Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - August/September 2023 (Issue 102)

HONEYMOON OF A LIFETIME We’ve just started planning our honeymoon, what advice can you share to help the process? Meet the expert: Amisha Patel is the owner and founder of Tailored Retreats which specialises in luxury getaways around the world with a passion for African safari and secluded Indian Ocean island escapes. A honeymoon booked through Tailored Retreats will take couples to some of the most secluded and intimate settings in the world. Whether you’re an adventure-loving couple or prefer chilled island vibes, the team will design an idyllic getaway with every detail taken care of. Fancy sleeping under star-filled skies or discovering jungle hideaways in the most remote locations? They can make it happen. Amisha says: Your honeymoon is your time to kick back and focus on the two of you, while thoughts of seating charts, wedding favours and centrepieces become a distant memory. With a world of dreamy destinations to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. At Tailored Retreats, we find that it helps to consider some fundamental questions, starting with those centred around you as a couple. What do you enjoy doing together and are there destinations or experiences you both have on your bucket lists? Weddings often reflect the happy couple and the perfect honeymoon should follow! Next, think about whether you have set travel dates and departure points or if you have flexibility. Many hotels offer honeymoon benefits for couples travelling within a year of their wedding and flexibility can mean cost savings, as well as a greater choice of destinations, hotels and flights. Finally, agree on your budget. Without an idea of what you want to spend, planning a honeymoon can be tricky. From the answers to these initial questions, a good travel agent will be able to narrow down destinations before working with you to design a tailor-made itinerary for your dream honeymoon. https://tailoredretreats.com; www.facebook.com/ TailoredRetreats; www.instagram.com/tailoredretreats GREAT GIFTS Can you give us some eco-friendly gift ideas for our wedding party, please? Meet the brand: Lisa Strachan is the owner of The Little Flame, a small business based in Oxfordshire. Lisa says: Our hand-poured candles are natural and sustainable, made from soy wax and using only essential oils and cotton wicks making them perfect for the environment. They come in a recyclable glass container with a beautiful bamboo lid and each 210g candle, £25, has a burn time of up to 40 hours. For each candle sold, a tree is planted. Popular scents include lavender and cedarwood; lavender and orange; lime and bergamot and rosemary and lemongrass. New to the collection are votive gift sets which are a trio of luxury candles containing a selection of the brand’s three favourite fragrances which are packaged in a beautifully presented, fully recyclable box, £29. Not only are they great for styling wedding settings, but they also make excellent gifts for maids and mums. www.thelittleflame.co.uk; www.facebook.com/ thelittleflamecandles; www.instagram.com/thelittleflamecandles 60

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