On Nov. 25, 1932, FDR had just defeated Herbert Hoover, the daily newspaper cost two cents, and Ann Shawah said “I do” to John Betar in Harrison, N.Y.

Fast forward through 13 presidents and 80 years to 2012: the Betars are still happily married. After five children, 14 grandchildren and 16 great children, the couple from Fairfield, Conn., will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary Sunday.

“We are so blessed. We are fortunate,” John Betar, 101, said.

“We are very fortunate. It can be repeated and repeated,” Ann, 97, echoed. “It is unconditional love and understanding. We have had that. We consider it a blessing.”

Humble Beginnings

John Betar met Ann Shawah growing up in the same Syrian community in Bridgeport, Conn. Betar immigrated to America as a young child in 1921 with his brother, he explained, joining his father who put down roots for them in Bridgeport. After attending grammar school, Betar began working as a fruit peddler and met Ann Shawah, the daughter of Syrian immigrants, in the neighborhood.

“I fell for her right away,” he said. “I used to have a Ford Roaster and I used to pick her and her friends and drive them to high school. Gradually she liked me and we got together.”

It was slightly more complicated than that. Ann was arranged to be married to another man, 20 years her senior, whom her parents thought would be the best provider for their daughter. The 17-year-old was less than pleased with the arrangement and taken with Betar, then 21. Breaking with tradition and going against her family’s wishes, the two eloped.

“At 17, you wonder if you’re making the right choice,” she said. “I had grown up with him and we had good times together and we knew each other very well. And it’s turned out to be 80 years. ….God seems to have been with us. And we’ve been very fortunate and wonderful.”

The two built a life together, a home, a family and lived out their own version of the American dream. Betar continued peddling fruit and in 1938, opened up his own grocery store, Betar’s Market, in the south end of Bridgeport.

“We worked hard and never got tired of making money,” he said. “This is the land of opportunity.”

Ann stayed at home and raised their children. “She was a great mother,” Betar said. “She raised five children and she was a wonderful caretaker.”

Five children spawned 14 grandchildren and 16 great children. The couple said the later generations “bring new life” and light into their lives.

“Last year at [John's] 100th birthday party … there was group of little 2 year olds and 5 year olds and a group that’s just turning 19 and 20,” Ann recalled. “We had it at the beach and we had fireworks. It was very special. The younger children went out on the beach and wrote ‘Happy Birthday Jiddo,’ [Grandpa in Arabic], in the sand, all along the beach. … How can you not feel God’s right with you and blessing you?”

Along with joyous moments and good memories like this one came bad times for the Betars.

“The hardest thing in our life was losing two of our children. That’s the sad part. It’s one of the worst thing a parent can face is losing a child, no matter how old they are or how young they are,” Ann said.

But despite the trying moments that can test or break a marriage, the two have stayed together.

“There are so many things in a lifetime that can make you very, very happy and very, very sad, but if you can do it together then it’s happiness,” Ann said.

That’s easier said than done for many couples today in the U.S. where the divorce rate hovers around 40 to 50 percent. What’s their secret?

“They have this wonderful ability to accept life as it comes,” their daughter Renee Betar said. “They have a way of trying to look around at the things that they do have — the family and the blessings. They came from a generation where there is such respect for each other and caring.”

The Betars consider themselves “fortunate.” Hesitant to dole out advice to newlyweds, they each offered simple, guiding mantras to a lasting marriage.

“Get along. Compromise. Live within your means and be content,” Betar said, before adding, “And let your wife be the boss.”

“We don’t have bosses,” she said. Her advice: don’t hold a grudge.

“You know what your commitments are and you try to live by them and understand one another. If you don’t hold a grudge, you can face anything,” Ann said.

The couple still lives independently on the beach in Fairfield and has kept active, pushing the boundaries of aging. In their later years, Ann discovered a hidden talent as an artist and took up painting in oils and watercolors. The two cook soup together, always from scratch. (The retired fruit peddler-turned-grocer continues to make outings to shop for the best produce and can’t help but dispense recommendations to fellow customers at the store, his daughter reports, saying: “Oh no, don’t buy that tomato if you want to eat it tonight.”) They spend their days reading and proudly keeping up with what’s going on in the world.

Celebrating 80 Years of Marriage

On Sunday, the couple will mark their 80th wedding anniversary with a quiet celebration surrounded by family and friends at the St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bridgeport, where they are original founding members.

