PLANNING Butler Service

Amanda Hinton - Fri 09 May 2008

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Hen heaven is happening at a cinema near you. Or at least in Bristol where the Odeon Cinema is showing a private screening of the long-awaited movie, Sex and the City, with a few added extras.

In celebration of the much anticipated Sex and the City movie, the Odeon Cinema in Broadmead is the venue for the perfect girls' night out. On 3rd June, starting with a champagne reception at 7.30, you will be served drinks and nibbles by Bristol-based Butlers in the Buff. Shown to your seats by Bristol's handsome butlers, the screening starts at 8pm. After the film, head with the girls to the Rummer Hotel for a Carrie-style cocktail - Cosmopolitan of course!

Tickets for the event are £12, including screening and complimentary drinks and nibbles. Cocktails at the Rummer Hotel are a separate event. To book, call Butlers in the Buff on 0117 377 7928 - tickets are expected to sell-out quickly, so don't hang about. Or if you just want the butlers and the champagne for your own Sex and the City hen night, go to butlersinthebuff.co.uk.

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Bush wedding this weekend

WeddingMouth - Fri 09 May 2008

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This Saturday is a big day for Crawford, Texas. Jenna Bush, 26, is to marry 29-year-old Henry Hager at the Bush family ranch. Evidently the place is full with Secret Service agents, roadblocks and surveillance cameras so no one can sneak in and shout 'yes' when the minister asks if anyone knows why this couple should not marry. Actually the Secret Service is probably there to guard President Bush to make sure he doesn't choke on a pretzel.

Crawford, next door to Waco, has fallen on hard times. Americans no longer flock to visit the Texan home of their president, pretty much because everyone hates him. President Bush has the lowest approval ratings since Nixon (just before he 'resigned') so could do with cheering up a bit, and maybe the weekend nuptials will do the trick. It could be worse George - you could have Gordon Brown's approval rating (the lowest since polling started).

First lady Laura Bush proved she could be just as eloquent as her husband when she said, "We're very thrilled, and, of course, Jenna is so happy, and Henry is very happy. And that makes their mother and dad really happy." So everyone is happy. Except George and Gordon - and Gordon isn't even invited.

The wedding details are shrouded in secrecy, but here is what we do know - 200 guests, the couple will marry at twighlight in front of a limestone altar, Jenna will wear an organza dress and fourteen friends will serve in the 'house party', wearing custom gowns of cocktail length in shades of Texas wildflowers. Twiglight/limestone/organza - all sounding a little 'Rivendell' from Lord of the Rings. Wonder who gets to be Sauron?

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Cryptic quiz - Friday 9 May

Margo - Fri 09 May 2008

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It's that time again, and this week is a sure fire winner for me!

Here is how it works:

Underneath each forum posting on our main chat forums, you will see a cryptic quiz clue (see the picture above). There are 14 clues in total each week BUT (and here's why it's a team effort) each person can ONLY SEE 1 CLUE each hour. The clue you see depends upon how many posts you have made on the forum, so Mands11980, Orlita, RacheyRoo, or Bev06 (who are old hands at beating Margo in the Cryptic Quiz) will see a different clue to you - you need to tell them what clue you see!

Posted in category: Cryptic Quiz

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RECEPTION Ice Cool

Amanda Hinton - Fri 09 May 2008

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Everybody loves icecream! Perfect for a summer wedding, why not hire an icecream bar for the reception? It'll be a real talking point amongst your guests and it will keep the children well-entertained - just watch out for sticky fingers!

The Incredible Icecream Company is the travelling circus of the 'gelato' world. It takes 45 minutes to assemble the brightly coloured bar, complete with freezer department, sprinkles dispensers and sauce pumps. An attendant remains on site to assist, but guests are left to help themselves to their favourite flavour, pulling down a lever to fill a crunchy cornet. Next the sprinkles and the sauces...et voila! Your bespoke icecream cornet.

As wedding day hosts, all you need to do is make sure there is a 13amp power source. The costs? In and around the M25 you can expect to pay from £700 for the hire of the bar, inlcuding delivery and collection, and around £2 per icecream. Yum, yum!

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Posted in category: Reception

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GIFTS It's a Gift

Amanda Hinton - Fri 09 May 2008

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If you are wondering what to do about a wedding list, Shropshire gift list service, The Silver Pear, might be the one for you. While setting up your gift list, you are invited to stay over in their converted 13th century apartment in the historic centre of Ludlow.

