Your Devon and Cornwall Wedding news and ideas from around the area

The Most popular Wedding Gifts and Their Impact Post-Wedding

You've received your invitation, you've picked out your outfit, now you just need to select your gift! A simple task that can bring reality crashing in "what on earth can I get them?" Here's Not on the Highstreets most popular wedding gifts, along with expert insights from their exclusive interview with multi-award-winning relationship coach Gemma Nice on how these gifts can strengthen relationships and keep the connection alive long after the wedding day.

Celebrate Mother's Day with the Adam Handling Group at The Tartan Fox

Treat the mother figure in your life to Sunday lunch this Mother's Day with the Adam Handling Collection, at Newquay's The Tartan Fox. There is also a range of gifts on offer for mums, including gift vouchers, Adam's Limited Edition Boxset of cookbooks, and a selection of Adam Handling Own Label English Sparkling Wines. For pre-Mother's Day delivery of these gifts, please order before 26th March and gift vouchers by 23rd March. Nestled in the picturesque countryside between Newquay and Truro is the enchanting Tartan Fox, chef Adam's first Cornish pub venture, which will be serving up a selection of outstanding pub roasts including a half-roast chicken with lemon thyme, hot smoked wagyu sirloin and BBQ cauliflower with beans, capers.

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide!

It's time to get our purses out and to spoil mum. Rituals is a luxurious brand that offers gorgeous gifts for affordable prices, which is one of the many reasons why they are a great place to start for Mother's Day. Rituals recognises that maternal love manifests in various forms and can come from unexpected sources, such as a caring neighbour or a trusted babysitter. Rituals' goal is to honour and celebrate all forms of love.

Celebrate Mother's Day at Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

Treat the mother figure in your life to a delicious afternoon tea this Mother's Day with the Adam Handling Collection, at Ugly Butterfly in Cornwall. Experience a Cornish dining experience with the wow factor, with seal and dolphin spotting opportunities at this chic seaside restaurant and bar with its floor-to-ceiling windows displaying panoramic views of the coastline. The Mother's Day Afternoon Tea and tasting menu uses the finest local and seasonal produce. The Afternoon Tea menu is priced at £45pp or £55pp with fizz and includes savouries such as Phillip Warren beef with horseradish and St. Ives smokehouse salmon with cream cheese. Desserts include Victoria sponge cake and Cornish scones with traditional Rodda's clotted cream and homemade jams, alongside eight varieties of local Tregothnan teas.

Quality Over Quantity: The Surge of Micro Weddings

The modern couple are ditching large lavish weddings and choosing a more intimate affair. A micro wedding is a wedding that has less than 50 guests and focuses more on the meaningfulness of the day rather than the spectacle. Diamonds Factory Ireland with expert wedding planner Akilah Atiba-Davies from With Akilah & Co, unpacks the surge of this trend and why more couples are leaning towards smaller events.

Make Mother’s Day extra sweet with a gift from Devon-based Flapjackery

This Mother's Day, Flapjackery, the artisan bakery located on the edge of Dartmoor, is helping people celebrate the incredible mums and mother figures in their lives with a gift that's as thoughtful, indulgent, and utterly delicious as they are. Known for their luxurious, gluten-free flapjacks and sweet treats, all handmade with love in Devon, Flapjackery is the go-to destination for a truly special Mother's Day gift. These aren't your average flapjacks. Flapjackery's creations are thick, buttery, and packed with British oats, each one handmade and bursting with deliciously decadent flavours whether the mother figure in your life loves rich chocolate, fruity bursts, or classic combinations.

Shetland Ponies To Steal the Show at Exeter Racecourse’s Family Raceday

Exeter Racecourse is set to host a day of action-packed family fun on Sunday 23 March as the pint-sized powerhouses of the equine world - Shetland ponies - take centre stage. These spirited little racers, born and bred in the rugged landscapes of the Shetland and Orkney Isles, are a true testament to their ancient heritage. Shetland ponies are one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world, dating back over 2000 years and they will steal the show as they storm up Haldon Hill in front of a packed grandstand. Twelve of these ponies will thunder down the home straight, ridden by future champion jockeys aged between eight and 13.