Ann said one of her daughters ordered a cake for the occasion and the baker called back, slightly confused, to confirm that it should read — “Happy 80th Anniversary” instead of “Happy 80th Birthday.”

After eighty years, Betar is still sweet on his bride and she is still sweet on him.

“He is a wonderful man. He is a very giving man to his children, to his family, to people that need it. He is a very generous, giving man,” she said. “Can you blame me for living with him for 80 years?”

To the later generations of children and grandchildren, the Betars serve as role models for how to live and love in life.

“I’m always blown away by their incredible optimism, deep sense of compassion and modesty,” said granddaughter Heather Mitchell of Fairfield, Conn. “They are true beacons — inspirational people who emit such joy without even knowing it.”

Chocolate sponge topped with chocolate butter cream, white chocolate sprinkles and chocolate truffles. Mmm-hmm…

Upmarket spa days, cocktail making classes, cupcake decorating lessons or an old-school piss up…

All appear to be options for a hen night. I’d also considered another option – no hen night – thinking along the lines of ‘once again, why this unnecessary encouragement to spend money?’ But friends asked, expectations were raised and yet again the pink, fluffy roller coaster that is wedding planning swooped me up.

Customised t’shirts, pink Stetsons, L plates and handcuffs probably won’t play any part of the night; I also want to keep costs as low as possible so that rules out options too. If I had the space at home, I’d do a home-made option – come round to my house in the afternoon, drink Cava and eat cakes I’ve made.

Alas, chairs are few and we currently own a very badly behaved cat prone to throwing up, knocking over wine glasses and partial to stealing cake off plates. (Seriously, he does.)

At the weekend, my mum, a good friend and I tried out the Tennents Training Academy’s chocolate and champagne evening. We got a one-course meal, two glasses of champagne and a lesson in making and decorating chocolate cakes. Oh, and there were plenty of chocolate sampling options for the cocoa-obsessed punter…

The evening once more confirmed to me my lack of patience (those white chocolate pencils we had to create were flippin’ hard) but was indeed great fun. Since then, I’ve had visions of good, girlie fun in the training academy despite the fact that I have mild anxiety issues around group activities (wah! Too many people! Gotta talk to them all! Are they having fun, oh no they’re really, really bored…)

The academy also does wine tasting so I’m wondering about a bit of cake making in the afternoon with wine in the evening – opt in and opt out so that no-one has to spend too much money. A solution, non?

And finally, after all the sweet stuff we need to include cheese. When human beings stumbled upon the making of cheese, it was among the finest evolutionary discoveries ever. My hen party needs, therefore, to find a way to pay tribute to the world’s most magnificent food…

The word “hen” means female chicken. But if you say hens party, it doesn’t mean a party of female chickens. It is a festivity before a wedding and usually attended by the bride and her friends. This festivity is also known as the bachelorette party, or the female equivalent of the male bachelor party or stag party.

Before, when the time of sexual sexuality was a big deal, the term hen party was something that humiliates the women. But today, that term is already dead and buried, and the hen party is all about celebrating the last day of being single of a bride and a new life for a new family.

The bride’s friends are usually the ones who handle the event. Before, hen party is just a simple dinner with a few drinks of wine. But today, it is more than just drinking a wine and eating. A hen party can be a bit wild event. Of course, liquors are always included with this kind of celebration. There are freeform dancing and drinking of alcohol. The gifts that are usually given to a bride is something naughty and funny. Moreover, most hen parties include drinking games. Some hen parties include the traditional drinking games, and some include drinking board games.

Hen parties can be held at the bars, restaurants, and even at home if privacy is one of the major concerns. For those who choose houses, they may play drinking board games like the Drinkopoly.

Which is why I adore breaking up the serious mood from time to time and teach ceramic or plaster casting workshops from my studio.

And Hen Parties are one of my favourite groups! All that loved-up energy makes for a brilliant session.

Life casting is another fun topic -

Take away a plaster cast of your face, foot or hands.

Here is a link to more options. I look forward to seeing you on one of my workshops!

So, you’ve been awarded the honour of being a Bridesmaid or Maid of Honour? Then it’s usually your responsibility, or that of a close friend or relative to plan the Hen Party.

