Your North East Wedding news and ideas from around the region

Thinking of doing a joint wedding speech? Read Speechy's top tips

The Speech Surgery' with Heidi Ellert McDermott, Founder of Speechy & author of 'The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches. A joint speech follows the same etiquette principles as your standard bride and groom speech but allows you to present it as a team and play up to your relationship dynamic. But, despite the two voices, be careful not to make the speech double the length! No more than 1,500 words maximum. When it comes to writing a joint speech, it all comes down to your ability to collaborate, discuss and bounce ideas off each other.

Things to consider when booking your big-day musicians

As the UK's largest and most sustainable musician bookings platform, musicians for weddings account for around 50% of Encore's bookings. As such, the company is well-versed in the most cost-effective ways to cut down on one of the more expensive aspects of a wedding. Please see below some best tips to help you save the most money when booking your wedding entertainment. On average, couples book musicians for their wedding seven and a half months in advance, but if your big day falls on a Saturday during peak season, you should book your musicians at least nine months in advance.

Langley Castle is offering a special discount

Langley Castle, located near Haydon Bridge in Northumberland, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriages with a special 10 per cent discount on weddings for 10 or more people.

The discount applies to wedding groups as small as 10 in number, as micro-weddings are something of a specialty at the atmospheric Medieval castle. To claim this discount, use the code 'Perfect 10' when booking your wedding for 10 or more people. Just call the events team before 31st March 2024 to access the discount on your preferred wedding date in 2024.

Planning a hen (or sten) party? These activity-based bars need to be on your list

Tasty food, gorgeous cocktails and a bit of healthy competition equals a winning recipe for an amazing time for your pre-wedding get together! How does a side of shuffleboard or darts with your cocktails sound? Whether you're looking for a daytime plan or something to keep you partying into the early hours, Electric Shuffle and Flight Club are great options. Both have resident DJs banging out the tunes, and both offer fab bottomless brunch packages if an afternoon booze session is more what you're after. They're also perfectly designed for the most amazing insta-worthy pics

Bamburgh Castle boasts sweeping sea views of the Northumberland coastline

With its sweeping sea views of the Northumberland coastline to one side and the splendour of the castle on the other, Bamburgh Castle truly is a place like no other to exchange vows, high above the beach. From its earliest beginnings, the castle's breathtaking location overlooking the Northumberland coast has long captured hearts and given couples the chance to turn their dreams into reality. In Anglo-Saxon times, the 6th century King Æthelfrith named Bamburgh after his wife Bebba and as a demonstration of true love, the castle became Bebba's Burgh.

More recently, Bamburgh captivated the great Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong, who put his heart and soul into restoring the castle into the spectacular fortress it is today. It remains the home of the Armstrong family and the team there love to make your special day part of the castle's ongoing story of romance, love, friends and family.

Revealed the UK’s best venues with woodlands to achieve dreamy cottage-core weddings

A recent study revealed the UK's highest-rated venues for woodland-themed weddings, with Creeksea Place being named the best. The research conducted by photo wall art creator StoryBoards analysed user-generated review data to identify the UK regions with the highest quantity of top-rated woodlands venues by creating an overall rating score. The study has revealed that Creeksea Place is the most highly rated woodland in the nation. Located in Essex, the manor house, which includes picturesque woodland, has been rated five stars over 220 times giving it a perfect score of ten out of ten.

The new Yankee Candle® SS24 collection

Find an oasis this spring with the new Yankee Candle® SS24 collection, Under the Desert Sun. The new collection will brighten the home with fragrances that exude memories of warmer days, including four refreshingly light and bright fragrances including, Desert Blooms, Aloe & Agave, Sweet Vanilla & Horchata, and Stargazing. Inspired by the unique beauty of the desert, the new collection has been designed to help escape the ordinary and satisfy wanderlust, immersing the home in sun-drenched scents. The Under The Desert Sun collection features exotic fragrances such as aguaro cactus, aloe and blue lotus, as well as soothing lavender and eucalyptus.

Three spicy but sophisticated hen party ideas

Throwing a hen party that will please all attendees can be tricky. Striking a balance between risque and tame activities can be one of the most controversial challenges you'll face when planning. In fact, some of the more crude hen party gimmicks came out in the top 10 most hated parts of a hen party in this report. However, you can create a hen party that strikes the perfect balance between spice and sophistication, ensuring a night to remember for both the bride and her friends. Jess Martin, Hen Party expert at Ginger Ray has shared three amazing themes for the perfect spicy but sophisticated hen party:

Blackton Grange is hosting a wedding fair

Blackton Grange is a new wedding venue in the heart of the North Pennines, between the picturesque towns of Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle. Situated on a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site and boasting spectacular views over reservoirs and secluded moors, it really is a dreamy destination for a wedding.

The property will be hosting its first wedding showcase on Sunday 24th March between 11am and 3pm. The team tells us: "From the moment you book to the moment you say 'I do', our approach as a family-run wedding venue is all about personalisation and control. We believe that your special day should be exactly how you envision it, which is why we offer a unique dry hire approach. You will have complete control over all of your food and drink choices, including the option to self-cater and bring your own alcohol."

Experts share 5 tips on accommodating deaf guests at your wedding

Planning a wedding can be challenging, especially when there are so many decisions to be made and so many things to be considered. Whilst this is your big day, considering your guests can go a long way, especially for those who have disabilities or are hard of hearing. In the UK, one in five adults is deaf, has hearing loss or tinnitus, so the likelihood of having someone who may need additional help when it comes to hearing in attendance is quite likely. Ashish Shah, Audiologist at The Hearing Care Partnership has offered his expert advice on how you can better accommodate your deaf and hard-of-hearing guests.

