Your Sussex Wedding news and ideas from around the area

The Old Ship Hotel comfortably combines traditional heritage with the expectations of the modern world

With 154 well-appointed bedrooms, this four-star hotel comfortably combines its traditional heritage with the expectations of the modern world. One of the oldest hotels in the vibrant city of Brighton with Grade II listed function rooms, parts of the building date back to 1559. Standing proudly on the seafront of this historical city, with panoramic views from many bedrooms, the Hotel is perfectly placed to put its guests at the heart of the action. The Hotel sits a mere five-minute walk from the Brighton Palace Pier, historical Lanes shopping district, Sealife Centre and 10 minutes from the Brighton i360 viewing tower. It's also just a covenient two-minute walk from the Brighton Town Hall and registry office.

How to plan a wedding speech

Matthew Shaw, a leading wedding and events planner and founder of sauveur. - a superb events and creative studio - reveals his top tips to help you plan your big-day speech. Speeches can sprawl quite easily when you're trying to cover so much and this makes them difficult to follow. When you first start planning your speech it's definitely helpful to throw lots of ideas around but then try to focus on an overall theme or approach. This could be a personality trait, great jokes, or a more heartfelt approach, but it will help you, and the guests, if there is a clear angle to follow. In turn, this will help your guests follow along and you will be gifted with a better response from the room.

Fever-Tree's new cocktail mixers: the ultimate hosting hack

With Christmas and New Year being the key season for popping the question, there's double the amount of celebrations at this time of year! Get ready to elevate your festive hosting with Fever-Tree's innovative cocktail mixers, new for winter 2023. In a year where approximately 100,000 proposals will happen from Christmas to New Year, and 64% of consumers enjoy cocktails at home, busy hosts can now have it all serving Mojitos, Margaritas, and Espresso Martinis. The line-up: Fever-Tree Classic Mojito Mixer: Fresh Mexican Limes meet Moroccan Mint for a zesty, refreshing twist. Just add rum and ice, stir, and craft a Mojito masterpiece.

The iconic red-brick facade of Doubltree by Hilton Brighton Metropole is a staple of the Brighton seafront

Recently refurbished, the hotel brings a modern and contemporary vibe while still holding on to its original Victorian charm. This iconic red-brick building is a staple of the Brighton seafront, taking its place proudly in the skyline of the city. Built in 1890, it stands out among the more modern aspects of the city helping to make Brighton what it is today. With sea facing balconies, it's perfect for those all-important photos of your special day. The grand staircase too is a popular spot for couple shots. The Ambassador Suite is located just off the hotel's main foyer, its arched ceiling incorporates a central dome feature.

Feeling peachy with Pantone's Colour of the Year 2024 announcement

It's here, Pantone's Colour of the Year announcement for 2024 is... Peach Fuzz! We take a look at what this means for weddings! "A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm, offering us a space to be, feel, and heal and to flourish from whether spending time with others or taking the time me to enjoy a moment by ourselves," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. "Drawing comfort from PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing. An idea as much as a feeling, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz awakens our senses to the comforting presence of tactility and cocooned warmth."

Why are prenups no longer the reserve of the wealthy?

Wenup, a collaborative online provider of relationship agreements, conducted a comprehensive analysis of its first 120 customers. This data offers valuable insights into the changing landscape of prenuptial agreements, capturing shifting trends among couples from diverse backgrounds and providing a glimpse into the evolving dynamics of modern relationships. Recent celebrity divorces, involving well-known personalities such as Britney Spears, Sophie Turner, and Joe Jonas have cast a spotlight on prenuptial agreements. Despite their often sensationalised portrayal in the media, prenups are no longer the exclusive domain of the rich and famous.

The Brighton i360 Viewing Tower offers a wonderful backdrop for your vows and photographs

The Brighton i360 Viewing Tower, along with its spacious beach-side event rooms, offers a wonderful backdrop for your vows and photographs. The glass viewing pod is ten times the size of a London Eye capsule and travels from ground to 450ft, offering uninterrupted 360-degree views of Brighton, the South Downs and the beautiful Sussex coastline. The South Coast's highest bar, The Nyetimber Sky Bar, is one of the most exclusive venues in the city and offers an unforgettable location for your guests to toast your union with a glass of this award-winning local sparkling wine in hand. The pod can accommodate up to 175 people standing or 60 seated theatre-style.

Overwhelmed planning a wedding? A leading wedding planner shares top tips

Matthew Shaw, a leading wedding and events planner and founder of sauveur. - a superb events and creative studio - is here to reveal his Top Tips to help you plan and feel calm, confident and importantly, excited for the big day. ASK FOR HELP: I would always advise considering if you would like to engage a planner at the beginning of the process. They are true experts in their field and will help organise, inspire, and de-stress the process for you. There are planners available for varying wedding budgets so do reach out and request more information.

Weddings Wrapped 2023 - wedding special

With Spotify Wrapped 2023 having just dropped, Encore Musicians, the UK's largest musician bookings platform has analysed 2,300 song requests by newlyweds to see the most requested songs and artists for weddings in 2023. They also surveyed 1,000 of its customers and musicians to discover the UK's favourite and least favourite songs to hear at weddings. Although Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" ranked as the most common song for first dances, it also ranked as the second least popular song to hear at weddings with one in seven ranking it as their least favourite.

Could you have to pay inheritance tax on a wedding gift?

