DATE FOR THE DIARY The historical Bailbrook House is reached via a private tree-lined drive, at the end of which you’ll be greeted by the hotel’s handsome and impressive Georgian mansion-house facade. Made of stone in various shades of soft gold the building boasts intricate stonework including carved pillars, decorative stone flowers and pretty bows above the entranceway, it offers a memorable and grand setting for your big day. What’s more, with 20 acres of grounds, you won’t be short of picture-perfect backdrops for your couple’s photoshoot. To find out more about the venue, pop along to its Weddings and Celebrations Open Day on Saturday 28th January, 2023 between 11am and 3pm. Held in the beautiful mansion house itself this event is the perfect way to collect inspiration and information for your big day. Plus, the team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and to discuss your needs. To register, head over to www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/bailbrook-house/wedding-showcase WINE AND DINE Introducing Cave Bristol, founded by hospitality veteran and wine specialist Martin Hagen, it’s an online bottle shop specialising in selling a carefully-curated selection of small producerled, organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines, mixed discovery cases, premium store cupboard essentials and spirits. Cave Bristol on Gloucester Road opened two weeks before the first lockdown in 2020, but plans quickly had to pivot. Martin kept the store open, operating under government guidelines, but acted quickly to take the concept online. The online store launched soon after with great success offering a selection of properly sourced wines, local cheese and provisions unlike any available elsewhere in the city. Orders were, and still are, delivered by bike in Bristol using zero-carbon. Martin says, “Choosing wine for your wedding can be a daunting task and it’s commonplace for venues to only allow couples to choose from their wine list, resulting in a lack of choice and poorer quality wine with a large markup. At Cave we’ve had many customers come to us with this problem but there are ways to circumnavigate this issue. One is to offer to pay a corkage fee, then visiting a local merchant or wine expert to select and purchase wines to better suit the occasion, your style and most importantly complement the food. “The best scenario, of course, is not being tied to the venue’s wine list and this is where the fun begins. We’ve worked with a host of nearlyweds, helping them to select their wedding wine and it’s something we take great pride and passion in. People are generally much more conscious about serving high-quality food and drink at their weddings these days and a good merchant should always be able to help with pairing the menu perfectly, tailoring wines to suit their couples’ palates and finding great value to suit the budget. From whites, reds, oranges and fizz, classical or unconventional there are endless regions and styles to explore.” Discover more at www.cavebristol.co.uk https://srwphoto.co.uk PLAY THAT SAX! Local vocalist and saxophonist Lucy Harvey has won the Wedding Entertainment category for solo, duo or string quartet musicians at the 2022 South West Wedding Awards held in November. The annual awards recognise wedding suppliers throughout the South West who exceed the expectations of their customers by providing outstanding service, crowning these very special wedding suppliers as the best of the best in the region. Wedding companies covering all aspects of the industry can enter the various categories available, including photographers, stationery, bridal hair and more. Votes can only be placed by couples who’ve used the suppliers for their own nuptials, making the winners very much the people’s choice. Lucy says, “I’m over the moon to have my music and dedication to the industry recognised by the couples I’ve entertained over the 2022 wedding season.” Find out more at www.lucyharvey.co.uk LOCAL NEWS 9
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