Wedding Guide: Part II
I hope you’re ready! Here comes The MUDDY MEGA WEDDING GUIDE: PART 2. Make sure you don’t book anything until you’ve read this! With ideas for bridal boutiques, florists hair & beauty… You have a read and we’ll go buy a hat!
BRIDAL BOUTIQUES • FLOWERS • HAIR & BEAUTY • JEWELLERS • HEN PARTIES • HONEYMOONS
BRIDAL BOUTIQUES
Isabella Grace Bridal Boutique, Tunbridge Wells
There’s a reason this beautiful bridal boutique, in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, was crowned Best Bridal Store in Kent in the Muddy Awards 2021. Think biscuit-coloured walls, white painted furniture and plush cream carpets spread over four floors of an elegant Regency townhouse. Run by a mother and daughter team with over 12 years’ experience in the bridal industry, at Isabella Grace Bridal they believe that choosing your wedding dress should be one of life’s most magical experiences and they do a pretty fine job in making that happen. Their stunning selection of wedding dresses come from some of the best designers around the world including Justin Alexander, Martina Liana and Eliza Jane Howell and they EVEN have a showroom dedicated to wedding accessories.
Bridal Boutique at Chilham, Chilham
Luxury bridal boutique for ex-sample and pre-loved designer label wedding dresses. Chilham Bridal Boutique has an off-the-peg collection consisting of the latest styles and trends from the most recent bridal collections and is perfect for brides with a budget of £600 – £1500 but for those who still want a quality, stylish designer wedding dress. With a collection of over 80 designer wedding dresses, from designers such as Pronovias, Sottero & Midgley, Modeca, Willowby, Watters, Wtoo, Stella York, Essense of Australia, Hayley Paige, Jack Sullivan and many more! Enjoy your all important and special bridal shopping experience with family and friends.
Love in Lace Bridal, Chiddingstone
Created by Claire Martin-Quirk who was a Fashion Buyer for multiple world-renowned retails and possesses a keen eye for style and detail, Love in Lace offers brides-to-be a unique bridal experience and the chance to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy total exclusivity in the countryside boutique. Claire has put together an amazing curated selection of dresses and accessories from global designers to well-established names and even the up-and-coming. The perfect place for the conscious, modern and discerning bride in you.
Dress Dreams Bridal Boutique, Sevenoaks
Dress Dreams Bridal Boutique offers the modern bride that something a little different. Here you’ll find breathtaking contemporary dresses with the wow factor, created by the finest fashion-forward International Designers from Israel to Australia whose designs are exquisitely beautiful and unique.
Brides Dress Revisited, Otford
Situated in the quaint village of Otford in Kent, Brides Dress Revisited offers only the finest once worn designer wedding dresses. They have a selection of over 100 gowns that have been carefully selected from all over the UK. So you can try on and purchase your dream dress in an relaxed and luxurious surroundings whether you’re a eco-conscious bride or just simply needing to keep to a budget for your big day. Second-hand wedding dress shopping has never been so glam!
FLOWERS
The Bloom Foundry, Tunbridge Wells
A beautiful florist and antiques shop along St John’s Road in Tunbridge Wells. Muddy Award Winner, The Bloom Foundry serves stunning fresh, dried and faux flowers. If you’re looking for some modern and unique arrangements, for your wedding, you’ll be in safe hands here!
Flower & Glory, Sevenoaks
Deborah Arpino is a florist and stylist which is a magical mix in the world of flowers. Over the past 25 years, she has developed a distinctive look that is inspired by her love of flora, fauna and France – funnily enough. Driven by her passion of finding unusual decorative objects and combining them with beautiful flowers, plants and candles, Deborah founder of Flower & Glory can help you create the perfect floral vision for your day regardless of whether it is a small and intimate affair or a big old ho-ha of a party.
Coco & Bloom, West Malling
Specialising in luxury wedding flowers in Kent, Sussex and the home counties, this bespoke service, gives you the chance to introduce your own style alongside the touch of elegance and knowledge of seasonal, fragrant flowers. Coco & Bloom‘s floristry style lends itself to romantic country weddings using natural flowers, with foliage foraged from their farm and seasonal flowers from the cutting garden. Whether your wedding is a small, intimate celebration or a fabulously grand affair, they take pride in creating wedding flowers that are dreamy and unique.
Flowers By Enchantment, Tonbridge
Another Muddy Stilettos winner for you: we love Flowers By Enchantment an independent, Tonbridge florist that is really at the heart of the local community and goes the extra mile to give you the best service. Good friends and talented florists, Mandy and Claire are truly passionate about what they do and can turn their nimble fingers to anything when it comes to flowers: be it modern and contemporary or classic bouquets, hand ties and arrangements. Plus you are guaranteed a very friendly service at the same time which helps to keep your inner Bridezilla at bay.