A break away from it all is what Janet Tuffley, owner of Silver Pear, says couples sometimes need. 'Wedding lists are often fraught with complications: grooms may not want to be involved but often the bride insists! It can be difficult to choose a list for a house you don’t already live in; and nowadays, people are getting married later in life so they have already accumulated a lot of the basic household essentials. We have set up this personal service to help couples select a list that meets their needs- be it unusual feature pieces, or things they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves – all from the tranquillity of The Silver Pear flat.'

You can take your h2b, mum, best friend - or all three - and enjoy staying in Ludlow for 48 hours while Silver Pear helps you choose your gifts and set up an online list for guests who can't visit the shop. Established in Ludlow since 1999, the Silver Pear has hundreds of top brands to choose from including Alessi, Arthur Price, Denby, Guzinni, LSA, Royal Worcester and Typhoon. Just make sure you are serious though as £200 is taken as a deposit, refunded on receipt of orders to the value of £1000 on your wish list.

To find out more call Janet on 01584 879096 or have a look at some of the products at silverpear.co.uk

©Denby, Alessi, Menu

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Posted in category: Gift Lists

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WEDDING GOSSIP Reese & Jake

Amanda Hinton - Thu 08 May 2008

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CELEBRITY SNIPPETS

Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal have been keeping their romance under wraps, but it has not gone unnoticed! It seems that now their relationship is on another level, could a wedding be on the way? Read more to find out what we think and tell us your verdict.

WHO: Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal
BACKGROUND: Both actors, Jake is well known for his role in ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and Reese starring in ‘Walk The Line’. They seem to have a lot in common with their warm, bubbly personalities and reportedly fell for each other last year.
LOVE SIGNS: Reese and Jake have been seen doing cute couple things like walking arm in arm around Rome, getting breakfast together and most recently walking with Reese’s children from her previous marriage with Ryan Phillippe. Could this be the sign that things are getting serious?
OUR VERDICT:
Not very likely
Quite Likely
Probably
Very Likely

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©PR Photos

Posted in category: Wedding Gossip

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HONEYMOON A Taste Of The Tropics

Cheryl I'Anson - Thu 08 May 2008

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With its kilometre-long beach of powdery white sand, the five-star luxury Residence Mauritius is one of the most beautiful jewels of the sparkling Indian Ocean and makes the perfect honeymoon hideaway.

The elegant colonial-style resort with its subtle mix of calming dark wood décor and oriental antiques offers honeymooners a peaceful, soothing atmosphere to enjoy your first days as Mr and Mrs.

Inspired by turn-of-the-century colonial mansions and Mauritian plantation houses, The Residence recaptures the refined elegance, opulent luxury and impeccable service of a bygone era.

Check-in is held in the comfort of your suite and a personal butler is on hand to attend to your every need, including unpacking and running a deliciously scented bath. Pamper yourself in the Sanctuary Spa with the romantic Ylang Ylang massage for two or take a gentle Serenity Walk along the powder-white shore and enjoy the unspoilt beauty of Mauritius.

Spend the sultry evenings enjoying dinner at the ocean-front Plantation restaurant, where fresh seafood and Creole dishes are the order of the day, and live jazz is your honeymoon soundtrack.

Know before you go

Mauritius enjoys a tropical climate and the warmest weather is generally in February while the coolest temperatures tend to be in July. The sea temperature ranges from about 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the conditions and the season. Heavy rain is common from January through March, and tropical cyclones are a possibility from November through April.

Insider tip:

WP bride LoobyLoo2002 travelled to Mauritius for her honeymoon and has this tip for brides-to-be: “Don’t change money at home! The rate in Mauritius is much better. When you arrive at the airport in Mauritius you’ll see loads of exchange bureaus at the arrivals halls and you can change your money there.”

British Airways Holidays offers seven nights half board from £1772 including BA flights, private transfers, accommodation in an ocean view room and free UK connecting flights from most regional airports. Call 0844 4930752 for more details.

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Posted in category: Honeymoon

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VENUE To The Manor Born

Cheryl I'Anson - Thu 08 May 2008

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Set in lush Suffolk parkland, WoodHall Manor has been lovingly restored to provide couples with a magnificent wedding venue. Dating back to 1566, the Manor offers a unique setting to hold your wedding ceremony and reception all in one place.

