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Costco and Top Bridal Dress Designer to Offer 6 Creations at 40% Discount

27 May 2011 By

Cash-and-carry retailer Costco has partnered with top bridal designer Kirstie Kelly to sell six exclusive wedding dresses at approximately 40% off their usual price.

The handmade designer gowns will range from £429 ($699) to £858 ($1,399) and are being showcased in a series of four-day trunk shows in one-off events around the UK.

Although the Kirstie Kelly Signature bridal dresses are not cheap for those on a tight budget, they are a steal compared to the designer’s mainline collection, which can cost up to £2,454 ($4,000).

Ms Kelly commented: ‘Kirstie Kelly Signature is designed to ensure each bride looks and feels radiant in a dress that complements her natural beauty… The Signature line looks gorgeous on any bride and gives her the look and feel of splurging on the dress of her dreams, without the overwhelming cost or guilt.’

The exclusive dresses are embellished with Alencon lace, crystal and pearls. They come complete with luxury fabrics such as organza, satin and taffeta. Veils are also available for purchase.

The Costco company website is advertising the event dates – expectant brides can either book an appointment or walk in.

Filed Under: Planning, Style, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Finance & Insurance Tagged With: ,

Indian Couples Inspired By Royal Wedding

25 May 2011 By

It appears that the desire of Indian couples to have an even more spectacular marriage celebration than they were previously famous for has exploded, thanks to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Thanks to recent booms in the Indian economy, many families are now allocating huge budgets for weddings, with opulent displays of wealth and prosperity being commonplace.

The trend to continually put on ever more extravagant wedding ceremony amongst the upper class continues to rise, with celebrity appearances, artistic performances and 1,000s of guests becoming just a few of the must-have’s when it comes to commemorating the special occasion.

Increasingly, huge buffets are prepared for the guests in lavishly decorated banquet halls and it is not uncommon for the bride and groom to arrive by elephant, helicopter or horse-drawn carriage. It is also becoming the norm for Indian weddings of the rich and famous to cost upwards of an astounding £4 million.

With the images and memories of the recent Royal Wedding providing inspiration families seem all the more keen to outdo each other, leading to an upcoming wedding season that will reach new levels of opulence.

Filed Under: Asian weddings, Culture, Hindu weddings, Indian weddings, Planning, Royal weddings, Style, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Themes, Wedding Tips & Trends Tagged With: , ,

Bride Realises Wedding Dress Has Been Missing for 25 Years

23 May 2011 By

Kathleen Rinaldi, due to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary this September, was shocked to open the sealed box which she thought contained her wedding dress, only to realise that the gown inside was not hers.

Mrs Rinaldi had planned to alter her wedding dress to create a new outfit for her vow renewal ceremony.  The mix up was spotted when she asked her daughter Angelina to try on the garment and realised that something was amiss as she zipped up the back.

She commented: “My dress did not zip up, it had buttons. I ran and got the wedding album and saw that the dress looked nothing like mine except that it had a v-neck front… I was so heartbroken when I pulled out the dress and realised they had given me the wrong one”.

25 years ago, Ms Rinaldi’s sister-in-law had taken the dress to a cleaner to have it sealed, which is when the mix up is likely to have occurred.

Kathleen Rinaldi is married to Robert Rinaldi, owner of Rinaldi’s Italian Specialties in Longmeadow. She hopes to return the gown to its original owner.

Filed Under: Mishaps, Style, Wedding Dresses Tagged With: ,

Caribbean Islands Promote Wedding Tourism

23 May 2011 By

A new tourism campaign being promoted as the “Month of Romance” by the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda is aiming to encourage weddings, bachelor parties and honeymoons in the area.

US Director of the island’s Tourism Department, Derede Samuel-Whitlock, is quoted as saying that the islands are keen to attract engaged people to their shores with the new package and hopes to promote Antigua and Barbuda across the world as the premier destination for couples and honeymooners. To this end, they have been in touch with travel agencies, vendors and suppliers of products and services to promote the new mode of tourism.

It is also hoped by officials that this type of tourism will become a prosperous income source for the country, which is known as the Heart of the Caribbean.

Speculation about the honeymoon of Prince William and Kate Middleton possibly taking place at this holiday destination has also lead to increased interest in the area and its promotional packages.

Tourism Director Derede Samuel-Whitlock commented: “Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few Caribbean destinations where there is no residency requirement to get married and so weddings can be expedited. This type of publicity will certainly support our promotional initiatives.”

Filed Under: Destination Weddings, Planning, Wedding Planners, Wedding Tips & Trends, Wedding Venues Tagged With: , , ,

UK Vintage Wedding Car Hire Providers in High Demand

18 May 2011 By

Limo Broker, a leading UK supplier of luxury, chauffeur driven transportation, is currently seeking vintage wedding car hire providers to join its national network of wedding transport providers.

Vintage car hire for weddings is a growing market and Limo Broker has reported a surge in demand for classic cars in preparation for the peak wedding season during May, June, July, August and September.

Many of Limo Broker’s current agents are already fully booked for these peak wedding dates, so the company is keen to recruit new operators as soon as possible to service the public interest.

They are recruiting all ranges of suitable providers, from sole traders and small start-up’s to large established companies with a fleet of vintage wedding cars. Since Limo Broker operates throughout and the UK and in parts of Ireland, location is highly flexible.

In addition to its high web presence, the chauffeur company has recently added viral videos to their marketing strategy – professionally shot videos demonstrate the cars, services, and experience that Limo Broker agents can provide.

Filed Under: Planning, Style, Wedding Cars, Wedding Finance & Insurance, Wedding Tips & Trends Tagged With: ,

Major Wedding Fair to Be Held This Month at the Three Counties Showground

16 May 2011 By

On Sunday March 27, couples can give their marriage plans a boost at the I Will Wedding Fair at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.

