How to Plan The Perfect Wedding
From figuring out how to entertain your guests to choosing your wedding bands and finding the best dress to say yes to, planning your wedding can seem overwhelming...
Put a Ring on It
From the classic engagement and wedding bands to eternity rings, Prestons’ bridal collections feature stunning designs that have been their hallmark since 1869. Each of their engagement rings is designed and manufactured in-house at their London workshop with carefully-considered craftsmanship, and their wedding and eternity rings are crafted using the 150 years of experience Prestons have in bridal jewellery. Visit their showroom in Leeds for advice and guidance, and to find the perfect ring. prestonsdiamonds.co.uk
David Summerfield’s wide selection of stylish engagement rings and wedding bands means you’re promised a timeless piece to cherish for life. They stock platinum, silver, gold, palladium and even bridal sets, including diamond-encrusted ladies’ wedding bands. If you still can’t find the perfect wedding ring for you or you want something totally different, you can take advantage of their bespoke service to develop something new. davidsummerfield.co.uk
Yorkshire’s Hyde Family Jam may look like a traditional folk band – but they’re far from traditional. This award-winning band’s instruments coupled with pop bangers mean their performances always bring an unforgettable atmosphere to a big day, and you can make it all about you. From deciding on the perfect track for your first dance to choosing a complete set list to dance to all night long, they’ll be with you every step of the way. Plus, there are plenty of ways to add special touches to your wedding day, from original screen-printed artworks to one-off studio recordings. hydefamilyjam.com
With more than 20 years of experience providing the perfect setting for celebrations and lifelong memories, Aurora Strings, the North’s leading string quartet and trio, can play your favourite tracks from classical to pop and even film themes so you can dance the night away. They can even write an arrangement of your special song for your big day to play prior to the ceremony and at the reception, and on brighter days, they will play outside for you too. Better still, because they’re an acoustic set-up, they can move easily between rooms. aurorastrings.org.uk
Especially for You
York-based humanist wedding celebrant Rachael Bowers travels across Yorkshire and the North East creating totally personalised wedding ceremonies for laidback couples who want to celebrate their wedding in an authentic, engaging way. Ceremonies with Rachael offer humanist wedding ceremonies – they’re for non-religious couples looking to celebrate their marriage in a personal and unique way. It’s all about you – Rachael will get to know you as a couple, choosing symbolic elements, advising on readings and music, and supporting you in writing your personalised wedding vows. Her job is to tell a couple’s love story within the ceremony with warmth and humour. ceremonieswithrachael.com
Celebrants create bespoke, meaningful and authentic ceremonies that are truly all about you. Jo from Birtley-based Love Jo Ceremonies has been in the industry for 14 years so she knows what she’s talking about, having previously opened a bridal store in memory of her parents then moving into global business coaching and consultancy. Jo now performs diverse and unique ceremonies around the North (around 50 per year, in fact, and that number keeps growing). From stately homes to barn conversions, and whether you want a four-legged ring-bearer or to read your own vows, Jo can help you achieve your dream day because her services are bespoke to each couple. She’ll be with you every step of the way. lovejoceremonies.co.uk
Sustainable Style
Sustainability is becoming more and more important to brides, their bridal party and wedding guests. If you haven’t got a vintage dress to upcycle then why not hire the perfect outfit for the big day (or extended celebrations)? It means you don’t face the issue of buying something you know you might not wear again – it’s an environmentally-friendly and economically-friendly option. From mini to maxi and black to pink, Hirestreet have got stunning staples to suit all dress codes. hirestreetuk.com
Say Yes to the Dress
