Your Surrey Wedding- October/November 2020 (Issue 85)

MUM’S THE WORD Occasionwear specialists, Serendipity Fashions is offering a free hatinator worth £100 when you spend a minimum of £400. The offer is valid on sale items and ends on 31 st December, 2020. Based in Chilworth, Surrey, the mother-of- the-bride specialist first opened in 1988 and has become one of the premier stockists in the area, with hundreds of products on offer from leading labels such as Condici, Inspirato and Veni Infantino by Ronald Joyce. The experienced stylists provide a friendly service and will be on hand to ensure your mum looks her big day best without any pressure. Check out www.serendipityfashions.co.uk fo r more information. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Julia Willis Photography has helped her local community by taking photographs of businesses. Julia tells us: “This year has been a tricky time for everyone, especially small, independent businesses, who have had to have their doors closed for a large part of the year. Having recently relocated to Surrey, I’m in the process of re-launching my photography business in a new area. As COVID-19 made starting afresh more of a challenge, I wanted to find a way to give back to my local community and help those who may also have been facing challenging times. I teamed up with Weddings & Events at The Priory (www.weddingsatthepriory.com), an d together we approached local high street businesses in Frimley and offered free marketing photography. Our goal was to help promote their services and products and assist them in getting back on their feet after a long lockdown period. We hope to encourage people back to the local high street and show people how hard companies have worked to ensure the environment is safe. It has been a rewarding experience knowing that my photography is making a difference to people’s livelihoods.” Check out www.juliawillsphotography.co.uk fo r more information. LIFE’S A PICTURE Local photographer, Ruth Gibbs from Life is in the Detail has helped raise money during lockdown by taking doorstep photographs. She tells us: “As a result of COVID-19, I was unable to photograph any weddings and found I was really missing the social interactions involved. I saw that photographers across the country had been embracing doorstep photography – photographing families on their doorsteps or front gardens, whilst using telephoto lenses to maintain social distancing. I decided to start offering these sessions in my local area, as I thought it would give residents something fun to do as a family and would leave them with a visual memento to mark this extremely unusual period in their lives. I charged £20 for each session and gave £10 from every booking to local food bank charity, Loveworks, who helped local people during the crisis. I enjoyed meeting so many local families and photographing them – some in their pyjamas and others dressed smartly. To help couples affected, I’m offering a 10 per cent discount on all full-day weddings booked by the end of 2020.” Visit www.lifeisinthedetail.net fo r more information. PAMPERED POOCHES The Hand Picked Hotels group, which includes Nutfield Priory in Redhill and Woodlands Park in Cobham, has announced it will be welcoming dogs to their properties. Canine companions can now join their owners in spacious bedrooms offering direct access to outdoor terraces, patios and expansive lawns for walks galore through parkland and woodland. Staff will be able to recommend short strolls and lengthy hikes as well as wellies for guests to use in wet weather. Pampered pooches will be treated to comfortable bedding, snacks and a handwritten welcome note from the manager to welcome them to their new surroundings. Offering a real home- from-home feel, the group provide the optimum environment for dog owners to unwind during their short break or holiday. Visit, www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/dog-friendly-breaks to find out more. www.julia willsphotography.co.uk www.lifei sinthedetail.net 10