There will be about 90 exhibitors attending, including 11 for dream wedding venues plus other essentials such as catering, entertainment, cars and fireworks services. Renowned wedding planner Jane Dayus-Hinch, host of TV’s Wedding SOS, will also be on hand to give expert advice.

The fair will run between 11am and 3.30pm. There is a small entry fee of £2, except for under-16’s who can enter for free. There will also be a free prize draw for the chance of winning wedding items valued up to £2,000. The winning entry will be drawn at random at the end of the spring season.

The I Will Wedding event also features a professionally choreographed fashion show, giving visitors the chance to view the latest wedding trends in clothing and accessories for women, men and children.

If couples find it impossible to attend this month’s event at the Three Counties, they can also catch an additional I Will Wedding Fair this spring at the Stourbridge Rugby Club.

Filed Under: English weddings, Planning, Style, Wedding Exhibitions & Events, Wedding Planners, Wedding Tips & Trends Tagged With: , ,

Cheshire East Highlights County’s Most Gorgeous Wedding Venues

13 May 2011 By

Cheshire East has created and launched a new catalogue which showcases the gems that the county has to offer when it comes to appealing wedding venues.

The brochure, titled ‘Your Ceremony, Your Choice’, highlights the finest venues across the Cheshire County, from luxurious hotels and grandly historic castles to stately homes and alluring former monasteries.

Apart from venue listings, it also provides a general resource guide for couples who are planning a wedding, including tips and advice on booking registrars, arranging witnesses and giving notice. A separate brochure is also available for those planning a civil partnership.

Cllr Rachel Bailey commented: “Last year saw a 14% increase in the number of ceremonies in Cheshire East stately homes and hotels – and more than 70% of these couples were not residents of Cheshire East. This is good to see and is testament to the great work of the registration service.

She added, “It’s very important that we continue to attract weddings and civil partnerships, not least because of the value they add to our economy.”

The ‘Your Ceremony, Your Choice’ brochure can be downloaded at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk.

Filed Under: English weddings, Planning, Wedding Planners, Wedding Venues Tagged With: , ,

Celebrities Katherine Jenkins and Gethin Jones to Tie The Knot

12 May 2011 By

Celebrity opera singer Katherine Jenkins today announced her official engagement to Gethin Jones on Twitter – the wedding is planned for next year.

A former Blue Peter presenter, Gethin Jones met his wife-to-be in 2007 on Strictly Come Dancing, where he was a contestant and Ms Jenkins was due to perform. They have been dating ever since.

Last year they sparked wedding speculation by buying a £4.7 million property together in London.

Gethin got down on bended knee at the end of the couple’s holiday on the Mexico coast last month and presented Katherine with a diamond engagement ring from Bond Street Jewellers Goode and Son, which the 30-year-old opera star is said to be thrilled with.

Although they both have busy work schedules over the coming year, the pair are keen to get their wedding preparations underway. A source close to the couple has said they are planning a “fun, wild wedding.”

Since both are from South Wales, it is likely they will secure a Welsh venue.

Glossy magazine deals for the wedding are likely to be refused, as both Katherine and Gethin are closely guarded about their relationship.

Filed Under: Celebrity Brides, Celebrity Weddings, Extravagant, Unusual, Wedding Announcements Tagged With: ,

India Gold Buying Rise 15% for Wedding Season

11 May 2011 By

India, the world’s largest consumer of gold, is set to see a 15% increase in gold sales ahead of the wedding season that starts next month, regardless of record high prices.

The wedding season officially begins from the second week of April. Purchases start a fortnight before that and make up approximately half of all sales.

Jeweller Bachhraj Bamalwa, founder partner of Nemichand Bamalwa, commented: “Price rise has not stopped people from buying gold jewellery for the wedding season. We are expecting a 10-15% growth in gold jewellery buying this season.”

While the rise in gold prices has not stemmed people’s appetite for it, this factor has brought a change in design trend – people are increasingly opting for light-weight jewellery with a heavy look. To cater to this, most of the jewellery chains in West Bengal have created light gold designs that suit the pockets of the middle class, who are the largest consumer of gold jewellery in India.

However, jewellers also say traditional heavy jewellery continues to be popular for marriages.

Filed Under: Asian weddings, Culture, Hindu weddings, Indian weddings, Wedding Finance & Insurance, Wedding Jewellery, Wedding Tips & Trends Tagged With: ,

House of Fraser Adds Exclusive Vintage Biba Bridal Gowns to Latest Collection

11 May 2011 By

One of the UK’s most premium department stores, House of Fraser, has now launched their latest collection of wedding and bridal wear online at houseoffraser.co.uk.

In addition to the New for Spring Summer 2011 range, they are also offering a collection of limited edition Biba dresses.

The iconic Biba fashion brand was successfully re-launched for Autumn Winter 2010, and will be a classically romantic addition to House of Fraser’s exclusive collection. Biba Bride dresses have a timeless and cherished reputation.

Brides-to-be can now browse the seven Biba wedding dresses online, along with the other seasonal collections from the label. The range features an abundance of style and romance, with different styles and a selection of cover-ups including luxurious feather, marabou capes and glamorous faux fur stoles.

The vintage Biba Bride collection is a limited edition – there are only 100 dresses made in each style. Shoppers can choose from a range that includes long-sleeved winter dress to an alternative and contemporary shorter summer dress for their special day. In line with traditional bridal tones, the Biba Bride dresses are subtle and sophisticated, using a palette of soft ivory, buttermilk and blush colours.

Filed Under: Style, Wedding Dresses Tagged With: ,
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