COUNTRYSIDE CALM The UK countryside offers some of the most dramatically beautiful and diverse retreats you could ask for when it comes to a spa escape. The most popular destinations have been revealed by Spabreaks.com, with East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa featuring in the top five. All rooms in the contemporary East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa overlook either the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course or the 1,000 acres of lush green South Downs countryside, setting the scene for a relaxing getaway with your best girls or your soon-to-be spouse. To keep in shape, the hotel’s Health Club runs yoga, pilates and studio cycling classes, after which a refreshing swim in the heated indoor pool will be just the tonic. Besides an aromatherapy room and monsoon shower, the main event here is the menu of luxury treatments, which range from an invigorating massage to a relaxing facial. To book your next relaxing spa break head over to www.spabreaks.com A GRAND OCCASION While visiting The Grand Hotel Eastbourne recently, I was able to pop in to its autumn wedding fair where guests could see this breathtaking venue wedding-ready in all its finery. Able to accommodate weddings of all sizes from 16 guests for a wedding breakfast on the Gallery to 250 reception guests in The Compton Room, The Grand had the whole range on display. I loved the intimate wedding area, with the Arundel Room set up for a ceremony, the Norfolk Room set up for a drinks reception and the Arlington Room set up for the wedding breakfast. Peacefully secluded along their own corridor these three rooms make sure you have the privacy you’d want on your big yet small day. Flutterby Events (www.flutterbyevents.me.uk) and Buds That Bloom (www.budsthatbloom.co.uk) had decorated the three rooms to perfection, with the grand banqueting table opulently adorned in gold tones befitting The Grand’s own décor. The Compton Room is the complete opposite. A real showstopper it’s truly reminiscent of the grand balls and dinners than must have gone on in the past. So, the fact that it’s now used as the venue’s biggest wedding celebration space seems only right. The opulent plasterwork, high ceilings and balconies only add to the sense of grandeur, and the space was beautifully decked out again by the dream team of Buds That Bloom and Flutterby Events. Here, there’s space for 192 wedding breakfast guests and 250 reception guests. It’s a space made for entertaining, and with the Hotel’s recommended suppliers this is well taken care of. First and Foremost Entertainment (www.firstandforemostentertainment.com), Twilite (www.twilite.uk), Letters in Lights (www.lettersinlights.uk), MTA Events (www.mta-events.com), Kevin Morton Magician (https://kevinmortonmagician.co.uk) and more, all seemed to have the matter well in hand! Finally, guests got to experience the gorgeous Princes Room set up for a ceremony with gorgeous blush pink floral arch and on-trend dusky pink sashes draped around Chivari chairs, complementing the room’s gold and cream palette. It can host 120 guests for the ceremony, 77 for the wedding breakfast, and 120 for the evening. Helpfully, so you could imagine your dream dress as you walk down the aisle, Claire De Lune Bridal (https://clairedelunebridal.com) had some gorgeous gowns on display, with Celebrant Elegant, Maureen Marsh (www.celebrantelegant.com), on hand to discuss the “I dos.” Don’t forget though, should you wish to experience an al fresco ceremony with the sea breeze in your hair, The Grand’s newly licensed ceremony space in the gardens is now an option for you and up to 120 guests. You can find out more about tying the knot at The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne at www.grandeastbourne.com/wedding-venue-sussex EDITOR LOVES Scan to view video TIPPED FOR THE TOP Kate and Kate Celebrants are super-proud to be named in a 2023 industry list of the top 29 celebrants in the UK, especially since they're the only ones from Sussex! Kate and Kate say, “As we’re knee-deep in 2023 wedding season we’re loving meeting our couples, hearing their stories, getting a feel for the vibe they’re after for their ceremony, throwing ideas about and drawing on our many years of experience to give them the best wedding ever. In fact, we still love the whole process as much as we did when we started. We’re so thrilled that our couples thought enough of us to not only nominate us but follow up with votes of confidence in the form of five-star reviews and being in the top 29 celebrants in the whole of the UK is just amazing. We’re so grateful to all the wonderful couples we’ve worked with over the years, who’ve put their trust in us to tell their story and give their ceremony a bit of K&K sparkle.” If you’d like your ceremony to be award-winning too, make a date with Kate and Kate, via www.kateandkatecelebrants.co.uk www.rathergoodphotography.co.uk 10
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