Ideas and Inspiration

When it comes to showing a loved one how much he or she means to you, love should display no bounds. While an engagement ring is obviously top of the pops in the romance stakes, there are many other ways you can pile on the romance. So even if you’re already hitched, or not ready to pop the question, why not do something special to bring out the hopeless romantic in you.

A romantic gesture doesn’t have to be a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates or even an expensive item of jewellery. Spending time together with your loved one is far more important. So why not consider a romantic experience you can enjoy together? For adrenalin junkies, why not try a double sky-dive together? For the most hopeless romantic there’s always the failsafe overnight stay in a fairy-tale castle. All of these experiences are readily available in the UK with experience companies such as Into the Blue – and we’ve reviewed some of the traditional, and more unusual romantic experiences to help you choose the best way to make your lover melt…

Romantic City Getaway

We’re talking Paris, Rome, Venice, Lisbon, Barcelona and Marrakesh or even Reykjavik. After a day of sightseeing and a romantic dinner, you can relax at one of the top hotels. If you’re on a budget, there are many hidden gems in most cities when it comes to accommodation. Be thorough in your research and perhaps go out of season to get a better deal.

A special tip if you are heading for Paris; don’t miss visiting Bois de Vincennes, the largest public park in the city. There you’ll find the Temple of Love set on a lake island. You can access the island by bridge or if you’re a completely hopeless romantic, rent a little rowboat to get you across.

Other Romantic Getaways

There are way too many places to list here. The UK has some amazing places to stay, so your romantic break doesn’t have to be abroad. In fact, why not leave the car at home and take the train somewhere so you can spend more time concentrating on each other.

The Belmond British Pullman offers the ultimate in romantic train travel. Luxury weekend breaks go from London to Cornwall or South Devon and include brunch and a three-course lunch going down, and a five-course Sunday lunch coming back.

If you’re looking to go a bit further afield, there are some beautiful places all over Europe.

We love Manarola on the Italian Riviera. It’s a beautiful colourful village where you can while away hours looking out to the Ligurian Sea. That’s when you’re not gazing into each other’s eyes. No country lives up to romance quite like Italy. Italians are renowned for their passion, so there’s no better place for you to show off a little of yours.

Winter Break In A Sea-Facing Cottage

What could be more romantic than cosying up with a bottle of bubbly in front of a crackling fire? Share posh snacks and snuggle while you listen to the sea crashing in on the nearby beach. Where you go doesn’t really matter. It’s who you are with that counts.

Glamping

For outdoor lovers, putting up a tent can take the heat out of a romantic night away. Why not try glamping instead? A vintage airstream trailer on a working farm will satisfy your zest for nature, as well as the retro in you. And, it will give you a cosy space to get intimate. If you’re both into yoga or meditation, why not book space on a romantic yurt retreat.

Cocktail Making Classes

If a romantic break isn’t on the cards, why not try having a bit of fun together. A cocktail making masterclass is a really great idea. You’ll learn from the masters how to mix your favourite drinks and sample them too. It’ll leave you warm, fuzzy and giggling together all the way home.

Tango Dance Lessons

For the serious romantic who loves to dance, Tango lessons could be just what you are looking for to inject some passion and romance into your lives. The Tango is a dramatic and sultry dance. If you are looking for a sophisticated and dramatic fling with your loved one, turning to tango could be the answer.

Do Something Spontaneous

Throw some clothes in a bag and take off in the car. Don’t even set the destination, just stop and find a hotel when you’ve had enough driving. If you are used to planning everything in fine detail, throw caution to the wind. There’s something very sexy about breaking the rules for a change.

It doesn’t have to be a night away. Last-minute theatre tickets, or even a spontaneous meal out will do.

Whatever it is that brings out the hopeless romantic in you, go for it. Great for Valentine’s Day, but who says romance shouldn’t be get some attention all year round!

As every bride in London knows, wedding gowns don’t come cheap. And that’s before you even start thinking about shoes and accessories. But what’s a girl to do when the Big Day is looming and you want to look a million dollars, but the (financial) cupboard is bare? Well,

Well, it wouldn’t be London if there weren’t a solution to be found. All you need is a bit of left field thinking and the willingness to compromise on your preconceived ideas and, hey presto, you shall go to the ball! A quick scale of the London data lists later, and viola – here we present to you a beautiful treasure map, full of the best places to grab a cheeky wedding bargain.

Second Hand Wedding Boutiques

Why pay full price for your wedding gown when you don’t have to? Take a look at this selection of second hand wedding shops and outlet shops in and around London. You will find a great selection of designer wedding gowns at knockdown prices.

