We get a warm welcome at Cadbury House for our winter photo shoot; great tips for men’s grooming and styling; how to find your perfect wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses; plus inspirational real weddings, fabulous competitions and much, much more!

Winter is an increasingly popular season for marriage. Not only are venues happy to offer their facilities at lower rates than at the popular height of summer but the idea of a cosy reception in a country estate with a roaring log fire has eternal appeal. And every bridal supplier has plenty of colours, accessories and favours which look utterly gorgeous in the colder winter light.

This issue we have recreated a winter-style wedding in the traditional splendour of Cadbury House, taking a vintage and modern theme to reflect the venue’s own combination of historical elegance and contemporary pazzazz. Thanks to all the suppliers who helped us put this together – you’ll find all their details in our centre-piece feature starting on page 53.

As ever, the experiences of real couples form a large part of our coverage and this issue we have couples enjoying beautiful views (and howling gales!) from a Cornwall cliff top, a fairy tale wedding for Bath bride Jemima Owen and wedding with global significance. For anyone wondering what entertainment to have at their reception, we interview a DJ and a musician on page 70, while we also explore centuries of tradition in our feature about a Jewish wedding on page 67.

As ever, I hope we’ve been able to offer you hundreds of useful ideas for the wedding of your dreams and, if you approach anyone you’ve seen in these pages to help with your nuptials . . . tell them you saw it here first!

Mike Gartside, editor