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Showing posts from September, 2017

Hong Kong Court Rules in Favour of British Lesbian

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Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of a British lesbian who’d previously been denied a dependent visa. The woman – identified as QT – had moved to the territory when her same-sex partner secured a job there.   Same-sex marriage  and  civil partnerships  aren't legal in Hong Kong. QT’s application for a dependent visa was rejected by Hong Kong’s Immigration Department because it did not recognise the couple’s UK civil partnership. The  Court of Appeal  has now said this is discrimination of sexual orientation.  The decision of the three judges presiding over the case was unanimous. Although, they offered no challenge to the local definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.  Hong Kong’s Immigration Department now has twenty-eight days to come up with an acceptable offer to QT.

Hadley Park House: Wedding Fayre on Sunday, October 1st

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Are you looking for a wedding venue in the Telford area? Are you free on Sunday, October 1 st ? Hadley Park is holding a wedding fayre between 11am and 3pm this Sunday.  The venue is hosting thirty other wedding exhibitors , too, as well as offering free admission and parking to visitors.  Hadley Park has a prime location that offers couples the best of both worlds; it's less than a ten minute drive from Telford city centre but has an intimate and secluded quality that's amplified by quaint historical charm.  Sitting in two acres of landscaped grounds, Hadley Park has a long gravel driveway and a sunken pond.  The Georgian façade is both impressive and exceedingly well maintained and this care is continued inside where the manor house benefits from high ceilings, sash windows and ample amounts of natural light. With a choice of ceremony spaces to pick from, there’s bound to be something for your guest list. What rea

15% discount on weddings at Ashridge House between now and April 2018!

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Ashridge House is one of our favourite venues, and it's just dropped a 15% discount for weddings booked between now and April 2018. Tempted?   You should be! Ashridge House Special offer:  Subject to availability , we are offering a 15% discount on weddings booked to take place in the next 7 months (September 2017 until April 2018 Saturday & Sundays). Please quote ‘WINTERSPRINGPROMO’ when enquiring to get this discount. (Please note this discount only applies to the adult package cost based upon a minimum of 80 adult guests) Please call 01442 841027 and ask for Krystal or Katie or email  events@ashridge.hult.edu Ashridge House Where: Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire What : Hotel Capacity: Up to 170 guests for a formal meal with up to 400 in an informal evening reception. Contact: PWD Page                Ashridge House Website                 Twitter                 Facebook What we love

Wedding Planning: Why Autumn is Awesome

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Good wedding planning is about spending smarter, not harder. With the average UK wedding now costing £27,161 , there’s never been a better time to book an off-peak wedding. And we’re big fans of autumn weddings . But it isn’t just about saving money.   Autumn is ideal for outdoor photography, hearty seasonal dishes and floral arrangements . Not to mention, too, that authentic autumnal decoration is freely available - hello! Pinecones, russet leaves and conkers are literally lying on the floor. Still not convinced? Here are our 4 reasons to get hitched in Autumn. 1. Getting married in the autumn is often cheaper with many venues offering incentives and additional packages to attract couples. If you’re struggling to afford your venue, or if you’re looking to make your budget go further, then an autumn wedding could be a no-brainer. You could save thousands by switching to a later date. Remember, the venue doesn’t change season-to-seaso

The Average Cost of a UK Wedding is Now Approaching £30,000

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The average cost of a wedding is now £27,161 , that’s according to website Hitched.co.uk in a survey of 4,000 UK brides. Venue hire, food, and the honeymoon were the biggest drains on budget. It’s almost 10% more than the previous year’s survey. If you can comfortably afford to spend over £27,161 on your nuptials, then more power to you.  What concerns us, however, is that such a marked increase in spending is now considered normal. If £27,161 sounds like a lot of money to you, that’s because it is. It’s the deposit on a house.  It an average UK salary. As if couples weren’t under enough pressure.   Everyone wants the ‘ perfect wedding’ , and in the age of Pinterest and Instagram , it's an expensive rabbit hole to fall down. £27,161 might be the UK average but it doesn’t have to be a target. It’s vital that couples have a budget that both parties are accountable for.  Whilst overspending has long been considered a

Is Chile Ready to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage?

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Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet , has introduced a same-sex marriage bill to be debated in the country’s Congress. If it's successful, marriage will be defined as a union between two people rather than a union between a man and a woman. Same-sex couples would also be given adoption rights . There should no ‘artificial limits’ on love, Bachelet said. It’ll be highly unlikely , however, that the bill will become law during her tenure as President as she’s stepping down in 2018.   Her likely successor Sebastián Piñera opposes it. A number of South American countries have already legalised same-sex marriage including, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay . Chile legalised same-sex unions in 2015.