We’ve all seen the Hangover and Bridesmaids… these are good examples of what not to do when organising a Hen Party! We do not want the Bride or any of the guests receiving unsightly tattoos on any part of their body. We do not want them dining in back alleys and getting food poisoning… and we certainly do not want to misplace the Bride or cause so much chaos she bans us from the wedding!

I can tell, you’re getting nervous already, it sounds like a lot of pressure doesn’t it? But don’t stress, with the right tips and a little planning the process will be super easy. You’ll create a memorable Hen Party to see the Bride’s single girl heydey out in style, do some girl bonding and celebrate friendship and being lucky in love! And all thanks to you – Hen Party planner extraordinaire – the girls will be giggling for weeks to come!

A Hen Party can also be called a bachelorette party. But don’t confuse it with a kitchen tea which is a ladies afternoon tea with the bride and a chance to meet other female guests in a relaxed atmosphere. There is also the bridal shower or bridesmaids luncheon which is for members of the wedding party only where the bride and bridesmaids exchange small gifts of appreciation.

First thing to do is catch-up with the Bride and find out her thoughts on the Hen Party. It’s a party in honour of her and it’s up to you to fill it with all things special to her!

Set a date a few weeks before the wedding date if you can, this will give everyone time to recover if you’re planning a wild one.

With her help put a list of guests together with phone and email contacts.

If you don’t know everyone attending, it’s important you get a good understanding of personalities and age range. This will help you keep the Hen Party appropriate for everyone. The last thing we want is granny being straddled by a stripper, the party girls from hell getting wasted at a sophisticated wine tasting or the sister-in-law-to-be sitting it out because she can’t play laser strike after her c-section!

You can generally send out ‘save the date’ teasers as soon as you’ve decided the date. Details can follow later with the formal invitation. Email is a great way to do this, you can set up an event on facebook or there are e-invitation websites you can use.

While you’re working on invitations, make some name tags up too – I always think they’re good to put faces to names and get people interacting.

Budget will dictate what the Hen Party consists of. Generally everyone will contribute to the cost and it’s a nice idea for guests to cover the bride’s share. But always get a feel for what guests budgets will allow. Request guests pay you before the big night to avoid you stressing out and having to hassle people.

As for the Hen Party – fantastic ideas are endless! But there are five general categories to consider; DIY, dinners or luncheons, Hen Party weekends, activity based and Stag & Doe Parties.

DIY is still the most popular – this one requires the most time and creativity as it requires high involvement from the party planner who will lead the night format. You can mix and match different scenarios too – in your home, the pub or combined with one of the other categories. Online resources are readily available to give you ideas and set you up for a fun night – whether that be an energetic Amazing Race or a round of bride and groom Q&A. It can be as tame or wild as you want – including drinking games and strippers if that’s your style! But feel free to keep it simple – you don’t have to go over-the-top and give away cute puppies on arrival or gift the bride a trip to Paris!

Dinners and luncheons – it’s always nice to sit down and enjoy delicious food with wonderful company. This is the perfect chance to have indepth conversations with fellow guests and share advice and reminisce with the bride. I’d recommend screening a ‘This is Your Life’ slideshow of the bride and groom –it always makes an impact. On the flipside you can always spice it up by dining at your local cabaret drag show. Cocktail functions fit into this category too and give the girls a great excuse to glam up.

Hen Party weekends – escape from reality for a while and have a complete bonding break with your girls. Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Activity based – I think these are the most fun and act as effective icebreakers. Guests may get the chance to try something new and it’s a great experiential event. Activities range from naughty but nice showcases of lingerie and sex toys. There are lucky in love themed companies who take care of the entertainment, taking the hassle away with interactive games in the comfort of your own home. Add a risqué element with pole fitness, hula hooping, burlesque or belly dancing! For something more chilled there are pamper parties, winery tours and cookery classes. And for the brides who want to go out with a bang – pub crawls karaoke and party buses, including condom covered veils will always be a smash!

Whatever you do – make it fun for everyone. That means providing great entertainment for all the girls, fussing over the Bride and overseeing guests wellbeing. Be the hostess with the mostess and make sure everyone has adequate and safe transport, enough non-alcoholic drinks and food on hand otherwise things can get messy!

We want you to be the Maid of Honour – not dishonour!
Happy Hen Party!

Remember the awesome deal on Living Social this week!!  1/2 Price Hen Party!!

