Editor loves and inspiration

Wow, this certainly is a stunning bridal suite and it provided the most gorgeous backdrop to Hannah's getting ready photos when she tied the knot with Jon at Halstead's Gosfield Hall.

Their entire big day is covered in issue 100 of An Essex Wedding which you can download for FREE here.

Unsurprisingly, I have a soft spot in my heart for The Old Parish Rooms in Rayleigh as this was my very own wedding venue back in 2018. You can see why from this gorgeous picture.

What's more, in issue of 100 of An Essex Wedding - which you can download and read for FREE - you can see the outside shot of the building which has become an iconic image to capture for couples tying the knot here.

A beautiful red brick old school house, The Old Parish Rooms is set within the grounds of the church at the top of the high street in the picturesque town of Rayleigh. Boasting a historic facade, inside has a contrasting cool and contemporary interior of white brick walls and exposed steel beams.

The venue offers a blank canvas for big-day styling, with two mezzanine floors that couples can utilise to create different areas but keep guests together in the same room.

For ceremonies, there's a choice between the 'chapel' mezzanine if you're going for a VIP only guest list of 30; or for a larger gathering, hold the ceremony on the ground floor with it's high ceiling and huge window - flooding the space with natural light - and standout lightbulb chandelier.

The venue as a whole can seat 80 guests across all mezzanine and ground floors which makes for an amazing atmosphere. For a non-seated party or reception 100 friends and family can attend.

Check out www.theoldparishrooms.com

When I saw this wedding venue, I thought how quirky and charming it is, people who have tied the knot here must smile whenever they look at their wedding photos.

Featured in issue 100 of An Essex Wedding, Rayleigh Windmill is perfect for a truly memorable wedding ceremony. Located next to the Windmill Garden and the historic Rayleigh Mount, the beautiful Rayleigh Windmill is a Grade II listed building more than 210 years old. A popular venue for weddings and other celebrations, it seats up to 20 guests in its intimate ceremony room.

Call 01702 318 120 or visit www.rochford.gov.uk/windmillweddings

You can read issue 100, the September/October issue of An Essex Wedding for FREE by downloading your copy here.

Here at An Essex Wedding HQ we love working with Braxted Park based in Witham, Essex. Not only do we host one of our County Wedding Events shows at this iconic venue, but the venue is also part of our Dream Wedding Venues feature in our birthday issue, issue 100! Keep your eyes peeled for the January/February issue too which showcases a must-see shoot that took place at Braxted Park for true wedding inspiration. 

For al fresco nuptials, behind mellow brick walls, lies the Knott Garden perfect for romantic gatherings of up to 160. As beautiful as any bridal bouquet with secluded nooks and delightful surprises around every corner, it enfolds all who enter in an enchanted circle of love.

Nestled so naturally within the walled garden, the recently-created Pavilion was designed to delight. Windows and doorways link it seamlessly with outdoor terraces and the green spaces beyond, while inside guests are immersed in contemporary comfort and state-of-the art facilities. Yours for the whole day and into the night, the Pavilion can be whatever you want it to be with up to 350 loved ones. Approaching via the tree-lined drive, the Georgian mansion standing proud, it's pure Pride & Prejudice on the outside with immaculate décor and superb facilities inside. Braxted Park marries the romance of the old with the best of the new to create a perfect 21st-century big-day venue.

The Orangery at Braxted Park is no ordinary setting for your ceremony of up to 160 loved ones. In this bright and airy exquisitely decorated room, you have the luxury of a space large enough for family and friends and an aisle generous enough for the most gorgeous of gowns. The delightful Orangery surrounds you with beauty on all sides, hand-painted murals and wonderful views over the gardens. Psst! When tying the knot here couples benefit from a complimentary menu tasting for the bride and groom.

Call 01621 770 855 or visit https://braxtedparkweddings.co.uk

Braxted Park is part of the Dream Wedding Venues feature in the September/October issue of An Essex Wedding, which you can download for FREE here.

I'm so excited to be attending my friend's wedding at Coggeshall's Houchins Barn next year!

A truly unique venue, Houchins is a lovingly restored barn set within its own peaceful landscaped grounds boasting a gentle formality with romantic planting including: roses, lavender, verbena, tulips and much more. There is a myriad of beautiful spots and hidden corners in which photographs can be taken, and the main wedding garden is where the marquee is situated and where the majority of weddings take place. 

Designed in a unique modern style, the zinc and cedar shingle barn nestles in the wedding garden with huge folding glass double doors opening onto an expansive west-facing terrace. It's the perfect setting for reception drinks set in the landscaped gardens. There are three interconnecting barns which allow the wedding to flow from reception drinks to wedding breakfast, then dance the night away in the aptly named Dance Barn! 

