Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - January/February 2021 (Issue 84)

All the latest from around the region NEWS Nearlywed HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS LIGHTS UP A TV-FIRST Winchester-based Twilight Trees made a stellar appearance in E4’s Made In Chelsea show as it aired its first-ever wedding on TV. Stars of the reality series Ollie Locke and his fiancé Gareth finally tied the knot after months of delays, just hours before the country went into lockdown for the second time. Held at The Natural History Museum in London, it was the venue’s first ever gay wedding and only the second civil ceremony to be held at the prestigious venue. Twilight Trees was given the task of creating a ‘room within a room’ for the event which took place in the stunning Hintze Hall with just 13 guests. The family-run artificial tree-hire company provided eight of its Grande White Blossom Trees to add extra sparkle to the iconic setting. Founder and creative director Susie Reid Thomas said, “Ollie and Gareth’s wedding not only gave us great exposure but a reminder of our true essence as a business. The excitement and buzz of the event itself and then being featured on E4 has given us a huge morale boost and a renewed hunger to make next year the very best yet. It has been the perfect way to end 2020 and we are grateful to Ollie for choosing to promote a local business.” Newlywed Ollie commented, “Twilight Trees has an extraordinary ability to create magic in any space and really did make our wedding spectacular.” For further details of the business visit www.twilight-trees.com LUXURY ON THE MOVE If you’re looking for something different to the norm for your wedding reception, check out The Hamper, a Hampshire-based contemporary concept bringing the venue to a location of your choice. Billed as the UK’s first recycled container venue, it’s been designed as a luxury and versatile alternative to the wedding marquee. With a white dome roof and 25ft-high fully retractable windows it not only delivers the wow factor, but also allows the wedding party to enjoy the outdoor setting to the full. Delivered and installed hassle-free, it can be personalised and is designed to withstand the unpredictable British weather. The inside space is accented by string lighting, with a copper-wrapped bar, green-plant walls, a forest chandelier and hand-crafted scaffold-board tables, decorated to complement your big-day theme. “Our aim at The Hamper is to create a space of contemporary elegance, making your day beautiful and one-of-a-kind,” says director Ben Lyons. To find out more visit www.the-hamper.co.uk Shop early Hampshire occasion wear boutique Charisma is advising mothers-of-the-bride and -groom to shop early for their special outfits. Owner Debbie Hill explains, “This year is likely to be an incredibly busy one with all the weddings either cancelled or re-scheduled from 2020. Several of our designers have informed us that they will only be offering one collection this year for mother-of-the-bride and -groom outfits with a longer completion date. With this in mind I would encourage all mums to start their search early!” Even if the wedding date has to be moved again, she advises against waiting until nearer the time. “On the whole, the weights of the fabrics don’t change greatly for each season and if you find something that fits with the wedding theme and colour scheme I’d definitely get it now.” Visit www.charismaoffawley.co.uk YOUR ESSENTIALS 9