Dream Second Hand Wedding Dress Agency, Parkfield Avenue, Northolt, UB5 6PW

A very smart bridal shop selling discount new and preloved designer wedding dresses and accessories.

Brides Dress Revisited, 24 High Street, Otford, Kent TN14 5PQ

Only 30 minutes from Central London, this beautiful store specialises in second hand designer wedding dresses and accessories.

Betty Gets Hitched, Islington, London N5

A North London bridal studio that specialises in designer sample wedding dresses, with prices up to 60% off regular RRP available.

Betty McCaul Bridal Outlet, 103 St Marks Road, Enfield, EN1 1BJ

A wedding boutique with a wide range of leading designer dresses at up to 65% of the retail price.

Elegance and Grace, Royal Drive, London N11 3GX

Wedding, prom and evening dresses along with accessories at very reduced prices due to being ex stock.

Designer Charity Shops

Don’t underestimate the power of charity shops – they’ve come a long way since the days of musty jumpers and sad suits in drab, uninspiring surroundings. London, in particular, has a wealth of decidedly upmarket charity shops that specialise in covetable, designer or vintage garments, including wedding clothing, at prices you wouldn’t believe possible. You just need to know where to look:

British Red Cross Chelsea, 69-71 Old Church Street, London SW3 5BS

A large, self styled ‘designer charity shop’, this is Chelsea’s best known and most popular charity shop. Merchandise is mostly in the designer bracket, with pieces by Jaeger, MaxMara, Vivienne Westwood et al being donated regularly by wealthy local residents.

Cancer Research UK, 24 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4PQ

Not far from Oxford Street, this cavernous 2-story thrift shop is a favourite haunt for fashion forward but budget compromised students from the nearby London College of Fashion. There’s designer bargains to be had, but you may have some competition.

Salvation Army, Princes Street, London W1B 2LQ

This long established charity shop is a stone’s through from Oxford Circus and a popular drop-off point for fashionable cast-offs by the uber fashionable staff at Vogue magazine nearby. 2 floors of second hand clothes, shoes and accessories from high street and designer brands abound.

Barnardo’s, 414 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AY
This a huge and very lively shop with an unpredictable and exciting selection of clothing and accessories. Find all kinds of high street brands, as well as designer bargains for under £50 here.

Terrence Higgins Trust, 19 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LY

A boutique charity shop like no other, with a dedicated gay section and Shirley Bassey soundtrack, this is what Alan Carr called ‘the Harvey Nichols of charity shops’. It is rumoured that Mary Portas is also a fan. Pop in for designer bargains and vintage finds.

Octavia Foundation, 211 Brompton Road, London SW3 2EJ

Pop in for designer donations from wealthy local residents in this large store set in the heart of Knightsbridge, just a stone’s throw from Harrods but with prices that couldn’t be more different.

FARA Retromania, 6 Upper Tachbrook Street, London SW1V 1SH

A savvy designer vintage store where high fashion, wow labels and fashion forward merchandising abound, this shop is a world apart from the dowdy charity shops of old.

Royal Trinity Hospice, Kensington Church Street, London W8 4LL

Best known for its smart ladies wear, handbags and shoes, this shop always comes up trumps with designer pieces, Prada evening shoes, DKNY designer bags and the like.

Online Wedding Shopping

If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home, there are many online wedding dress sites where you can get a hardly (or sometimes never!) worn wedding gown for a fraction of the new retail price. Check out the following sites:

Preloved – second hand wedding clothes and bridal wear

SellMyWeddingDress – second hand, new and sample wedding dresses for sale online

TheDressmarket – hundreds of pre-loved and new dresses from private sellers and boutique sales

Bride2Bride – the UK’s largest online wedding marketplace, selling second hand wedding dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, mother-of-the-bride outfits, wedding shoes and more

Still White – UK’s largest marketplace for wedding dresses only

PreOwnedWeddingDresses – designer wedding dresses for less

OnceWed – shop used wedding dresses

Obviously, there’s eBay and Gumtree too. It’s worth pointing out that online shopping always carries an element of risk, eBay probably has the strongest buyer protection. You are advised to always carefully inspect the dress in person (ideally try it on!) and pay cash on collection. Also establish if you can return the dress if you should change your mind when you get home.

America is a great place to visit, but it’s an even better place to get married. The range of scenery and venues is hard to top and across the pond they really know how to go all out. For every kind of wedding and every kind of couple, there’s an incredible American venue to match you perfectly. So, if you haven’t decided on where you’ll be having your big day, look at some of these gorgeous venues in America and feel inspired.

