Your Cheshire and Merseyside Wedding news and ideas from around the area

Manor House Alsager has launched a new meditation room

Manor House Alsager has launched a new meditation room located within its charming summer house in the English country spa garden. Following the popularity of its salt shed sauna experience, a guided meditation that takes place in a stand-alone sauna, the spa has dedicated another area of the spa garden to this popular experience. Formerly, a garden room, with garden-style seating and a variety of books to choose from, the summer house has been transformed into a haven of meditation to serve as a sanctuary for mindfulness practice. The space now houses raised corner seating offering serene seclusion with breathtaking views, and a warming firepit in the centre of the room.

Thinking of doing a joint wedding speech? Read Speechy's top tips

The Speech Surgery' with Heidi Ellert McDermott, Founder of Speechy & author of 'The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches. A joint speech follows the same etiquette principles as your standard bride and groom speech but allows you to present it as a team and play up to your relationship dynamic. But, despite the two voices, be careful not to make the speech double the length! No more than 1,500 words maximum. When it comes to writing a joint speech, it all comes down to your ability to collaborate, discuss and bounce ideas off each other.

Things to consider when booking your big-day musicians

As the UK's largest and most sustainable musician bookings platform, musicians for weddings account for around 50% of Encore's bookings. As such, the company is well-versed in the most cost-effective ways to cut down on one of the more expensive aspects of a wedding. Please see below some best tips to help you save the most money when booking your wedding entertainment. On average, couples book musicians for their wedding seven and a half months in advance, but if your big day falls on a Saturday during peak season, you should book your musicians at least nine months in advance.

Planning a hen (or sten) party? These activity-based bars need to be on your list

Tasty food, gorgeous cocktails and a bit of healthy competition equals a winning recipe for an amazing time for your pre-wedding get together! How does a side of shuffleboard or darts with your cocktails sound? Whether you're looking for a daytime plan or something to keep you partying into the early hours, Electric Shuffle and Flight Club are great options. Both have resident DJs banging out the tunes, and both offer fab bottomless brunch packages if an afternoon booze session is more what you're after. They're also perfectly designed for the most amazing insta-worthy pics

Revealed the UK’s best venues with woodlands to achieve dreamy cottage-core weddings

A recent study revealed the UK's highest-rated venues for woodland-themed weddings, with Creeksea Place being named the best. The research conducted by photo wall art creator StoryBoards analysed user-generated review data to identify the UK regions with the highest quantity of top-rated woodlands venues by creating an overall rating score. The study has revealed that Creeksea Place is the most highly rated woodland in the nation. Located in Essex, the manor house, which includes picturesque woodland, has been rated five stars over 220 times giving it a perfect score of ten out of ten.

The new Yankee Candle® SS24 collection

Find an oasis this spring with the new Yankee Candle® SS24 collection, Under the Desert Sun. The new collection will brighten the home with fragrances that exude memories of warmer days, including four refreshingly light and bright fragrances including, Desert Blooms, Aloe & Agave, Sweet Vanilla & Horchata, and Stargazing. Inspired by the unique beauty of the desert, the new collection has been designed to help escape the ordinary and satisfy wanderlust, immersing the home in sun-drenched scents. The Under The Desert Sun collection features exotic fragrances such as aguaro cactus, aloe and blue lotus, as well as soothing lavender and eucalyptus.

Three spicy but sophisticated hen party ideas

Throwing a hen party that will please all attendees can be tricky. Striking a balance between risque and tame activities can be one of the most controversial challenges you'll face when planning. In fact, some of the more crude hen party gimmicks came out in the top 10 most hated parts of a hen party in this report. However, you can create a hen party that strikes the perfect balance between spice and sophistication, ensuring a night to remember for both the bride and her friends. Jess Martin, Hen Party expert at Ginger Ray has shared three amazing themes for the perfect spicy but sophisticated hen party: