WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET/WEDDINGS The essential guide for the Bride and Groom to be The essential guide for the Bride and Groom to be 01.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:24 Page 1Beautiful Wedding Venue Licenced for Civil Ceremonies Perfect for small intimate or larger occasions Seated weddings upto 180 Evening receptions upto 300 42 En-suite bedrooms Stunning Gardens Contact our Specialist Wedding Consultant on 01469 561302 or email: events@stallingboroughgrange.co.uk for our wedding brochure or to book a viewing. Riby Road, Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire, DN41 8BU STALLINGBOROUGH GRANGE For A Lifetime Of Special Memories www.pescodsquare.com Phone - 01205 353370 | info@pescodsquare.com Our shopping centre includes high street favourites like Costa and Greggs as well as local independent retailers such as Boston Soap. You can shop for everything from books and stationery at Waterstones or The Works to music and film at HMV or buy a new mobile at our O2 outlet or get your phone repaired at Phone Guys. If you're in Boston and looking for fashion, then look no further. Our fashion retailers PEP&CO, Next and Select along with our newest additions, Leading Labels/Blue Inc and Empori Childrenswear, stock this seasons latest fashions, there is Superdrug for all your beauty and health needs or you can grab a bargain at Wilko's. Boston’s Premier Shopping Destination Pescod Square is a shopping district in the very heart of Boston. It links together Wide Bargate and Mitre Lane and incorporates the historic Pescod Hall. We have 18 stores which cover in excess of 93,000 square feet of retail space, together with our 377 space car park situated above the shopping centre. Now taking bookings for 2023/24/25 02.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:24 Page 1Congratulations Welcome to Lincolnshire Today’s Wedding Guide – your complete guide to making sure your big day is remembered for all the right reasons. After the excitement of the proposal, planning the wedding can often prove to be overwhelming. Imagine organising a dinner party, a birthday celebration and kids’ entertainment all at once, attended by everyone you’ve ever known and completely unrepeatable – then double the pressure. What we’re not doing in our Wedding Guide is telling you to follow the suggestions to the letter – the very best weddings are those when the bride and groom put plenty of their own personality into proceedings and create a very special occasion. In these pages, however, our experts should ensure you avoid the most common pitfalls when deciding what will take place, and we also provide inspiration by meeting some couples who made their day extra special. Brides and grooms always tell us that their wedding day seems to be over in a flash, yet it takes months of planning to make sure everything falls into place, and to ensure that guests remember the magic of the occasion. With a bit of luck, you’ll only get to do this once so it’s vital you make sure the event is as you want it. No matter what you decide to do on your big day, in Lincolnshire the myriad of beautiful venues and dedicated wedding specialists means it’s certain to be a fabulous occasion. Best wishes, Michael Fisher, Editor and all the Lincolnshire Today team Group Editor: Steve Fisher Editor: Michael Fisher Journalists: Tess Egginton Sales Director: Angie Cooper Sales: Kerry Randerson Accounts & Circulation: Angela Sharman, John Downes Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson Advertising: Tel: (01472) 310302 Fax: (01472) 310312 Editorial: Tel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317 Part Of The Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE Email: weddingguide@blmgroup.co.uk Website: www.lincolnshiretoday.net/weddings ISSN No: 1366-1299 © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. Welcome 03.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:25 Page 1Contents Wedding planners6 Wedding planners aren’t trying to take over the show or change your ideas – they’re there to help you manage the details, and to solve any problems that come up. Stag and Hen parties8 The last night of freedom is a tradition that goes back a long way, but it’s expanded in recent times to often involve less boozing and more entertainment. Venues10 Picking the perfect venue for your wedding can be difficult, especially with so many beautiful stately homes and buildings on offer. Finishing touches18 A little extra pizazz, a little touch of character, you should never be afraid to make a wedding your own, even if it’s in a unique or unusual way. Cakes20 While the bride and groom take centre stage at any wedding there’s no arguing that the cake doesn’t come in a close third. A work of art in their own right, you’d do well to bring in a specialist to make yours. Entertainment 22 It goes without saying that everyone is there to celebrate your special day, but that doesn’t mean they’ll want to stick around after the formalities are over without something to keep them entertained. Bridal fashion24 With so many dresses out there for blushing brides, it can be hard to know where to start. Menswear30 It’s all too easy to take the view that all men’s suits are the same but this can leave you both feeling and looking uncomfortable on the night. Occasionwear34 There are many dos and don’ts when it comes to wedding guest attire, so what should one wear to the occasion? 2023 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:27 Page 1Hair and beauty38 It may be temping to go overboard in hair and makeup but a more natural look is easier to pull off on a long night and will be less prone to mistakes. Jewellery40 A ring will hopefully last a lifetime so it’s important proper care be taken in selecting yours. Don’t leave it to chance. Flowers42 Flowers by Suzanne are a family run business of over 50 years based in North Hykeham, Lincoln, and covering the flower needs of the people of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond. Transport44 How you arrive on the day will set the tone for the wedding – be it traditional, adventurous, fun, or something more unique. Photography46 Make sure you have snaps that’ll last a lifetime, and don’t make the mistake of thinking anyone with a phone camera will do! Stationery 48 Formality is a given at a wedding, and it’s best to start ahead of time. Legalities51 It’s easy to forget the legal requirements of getting married in the excitement of planning the wedding, but it’s worth keeping the law in mind. Honeymoons54 Relax, have fun, or go wild – but whatever you decide, make sure it’s to both your interests. Directory57 All the names and numbers you need. Cover photo courtesy of stock.adobe.com/Oleksii Shulzhenko 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:27 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide WEDDING PLANNERS 6 Taking care of the details Taking care of the details 06-07.