Winner of Best Bridal Retailer For Yorkshire & The North East at The 2024 Wedding Industry Awards, The Bridal Box Boutique provide a full end-to-end service from choosing your dress to the final alterations. Their expansive inventory of dresses (up to 200) from exclusive designers (including Lazaro, Nicole Milano and Rosa Clara) means there’s plenty of choice, and owner Claire will always strive to help you find the dress of your dreams with a choice of longer or shorter appointments. This award-winning bridal boutique only hold one appointment at a time, so you’ll be given all the time and attention you need, whilst sipping on a glass of Prosecco. thebridalboxboutique.co.uk
The Honeymoon
Plan your perfect honeymoon with the friendly and passionate experts at Kuoni’s Metrocentre outpost. Head in store to chat to the team about your holiday plans over a glass of Champagne. Your personal travel expert wants to know what you love, where you’ve been and what you’re planning to do and see so that they can plan the honeymoon of of your dreams. From dinner on a deserted island in the Maldives to a luxurious tent in Kenya with its own hot tub and relaxing minimoons to adventurous maximoons, they’ll tailor-make a romantic escape to suit you as a couple – to create memories to last a lifetime. kuoni.co.uk/stores/metrocentre-gateshead
Suzie at Picked at Dawn works with nature on a daily basis and all the flowers and foliage used in her designs will always be British-grown (usually by herself in Thirsk and sometimes from other growers in Yorkshire). Picked at Dawn offers stems for those who wish to create their own floral bouquets and decorations, but with Suzie’s eye for detail they also offer a tailored floral design service to represent you and your vision, and to help you make sure your is wedding picture-perfect.
pickedatdawn.co.uk
Known for exquisite, bespoke floral designs that leave everlasting memories after your big day, Melissa Jane Floral is a luxury florist based in Stockton, but providing beautiful bouquets and floral designs across the North East. Creating effortlessly elegant, personal and sustainable wedding and event designs, they cater for all budgets and pride themselves on being as eco-friendly as possible by using natural and reused products. @melissajanefloral
Suited and Booted
Sydney Cope set up shop in Leeds in 1948, transforming fabric from Yorkshire’s finest mills into bespoke trousers that got people talking. The business continued to grow and has stayed in the family as the decades have rolled on and today Skopes’ flawless suits are a go-to for grooms, groomsmen and wedding guests. Their inclusive sizing and wide range of colours and cloths make it easy to form your own ensemble. The Harcourt suit pairs seamlessly with their Jude waistcoat; freshen up your look with mint-toned Sultano (a suit made from sustainably-sourced cloth in collaboration with Lyfcycle); or for a more country chic look try Woolf’s heritage-inspired check. From pocket squares to classic ties, Skopes have all the accessories to match too. skopes.co.uk
The Wedding Feast
The team at Ginger Snap, a sustainable, family-run wedding and event catering business, love making the most of seasonal British food, and running the business from their farm means they grow many of their own herbs and ingredients such as sloes, brambles and damsons. This, coupled with local produce and passionate, talented chefs, means the wedding party can enjoy delicious, seasonal and exciting food inspired by the beauty and diversity of the Great British landscape. The team will guide you through the process and can cater for parties of all sizes so everyone will be content. ginger-snap.co.uk
Say Cheers
Nickynoo are vintage-style mobile bar specialists offering a bespoke service for weddings across the North East. They pride themselves on their tailor-made wedding service packages which can include a vintage pop up mobile bicycle bar and handcrafted, fully-stocked vintage bars, as well as set drinks packages and welcome drinks suitable for all budgets. Their newest addition to their collection is their bar trailer Alfred – for larger events and festivals. nickynoo.co.uk
Something Sweet
Morwick Dairy make delicious award-winning ice cream and if you really want to treat your guests they have a wide range of flavours to bring to you. If you opt for a cart, they can serve a choice of six flavours of unlimited ice cream for two hours (with cones, flakes and sauce – which you can make extra special with personalised wafers. Choose their bike and your guests can help themselves to bespoke flavours in individual tubs – and with up to 250 servings everyone will be happy. Or for a smaller group of 100 people or less, everyone can enjoy ice cream from a Morwick Dairy coolbox – no power is required, so it’s perfect for outdoor and tipi weddings. morwickdairy.co.uk
