hall has two suites available indoors: The Ballroom, which can hold 60 guests, and the Dining Room which can accommodate 120 people.

Wedding ring trends 2024 according to Queensmith

Symbolising unconditional love, devotion and commitment, wedding rings represent the union of marriage between two people and unlike engagement rings, they are worn by both. Often, wedding rings tend to be more simple and minimalist, but there are still so many different choices you can make from the metal colour, style and bandwidth. As such, experts at engagement and wedding ring jeweller, Queensmith, have released exclusive internal data to help guide couples on what wedding rings will be popular in 2024.

2024 wedding trend: cocktails to serve at 70s-inspired weddings!

Pinterest has launched its Pinterest Predicts report and '70s-inspired weddings are set to be huge in 2024, with searches for 'groovy wedding' increasing 170% and 'retro wedding theme' spiking 80%. Experts at NIO Cocktails have shared popular cocktails from the 1970s that you should serve at your retro wedding: "The era that brought us the rise of disco music, retro prints and bell bottom trousers also brought us a resurgence in classic cocktails and new ones, too! There were many cocktails that were popular in the 1970s and if you're wanting to throw the perfect '70s-inspired wedding, we'd definitely advise including our top three '70s cocktail picks in your wedding."

Macdonald Leeming House will be exhibiting at Cumbria’s Premier Wedding Show

Cumbria's Premier Wedding Show is taking place on Sunday 18th February 2024 at Carlisle Lake District Airport. There will be a host of local suppliers to chat with about all things wedding and catwalk shows showcasing the latest wedding dress trends.

Macdonald Leeming House will be exhibiting at the show, which is the perfect opportunity to meet the team and find out more about this Lake District venue. The grand Georgian property has 22 acres of mature and tended gardens, impressive views of the surrounding lakes and fells, and space for two to 82 guests.

2024 food and drink trends predicted by the experts

From flexitarianism and the rise of sharing plates, to higher demand for whiskies and the rise in under-loved species of fish; here, renowned chefs and drink experts predict what will be the food and drink trends to take 2024 by storm - inspiration for your big-day catering too, with so much choice it will be hard to pick your favourite trend!

The Dunes Hotel is a family-run property in the South Lakes

The Dunes Hotel is situated in the South Lakes, close to Barrow, Ulverston, and Dalton. The family-run property has 45 bedrooms, which include en-suite bathrooms, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. The on-site restaurant, The Coast, offers a welcoming and relaxed dining experience with food made using locally sourced products, perfect for families, couples, and groups. Private dining is also available for special occasions.

The ceremony room was custom-built and carefully designed to be flexible to match any theme or colour scheme. This space can hold 100 sit-down guests and more than 150 for the evening reception.

Celebrate your wedding day with Niche Cocktails

If you want to serve amazing cocktails on the big day, then Niche Cocktails has you covered with its premium ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Perfect for kick-starting the celebrations, Niche Cocktails' range of all-natural cocktails taste just as good (if not better) than the ones you'd make from scratch, meaning that cocktail-loving couples can serve their favourite combos on their wedding day - why not enjoy your favourite tipples on your hen/stag or sten do too! Pre-mixed to ensure there's one less thing to worry about, you and your guests can enjoy a tasty tipple with Niche's delicious range that is so simple to serve. Each can can be poured straight into a glass or into a shaker with ice, allowing your guests more time for mingling.

Should I get a prenup ahead of my wedding?

Should I get a prenup ahead of my wedding? If you're planning your wedding, it's likely you're experiencing a whole mix of emotions! On the one hand, you'll be on cloud nine and feeling so excited. On the other, the stress can often get the better of you, no matter how in love you are. The planning, the preparation and the pressure can be overwhelming at times. In amongst all of this, you may not be thinking about putting measures in place to protect yourself in the event of the relationship one day breaking down. Whilst not the most romantic of things to be thinking about, an ever-growing number of couples are turning to prenuptial agreements ('prenups') to safeguard their money and assets before they begin their marriage and post nuptial agreements thereafter. At Stowe Family Law, we have seen enquiries for prenups increase by a quarter in the last year.

Paper Swan is offering our readers a discount on its stationery packages

Paper Swan is a bespoke wedding studio offering luxury stationery in Manchester, Cheshire, and across the UK. Owner Lucy Williams tells us: "After leaving school, I decided to follow my heart and enrol in a graphic design course. I graduated and have spent more than 15 years bringing creative ideas to life. My experiences working across different mediums have led me to become obsessed with beautiful textured papers, creative design, and wedding stationery. It made sense to combine my passions, and so Paper Swan was born.

Most popular day for marriage proposals revealed

New research has revealed the most common dates for marriage proposals in the UK, with Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day taking the top three spots. In order to delve into engagement trends, a UK wedding venue has conducted a survey of married, engaged and single people... More than 2,700 people aged 18 and over took part in the research, 76% of whom were married or engaged and 24% of whom had not been engaged yet. Respondents answered questions about their past proposals, or what they would want from a proposal in future. Wedding venue Hensol Castle first of all asked what date of the year anyone who was or had been engaged was asked for their hand in marriage (or did the asking), which revealed the following top five dates to be the most popular of the year:

Mitton Hall has been restored and re-created as a dreamy wedding venue

Situated on the banks of the River Ribble, the magnificent Mitton Hall has been restored and re-created as a dreamy wedding venue. The ancient architectural features of this 15th-century manor house are complemented by the contemporary interior design. Step onto the riverside terrace and explore the gardens with stunning views of the Ribble Valley, perfect for taking those all-important photographs.

ully licensed for civil ceremonies, The Party Room, capable of holding 165 seated guests for your ceremony, is bathed in natural light and boasts spectacular riverside views before transforming into the perfect party space for your evening guests.

20 things to get us through January according to Brits

With Christmas over, and the most depressing month of the year in full swing researchers asked Brits to vote for the things which we love about the colder months, with snuggling up with a blanket the top choice! The research, conducted by luxury ski resorts Club Med, also revealed a Sunday roast helps us get through the chilliest days, as over a quarter (27 per cent) love the smell of a roast dinner wafting through the house.