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Lucky in Love

Two Hours of Hens Party Hosting at Your Home including Activities and Naughty but Nice Lucky Dip Goodies

First comes love, then comes marriage… and in between is a madhouse of planning and preparation, not least for the bride’s last big hurrah as a single gal! For a featherweight $149 you can manifest a fabulous flirty affair, by letting the lovely ladies from Lucky in Love throw a Naughty But Nice Hen’s Night for up to 20 chirpy chicks in the comfort of your own home (value $325). Over the course of two fun-filled hours, you’ll all enjoy three rounds of giggle-inducing activities including quizzes, crafts and recalling great screen kisses, along with sexy prizes from their Lucky Dip Goodie Bags, plus the bride-to-be will be gifted with a Red Hot Goodie Bag full of titillating treats! Plus, you’ll also get $15 off all other Fuchsia Fantasy Lucky Dip bags! Get the planning done easily for a girly gathering that’ll make everyone blush for all the right reasons (wink)!

When New York State finally legalized gay marriage last year, Cynthia Nixon had only one hurdle left before marrying her girlfriend of eight years, education activist Christine Marinoni: finding the dress.

I never thought about my wedding dress growing up. Not once. I’m just not one of those girls. It has nothing to do with being gay— when I was with a man, I didn’t fantasize about my wedding dress either. In fact, I’ve spent most of my life not wanting to get married. But once I finally decided to do it, I knew I wanted a beautiful dress for the occasion.

I was engaged for three years—waiting for New York State to make same-sex marriage legal—and I didn’t start worrying about the dress until four months before the ceremony. Planning a wedding can sort of be a black hole that sucks all your energy. My wife handled most of the details, for which I am eternally grateful, but I didn’t want the process of picking out a dress to swallow me alive.

I knew I wanted Carolina Herrera, because I’ve had so much luck wearing them in the past and they know my body so well. I was shopping for several things at once: my wedding dress, my opening-night dress for Wit on Broadway, and my fingers-crossed Tonys dress, which, happily, I did get to wear. But in one-stop shopping, my mind began to play tricks on me. I started to think, What if I wore this dress to the Tonys and this dress to my wedding?

With a same-sex marriage, it’s different. There isn’t the archetype of the demure bride, the strapping groom, and the big ol’ white dress. You have a lot of flexibility. I actually said to them, “Don’t think of me as a bride. Think of me as a grown-up woman who needs a dress to get married in.” But Carolina—or, rather, Mrs. Herrera—kind of nipped that in the bud. She said, “You need to get a dress with a capital D. So even if it’s not poufy or white, there’s a certain level of ceremony.”

I liked that this dress kind of looked like an art deco skyscraper. One of the lessons I’ve learned from years of wearing gowns to awards shows is that people are always stepping on your train. This one had a train, but it was minimal enough that you could still walk and dance in it. I’m not a big dancer, but you have to dance at least a little bit at your wedding.

I decided on green by process of elimination: I already knew I didn’t want white—I wanted to leave that little-girl fantasy out of it. I didn’t want red—that would have been shocking. I didn’t want black—that would have been shocking. Maybe it was also years of playing red-headed Miranda: Even though in real life my hair is blond, green has become my go-to. And this particular shade—so light it borders on yellow—was especially apt, since it’s the color of early spring, and no matter how long you’ve been together, a wedding is a certain kind of beginning.

Aside from the dress, the big question was, What am I going to do about my hair? I’d shaved my head to play a professor with ovarian cancer in Wit, and my hair had just started to grow back. My wife was worried that my being bald was all anybody would want to talk about. My mother kept making suggestions like, “What about a little hat?” Or, “Look at this cunning beaded cap Whitney Houston wore to her wedding; isn’t it great?” She was concerned I’d have a little pinhead on top of this great big dress and was fixated on my covering my head, which was ironic, because when she got married, in a small ceremony in a judge’s chambers, her own mother was very upset that she was bareheaded—my grandmother, who was from the Midwest, thought that was improper for a bride.

I considered a veil, but Hervé Pierre, the creative director at Carolina, came up with something better: just a little bit of silver-and-white ribbon wrapped twice around my head, to which we affixed some small Fred Leighton diamond love-birds. It made me feel like Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and you want to have that kind of magical feel on your wedding day.

This always surprises people, but my wife is much more into clothes than I am. She had a suit designed by [hipster bespoke tailors] Doyle Mueser. We didn’t want our colors to match, but we wanted to complement each other—her tie and jacket lining had elements of green. She also had these beautiful Fred Leighton sapphire cuff links to match my wedding ring. Still, even though she wore an amazing, beautifully built, exquisitely styled suit, it’s hard for a suit to compete. The dress is the main event.

