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Amplitude AV Services, the Bradford-based event manage-ment and conference specialists, have recently added marquees to their product portfolio.

The latest pillar-less aluminum marquees with the optionsof wooden floors, heating and lighting can accommodatebetween 35 and 350 guests and can also be combined tocreate a large venue catering for up to 750 seated guests.A full onsite installation service is included.

www.amplitudeav.com

Raising the Roof

The Midas Touch

Comes To Yorkshire!Savile Row that “golden mile of tailoring” has, thanks toHemingway Tailors of Wakefield, come to Yorkshire.Hemingway Tailors are renowned for their bespoke tailoring and contemporary styling that enables a groomto wear classic Savile Row handmade garments.

Steeped in tradition but with a modern flair and with over3000 fabrics for their designs, Hemingway creates any-thing from lounge suits, formal morning wear and tail coatsto dinner suits and even the creation of one-off designs.

www.hemingwaytailors.co.uk

Savile Row

Discerning clients can visit Seth Gardener – the award-winning goldsmith and jewellery designer – at his work-shop based in Art of Gold, Horsforth, Leeds. The workshopis located above one of WestYorkshire’s leading jewelleryand art galleries whereSeth’s creations, and thoseof other inspirational UKdesigners, are on display.

Seth specializes inexquisite, handcraftedjewellery piecesdesigned for clientslooking for some-thing unique. Healso works closelywith brides andgrooms on thedesign of their wedding rings.

www.artofgoldgalleries.co.uk

www.johnedler.co.uk

Elegantly Entertaining

Create an aura of sophisticated elegance for winter weddings with a glamorous new range of table accessories from leading wedding favour and table

decoration specialists The Last Detail. The‘Elegantly Entertaining’range caters for all discerning brides andinjects a touch of styleand glamour. Includedin the range are luxurycrackers, stylish candle,sparkling table gemsand beautiful glassplace card holders andnapkin rings.

www.thelastdetail.co.uk

Winter 09

Winter 09

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Come,Fly Away....

Personal travel consultant Lynn Edwards specialises inhelping brides and grooms find their dream honeymoonand wedding destination. She can arrange a private watervilla in the Maldives, a stunning beach wedding in Sri Lanka, complete with elephants and traditional dancers,or even a Venetian wedding with ‘gondola serenade’followed by a honeymoon in the beautiful Italian lakes.

Lynn does not charge for her service; all she asks is thatclients recommend her to family and friends once theyreturn from their exciting destinations.

www.haystravel.co.uk/lynnedwards

Established in 1981, Louella Bride is one of theNorth’s leading bridal houses. In November 2008they staged “Prom in the City”, a glitzy weekendof fun and glamour, previewing a sensationalcollection of prom dresses and evening gownsdesigned by Mori Lee and Maggie Sottero.Those who attended also benefited from thefabulous tips and handy hints offered by theprofessional hair stylist, make-up artist andmodel taking part in the extravaganza.

www.louellabridal.co.uk

Eco-chic wedding stationery companyCherrygorgeous (UK’sfirst carbon-zero weddingstationery company) issponsoring the planting offruit trees in sub-SaharanAfrica. For every order ofover £250, Cherrygorgeous will pay for 2 fruit treesto be planted through www.sponsortrees.com

“We decided on the fruit tree planting project,”says Cherrygorgeous founder Dee Grismond,“because we felt that we had a moral obligationto put more back. We’ve always tried to be asenvironmentally aware as possible and thisseemed like the next logical environmental step.”

www.cherrygorgeous.co.uk

Louella Bride Stages ‘Prom in the City’

Cherry Gorgeous Fruit Trees

Linda Abrahams, who runs her own successful wedding stationerydesign company and who also plans and manages weddings, is set toexpand her business with the opening of a new division. WeddingsPlanned to Perfection offers stress-free wedding co-ordination andevent management for your very special day.

Linda has secured an exclusive venue in France for a wedding surrounded by vineyards and beautiful views of the Dordogne and willtake care of all the arrangements from accommodation to entertainment and everything in between.

Visit www.weddingsplannedtoperfection.co.uk for further information

Weddings Plannedto Perfection

Entertainment by Jools Holland, a Vera Wang wedding dressand a staircase to heaven were just a few of the highlightsthat made Nikki and Mark Thompson’s wedding one of themost stylish and lavish of the season.The enchanting ceremony,held at St Marks Church in St John’s Wood, London, was amass of candles and clusters of beautiful icicle-shaped whiteflowers, which together with the subdued lighting and thesetting sun, created a breathtaking scene.