Before the big day comes around, whether you are a guest giving a present or contributing to the cost of the honeymoon, or perhaps a relative considering helping towards the cost of the wedding itself, you ought to consider the inheritance tax implications of making such gifts. James Mabey, partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood advises on the inheritance tax implications of wedding gifts. In the UK, if you die within seven years of making a gift, inheritance tax may be payable on the value of the gift after your death. This is because gifts are considered to be part of your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

The Cricketers has everything you need to get the party started

Hidden upstairs at The Cricketers is The Greene Room, a stylish and elegant venue for private parties, functions and events providing a whole floor dedicated to decadence. With its own well-stocked bar staffed by the venue's friendly team, sublime gourmet menus, views overlooking the Lanes and a flexible layout across three interlined rooms, it has everything you need to get the party started. If you're getting married in central Brighton, The Cricketers is just a stone's throw from the Town Hall or a short walk from the seafront bandstand. It's the perfect spot for your elegant and intimate wedding reception, exclusively available for you and your loved ones to celebrate your big day in style.

Propress launches the MINI Clothes Steamer - perfecting for wedding dresses!

Professional and long-established British fabric steamer manufacturer, Propress, has unveiled the Propress MINI Handheld Clothes Steamer. A revolutionary product that combines over 40 years of steaming expertise with cutting-edge technology, the MINI allows users to say goodbye to the days of wrestling with an ironing board and hello to the future of garment care with beautifully crease-free clothes, whether at home, in the office, or on-the-go.

The Propress Mini Handheld Clothes Steamer (£110) is available in Arctic Grey, Idol Blue or Vintage Pink from the Propress website. It heats up in under a minute offering the convenience of crease-free clothes with a simple touch of a button. Its efficiency and ease of use make it a must-have for every fashion-savvy individual, plus it is versatile enough to treat various home fabrics from curtains to bedding, and is ideal for weddings or even hoteliers.

Brighton's Royal Pavilion is an icon of the city and emblematic of its rich Regency heritage

This inimitable former royal palace offers a unique venue for civil wedding ceremonies and receptions in the heart of Brighton and Hove's cultural quarter. After many decades of restoration, today it can be enjoyed in its original 1823 splendour. An extraordinary building, the Royal Pavilion is often referred to as a fantasy palace. Where there was once a modest house by the sea, George IV created one of the most strikingly beautiful buildings in the UK. Designed as a royal party palace, the purpose of the Royal Pavilion has always been to delight and enchant guests at every turn. Today, it continues to serve this purpose, both as a visitor attraction and as a remarkable wedding venue.

Winter wedding inspiration from leading wedding planner

Matthew Shaw, founder & creative director at sauveur. shares his winter wedding inspiration for those looking to tie the knot at this time of year. Winter weddings have grown hugely in popularity. The festive season can be a truly magical time of year to host a wedding and stand out from the crowd but it does bring its own set of considerations for the planning. Whilst the key areas of your wedding planning will be the same as a wedding in any other month, there are a few different elements to consider to create an incredible winter wedding celebration.

How to kick-start your wedding planning

Samantha Gilchrist, Co-Founder and CEO of the UK's largest wedding venue collection, The Gilchrist Collection, shares her top tips on how to kick-start your wedding plans, taking away any unnecessary stress and disappointment in preparation for that special day. Set a Date - possibly the most important aspect of planning as getting this date in the diary will allow you to move forward with your plans. When choosing a date, it's worth carrying out a simple checklist to help you nail that day down such as: Think if there is a time of year you both always wanted to get married in? A season you both love or a month that is special to you is a great starting point.

Find County Wedding Magazines on YouTube

We're never satisfied when it comes to providing our readers with enough wedspiration, which is why we've created our very own County Wedding Magazine YouTube channel! You'll find tons of big-day ideas, from venue tours to dream dresses, then take a peek behind the scenes of styled shoots featured in our titles past and present. We're adding more content all the time, so why not hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a thing? Simply head to YouTube and search for 'County Wedding Magazines' now

5 unique winter wedding trends for 2023

From décor inspired by the season's natural beauty to creative ways to keep your guests warm, wedding supply experts Aura Print have searched TikTok to bring you the top five quirky winter wedding trends for 2023.While traditional wedding fayre often includes champagne toasts and wine, a hot chocolate bar offers a warm, decadent, and customisable alternative for the colder months. As the evening progresses and temperatures drop, guests can enjoy a sweet treat to keep them going on the dance floor. For younger guests or for those who don't drink alcohol, a hot chocolate bar also provides a great non-alcoholic option. With over 112.7 million TikTok hashtag views, the hot chocolate wedding bar trend is set to take the winter wedding season by storm!

A more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings

Reports suggest that 4,910 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used up and left behind at British weddings last year, with this in mind, 77 Diamonds has released a planning guide to promote a more sustainable, ethical, and zero-waste approach to weddings. Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What's more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground. But it's not just plastic which has an impact. Food wastage is also a common theme for most weddings.

Kate and Kate Celebrants tipped for the top

Kate and Kate Celebrants are super-proud to be named in a 2023 industry list of the top 29 celebrants in the UK, especially since they're the only ones from Sussex! Kate and Kate say, "As we're knee-deep in 2023 wedding season we're loving meeting our couples, hearing their stories, getting a feel for the vibe they're after for their ceremony, throwing ideas about and drawing on our many years of experience to give them the best wedding ever. In fact, we still love the whole process as much as we did when we started. We're so thrilled that our couples thought enough of us to not only nominate us but follow up with votes of confidence in the form of five-star reviews.

AI creates the ultimate first dance song

There are over 217,000 first dances in the UK every year (1,950,000 in the US) yet couples usually pick the same handful of songs. Have you ever wondered why tracks like Etta James' At Last and Just You And I by Tom Walker are so popular at weddings? And what makes them so timeless? Function Central, a platform for finding and hiring musicians and bands for events, have answered exactly that! By analysing the most popular first dance songs to find the top 10 that couples choose, they have used AI to create the world's ultimate first dance song based on their findings, showing couples that they can have a timeless first dance song that is unique to their wedding.