PLANNING SOS Wedding hair stylist Gareth Lambert and award-winning make-up artist Polly Winder have joined forces to launch The Love District Wedding Podcast, which aims to educate and entertain brides and grooms-to-be. With a combined 1,500 weddings under their belts, these two know how to calm an anxious bride and distract a fussy mother-in-law. Gareth explains why they are doing it: “On wedding mornings, Polly and I are always asked about funny stories, things that can go wrong and any tips to help them through the day, and as we love to chat, we thought, why not share this with everyone?” Polly adds: “The aim of the podcast is to have fun and share all our advice that we’ve picked up over our combined 35-year experience at weddings. Believe me, we have seen and heard it all.” The first series of The Love District Wedding Podcast has four entertaining episodes and focuses on wedding planning and morning disaster stories. Listen to it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thelove-district-wedding-podcast/id1709786302 AWARD-WINNING VENUE Skitby, a wedding barn surrounded by acres of Cumbrian countryside, has been named a winner at the annual Hitched Wedding Awards 2024. The property received a total of 11 five-star reviews, left by married couples in the past year, on their online storefront on Hitched’s website. It’s no wonder Skitby has won, as it boasts impressive views of the Lake District, a contemporary interior, well-manicured gardens and an outdoor seating area. If that wasn’t enough, the venue is also exclusive use, meaning you will have the property to yourself for your big day. Visit www.skitby.co.uk for more information. A PLACE TO REST YOUR HEAD The Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly, situated next to Piccadilly Train Station, is set to open this spring. In late 2021, the hotel was acquired leading to a 33-million-pound refurbishment and rebranding project. The new 338-room hotel offers a contemporary destination for travellers, featuring a restaurant and bar, a function room, 11 meeting rooms, a state-of-the-art gym and a spa featuring a thermal suite and six treatment rooms. Distinguished as the largest four-star hotel in the city centre, the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly will offer 338 generous bedrooms spread across eight floors, promising comfort for its customers. The interior design of the bedrooms is a nod to the neighbourhood’s industrial and musical heritage, incorporating earthy tones and contemporary décor. Head over to the website, www.marriott.com/manmp for more information. BLOOMING WONDERFUL Cumberland Flower Farm has been accredited by the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. The farm was established in 2018 and grows cut flowers for homes, businesses and weddings near Cockermouth in West Cumbria. Using oldschool market garden methods, the team grows flowers and foliage from March until October. The company has a growing reputation for sustainable floristry, designing without floral foam and imported flowers that celebrate the seasons. Its relaxed ‘country garden’ florals have proved very popular with couples marrying in the Lakes, flowering between 40 and 50 weddings a year. The Sustainable Wedding Alliance was set up in 2020 by Michelle Miles to help the wedding industry reach the country’s ambition to be net zero by 2030. The process of accreditation supports businesses in understanding their current carbon footprint and creating a sustainability strategy that helps them become more environmentally friendly. Harriet Smithson, the owner of Cumberland Flower Farm, tells us: “We are delighted to have achieved accreditation with the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. It is brilliant to be able to celebrate our work and have a practical plan for our growth and development. The accreditation process has taken us a year and has involved us analysing our carbon footprint, supply chain and processes. It’s very thorough and thought-provoking! It’s easy to say you are ‘eco’ but this really underlines the effort we make to consider the environment. Sustainability is at the heart of what we do and to be the first business in Cumbria to be accredited is a great achievement. We encourage others to join and start the process!” For more information, visit www.cumberlandflowerfarm.co.uk. For advice on making your wedding more environmentally friendly, please head over to: www.sustainableweddingalliance.co.uk/forconsciouscouples www.jennywoolgarphotography.co.uk www.naomihouse.co.uk 10
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