The demure bride, Nikki, was resplendent in her magnificent Vera Wang

wedding dress – a mermaid-shaped tiered skirt and swag with sleeveless,

strapless bodice and simple neckline. The lace-covered bodice and skirt tiers

were sewn with Swarovski crystals and a double-layered veil, trimmed with

lace, provided the finishing touch. Nikki glittered all the way down the aisle

to join Mark in their journey of a lifetime. Nikki’s wedding band was platinum

with diamonds while Mark’s was a yellow gold band with diamonds.

Once at the magnificent reception venue, One Whitehall Place – part of the

grade-I listed historic building ‘The Royal Horseguards’ – set on the banks of

the Thames, guests were requested to position themselves on the majestic

staircase, one of the largest unsupported spiral marble staircases in Europe,

for an extraordinary photograph.

“This was one of my most challenging assignments,” said Melissa of Looking

Glass Photography.“Unlike many staircases this one has no windows and in

order to capture all 120 guests, lighting was absolutely critical. In the end I

was very pleased with the result.”

There were audible gasps from guests as they entered the dining room that

had been transformed into a spectacular winter wonderland with the help

of thousands of tiny fairy lights and yards of white chiffon. And the guests

were soon enjoying a feast fit for a king and queen with a menu that looked

like this:

Starters Assiette de Gourmande – Terrine of foie gras with Champagne

and peppercorns, bilinis with caviar and creme fraiche, lobster en gelle

infused with lemon grass, coriander and ginger

Fish Roulade of Dover sole filled with salmon and spinach mousseline

with saffron

Main Confit of duck on celeriac mash with roasted winter vegetables, savoy

cabbage with serrano ham and cherry jus

Dessert Creme brulee, sticky toffee pudding with creme Anglaise and

mixed berry crumble with clotted cream

An EnchantingYorkshire Brides Real Life Wedding

Wedding Day!

50

Wedding captured by: www.looking-glass-photography.co.uk

Winter 09

Wedding SuppliersCCeerreemmoonnyy -- St Mark’s Church, St John's Wood,

LondonBBrriiddaall GGoowwnn –– Vera Wang – From her 2008

Collection MMootthheerr ooff tthhee BBrriiddee GGoowwnn –– Suzanne Neville

Bridesmaid Dress- Vera Wang

FFlloorriisstt –– NB FlowersCCaakkee DDeessiiggnneerr –– Little Venice Cake Company

CChheeeessee aanndd WWiinnee -- Jeroboams

LLiigghhttiinngg && rroooomm ddrreessssiinngg -- Planned 2 Perfection

EEvveenntt CCoo--oorrddiinnaattoorr ((OOnnee WWhhiitteehhaallll PPllaaccee)) –– Janice

WangJJeewweelllleerryy –– Graff

PPhhoottooggrraapphhyy –– Looking Glass Photography

www.looking-glass-photography.co.uk

EEnntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt –– Jools Holland and his Rhythm

and Blues Orchestra featuring Ruby Turner 51

Mark& Nikki

To cap it all the venue throbbed to the sounds of the

phenomenal Jools Holland and his Rhythmn and

Blues Orchestra and singer Ruby Turner. Sensational!

“It’s difficult to describe how wonderful our wedding

turned out to be, said Nikki.“There was my fabulous

Vera Wang designer gown;our florist’s spectacular church

arrangements; the mind-blowing winter wonderland

theme; the chef who did wonders providing superb

restaurant-quality food for 120 guests; Melissa, our

brilliant photographer and her assistant, whose pictures

beautifully captured our wedding and the magnificent

staircase; our Master of Ceremonies who was simply

brilliant and the hotel’s event’s manager, Janice Wang,

who’s professionalism and energy was truly something

to behold. And who will ever forget the incredible

Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and

Ruby Turner whose performances and foot-stomping

music blew everyone away!”

Wedding captured by: www.looking-glass-photography.co.uk

With thanks to Jools Holland Management, Paul Loasby @ Co. One Fifteen, paul@onefifteen.com

Winter 09

Anita looked stunning in her ivory wedding dress and gloves(bought in Switzerland) at their wedding ceremony held in thesmall and beautiful church of St Giles in Skelton. James lookeddashing in his fashionable classic grey single-breasted suit.

Orange was the daring colour scheme at the reception held atSandburn Hall where a video booth was set up so that guestscould leave messages for the couple. Soon tables were groaningwith food in the form of delicious goats cheese tartlets, topsideof beef with trimmings and Baileys chocolate torte.

DJ friends of the bride and groom provided the music andwhen the dancing began, it was Anita and James that surprisedthe guests with their version of the Pulp Fiction dance.

“Dance teacher Jane Cooper from York helped us to perfect andperform a similar dance to the one in the film Pulp Fiction withJohn Travolta and Uma Thurman,” said Anita.“It was fantastic! Allthe guests crowded around the dance floor, clapping andcheering as we danced.”

