BUILD A MUSIC LIBRARY
This is great if you have a lot of young guests who don’t necessarily have a lot to spend on a present. Build up a list of every album, every track you have ever loved and all the ones you think you should listen to, which your guests can then purchase online for you. Every time you play one of these songs you will remember your friends and family. Add to this his and hers iPods, a docking station and top quality speakers for the wealthier guests!
PLANT A GARDEN
Employ the services of a landscape gardener and get them to help you draw up a planting plan. Guests can then purchase plants or bulbs either through a website or a local garden centre. Add outdoor seating, pots and lighting to the list and enjoy the months after your wedding watching your garden come to life.
START A WINE CELLAR
A local wine merchant will be only too delighted to create a list for you - from light fresh wines for summer drinking to heavy, robust winter reds. Throw in some sparkling fizz and a couple of bottles of serious port and you will have the perfect drink for every social occasion in your cellar. Guests could also purchase crystal glasses, decanters, corkscrews or even a wine fridge!
BUY A WORK OF ART
Choose a stunning painting together that can be your future legacy. Divide the picture into square inches (not literally!) - guests can purchase as many as they like. Hang the painting over your fireplace and enjoy for the rest of your life - choose well and it will be a wise investment.
Patrck’s Wedding Night Suggestions
Not everyone has the time or the money for a romantic honeymoon in the Maldives or Tahiti. But a special first night with your bride is a must - every couple needs some time out together after all the frenetic planning, preferably in unashamed luxury. Here is a selection of hotels to suit all tastes.
SOHO HOTEL
Understated townhouse chic in the heart of London. Enjoy a trip to the theatre or some serious shopping, then hang out for cocktails before slipping into the Egyptian cotton sheets.
LYGON ARMS
Quintessential Cotswold charm. Slip in some antiques shopping or peruse the estate agents for your own chocolate-box cottage before tucking into champagne and amuse-bouches in front of a roaring log fire.
WATERGATE BAY
For the outdoor type - try an afternoon’s kiteboarding or surfing or just a walk on the stunning beach, then book a table at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant and enjoy local fish.
ROYAL CRESCENT, BATH
Roam historic Bath and while away the afternoon in the amazing Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only natural thermal spa, before enjoying dinner at this classically elegant hotel.
LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’ SAISONS
A must for gourmands, this beautiful house set in a walled 17th-century garden is the perfect foil for Raymond Blanc’s magnificent cooking, largely supplied by the hotel’s own herb and vegetable gardens.
POOL HOUSE
Start your married life in this passionate and windswept setting in the Scottish Highlands on the banks of Loch Ewe. Breathtaking scenery combined with witty and imaginative décor and warm hospitality will make it an unforgettable experience.
Of course, you don’t need to be a honeymoon couple to enjoy any of these hotels. Perfect for a proposal, an anniversary or a wicked weekend. Book now!
Just a Family Affair Page 42
