Your Sussex Wedding - April/May 2020 (Issue 84)

FANCY A BREW? Sussex-based tea company, Bird and Blend, has launched a range of the nation’s favourite beverage perfect for your wedding day. Wedding Cake Tea, £5.55, perfectly combines coconut and rose in it’s caffeine- free rooibos complete with toasted rice and heart-shaped edible confetti, so you can kick back, relax and enjoy newlywed bliss post wedding breakfast. Love Potion, £5.90, is a magical tea, guaranteed to put love in the air. Chocolate strawberries, rose petals and love heart candies – it tastes so good you’ll fall instantly in love. Perfect to unwind with your feet up in the honeymoon suite. Also, check out the Elderflower Prosecco oolong and Nuts About You rooibos with almond pieces, coconut flakes and cinnamon. Pop over to birdandblendtea.com or head down to the flagship store in Brighton’s iconic North Laine. GIVING BACK Long Furlong Barn has taken the first steps towards its long-term goal of supporting the local community. Traditionally, venues will charge suppliers for space at their wedding fairs, but the beautiful barn in Worthing has opted for a different approach, donating all proceeds to a local charity, The Hope Charity Project. The charity focuses on mental health in young people, building support networks within the community to ensure the entire family affected has someone to turn to when they feel most vulnerable. The therapy centre in Southwater, West Sussex, currently offers counselling and animal therapy to 40 families in the county. Venue manager Vicki Lamont says, “Long Furlong Barn is a family-run business, owned by the Jenkins who have farmed the land for over 100 years. We wanted to be able to give something back to the community and felt supporting a local cause was the best way forward.” Check out longfurlongbarn.co.uk RAISE A GLASS Mannings Heath Golf and Wine Estate, near Horsham, has proposed plans to build a winery, tasting room and restaurant on the 500-acre site. Penny Streeter OBE, CEO of the Bengula Collection, acquired the golf club in 2016, and in the following year planted a 37-acre vineyard. Its first crop is due in 2020, with the release of wine in 2023. As well as providing essential housing for all the necessary wine-making equipment, the new building will also include a 120-seat restaurant and wine-tasting room, creating a special visitor experience, combining art, cuisine and, of course, wine. Plus, visitors will be able to enjoy all of this surrounded by the beautiful views over the golf course. To find out more about hosting your wedding day here, head over to manningsheath.com TAKING THE REINS Bridal boutique Proposals in Chichester has come under new ownership. It will continue to stock a selection of over 200 gowns by its seven current designers, including Rebecca Ingram, Maggie Sottero, Sottero and Midgley, and Jack Sullivan, all available in a range of sizes and prices. Proposals also stocks a selection of bridal accessories from tiaras and veils to shoes and jewellery, as well as offering full in-house alterations and customisation services. New owner, Ashley Dawson says, “After a long career in nursing, I made the decision to purchase my own business. When I found out about the opportunity to acquire the Proposals boutique, I jumped at the chance to own such a well-renowned West Sussex-based shop.” Ashley will run the business alongside the existing three full-time and two part-time members of staff who are trained to provide brides-to-be with a personalised service. Check out proposals.co.uk YOUR ESSENTIALS 9