My wife and I were not at all traditional about not seeing each other before the wedding. I sent her pictures from my various fittings. I won’t say what she said to me about it—it’s personal—but she said many, many nice things. The day of, we dressed together at the wedding venue with our kids upstairs [Max, 19 months; Samantha, 16; and Charles, 9]. But I did hold on to a different tradition: I managed to wear something borrowed, a brooch that’s an heirloom in my wife’s family; something blue, my sapphire ring; something new, my dress; and something old…me.

I suppose I never thought about my wedding dress until I needed to, because that’s the way I approach a lot of things, not just fashion. When I take on a project for work, I’ve learned it’s better not to come in with a rigid idea of that role. You have to wait for all the elements to come together—cast, crew, director—before you can anticipate how to approach it. And in the case of my wedding, when it all came together, it was perfect.  interview by Elle

With President Obama re-elected (thank god), I’m sure we can expect to see many more same sex celebrity weddings!

Shhh it’s a secret! Here at Carrington House, we’re already organising bookings for the Christmas after next and New Year 2013/14. However, if you’d like to stay with us just a little bit sooner, we have availability this January 2013. And guess what? We’re offering an UNMISSABLE discount! Book before the end of November and we’ll give you a WHOPPING 50% off the price! These half price weekend or midweek stays won’t hang around forever, so make sure you get in there fast. Whether a birthday party, hen do, family break or new year retreat, we’ll invite you to stay half price!

Contact us on +44 (0)870 850 5468 or email info@carringtonhouse.net for more information and to make your booking!

Check out Living Social daily deals from this Saturday – I have a very exciting offer on Hen Parties coming up!!

Please forward this to your friends and family!! I wouldn’t want them to miss out!!

1. The Clothing

Dressing the bride to be up in L plates and various willy shaped bits and bobs ceased to be hilarious in about 1985. Costumes are fine, as long as everyone wears one and there is a theme, but please stay away from the sort of ‘sexy’ costumes that are sold in joke shops. Quite apart from the fact that they are about as far from sexy as it is possible to get, the idea that every possible costume has to be rendered ‘sexy’, detracts from the whole point of the costume in the first place. If you are trying to make your costume look sexy then you are trying far too hard to not look ridiculous, which, as far as I can tell, is the point of fancy dress. Stop taking yourself so bloody seriously.

2. The Transport

Enough with the fucking stretched limos already! Back in the day when I was wee, a limo used to mean that someone famous was in town. Now it means that you are about to be invaded by drunk obnoxious girls who barely know each other, trying desperately to overcome this fact with ridiculous games and a large amount of squealing. If it is pink or a Humvee subtract even more dignity points for sheer tackiness.

3. The Enforced Fun – because it is clear that very few of the party are actually having fun

Take my advice here, there are very few organised activities that will suit all of your friends and relatives. Organised activities are usually expensive and if not everyone is having a great time, the strain of pretending to be, may well push some over the edge. Here is a summary of some common hen do activities and why they are a bad idea:

a. Spa Day (unless it is Bath Spa, which is a slightly different ball game) – OK, I agree probably most people do like to be pampered, but personally the thought of spending a day at a spa with 15-20 other people brings me out in hives. It is likely that among your friends, you have one or two who are body conscious, and one or two who simply don’t like being touched by random strangers (I am in the latter category).

b. Brewery Tour (my own personal expertise) – many women do not drink beer, a brewery tour will mean most of them order drinks the brewery does not make, rendering it entirely pointless. I love beer, but am well aware that maybe 30% of my friends do not, so would not inflict this activity upon them. Ditto wine tour, believe it or not, some people either don’t like wine that much, or don’t really drink.

c. Male Strippers – Just tacky and potentially humiliating.

d. The Trip Abroad – Expensive and an organisational nightmare, it is likely that the organiser will have the least fun. Surprisingly enough, despite the fact that many of us are fairly well travelled in this day in age, many are not. Taking people to a new country with unfamiliar food and drink and questionable standards of accommodation may be fine for some of the group, but could tip some over the edge of their comfort zone. Better to save the potential fights this could cause and do something a little more low key.