Later, Anita and James moved on to a food-guessing game.With eyes firmly closed, Anita had to identify English food anddrink that included a Cornish pasty, a scone and a John SmithsBitter, while James had to guess Swiss food in the form of cherrysnaps, dried meat and a Swiss chocolate liqueur. It was a titanic,close-fought, taste-tangle but finally Anita, representingSwitzerland, came out tops beating James of England 2-1.

“It was a perfect wedding,” said Anita.“Everything ran smoothlyand James and I had the greatest time. Throughout the day,Steve Kershaw quietly got on with the job of taking the weddingpictures and did a fantastic job. I shall never forget ourceremony, my dress, our Pulp Fiction dance and, as the

celebrations finally wound down, the launching of 40 skylanterns into the night sky.”

An InternationalYorkshire Brides Real Life Wedding

Love Affair

52

The wedding of James and AnitaNewby brought two nations closertogether – James has English blood inhis veins while Anita hails fromSwitzerland … And no, James, thatdoesn’t mean you have to yodel GodSave The Queen!

Wedding captured by: www.yorkdigitalimage.co.uk

Winter 09

Wedding SuppliersFFlloowweerrss –– Orange GerberasCChhuurrcchh –– St Giles, Skelton

RRiinnggss –– Barbara Cattle, YorkRReecceeppttiioonn –– Sandburn Hall, Flaxton

PPhhoottooss –– York Digital Image

www.yorkdigitalimage.co.ukCCaarrss aanndd BBuuss –– Yorkshire Bells

GGrroooomm’’ss SSuuiitt –– Moss Bros

Winter 09

Anita&James

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Wedding captured by: www.yorkdigitalimage.co.uk

The warm, cosy suites enhanced with mood lighting have

large comfy beds with goose down duvets and pillows,

sumptuous armchairs, relaxing bathrooms and private

balconies that look out on beautiful gardens and terraces

and to the sea beyond. One of Seaham’s international

guests, Lionel Ritchie, requests the same room every time

he stays and enjoys walking on the beach because no-one

recognises him!

The restaurant is intimate with only 11 tables, has an

eclectic mix of diners and, although formal, is not in the

least stuffy or uncomfortable. The White Room is a

Michelin-starred restaurant and has been voted one of the

best 20 restaurants outside London. Staff are most attentive

but unobtrusive and very knowledgeable and diners are

spoilt for choice with menus that include a three course

market menu (brimming with locally-sourced, seasonal

produce), a fine la carte menu, a six course taster menu and

the chefs prestige menu with ten delicious courses.

The three course market menu includes dishes like Carrot

and Ginger Valume with Lemon Oil and Chives, starters of

Hand-dived Isle of Skye Scallops with a Leek and Potato

Valume, Parmesan and Bacon, main courses of a 12-hour

Pork Confit with Pork Cheeks, Black Pudding, Baby Leeks,

Pumpkin and Langoustine, pre-desserts of Mango

Cheesecake and finale desserts of Vanilla Pannacotta,

Blackberries, Apple Sorbet and Cinnamon Cream and,

if you can manage it, there’s also a fine Cheeseboard. The

restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere is up there

with the best!

Food to die for, service of the highest order, exquisite rooms and the incredible SerenitySpa, combine to make Seaham Hall one of the finest hotels in the North of England.

SeahamHall&The Serenity Spa

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Winter 09

Winter 09

The hotel is full of wonderful surprises too. As you walk to

the Serenity Spa you’ll descend a staircase flanked by a

rushing waterfall, then arrive at a set of double doors that

automatically waft open leading you onto an underground

wooden walkway, The walkway appears to be floating over

water and pebbles and further on there’s a vast glass dome

where a huge elephant towers over you, his tail pointing

towards the stairs and the Spa’s reception area.You’ll be

shown to the Zen Relaxation Lounge, a beautiful glass room

surrounded by an outside terrace and beautiful gardens

filled with shrubs and flowers and trees, before beginning

your treatments.

Therapies include a Thai Foot Cleansing Massage, Exotic

Coconut Rub and Milk Ritual Wrap, the Serenity Wellbeing

Massage, Indian Head Massage, and a selection of fabulous

facials for all skin types. Dark wood treatment rooms have a

very calming and soothing effect. The Spa’s swimming pool,

with its beautiful open-plan triple-height conservatory with

full-length windows overlooking over the gardens, has a

centre-island of stimulating water jets. It’s warm and inviting

and is cleaned by Ozone rather than Chlorine. There are

steam rooms, saunas, experience showers and plunge pools

together with a powerful Jacuzzi pool.

Brides can enjoy a bridal makeover with the very latest

range in totally organic make-up products made of 100%

pure bareMinerals with no additives and zero irritants. The

foundation is a fine powder that gives a pure and flawless

coverage which warms skin tone the longer it is worn and

the eye-shadows and eyeliners are all bareMineral powders.