How to avoid overspending on your wedding budget

It is a special time for you and your partner, planning the perfect event to celebrate your love with friends and family. However, it can often become stressful as people try to fit such a big event into their budgets. With the average wedding for 2025 coming to a total of £20,822, getting everything from drinks to décor can be a chore. Lake District Country Hotels, providers of wedding venues in the Lake District, pair with James Beckett, financial coach and founder of MoneyStocker.com, to help you budget your way to your big day.

Flapjackery Triumphs at Taste of the West 2025 Awards with Eight Golds and One Silver

Devon-based Flapjackery, the renowned artisan producer of gluten-free flapjacks, is celebrating an extraordinary achievement at the prestigious Taste of the West 2025 Awards. The company has been awarded an impressive eight Gold awards and one Silver award, cementing its reputation as a leader in the South West's food and drink industry. This phenomenal success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the team in the bakery who have consistently maintained the highest standards of quality and innovation. The Gold-winning products include the summer fruits crumble flapjack; the toffee apple crumble flapjack; the apple and blackcurrant flapjack; the lemon drizzle flapjack and more.

Devon-based Voyager Coffee’s Brew at Home Coffee Masterclass returns for 2025

Devon-based Voyager Coffee is excited to continue its Brew at Home Coffee Masterclass into 2025, offering coffee enthusiasts the chance to perfect their home brewing techniques with expert guidance. Following a successful launch in 2024, this hands-on experience is a must for those eager to develop their coffee-making skills. Held at the Brew Hub in Buckfastleigh, the three-and-a-half-hour course provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of coffee, covering everything from coffee fundamentals, brewing science and grinding techniques, practical experience with multiple brewing methods, milk steaming and drink-building skills. Participants will also receive a discount code to use on the Voyager website, enabling them to continue exploring and refining their new skills at home.

The hidden language of roses, revealed by expert

Chris Waugh, Florist at Bloom & Wild discusses the symbolism of roses and the bridal trends we can expect to see: "Roses are set to remain a popular choice for weddings in 2025, remaining as one of the most traditional parts of a bridal bouquet. While floriography, known as the language of flowers, was popular during the Victorian Era, the hidden language of roses is still more apparent than ever. Whether you want your guests to be enticed by a feeling of love and passion by incorporating dark red roses into your big day, or if you'd prefer a more delicate approach to love and gratitude by using pink roses, it's important to pick each colour wisely to ensure you're getting the most appropriate messaging across to your guests."

Game, Set, Relax: Top five cottages with tennis courts in Devon for World Tennis Day

As World Tennis Day approaches on Monday 3rd March, Marsdens Devon Cottages share their top five holiday cottages with private tennis courts. Whether you are a keen player or just love a casual rally, a getaway to a picturesque cottage with its private tennis court offers the ultimate blend of relaxation and recreation for a staycation, mini-moon or even a honeymoon. Riverview Farmhouse in the Tamar Valley sleeps up to 10 guests and two dogs. It's a uniquely crafted property surrounded by stunning countryside and has open living spaces, a games room, a tennis court, a large football field, a hot tub, a paddock, woodland access and much more.

Cornwall home to the best wild camping location in the UK

Cornwall has the best 'wild' camping spot in the UK, according to an independent study that has ranked hundreds of off-grid locations around the UK as holidaymakers plan their summer breaks. The inaugural Best Almost Wild Camping Index by Camplify UK, one of the largest and most trusted campervan and motorhome sharing communities globally, lists hundreds of off-grid locations around the UK to help holidaymakers embrace the outdoors and get closer to nature. The index exclusively analysed remote locations and their proximity to beaches, national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), top attractions, as well as the functional facilities available on-site – allowing holidaymakers to ditch crowded campsites in favour of peace and tranquillity.

The Perfect Pairing: Champagne styles for every wedding

The Champagne Bureau UK* wanted to share some tips for couples who are planning to celebrate their big day with a sparkling touch; pairing the perfect Champagne styles with different wedding themes. Champagne has long been synonymous with celebration, and the versatility of its styles means there is a perfect style for every couple, no matter the wedding theme. If your wedding theme is classic and traditional Brut Champagne offers versatility, it is an excellent choice for celebrations where guests will feel part of the couple's love story. Brut Champagne makes up around 80% of Champagne shipments to the UK, beloved for its balanced structure and refreshing finish.