Treehouse Point: Issaquah, Washington

For the couples that love to get in touch with nature and embrace their wilder side, Treehouse Point is the perfect venue and it’s so unlike any other. If you’re okay with a slightly smaller wedding, you and your partner could be getting hitched in a treehouse in the middle of an enchanted forest. This stunning, natural venue is magical in any season and your wedding photographs are guaranteed to be magical. You and your guests can have exclusive access to 4 acres of fairy tale woodland you can your partner get an overnight stay in one of their treetop suites. If you’re not ready to go home the next day, you can also book outdoor Yoga and Tai Chi sessions to soak in all of the natural beauty. Don’t pass up the chance to have a magical woodland wedding in a one of a kind venue.

Mandarin Oriental: Las Vegas, Nevada

Who ever said that a Vegas wedding had to be at a drive-through chapel? If you love Las Vegas then get at the best venue in Vegas: the incredible Mandarin Oriental hotel. Everything is five-starred and a wedding package here is all inclusive – pre-wedding spa treatments, catering, bachelor and bachelorette parties, the ceremony and a complimentary night the honeymoon suite all under one roof. From the unbelievably luxurious honeymoon suite you and your partner will have an amazing floor to ceiling view of the famous Las Vegas strip. So, if you’re going to elope to Vegas then you better elope in style.

Modern Honolulu: Honolulu, Hawaii

Which of us hasn’t dreamed of a beachfront wedding at least once? This Hawaiian boutique hotel is perfect for both weddings and honeymoons. It’s contemporary, stylish and unforgettably beautiful. Get married at sunset over the Hawaiian ocean and bring your guests to one of the largest ballrooms on Oahu. Walk barefoot on the beach with your partner or simply sleep in and watch the waves from the comfort of your Ocean Front Suite. The Modern Honolulu’s wedding package is one of the most generous you will ever find and includes having your menu authored by the hotel’s executive chef, receive a bridal lunch, spa treatments, couple’s massages, breakfast in bed and you have access to a whole range of activities. If you’re looking for the ultimate wedding venue then look no further.

If these venues haven’t tempted you then you should know that these are barely a fraction of what America has to offer. So, why not bring your wedding abroad and make lifelong memories. Grab your USA visa and get on a plane today to see even more unforgettable wedding venues.

More couples than ever are getting married abroad these days and Europe is one of the best places to get married. With a wedding in Europe couples can save money as well as find an unforgettable wedding venue. There are so many beautiful countries to choose from and so many different types of scenery. Whether you want to say ‘I do’ on a sunny beach or share your vows on a glacier, don’t rule out Europe as a prime location. So, if you’re a European resident, apply for your European health insurance card renewal and get to the nearest airport to find some of the most incredible wedding destinations in the world.

Snow

For an incredible snowy wedding you should head to Lake Bled in Slovenia. While during the summer it can be quite charming, the winter is when it really comes alive. The church is located on a tiny island in the middle of the lake that you can take a boat to and from the church steps you can see colossal white mountains in the distance that make for the perfect wedding backdrop.  On the hilltop by the lake you can also see a mystical medieval castle that overlooks the church. For amazing snowy wedding photos, head to the mountains or ski resort where you’re guaranteed a winter wonderland.

Sand

For an idyllic beach wedding, one of the best places to go is the Amalfi Coast in Italy. This beautiful coastline is lined by colourful fishing villages, steep and rocky cliffs, and small beaches that link into beautiful blue ocean. Positano in particular is known as one of the most beautiful places in Italy, with famous beaches and gardens hidden in difficult to reach places. Rather than visiting during the summer, where the sun is scorching and the beaches are crowded, visit in spring for a slightly cooler climate and some peace and quiet.

Scenery

If you want scenery then this location is nothing but scenery. Hotel Budir in Iceland is situated on a lava field with a church only a short distance away. This church is known simply as ‘the black church’ and is one of the most iconic landmarks in Iceland. It’s small and humble but sits on an open, almost entirely empty plane with a breath-taking backdrop of glaciers and mountains behind it. You can get married here or at the hotel while some couples choose to brave the cold and get married on the tiny beach. Don’t leave without exploring this amazing landscape and experience a real fairy tale wedding.

Savings

If your wedding budget is a little bit tight but you still want to tie the knot abroad, Cyprus is a great option. There are a lot of excellent resorts and hotels overlooking the ocean that aren’t as expensive as you might think. Of course, it helps if you have an open mind. If you come to Cyprus without nay expectations you’re going to be pleasantly surprised and you’ll find that keeping your wedding simple is a great way to get the most out of your location.