I have just returned from my honeymoon. A three-week road trip through Italy followed by three weeks of island-hopping in Greece. It was, as you can imagine, quite magical. I’ll be sharing more soon, revealing the highlights, the hiccups and everything in-between. Despite my wedding being over I still have wedding very much on the brain. There is a fair amount of post-wedmin surrounding my own wedding. We still have to organise our wedding presents, pick out the best of the wedding photos and sit down and watch the wedding video. More importantly, we still have to write our thank you letters. This coming weekend has been appointed as a ‘wedmin’ weekend. I have a bottle of our wedding champagne in the fridge which we’ve agreed can only be opened when at least half of the letters have been written. Thankfully we’ve saved ourselves some effort. We used Papier for our wedding thank you stationery which has a genius service that allows you to upload the addresses to their site and then sends you beautifully printed and ready-addressed envelopes. In two weeks’ time two of my closest friends are getting married. Ping-pong discussions over whatsapp have covered menus, marquees, the best pre-wedding treatments, whether or not to change for dancing, and the best spots to minimoon. And I absolutely loved it. Weddings are wonderful. The build-up (although unquestionably stressful at times) is truly one of the best bits, and the aftermath is a tremendous amount of fun too.
The Pre-Bridal Treatment – 111CRYO Full Body Treatment
I tried my first 111CRYO in 2019 and was instantly hooked. Cryotherapy is renowned for a multitude of benefits including boosting energy and aiding sleep. Some studies show that it can even help to improve athletic performance and metabolism. Before my own wedding, I had terrible tightness in my hips. It’s no myth that stress causes tension in the body and the first place where I feel it is always my hips. I did four sessions in the run-up to my wedding and it wasn’t just the muscle release that kept me coming back. It was how my head felt afterwards. I had peppermint fresh clarity. All the little things I was worrying over seemed to untangle. Three minutes of standing in -85° seemed to provide what I’d been searching for in hour-long hot vinyasa classes but unable to find. I’ve since become a huge convert to cold therapy. I love a cold shower when I am stressed, or an icy wild swim when I need inspiration, but I keep going back to 111CRYO. It’s something that was invaluable to me in preparing me for my own wedding and is a habit I don’t plan on giving up.
The Wedding Present – Le Creuset Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Dish
I love the versatility of this cast iron shallow casserole dish. I use it for everything from risottos, curries, and stir-fries to oven-baked fish dishes and even potato gratin! I love the fact that you can bring it straight from the kitchen to the table. The coloured enamel coating acts as a wonderful showstopper centrepiece and there is zero faff transferring the recipe into another serving dish. I am somewhat obsessed with this bamboo green colour but the deep teal has also caught my eye.
The Date Night Restaurant – Rochelle Canteen
Rochelle Canteen is glorious at any time of year but especially during these late summer days. It is the perfect place to slurp up the last of the juicy tomatoes and sweet summer fruits before we enter Autumn. I enjoyed a long lazy Saturday lunch with my husband at Rochelle Canteen the weekend we returned home from Greece. Any dangers of honeymoon blues were obliterated by sizzling plates of cod cheeks with fermented chilli and garlic, friggitelli peppers with anchovy, and steaming hot bowls of buttery new potatoes. The menu changes weekly and each time I look it seems to become more delicious. On the menu this week is a dish of Smoked Cod’s Roe with Paprika Crisps which I cannot stop thinking about. Go whilst the evenings are still light and take advantage of their wonderful conservatory.
The Getaway – The Newt In Somerset
There are not many hotels that can boast such beauty as The Newt. I spent hours losing myself in their delicate maze of apple tree varieties, before enjoying a glass of freshly pressed apple juice that was quite literally pressed before my eyes. There is a refreshing ruralness to The Newt that often seems amiss at countryside hotels. The tulip borders are expertly groomed and the topiary is kept with military-like precision, but there is also a playfulness and a curiosity that comes across in the gardens and indeed within the entire hotel. Behind a sliding door, you will find a mushroom house, just behind the Japanese garden is a stumpery where one would be forgiven for believing a fairy really did just prance from one palace of twisted roots to the next. The rooms have a charming homely feel but come with luxuriously soft dressing gowns, exquisite bathrooms, and personal touches such as chilled bottles of The Newt’s homemade delicious cider.
Each of the three restaurants at The Newt offers its own interpretation of the best of the local seasonal produce. Perhaps the most delicious is the food at The Farmyard. More relaxed than the Botanical rooms, the menu is centred around the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Expect dishes such as smokey roast carrots with crunchy dukkah, asparagus tempura with tarragon mayo, and pillowy chewy flatbreads with mojo Verde.
The Honeymoon Wardrobe – Seersucker Ruffle Bikini from Paper London
I love the sophisticated cut of this bikini. Designed with a chic high waist but made with sunbathing in mind it is perfect for a romantic beach escape. A cream or white bikini is a must for a honeymoon wardrobe!
Lusting Over – Diamond Drop Earrings by Kiki McDonough earrings on HURR
I love a statement earring, especially for weddings. I wore Kiki McDonough for my own wedding and have rented these for a wedding I am going to in two weeks’ time.
Can’t Live Without – Papier Wedding Thank You Stationery
I love everything that Papier does and knew right away that I wanted to use their stationery for my wedding thank you cards. They have a wonderful variety of customisable designs but perhaps the best part of their service is their addressed envelope printing service. Simply upload your addresses to their site and they will send you beautifully printed and addressed envelopes. It saves time and looks fabulous.
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