For the all important 'I dos', the Foundry seats up to 130, The Grainstore 150 and for more intimate weddings the wood-panelled drawing room in the house seats 30. Outside there is the marquee and loggia providing seating for up to 150 and the rustic, unlicensed Woodland Wedding area also seats 150 friends and family.

Post-vows, The Grainstore is the perfect setting for the wedding breakfast seating up to 150 and adjoins the bar area and the dance barn; it features a 35ft-high ceiling, open fireplace and mezzanine gallery. Call 01376 561 448 or visit www.houchins.co.uk

See more images from this stunning Essex wedding venue in the Septemeber/October of An Essex Wedding - which you can download for FREE here.

Candles in my home are a must have, from large jars to tea lights I have them in all shapes and sizes! This prize giveaway in issue 100 is right up my street (it's such a shame I can't enter it).

Yankee Candle®, the leader in home fragrance known and beloved by fans worldwide, is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a bundle of Original Jar Candles in a selection of favourite fragrances. Including the sophisticated Wedding Day, the sparkling All Is Bright and the enchanting Cherry Blossom in the Original Large Jars, alongside the romantic Fresh Cut Roses, the refreshing Midnight Jasmine and the charming Blush Bouquet in the Original Medium Jars, the bundle is a scented candle lover's dream.

Yankee Candle® has been sharing its passion for fragrance with the world since 1969. It is important that every fragrance launched is true-to-life and realistic to the experience that inspired it, whether that be a flower, food, fruit or place. Made by master chandlers, each candle developed is a complex system of custom blend wax, a unique wick and carefully crafted fragrance. Master perfumers develop Yankee Candle® fragrances for consistent and satisfying performance across all products. Every fragrance is rigorously screened, reviewed and tested by the highly experienced team of fragrance experts to achieve a strong scent and quality experience and maintain high standards, commitment and craftmanship. All Yankee Candle® Original Jar Candles are made at in-house production facilities in the US and Europe, with quality ingredients from around the world. Check out www.yankeecandle.co.uk

For you chance to win, head over to the giveaways page on An Essex Wedding's website here. You can also download issue 100 of An Essex Wedding for free while you're there, just click on to 'Get your Copy' now.

I had to do a double-take when I saw this image from Sible Hedingham-based vineyard Tuffon Hall, in issue 100 of An Essex Wedding. Looks like it could be an al fresco wedding in Italy! We're so lucky here in Essex with the various landscapes available to coupes, whether nearlyweds want a coastal backdrop or a city feel, a vineyard or a farm - our glorious county of Essex has it all.


With the latest surge in open-air ceremonies and outdoor wedding receptions, Tuffon Hall offers an unrivalled backdrop for your dream day. The bespoke cedar-wood wedding gazebo stands proud at the top of the most picturesque of vineyards where award-winning wines are produced to be enjoyed by you and your guests. Opt for an Italian-themed al fresco wedding breakfast with views across the stunning North-Essex countryside and soak up the picture perfect setting, then head inside the magnificent 400-year-old Cellar Door barn for your evening celebrations before retiring to the farmhouse where your beautiful honeymoon suite and a further five guest bedrooms await. What's more, the venue us now taking 2023 wedding enquiries so drop the team an email on weddings@tuffonhall.co.uk now!

Check out https://tuffonhall.co.uk/wedding-visit-us

Read more from An Essex Wedding issue 100 now, download it for free here!

I adore this image in issue 100 of An Essex Wedding (which you can read online now!). The balcony at Colchester Town Hall really does provide the ultimate, picture-perfect moment for newlyweds - a photographer's dream.

The Town Hall is a jewel in Colchester's crown. From its prominent town centre location, the magnificent Baroque structure with its Victorian tower and statue of St Helena, Colchester's patron saint, dominates the town. Bursting with old-fashioned glamour, the Town Hall's many opulent interiors are fully licensed for ceremonies and receptions, offering style and grandeur for all occasions.

Melissa Faux, wedding and corporate events manager at Colchester Weddings said, “Whether you are planning an intimate gathering, or a lavish celebration, the Town Hall's choice of breathtaking spaces will provide the perfect setting for your special day. From the grand Moot Hall, with its high arched ceiling and stained-glass windows, to the Mayor's Parlour with its balcony offering a 'Royal' photo opportunity looking down over the town below, these elegant interiors are unrivalled in Essex.”

The latest issue of An Essex Wedding is available to download for free now!

All the fun of the fair at this couple's big day! See the full real wedding at Old Brook Barn shot by Anesta Broad Photography in our May/June issue.

You can read An Essex Wedding for free here!

This couple knew how to rock an intimate micro-wedding. See the full real wedding at Galvin Green Man shot by Beth Dowdell Photography in our May/June issue.

You can read An Essex Wedding for free here!