The Wedding Effects Blog by Verbena

Couples looking for a quirky wedding venue, as well as perhaps a “life sentence”, may soon be able to tie the knot at a former prison.

While a wedding meal of porridge may not be to everyone’s taste, Denbighshire council is applying to use Ruthin Gaol for ceremonies.

An application has been submitted and the council said it had already been approached by interested couples.

A jail, first built on site in the 17th Century, is now a tourist attraction.

A spokesman for Denbighshire council said: “The council has submitted an application to allow Ruthin Gaol to be used to solemnise marriages and civil partnerships.

“Two of the council’s heritage buildings, Plas Newydd at Llangollen and Nantclwyd y Dre in Ruthin, are already licensed for this and we are hoping that the Ruthin Gaol application will be successful.

“We have already had approaches from people interested in getting married at Ruthin Gaol.

“The location provides a historic backdrop – it’s unique, different and quirky. Some people want their ceremonies to be individual and the gaol really would offer that.”

The application will be discussed by the council licensing committee and is still the subject of consultation.

The gaol was taken over as a munitions factory in World War II
The first county house of correction was built at Ruthin in 1654 at the bottom of Clwyd Street on the same site as the present buildings.

An entirely new prison was designed by the architect Joseph Turner of Chester in the late 18th Century and the building served as the county jail until 1866.

Ruthin County Gaol became HM Prison Ruthin in 1878 and it remained open for 38 years until finally closing its doors in 1916.

Denbighshire council bought the buildings in 1926 and converted them for office and library use.

The gaol was taken over as a munitions factory in World War II but the council returned after the war.

The public has been able to explore the building as a tourist attraction since its reopening in May 2002 following a £2m restoration project.

Article taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

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It has become clear in recent months that lanterns are proving to be extremely popular wedding decorations and favours. To this end we have added some beautiful lanterns to the website. Take a look and do let us know what you think.
http://www.verbenastationery.co.uk/unique-wedding-favours/lanterns/

Wedding Favours, wedding Accessories

A US couple has spent the first night of married life in separate prison cells after the bride attacked the groom’s former lover after the wedding.

The Massachusetts bride is alleged to have tried to run over the woman and her son, the Cape Cod Times reports.

Marissa Ann Putignano-Keene, 22, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – her car.

No-one was injured in the incident which happened in a car park in the Cape Cod village of Barnstable.

According to the newspaper, the woman, who told police she had been previously been in an intimate relationship with the groom, was leaving work and taking a shortcut through the car park when the newly-wed couple drove by.

She told police that Mrs Putignano-Keene wound down the car window and began shouting lewd insults before revving the engine and allegedly driving towards her.

The groom, 37-year-old Timothy Keene – who was in the car’s passenger seat – was charged with disorderly conduct and taken into protective custody along with his new wife.

Mrs Putignano-Keene was also charged with damage to property, after her car hit a fence during the incident.

The pair are reported to have told police that they split a bottle of champagne between them after their wedding ceremony at Barnstable Town Hall.

They were released together on Tuesday, having spent the night in individual cells at Barnstable police station.
Story from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

General

The team at Kate Aspen have triumphed again and released some fantastic new favours in their 2010 collection. We have just added them to the site so you can purchase the most fashionable favours for your weddings. My favourite is the lighthouse tealight holder, pictured. The beautiful butterfly wine bottle stopper is also a must have at any wedding this year. You can see them all at, http://www.verbenastationery.co.uk/unique-wedding-favours/

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For those of you who are still searching for an unusual place to tie the knot, have a read of this article from the BBC website for a bit of inspiration:
The Houses of Parliament will be available as a wedding venue to members of the public for the first time.

Westminster City Council has granted a licence approving two rooms in the Palace of Westminster to be used for marriages and civil partnerships.

Until now, only MPs, peers, certain parliamentary officials and their families could be married in conventional weddings there.

The rooms have been approved as venues for civil ceremonies until 2013.

The Jubilee Room, which overlooks Cromwell Green, has space for 80 people and the MPs’ dining room, with views of the Thames, has space for 150.

Historical settings

But as religious sites cannot be used for civil partnerships or civil marriages, the licence rules out the 14th century Chapel of St Mary in Parliament.

Alison Cathcart, who has been Westminster’s Superintendent Registrar for almost 20 years and has married celebrities including Sylvester Stallone, Joan Collins and Barbara Windsor, welcomed the move.