Jesmond Dene House is home to a picturesque secret garden

The Secret Garden at Jesmond Dene House feels like you're a thousand miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life, yet it's located just minutes from Newcastle's centre.

Choose to marry in the wood-panelled, Grade II-listed Great Hall; the sunny Terrace overlooking the grounds; or The Secret Garden, surrounded by trees and a colourful oasis. Afterwards, celebrate with your loved ones with your very own garden soirée with live music, flowing drinks from the outdoor bar and canapés under the magical festoon lighting.

These daily habits are ruining your wedding ring

If you've been the lucky recipient of a diamond ring or a piece of jewellery, Nilesh Rakholia, jewellery expert and founder of Abelini, has shared exactly how to care for your precious diamonds to ensure they last a lifetime... Nilesh says: "While it can be tempting to wear precious items such as an engagement ring all the time, daily habits such as cooking and cleaning can damage your jewellery. To avoid this, we always recommend removing jewellery before showering or washing up because the soap can cause a film to form, which can leave rings and bracelets looking dull.

A third of Brits decline wedding invites due to cost Klarna finds

The wedding season is just around the corner! What is normally a cause for joy can often become a financial strain for guests. Travel, outfits, gifts – the costs can quickly soar to unexpected heights. This is also confirmed by a recent survey by Klarna*, the flexible choice for smart, secure payments: One third (36.4%) of those surveyed said they had declined wedding invitations in the past due to associated costs. Moreover, 30.2% of respondents said they have not attended a Stag or Hen party due to the expenses involved.

Wedding traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations

Researchers surveyed Gen Z couples and found many traditional wedding and proposal traditions which are falling out of favour with younger generations. But it's good news for the father-of-the-bride, as 54 percent said expecting parents to cough up for the big day was no longer necessary. Other things which are likely to fall out of favour are asking the bride's father for permission to propose (43 percent), sleeping apart the night before the wedding (38 percent) and the bride taking their partner's name (35 percent).

Of the 2,000 18- to 27-year-olds, surveyed by Churchill, as many as 86 percent believe the traditional stereotype of men proposing to women is old hat – and women should be able to pop the question too.

A third (29 percent) think that being given away is no longer necessary, while 27 percent say that tossing the bouquet is out of style. Being carried over the threshold (26 percent), promising to obey in the vows (25 percent) and wearing a veil (19 percent) are also falling out of favour.

Paul Blackett has been crowned Wedding Celebrant of the Year for the North East

Paul Blackett, the North East Wedding Celebrant, has been crowned 'Wedding Celebrant of the Year for the North East and Yorkshire Regions' at the Wedding Industry Awards. Looking forward to the national final, Paul told us: "I'm absolutely over the moon to have been recognised at The Wedding Industry Awards and immensely grateful to all the wonderful couples I've had the privilege of performing wedding ceremonies for, who voted for me. Their support means the world to me. Winning this award also helps spread the message to engaged couples that they have a choice; they can opt for a one-of-a-kind, humanist wedding ceremony as a beautiful alternative to a standard church or registrar ceremony. And that, without a doubt, is a truly wonderful thing!"

9 in 10 newlyweds say budgeting is the biggest wedding stress

New research of newlyweds has revealed that 9 in 10 newlyweds find budgeting to be the biggest wedding stress. Queensmith's research surveyed 1,000 recently married couples throughout the UK, exploring the most and least enjoyable aspects, as well as the most stressful moments, leading up to their weddings and during the day itself. Weddings take a lot of time to plan in order to make them fabulous, but they also cost a pretty hefty sum of money too. Looking at the most stressful aspects of wedding, a whopping 93% of respondents said budgeting was the most stressful part of planning a wedding.

The County Hotel is a city-centre venue with a country-manor vibe

The County Hotel is a city-centre venue with a country-manor vibe. Victorian grandeur and style are the focus of this historical building, with a sweeping staircase and a hung balcony framed with arch windows, perfect for taking those all-important photographs.

Tie the knot in the County Suite in front of 110 of your friends and family, with its gold-etched dome ceiling and hanging mirror-panelled walls, all of which reflect the stained glass windows. There's also the Mozart Suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the iconic station and room for 100 guests.

Hen party dos and don'ts according to brides

Planning a hen party can be a stressful task, and with more and more brides opting for weekends over one last night of single life, there's even more pressure to get it right. To help you create the perfect celebration, Amy Greenshields, party planning expert at cardfactory spoke to 10 recent brides and bride-to-bes, unveiling their hen party dos and don'ts. Using this insight, Amy shares her top tips for 'kissing the miss goodbye' in style.

Expert advice on how to plan a wedding in 2024

Georgie Mitchell, Wedding Planner and Wedding Expert for online fashion destination Silkfred, shares her expert insight on how to plan a wedding in 2024. "Figure out your goals! Every wedding starts very differently and couples want different things. Sit together and decide what is the most important part of your wedding day - are you looking for a big party? Therefore drink and music may be key. Alternatively, if the look of everything is the most important thing, then this is where your money will be spent. Ensure you then allocate the budget and start with these suppliers."

Jesmond Dene House has won an award

The boutique hotel Jesmond Dene House has been selected as one of the esteemed winners of the 'Wedding Hotels Award' from The Good Hotel Guide Editor's Choice 2024. This marks the fourth time that the hotel has been recognised by the publication.

Christina Stephenson, the sales, marketing, and events manager at Jesmond Dene House, said: "We're thrilled to announce our selection as a winner of The Good Hotel Guide Editor's Choice 2024 awards for Wedding Hotels. We feel deeply honoured to have received this prestigious, independent award and extend our gratitude to our dedicated team for consistently upholding the high standards at Jesmond Dene House."