Couples will have exclusive use of the Manor to enjoy a thoroughly luxurious wedding weekend. For a stunning backdrop for your photos, exchange your vows in either the beautiful Dovecote, Walled Garden, Grand Dining room or in a marquee in the immaculate grounds.

The banqueting suite seats 120 and can be transformed from wedding breakfast to evening meal for a formal sit-down dinner or relaxed buffet. The adjoining Long bar even has its own DJ area, stage and lit disco dance floor ready for you and your guests to dance the night away.

You or your fiancé can stay at the Manor the night before the wedding to soak up the sumptuous surroundings. With 12 rooms furnished to the highest standards, the Manor oozes romance with roll-top and Jacuzzi baths, spectacular views and plasma screen TVs.

On the big day, WoodHall Manor will accommodate your every whim, from celebrity chefs, butlers and maids to fireworks and entertainment – their team of wedding concierges will help create your dream day.

To book a private tour of the house, grounds, spa and function rooms, call 01394 411288 or email info@WoodHallmanor.co.uk.

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Posted in category: Venues

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WEDDING GOSSIP Part 10 Girl In A White Dress

Cheryl I'Anson - Wed 07 May 2008

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Footie-mad fiancé?

Our resident bride-to-be, Cheryl, shares the highs and lows of wedding planning in the run-up to her big day. This week she discovers how to avoid getting a red card from your fiancé while ensuring full attendance on your match-day wedding day...

OMG I’m getting married in 45 days. Count them, people – 45!

I have to keep repeating it because there’s a very small part of me that is quite sure someone’s switched the dates on my calendar and actually it’s only 2007. It’s not that I’m not prepared (the 24 billion wedding spreadsheets I have accumulated will testify to that), it’s just that I can’t believe it’s all going to be over in less than two months.

If you’re getting married this year, you might be feeling the same way. And I’m almost positive there’s not a bride on the planet who can’t tell you how many days it is to her wedding day without stopping for breath.

But how do you go about making sure your wedding doesn’t clash with anything – such as the football season (which seems to go on forever as far as I can tell)? I know a couple who were married on FA Cup Final day and I remember seeing grumpy-looking men huddling shiftily in corners listening to tinny commentaries on little radios while all the women tutted loudly and gave them pointed glares. If you’re getting married on FA Cup Final day this year (17 May in case you didn’t know), how are you planning to keep the men in line?

Luckily once the football season’s over, this summer is free of England games as I’ve been assured that Becks and his team (is it even his team? I was under the impression he and the Beckham brood were now living stateside?) won’t be making an appearance on a giant plasma TV screen near you during this year’s Euro 2008, so unless your hubby-to-be is football crazy and insists on watching the entire tournament from start to finish, most days this summer are safe.

However, if you do find yourself competing with those 11 men in shorts when trying to pick a wedding date during football season, I have spotted a clever way to keep him happy while getting the date you want.

WeddingsFC.com is a brilliant website set up for couples who want to tie the knot in their favourite football ground. As well as contact information for each football club from Aston Villa to Tottenham Hotspur, they have rounded up details of all the suppliers in the local area to help you arrange you big day with a difference – so the beautiful game won’t interfere with your beautiful wedding.

Photos ©Steve Woods / Teun van Thiel / Michal Zacharzewski

With thanks to Arsenal FC

Next week: Cheryl negotiates the aisles to fill up her gift list... 

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Posted in category: Wedding Gossip

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Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds engaged

WeddingMouth - Wed 07 May 2008

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Scarlett Johansson, 23, and her actor boyfriend Ryan Reynolds, 31, are offically engaged according to Johansson's publicist. The couple have been dating since February 2007, just after Reynolds broke off his (4 year) engagement to singer Alanis Morissette. The couple met when Reynolds had a mutual friend arrange a dinner party so he could meet Johansson and are hinting that they will marry soon.

So a quick recap...

Reynolds dropped Morissette and got together with Johansson who just split with Hartnett (Josh). The couple (that's Reynolds and Johansson, not Morissette and Hartnett - who aren't a couple as far as we know) will possibly marry at some point in the future and may or may not sell pictures of their wedding to a magazine for a gazillion dollars. A gazillion dollars at the current exchange rate is worth £54 which oddly enough is the combined ages of Johansson and Reynolds. All clear?

Posted in category: Wedding Snippets

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