Devon-based Weaver Green unveil sustainable table linen collection

Join Devon-based Weaver Green in the movement for eco-friendly dining with their sustainable collection of table linens and aprons that make ideal wedding gifts. Created entirely from recycled plastic bottles, these incredible linens transform the dining experience with beautifully crafted, earth-friendly fabrics that feel as soft as natural linen yet are designed to be both recycled and recyclable. Every item in the Antibes collection is created using a unique process that reclaims discarded plastic bottles, which are then spun into yarns that mimic the luxurious texture of linen. Soft to the touch and rich in colour, the range features a lovely blanket stitch edging detail and simple tassels on the corners of the napkins.

The Garden Café Newquay picks up National Good Food Award

The Garden Café, based at the Heritage Cottages in Newquay's stunning Trenance Gardens recently won a National Good Food Award for the second year running. "We celebrate top-notch food, service, and value, basing our awards on what matters most: customer opinion. By using customer feedback, online reviews, nominations and votes, we ensure our awards reflect genuine dining experiences. Many awardees continue to shine by maintaining the high standards that first earned them recognition." says the Good Food Awards. This was very much the case with The Garden Café, which won for a second year and has also won Newquay in Bloom for Best Café.

Couples are making sustainable wedding choices from the beginning - engagement ring trend

When it comes to choosing an engagement ring, many couples are looking to take inspiration from the likes of royalty and celebrities who decided to remodel or repurpose their symbol of enduring love from a vintage or pre-loved item or family heirloom. Not only does it give your engagement ring a deeper meaning or story, it's also a more sustainable way to shop, for one of the most important pieces of jewellery you'll ever own – you'll end up saving potentially thousands of pounds, plus you could end up with something completely unique to you. One such jeweller who is helping couples with this big decision is Rachel Fox, Jewellery expert TV presenter from Channel 4's Millionaire Hoarders, and Store Manager from pre-owned luxury jewellery seller, S&R Jewellers. As one of London's top specialists in this area, S&R Jewellers reports a huge uptick in the number of couples choosing the pre-loved route for their engagement ring.

Couples share the key ingredient to a long-lasting relationship

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, greeting card marketplace, thortful, has spoken to five couples who are still going strong after many years about the key ingredient to a long-lasting relationship – and one is quite taboo. Speaking to the five couples, who have all been together longer than 10 years, communication, small gestures, and alone time were among the most common ingredients for a long-lasting relationship. All couples even unanimously agreed that farting in front of each other strengthens their relationships. Lack of communication is among the top reasons for break ups, according to experts, which is why Tom Lanaway, who has been with his partner for 11 years, claims strong communication to be the key to his strong connection.

Minimalist or maximalist? The décor styles couples are choosing in 2025

As we step into 2025, it's crunch time for soon-to-be-weds to lock in those wedding details. Whether you've just popped the question or are counting down to the big day, knowing the latest wedding décor trends can spark some serious inspiration for your celebration. The décor at your wedding isn't just about aesthetics; it's the mood setter, the vibe creator, the silent DJ of your day. From colour schemes to special touches, the décor styles set the tone and the atmosphere. So, let's dive into the styles that will be painting the town (and your wedding) this year.

Devon-based jewellers Irene & Jenny celebrate Valentine's Day

Devon-based mother-and-daughter duo Amalia Brightley-Gillott and Anita Brightley-Hodges founded jewellery brand Irene & Jenny, transforming old jewellery into new modern pieces keeping memories precious. As Valentine's Day approaches, we are reminded not only of romantic love but of all the love stories that shape our lives. From the tender devotion of a grandmother to the passionate promise of an engagement, jewellery has always been a symbol of love's endurance. Throughout history, jewellery has played an essential role in marking life's most significant moments. Engagements and weddings have long been associated with rings, a tradition dating back to ancient Egypt, where circles symbolised eternity. The custom of diamond engagement rings became popular in the 1940s, spurred by the De Beers campaign declaring, 'A diamond is forever.