Chambers Farm Flowers, Marden
Chambers Farm Flowers specialises in floristry using seasonal British flowers which can capture your wedding in a time and place with each anniversary you’ll be reminded of your special day by the flowers in season around you. All of their flowers are grown without harsh chemicals and they use sustainable farming methods so their flowers are safe to use on both wedding cakes and cocktails. Brides can choose to have a full service wedding where Chambers Farm Flowers can creative and deliver all of your flowers or you can choose to have just the key elements like bouquets or even DIY buckets of flowers for you to arrange as table decorations. Perfect option for both creatives and those on a budget.
Lily and Myrtle, Horsmonden
Lisa at Lily and Myrtle in Kent (there’s both a Kent and Surrey florist) is passionate about what she does. Working closely with clients to create stylish bespoke floral displays for all occasions Lisa takes a modern approach to providing a traditional service. She’s also a supplier for both Sprivers and Penshurst Place – two lovely local venues.
Blooming Green, Maidstone
Why not try something totally different for your wedding that is also a little kinder to our planet. Head to Blooming Green, just outside Maidstone, where they specialise in cut flowers that are organically grown and have a tiny carbon footprint. Or PYO flowers where you can wander through an acre of flowers, picking your own. They’ll also be able to provide everything from your bouquet, buttonholes, table decorations – to flowers for the church with guaranteed gorgeous, freshly picked flowers. Sounds like a plan to me.
HAIR & BEAUTY
The Chair, Canterbury
Only the Best Hair Salon in Kent as voted by you in our Muddy Stilettos Awards! The Chair, based in in the historic Northgate area of Canterbury, has an experienced and creative team, all of whom have a knack for knowing precisely which hairstyles will suit you best. They offer a bespoke wedding services in the salon, or at your home or venue, and are up to date with all wedding trends noting that chic boho looks and vintage soft waves are still going strong this year, while glamorous classical looks are making a comeback. Now you just need to decide what look you want to be channeling for that auspicious day.
Skin & Beauty, Tenterden
Skin and Beauty Clinic (formerly Beautellies) is a quality results-based skin and beauty clinic, sitting pretty on Tenterden High St – not to mention they just won Best Beauty Salon in Kent! Founded by Ellie Hoskin who makes sure every client enjoys a warm welcome as well as a professional treatment, Ellie has the highest and most prestigious qualification within the beauty industry, CIDESCO and tonnes of experience, which she has passed on to her fab hand-picked team.
Beauty treatments to pamper you from head to toe, whether it be essential maintenance waxing, a results driven facial or body treatment, or a pampering manicure or pedicure, you will find what you are looking for to be ready for your big day here!
Camden Villa Hair, Cranbrook
This little pocket rocket of a hair salon tucked away in Sissinghurst, in a newly converted barn in the owner’s back garden, specialises in wedding and occasional hair. Linsey, who owns the salon, used to work for some of the top salons in London before opening up Camden Villa Hair and we are so glad that she took the plunge! Here you can expect a truly personalized service for your wedding day plus the additional benefit of having your own space, with you and the bridesmaids, to get wedding-ready.
The Chapel, Tunbridge Wells
Once a 19th-century Baptist chapel, now a luxurious Hair Salon, right in the centre of Tunbridge Wells. The Chapel is a beautiful space which is spread over 3 floors and you’re not sat in just one chair for your whole appointment, oh no! The Chapel’s different service areas carry their own unique charms, it’s very cool and quirky here, we love! It’s a total ‘word of mouth’ place and they do things a little differently, so you pay for their services by the hour, rather than per treatment. You’ll leave feeling completely pampered.
No6 Clinic, Tunbridge Wells
If you want skin of the glowing variety, then you should consider No.6 Clinic, who have won Best Beauty Salon in our Muddy Awards for three years running, proving their popularity time and time again. The Power Facial has recently been launched at No.6 to help clients maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin and uses a combination of advanced treatments in 45 minutes to produce amazing results. So do not fear if your skin routine goes AWOL in the run-up to the wedding, major SOS help is at hand at No6 Clinic in Tunbridge Wells.
Oh My, Tunbridge Wells
Oh My is ideally located right in the centre of Tunbridge Wells within Chapel Place – not far at all from the train station! Bringing you fresh and fun salon experience with a friendly and honest approach. They have a team of dedicated Stylists so whether you’re after a blow-dry or full transformation for your bridesmaids or yourself before your big day, you’ll have a fab experience with a haircut and colour you’ll love!