Seaham Hall hotel is a beautiful location for a wedding, a

romantic weekend or a spa weekend with the girls.

Weddings can be catered for up to 110 guests in the

beautiful ballroom with double doors that open onto the

terrace and overlook the magnificent gardens and the sea.

To book Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa, Lord Byron's Walk,

Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7AG

telephone: 01915 161 400, or visit www.seaham-hall.com

57

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Helmsley, set in the beautiful North Yorkshire moors, is a

gorgeous village with no ‘outskirts’ to spoil its beauty.

The town is a treasure trove of small shops and historic

buildings. The luxurious reception area leads off to cosy-lit

lounges, private dining rooms and comfy snugs with real

log fires.

The poolside suite rooms are fabulous with B&O television,

soft upmarket décor, sumptuous bedrooms, bathrooms

with under-floor heating and baths made for two! And just

outside is the very tempting outdoor heated pool. These

suites could give most five-star hotels a good run for

their money.

The dining room with its deep-red tones, comfortable seating,

a conservatory roof and central serving table, would make

a perfect venue for a wedding, together with the linked

lounges and snugs.

Customers can choose from three menus: the set menu, a

la carte or the tasting menu. The tasting menu, reasonably

priced at £45.00 per head, includes dishes such as Celeriac

and Vanilla Soup, Rabbit & Pistachio Boudin with slow-

cooked Fois Gras, Pan Fried Halibut with Celeriac Puree and

purple-sprouting Broccoli, Veal Loin, with Baby Gem and

Mushroom Jus, Vanilla Panacotta and a Blackcurrant Parfait

with Lime Crisps.

The set menu, for the not-so-hungry, includes dishes like

Celeriac and Vanilla Soup followed by Poached Guinea

Fowl Breast with Roast Parsnip Risotto and Mushroom Jus

with a superb Cheeseboard to finish.

The Verbena Spa

The Verbena Spa, a perfect escape for couples – be it half

day, full day or weekend stay – serves guests and visitors of

both the Feversham Arms and its sister property the Black

Swan. The Spa’s décor is relaxed and country-chic and

features stone walling, individual wooden furniture pieces

together with an eclectic mix of the very modern. A

south-facing outdoor terrace is perfect for sunbathing and

the juice bar has floor to ceiling glass doors leading out

into the Verbena Spa Garden.

October 2008 and the Feversham Arms Hotel in Helmsley hosts the opening of its newVerbena Spa accompanied by six stylish poolside bedroom suites. It’s a grand occasionfor a new, luxury spa experience.

The Feversham Arms Hotel &Verbana Spa

Winter 09

Winter 09

59

Designed by Mathew Wilson, Head of Creative

Development for the Royal Horticultural Society, the

garden is typically English in style with lupins, wisteria,

lavender, agapanthus, peonies, Verbena plants and crab

apple trees. Privacy from other areas of the hotel has been

achieved by a unique and creative ‘Vertical Blind’ made

from seasoned oak spars.

With seven treatment rooms, Elemis products and a

spectacular range of treatments for men and women, the

new Verbena Spa is a magical experience. The Spa’s

facilities include:

The Salt Vapour Room

Here high temperature and humidity levels provide ‘soft’

heat, which, together with beneficial salt-water mist, helps

alleviate respiratory and sinus problems. It’s also a marvellous

tonic for the skin and promotes a sense of well-being.

The Monsoon Shower

A perfect way to cool down or rinse off between treatments,

with either a warm, tropical shower or an arctic cool spray.

The experience can also be enhanced by the infusion of

stimulating essential oils.

The Ice Cave

Based on the old Finnish

custom of rolling in the snow,

clients rub handfuls of ice

flakes over their skin, which

close the pores and allow the

body to cool down quickly

after a hot-room treatment.

The Aromatherapy Room

Heated to a comfortable 30-35 degrees Celsius and with the

addition of natural aromatherapy essences, the Aromatherapy

Room soothes and relaxes tired and stressed bodies.

The Saunarium

Dating back to Roman times, the warmth and heat of a

sauna is a luxury to enjoy and a refreshing tonic to the body.

The Spa’s body-pampering treatments include deep tissue

back massages, luxury manicures and pedicures, an exotic

lime and ginger salt glow, a selection of deep-clean facials,

exotic Rasul wraps, aroma stone therapy massages, oil-

nourishing, sensory grooming for neglected feet and the

soothing effects of the hot tub and pool.

“The Verbena Spa has been the missing piece of The

Feversham Arms,” says Simon Rhatigan, owner of The

Feversham.“It now allows us to offer our guests and visitors

added comfort and luxury throughout their stay with us.”

To book The Feversham Arms and Verbana Spa, Helmsley,

North Yorkshire, YO62 5AG

Telephone 01439 770766

or visit www.fevershamarmshotel.com