She said: “I’m delighted that this prestigious venue has been granted approval and very much look forward to conducting the first civil ceremony in such famous and historical settings.

“This will add to the rich repertoire of locations Westminster already has available for couples to tie the knot on what is one of the most important days of their lives.”

Since 1995, authorities have been able to authorise venues for civil marriages based on the criteria that they “must be satisfied that the approved premises – and its management – will support the dignity of marriage”.

In October, Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Commons Speaker John Bercow to allow civil partnerships to be held within Parliament for the first time.

General wedding venues

I thought I’d share this fantastic wedding story with you all that appeared on the BBC news website.
A Derbyshire couple have tied the knot with the help of 23 bridesmaids at their wedding.

Mark Brailsford, 26, and Ruth Armstrong, 28, were married at Littleover Methodist Church.

Joining them down the aisle on Saturday was their group of bridesmaids, ranging from two to 30 years old.

Children’s charity employee Miss Armstrong said she worked with many of the bridesmaids and could not narrow her choice down.

The couple, both from Alvaston, also had a bouncy castle and a fish and chip van at their reception.

Mr Brailsford said: “I got bored of normal weddings.

“Ruth works with a load of kids and has done throughout her career, so we couldn’t just choose one – we chose 23.”

Ruth, who works at local charity Illuminate, said: “I knew there’d be people disappointed if they weren’t a bridesmaid.

“We’ve told them a colour and they are all wearing red but in their own style. We’ve said they can get something that suits them and they can wear again, so it’s not just money spent for one day.

“I’ve always wanted at my wedding to have a fish and chip van and a bouncy castle and it all kind of flowed from there. We thought if we were doing that we might as well do it all our own way.”

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The new year brings new trends! Last year saw a resurgence of a retro bride and candy bars at the reception. Will they still be popular in 2010? http://www.theknot.com have released their wedding trends for 2010 – let’s take a look.

Trend 1: Retro-Chic Weddings

Retro-style weddings — at a hotel, in your parents’ backyard, or even at a restaurant — are huge right now, and we’ll continue to see a lot of the style in 2010. It’s really no wonder: A wedding filled with vintage details, whether from the 1950s, ’60s, or even ’70s, can make for a meaningful heirloom-filled, back-in-the-day vibe, and the decor options are limitless. Use a turquoise-and-raspberry color combo, get milk-glass cake stands for your dessert table, dress the tables with pretty eyelet runners, and ask your florist to arrange your centerpieces in small porcelain vases or silver pitchers. Even your menu options can get in on the action with pigs in blankets and punch (served up in glass punch glasses, of course) at the cocktail hour.

Trend 2: Dinner-Focused Receptions

Say good-bye to informal buffet lines and light hors d’oeuvres stations and welcome back the sit-down reception dinner. Think of it as a re-creation of a dinner party in your own home: lots of food and a comfortable setting are both key. To achieve this level of comfort, order starter plates to get guests munching and chatting from the get-go and choose a dinner menu of the meat-and-potatoes variety. Have the meal served family-style so that all the food, wine, and iced tea or lemonade is set in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves, just like they’d do at their own homes. Do it this way and you’ll encourage conversation and create a more intimate atmosphere.

Trend 3: Innovative Ceremony Setups

This year, it’s really all about comfort, so whether your ceremony takes place in a church, at a farm, or in a ballroom, consider adding elements that make your guests feel right at home. Skip the common aisle-down-the-middle arrangement and create a living-room vibe using a mix of couches and chairs, replace all those chairs with hay bales covered with quilts, or even spread blankets on the ground right in front of the altar for the kids. The best part is that anything goes just so long as the details create an intimate feeling.

Trend 4: Shorter, Tea-Length Dresses

From ball gowns to slim, structured sheaths, a shorter-than-floor-length style will make a huge resurgence on ceremony aisles this year. And you don’t have to have a casual wedding to pull it off, either — the key is in the fabric. Find one made with cotton or layers of airy tulle for an outdoor spring or summer wedding, get a silk-satin gown for a more formal wedding, or go for heavy silk with a soft bolero or even an overcoat for a wintertime wedding.