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:28 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net WEDDING PLANNERS 7 © stock.adobe.com/micromonkey I t’s often said that a lot of people – women especially – grow up dreaming of their perfect wedding. You might be mistaken then for assuming that wedding planners are unnecessary because surely the perfect wedding has already been planned in one’s head? Not quite. The reality of weddings is that there is a lot going on that is not so fun to take care of, from basic organisation, to less exciting parts of wedding planning, to attending to any hiccups or problems and making sure everything runs as it’s supposed to. With all these problems cropping up it can very quickly become exhausting and stressful, and that’s not what anyone wants the bride and groom to be feeling as their big day approaches. Wedding planners help take the hard work out of things by taking on the difficult jobs for you, and they can be as hands-off or as hands-on as you want them to be. Wedding planners can take the reins of the event and help prepare everything to a given style, or they can take on just the less fun tasks and work in an advisory role to someone wanting to control their own wedding. It’s all a matter of communicating to them what tasks you want them to take on, and what tasks you don’t. Where wedding planners can be especially valuable is in adjusting an event to new trends and taking a wedding in a different route to traditional ones. A lot of people nowadays are embracing more modern weddings free from a lot of the trappings and ceremonies of traditional marriage. This might mean hosting a wedding with an unusual twist - from as wild as Star Wars to more reasonable Japanese, Indian, or other cultural styles. They can also help to point out areas the bride and groom might not have thought of, and offer workable solutions based on their vast experience. That’s one of the biggest draws of wedding planners in all honesty. Most people only have the few wedding arrangements in their life – one if they’re lucky, or two or three if they took time to find the right person. Planners have seen it all, though, and they’ve experienced all the myriad ways the wedding can go wrong, and all the little problems that can happen that would send most people into fits of absolute panic. Good wedding planners thrive in these situations and are not only able to adapt and fix problems as they occur, but will likely have an extensive list of contacts within the wedding industry that they can call on, which could net you better deals, faster response times, and find a stand-in if your hired band or transport company can’t deliver as they promised. It is possible to run a wedding without a wedding planner, but it might not be possible to save one if something goes wrong, and having a planner on hand can help minimise that risk and take the stress out of the whole affair. Wedding planners aren’t trying to take over the show or change your ideas – they’re there to help you manage the details, and to solve any problems that come up. 06-07.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:28 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide STAG AND HEN DOS 8 T he age old assumption of hen and stag dos is that of drink, strippers, and debauchery – with some even suggesting that men sleep around on their last night of freedom before they settle down once and for all. How much of this is real and how much is silly fantasy is up for debate, but it might have been more common in the era of arranged marriages where you very much were a free man or woman before your big day. Nowadays, marriage happens after a long time dating and being together with someone, so neither party has considered themselves “free” or “open” for a long time. That means stag and hen dos are often now more about spending time with friends, having fun, and making some new memories. Holiday stag and hen dos are very common now, with many parties going abroad to enjoy time in another country. Sort of all-men or all-women holidays with the pals. That said, the classical night out is still very common, and often goes in addition to other plans. Lincolnshire has a wide range of clubs to go out at, and a bustling nightlife to enjoy. Some people don’t see that as such a big deal, however. Friends go out drinking without weddings, so another night with the boys or girls doesn’t feel very special. In those cases, people sometimes like to embrace “experiences” for their events, be it action-packed gliding, airsoft or paintball, or more relaxing spa trips, massages, and treatments. This reflects how people have grown societally, because what might have been seen as “wild” fifty years ago really isn’t now, and no one is going to bat an eye at a bunch of girls on a night out in Lincoln. More freedom to be ourselves means there’s The last night The last night of freedom is a tradition that goes back a long way, but it’s expanded in recent times to often involve less boozing and more entertainment. © stock.adobe.com/Luna Vandoorne 08-09.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:30 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net 9 ironically less “shocking” things to do on a stag or hen, which is why many of these experience days are growing in popularity. It also helps that the crazier ones can make for some very instragrammable pictures, and can even be included in the wedding photography! Photos of the groom wiping out water skiing, or the bride posing with friends in a beautiful vista can make for excellent shots and help show the personality of the couple more than a few drinks ever will. Though, of course, there’s no reason why an exciting day can’t be topped off with a drink at a club, bar, or beloved local pub. It’s a great way to wind down after a crazy day, share a few drinks, and reflect on how much you’ve all grown. © stock.adobe.com/golubovy 08-09.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2023 09:30 Page 2Next >