GREAT EXPECTATIONS More than 350,000 weddings will take place in the UK this year with around £14.7 billion spent on these events globally. With so much money being invested in weddings, guests attending will no doubt have some expectations! New research from Steven Stone Jewellers reveals that Bristol is in the top three cities whose residents get invited to the most weddings. The engagement ring specialists surveyed 2,000 Brits to find out exactly how much they’re spending on each element of a wedding, how they feel about forking out and what they expect in return. It materialised that the average cost of being a wedding guest in 2022 is up to a whopping £1,203, with the bill racked up by expenditure on an outfit, accommodation, transport, childcare, gifts and more! Of those surveyed in Bristol, 30.21 per cent will attend at least one wedding in 2022-23 and their list of expectations is topped by receiving a formal invitation and being served evening food. It may comfort you to know though that a mere six per cent said they expected a free bar, so you can save your pennies there! Finally, you may be surprised to hear that men spend more on their wedding guest outfit than women – £190 versus £121. BRIDAL BLING Recently-engaged TV personality Vicky Pattison has launched an exclusive bridal jewellery collection with Bath-based brand Abbott Lyon. This new range offers the perfect accessories to complement every step of a bride-to-be’s journey to W-day. Since being crowned Queen of the Jungle in the 2015 series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Vicky’s career has gone from strength to strength. With an army of loyal fans who adore her dressed-up glam looks as much as her down-to-earth real talk, she’s amassed a following of over five million people on Instagram alone. Having recently become engaged to Ercan Ramadan, Abbott Lyon saw her as the perfect fit for their new bridal collection. The bespoke range consists of more than 30 pieces, including The Signature Pearl Name Necklace (£89), Tie The Knot Ring (£49), and Custom Initial Pearl Choker (£89), with pieces in the collection starting from just £25. All styles can be fully personalised, with the option to add a customised gift box for that extra special touch. The sustainable range is complemented by faux pearls, which symbolise love and beauty. Shop the full collection at www.abbottlyon.com INTO THE WOODS The National Trust is delighted that the ancient Horner Wood in Somerset, in its care, has been chosen as part of a nationwide network of 70 ancient woodlands and trees to be dedicated to The Queen in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee. Fingle Woods in the Teign Valley on Dartmoor, the ancient black walnut tree at Antony near Torpoint in Cornwall, and the Tolpuddle Martyrs tree in Dorset are further South West offerings to be selected. The initiative was launched by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who is patron of The Queen's Green Canopy, a tree-planting initiative. Horner Woods is one of the largest unenclosed ancient seminatural woodlands in the UK. In 1995 it was made a National Nature Reserve together with the surrounding Dunkery moorland. Evidence of humans living in and using the woodland dates back thousands of years to the Bronze and Iron Ages, and seven settlements, six of which are still occupied, are recorded in the Doomsday Book. Little Quarme Cottages & Weddings is located in Exmoor National Park just a hop, skip and jump away from Horner Wood Nature Reserve and Dunkery Beacon. So, if you like the idea of saying “I do” in the shadow of this remarkable ancient woodland, it's well worth a look. Check out www.littlequarme-cottages.co.uk LOCAL NEWS 9
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