Why not just do something simple and easy, that people can opt in or out of, maybe a meal followed by a few drinks? Do these things really have to turn into a competition to find out who can have the most visibly outrageous time?

I have been to a few hen parties myself, but have been very selective. This is because, I can rarely afford to go to both the hen do and the wedding, and am sure the wedding has higher priority in the eyes of whoever invited me, and because time is precious; I don’t necessarily want to spend a weekend with people I am unsure about, being forced into participating in potentially uncomfortable activities.

I have to admit, I didn’t even know this – I am so out of the loop – but Scrillex was dating Ellie Goulding. Now Scrillex is her ‘ex’. haha get it. She was too cute for him anyway. Apparently the reason for the split was the LDR (long distance relationship) thing. And that she called it off.

The only reason I heard about it was listening to GeorgeFM 96.6 interviewing Ellie Goulding on her tour here and when asked about collaborating with Scrillex – there were alot of awkward ums and ahs…   The funniest part was the station mixed together the awkward parts of the interview into a dubstep format. Hilarious!!

I wonder if Scrillex is still Hanging On…

WOHOOOO!!!!  Summer is almost here! We’ve had some amazingly sunny days and the weather prediction is for high temperatures and low rainfall!!!

And that means… it’s time for ice-cream!!  I’ve already seen you queuing in ridiculously long lines at Mission Bay for your Movenpick and Kiwiyo…

but have you tried White’s & Co???

You’ve all tried the Collective Dairy haven’t you? The luscious no bull yoghurt with so many scrummy flavours??

Well – White’s takes it one step further… with the Collective’s all-natural, soft-serve yoghurt delivered fresh, accompanied by hand-selected premium toppings and sauces, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Licking your lips? You should. It’s good!

I’m just worried about that waistline…

It’s gonna be a good summer!!! xx

What does the woman who has everything get the man who has everything for his birthday? If you’re Kim Kardashian, you buy your boyfriend Kanye West a rare $750,000 Lamborghini.

Kim purchased the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 in L.A. for her new BF, who celebrated his 35th birthday in June. But Kanye couldn’t play with it because he was in Ireland on tour.

So Kim decided she wanted to give him a taste of his gift -and took a video of the car to show him … apparently she screened the video in person.

So it’s probably safe to say, if there was a video tape involved, the car wasn’t the only present Kim gave Kanye…

Rumour has it that Kim’s bday gift from Kanye was a huge rock – we’ll wait and see what’s confirmed in the goss columns in the next few days.

As for my bday today, well, my own gorgeous music producer created a beautiful track  especially for my day. Combined with a gift I’d wanted for a long time, a romantic picnic pizza overlooking the ocean while the sun set, with sparklers… it was the best birthday ever!!

Thank you darling XOX

At Cliff Barns, we love the quirky and alternative! Anything out of the ordinary (and extra super) suits us! That’s why we were delighted to host our latest hen weekend with a twist – Halloween style!

We had spiders, skulls and skeletons, cobwebs and cauldrons, pointed witches hats and pumpkins galore!

Cliff Barns’ dining room hasn’t felt the same since!

If you’d like information about staying at Cliff Barns and the bespoke packages we offer, contact us today.

Well, it’s been a few months now and things have moved fast, but so comfortable it’s just fallen into place – including moving in together. And adopting a dog.

Since reading about Mark Zuckerberg and how he dated his girlfriend for years before eventually changing his FB status – I’ve been thinking I must get around to changing mine.

So last night, finally, we got around to changing our Facebook relationship status to ‘In a relationship’. Of course I changed it on mine and it tells you it will send a request to the person you have listed as in a relationship with. Social media is a weird thing. My gorgeous man threatened no to ‘confirm’ and I countered that with how about I list us as ‘engaged’. hmmm that kept him quiet! haha

I didn’t realise why I kept getting so many comments and ‘likes’ until I logged in and saw it. The announcement virtually takes up a whole page worth of space!!

Wow, what does it do when you change your status to ‘engaged’?? haha I’ll have to wait and see! haha

I’m sorry, I know alot of you ladies will Cry me a River because – it’s official!

JT is now a married man.

After five years of dating, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are husband and wife. “It’s great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends,” the couple told People in an exclusive statement Friday.

Timberlake, 31, and Biel, 30, kept the nuptials private – they were even vague to guests, keeping the location in southern Italy a complete secret until the last minute.

Now – that’s what I call Bringing Sexy Back!