Little Pink Salon, Tunbridge Wells
We love the Little Pink Salon here at Muddy! Located on St John’s Road in Tunbridge Wells which you won’t miss cos you guessed it – it’s pink! They offer the best brands in beauty, waxing and nails so you’ll feel leaving looked after and feeling fab. From Lycon waxing, OPI gel nails, eye lash lifts and tints, to Bespoke Facial, they’ve got it covered when it comes to beauty treatments! Dive in to this pink paradise and relaaaaax.
JEWELLERS
Jacqui Larsson Fine Jewellery
If you’re looking for engagement rings, wedding rings, eternity rings, anniversary, bridal jewellery, wedding party adornment or custom made cufflinks – Jacqui founder of Jacqui Larsson Fine Jewellery can help you create something completely personal that you will cherish for years to come. Clients receive CAD digital visuals or beautifully rendered artwork which clarifies all aspects of design before production starts. Based at the London Diamond Bourse (an exclusive institution, steeped in history, that guarantees the highest standards of trade and best business practice), Jacqui predominantly services clients in London and the South East. A qualified gemmologist and diamond expert, by choosing Jacqui you know that you are getting the highest level of care and quality.
The Diamond Setter, Tunbridge Wells
You’ll love this contemporary jewellery label offering luxury, stand-out pieces that are designed for your everyday wear. The Diamond Setter is an independent family owned business, located in the beautiful Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, this hidden gem specialises in diamond and gemstone settings. Gavin is a highly experienced craftsman as well as a diamond and gemstone setter with nearly 20 years bench experience. many of which spent in Hatton Garden. Together with Gavin you can co-design your engagement and wedding rings.
HEN PARTIES
Love Betty
If you’re looking for a tee-pee party or boutique bell tent hire – then look no further than these magical, memorable events, Love Betty! Where the fun is all set up for you! If you like the sound of a stylish boho hen party then this could be just the ticket.
The Granary Spa, Ashford
It’s no co-incidence that Granary Spa won Best Day Spa in our most recent Muddy Stiletto Awards – the team here definitely go the extra mile. This rural retreat, tucked away close to Ashford in Kent, has developed a reputation for their depth of care and personal touch – rather than just a quick manicure – and what is particularly good for you and your gal pals is that the Granary Spa can be hired exclusively for a hen celebration! Enjoy one of their fab Pamper Packages and prolong it even further by staying on for Afternoon Tea.
First Aid Box Cocktails
The award-winning South London bar ‘First Aid Box’ now deliver their unique, fun and stylish cocktails to your doorstep. Treat yourself to a night in with a difference – or sample a selection for a special occasion – they do gift cards too. Doctor’s orders now! Bringing you the First Aid Box in spirit to your doorstep – these fun themed cocktail packs make a brilliant present – or night in with a difference. Based near Ashford, but delivering all across Kent – and all at a very reasonable price…
Paddle Cabin, East Peckham
For some outdoor fun, how about this new watersport venture, Paddle Cabin – launched by friends and co-founders Hayley and Jo who are in love with the paddle boarding way of life and all the incredible benefits and experiences that come with it. They offer Super-friendly SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) sessions for all levels, from their cute cabin in East Peckham – and you can book a price group session for your celebrations.
Green Farm Spa, Shadoxhurst
A high spec, fabulously restored 19th Century, listed barn set on a farm in the delightful Kent Weald with one of Kent’s most unique Spas at your disposal you say? With luxury self-catering accommodation for up to 12 guests, Green Farm Spa ticks a LOT of boxes for your hen weekend with your favourite people. The only issue being can you fit it ALL into your oh so hectic schedule – whether it’s a yoga or art class, ‘enduring’ a full-body massage, cycling around the neighbouring country lanes or relaxing those limbs in the hot tub, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone to enjoy.
Canoe Wild, Canterbury
This brilliant water sports company is your one-stop-shop for all the messing-about-on-the-river fun you can possibly imagine. Join the friendly team at Canoe Wild on the beautiful River Stour where you can hire canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and much more. The team offer Taster Sessions, Courses, Private Lessons & Guided Tours – perfect for Hen Dos with a difference. Choose your mode of transport and then the distance you want to go. What’s more the hire centre sits on the Grove Ferry Picnic Site, the perfect spot for enjoying refreshments alongside the picturesque banks of the Great Stour River. Why not try one of their Sunset Paddles?
HONEYMOONS
KDC Travel Co
Proudly independent, experienced travel expert, Katie Daniels-Curtis, founder of KDC Travel Co. can create the bespoke getaway of your dreams. Specialising in luxurious travel, this includes safaris, cruises, skiing, road trips, all inclusive resorts, honeymoon hotspots and more. KDC Travel Co plan everything from start to finish and sort any added extras for you including airport transfers, airport lounges, transfers, excursions and more. Think of this as a concierge travel service that will help create a bespoke travel itinerary for you – Katie does all the hard work so you can focus on the important last minute details… like, how many bikinis is acceptable?!