Rituals to open a new boutique in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire Luxury beauty & wellness brand, Rituals, is set to open a new boutique in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire in July 2026. The new boutique will offer an immersive experience into Rituals’ signature range of luxurious bath, body, and home products, designed to inspire moments of mindfulness and self-care in everyday life. This opening also marks another key step in Rituals’ UK expansion strategy, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to bringing luxury wellbeing to high footfall destinations. Rituals Cosmetics is a proud Certi ed B Corporation™ and is dedicated to continuously improving its social and environmental impact in the beauty luxury industry. www.rituals.com £3.5M INVESTMENT INTO HERTFORD CASTLE GROUNDS The grounds of Hertford Castle are to be transformed by a ‘once in a generation’ investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The much-loved greenspace in the very heart of the town of Hertford, is so steeped in history and heritage; its host to the River Lea and a haven of natural beauty – the perfect wedding venue. Thanks to National Lottery players, Hertford Town Council (who manage Hertford Castle as a wedding venue), and its partners will deliver their plans for renewing Hertford Castle’s greenspace - subject to statutory permissions and consents. Over the past year and a half, an ambitious masterplan focused on heritage conservation, biodiversity enhancement, accessibility and community bene t has been developed. Key proposals for Hertford Castle’s greenspace include the conservation of historic features, restoration of the riverbanks and improvements to planting, access, seating, signage and heritage information, with a full programme of community activities. Now funding has been con rmed, further preparation for the project will continue, with improvement works expected to take place throughout 2028 and 2029. The investment will improve the grounds in so many ways, for the bene t of all - for generations to come. Combining re ections of its regal past and historic splendour, Hertford Castle is an exclusive wedding venue set within the peaceful riverside grounds. Now, couples have a unique chance to celebrate their wedding in Hertford Castle in 2026 or 2027 – after which, the wedding venue hire service will need to pause for works to begin. See www.hertfordcastle.co.uk to nd out more and secure your own moment in history. https://unsplash.com/@joody BRITS TO GIVE WHAT THEY CAN AFFORD AT WEDDINGS Against a backdrop of continued pressure on household budgets, ndings suggest Brits are taking a more realistic approach to wedding gifting, with affordability now sitting at the heart of what many believe is expected of guests. A quarter (24 percent) of Brits say they’re unsure what the ‘right’ amount to give even is, highlighting how unclear modern gifting expectations have become. Brits still want to mark the occasion and give something thoughtful, but the ndings suggest many are also weighing up what feels appropriate, useful and genuinely affordable. New research from One4all Gift Cards reveals that, above all else, Brits believe wedding guests are expected to give what they can afford. Almost four in ten (39 percent) say this is the most important expectation when attending a wedding. That does not mean tradition has disappeared, however. More than a third (35 percent) say guests should never turn up empty-handed, while a similar proportion (34 percent) believe sticking to the couple’s gift list is key. This more realistic mindset is also re ected in attitudes towards exible gifting. Nearly a third (31 percent) say cash or gift cards are appropriate, while 11 percent say group gifting is acceptable, suggesting many guests are looking for practical ways to give something useful without overextending themselves. Thoughtfulness also remains part of the picture, with 24 percent saying “it’s the thought that counts”, while 18 percent believe how much you spend should re ect your relationship with the couple. 8
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