Well we still have no idea who is going to be cast as Christian Grey in the over-hyped upcoming movie do we??!

Even though my google search tells me there are ‘About 80,200,000 results’ there is no telling if it will be Matt Bomer (too gay), Ian Somerhalder (too vampy), Alexander Skarsgard (too pretty, even though he is my favourite True Blood vampire), or Ryan Gosling (too much)…

But never mind them, we all know Christian Grey is just ALL wrong. To quote him from the book – ‘50 shades of fucked up‘ wrong.

And doesn’t Anastasia Steele know it judging from her comments ‘This is no way to have a relationship’ to ‘You can’t seriously be considering this…‘ and ‘I need him to want me like I want and need him, and deep down I know that’s not possible.’

Okay, okay it’s only a trumped up Mills & Boon novel – but maybe we’ve all (well, most of us) been drawn into the trilogy because we’ve all been there. I don’t mean the Red Room of Pain -I mean – haven’t we all fallen for someone that we knew was just all wrong on so many levels? But we thought they would love us back just as much as we loved them, if we only gave them time.

Everyone has a Christian Grey somewhere in their past. Some cool bastard who defied logic and you adored in spite of all the warning bells. Someone who you knew was 50 shades of fucked up but even though they made you sad beyond consolable, the times they made you happily ecstatic overrode all your doubts. But it all ended in tears eventually.

Who will be Christian Grey??

Who is your Christian Grey?!

Stand 244 was taken up by images of our picturesque venues Cliff Barns and Carrington House. Whilst at Battersea’s Designer Wedding Show, we also promoted wedding lists at Pitfield London and flowers by Tom Flowers!

A big shout out to all our exhibitor friends, especially the lovely Kate and Ben from Kissing Gate Films. Check them out.

Until Feb’s show!

Pitfield London furniture and Tom Flowers bouquets 

Last weekend, we occupied Stand 244 at Battersea’s Designer Wedding Show. Thanks to all who came to see what we have to offer and hello to all our new friends! Whilst there we spread the word about our top venues Carrington House and Cliff Barns; we also promoted a new service – wedding lists at Pitfield London.

Luckily our neighbours came in the form of Boothnation and The Abigail Bloom Cake Company. Photo fun and sweet treats were had by all!

Until next time in Feb!

We can even provide cocktails, in china cups of course!

For a list of our afternoon tea parties please click on this link and choose your tea party!  http://vintagerosecatering.com/teaparties/

We now offer the following workshops, all with our delicious vintage tea parties:

Sewing Workshops: Make a keepsake item to remember your special day together, choose from a beautiful collection of lovely fabrics and get expert and creative guidance from a very talented textile artist.

Pottery Workshop: Let a Decorative artist help you create an object of art, with expert tuition and suggestions.  Make it a tactile afternoon!

Romantic storyteller Workshop:  Be delighted and entertained with an experienced storyteller, who will take you on a literary journey and make you laugh along the way!

For further details contact us about your Hen Party and let us make it very special

CONTACT US ON    07906 549694

EMAIL US AT:    vintagerosecatering@gmail.com

SEE OUR WEBSITE PAGES:   http://vintagerosecatering.com/teaparties/

Images from Trevor and Leona’s recent wedding 

Remember our very first blog post back in February? We shared the details of our fabulous stand at The Designer Wedding Show in Battersea, London.

This weekend, we’re back again!  Focusing on quality and design, where better to showcase our top venue and chat to interesting couples? Do come and say hello to the Cliff Barns and Carrington House team!

Looking for an original, fun and messy way to enjoy your Hen Party?

Arranging a Hen Party with a difference for a close group of friends?

My Hen Party Workshops are a great way to have a laugh and learn a skill at the same time.

From creating ceramic bowls or sculptures to small 8” x 8” plaster body casts of the bride and hens, I will discuss your requirements and create and plan a bespoke Hen Party Ceramic Workshop with a difference for you.

There is also the opportunity  for an  all-hands-on-deck experience (so to speak) to take a life cast of the bride to make one of my Torsos  for her to keep and remember forever.

These workshops take place in my warm, comfortable and extremely private studio, so you really will feel able to let your hair down and enjoy the experience.

I can provide refreshments and music  but equally you can bring your own food, drink and music to make it a day to remember. In fact, please feel free to discuss any special requirements and I will make it really memorable and tailored experience just for you.

Please email me to discuss further