Trend 5: Classic White Wedding Cakes

While dessert tables and candy bars have been popular for the past few years, wedding cakes have made a comeback. But instead of the colorful two-tiered styles we saw in 2009, this year it’s all about the classic white wedding cake. Order a simple, round, three-tiered cake frosted with white buttercream or covered in white fondant and finish it with an antique cake topper (from your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding), a few fresh flowers that match your bouquet, or leave it clear of add-ons for an even simpler look.

Trend 6: Textural Flower Arrangements

The typical tall centerpiece, overflowing with roses and calla lilies, has given way to low, textural arrangements that call to mind a springtime garden, crisp autumn foliage, or a snow-covered evergreen. To throw extra color and texture into the mix, have your bouquets wrapped with lace or patterned fabric, or line your flower-filled vases with birchbark sleeves. As for the centerpiece vases, ask your florist to use small planters, classic pedestals, vintage-inspired vases, or even rustic apple crates.

Trend 7: Turn Table DJs/Specialty Music

Everyone loves a live band, but DJs are resurging in popularity — and we’re not talking about the old iPod-and-speakers setup. We mean skilled turntable DJs who can create a unique mishmash of music tailored to your guests, guaranteeing you a packed dance floor all night long. If it’s in the budget, hire a specialty band that speaks to your relationship or wedding locale (like a jazz trio, bluegrass band, or even funk group) for the cocktail hour.

Trend 8: Souped-Up Photo Booths

The photo booth trend is so not going anywhere — it’s just becoming more personalized. If you’d rather not rent one, make one. Create your own backdrop using a piece of patterned fabric, a simple curtain, or even paper streamers. If it’s an outdoor wedding, pin the fabric to an arbor or trellis; otherwise, use a wardrobe frame to secure your fabric. If you’ve rented more of a traditional wedding space, ask your site manager whether they have in-house “pipe and drapes” that you can use (a fancy term for a stand-alone bar with a curtain attached). You could also make a completely custom photo backdrop out of wood, cover it with wallpaper or paint, and then decorate it with fun frames or anything else you can think of. Cut out circles for your guests’ faces, or encourage everyone to get comfortable together on a great couch placed in front of the backdrop. And don’t forget the funny props, like hats, fake mustaches, and glasses!

Trend 9: Themed Engagement Photo Shoots

Just like your dress and reception decor, your engagement photo shoot should be completely “you.” Follow that line of thinking and you’ll understand why couples are coming up with the most creative themed engagement photo shoots, from Mad Men and Breakfast at Tiffany’s to more obscure 1950s backyard barbecue shoots. Not into the theme idea? Tone it down with a couple props, like colorful balloons, umbrellas, or a tandem bicycle.

Trend 10: Wedding Videos (They’re Back!)

While classic cinematic wedding videos are still an in-demand style, couples are also asking their videographers to use motion picture in new and creative ways. A few ideas we love: short wedding Super 8 wedding videos for that grainy, vintage look (which can later have music dubbed in), the one-minute wedding video first created by the Flashdance DJ out of Los Angeles — a fast-motion version of the dance floor throughout the evening, or an ultra-creative save-the-date video.

© 2009 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved.

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Happy New Year to you all. I hope you had a lovely Christmas break and you are surviving the cold Winter weather.
We took some time off over Christmas which enabled us to put together our plans for 2010. There will be a host of new wedding favours appearing on the site very soon along with some beautiful new wedding decorations that we have sourced. Keep checking the blog and the website for updates, the new products will be appearing in the next month.
I hope that you are ready to get back into wedding planning mode now that the Christmas festivities are over. We look forward to hearing from you and helping with your wedding in any way that we can.
Kate

General, Wedding Favours Wedding Favours

Just to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the team at Verbena. We are taking our final orders today before the festive holiday and we will then be taking a well earned break. We have lots of plans for 2010 for Verbena and are looking forward to putting plans into action when we return in January. Lots of new products and ideas will follow so do keep up with the blog in 2010 for lots of wedding inspiration.

I wish you all the best for a wonderful Christmas and look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Best wishes

Kate

General

Just letting you all know about our new sister site, Verbena Baby Gifts. We have put together a gorgeous selection of baby gifts, christening invitations and new parent gifts which has been keeping us very busy lately. We have many unique ideas from personalised lullabies to Christening signature plates – a plate for christening guests to sign which can then be baked and turned into a fabulous keepsake.

Take a look in time for Christmas to get pick up the perfect gift for the little ones in your family. http://www.verbenababygifts.co.uk

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