KAY TAYLOR, communications officer at St Catherine’s, describes how people are involving the charity in their special wedding plans. 

I’ve reached a point in my life where a lot of my friends are getting engaged and tying the knot.

As they plan their big days, they’re telling me all about dress fittings, food tastings, venues, wedding favours, photography and more – it sounds like loads of fun, although quite hard work at times.

And it’s big business, with the average cost of a wedding reaching a staggering £25,000!

So what if you could have the perfect day filled with your own personal touches, whilst supporting a much-loved local charity, and find a few bargains to help ease your budget in the process?

We’re honoured that more and more couples are choosing to involve St Catherine’s, The Mill café, and The Mill Outside in their wedding arrangements.

The Mill itself is set to host its first wedding reception this Spring, which we’re really excited about. The couple are aiming for an intimate gathering with a drinks reception and Afternoon Tea. They’ve hired the café out for the evening, which is an ideal setting for anyone craving rustic charm in a homely, welcoming environment.

We’re also catering for a couple who are getting married in Spain, and are having a celebration closer to home beforehand inside a garden marquee. We’re looking at taking our large paella pans to fit in with the Spanish theme!

If you’re on the hunt for a fabulous wedding dress which doesn’t break the bank, I’d highly recommend heading to the St Catherine’s bridal boutique, based in our shop in Lune Street, Preston city centre.

It’s packed with dresses of all styles and sizes which have been kindly donated to the charity, and trust me, they’re all in great condition and cost a fraction of their original price tag.

You can get dresses there for as little as £100 – some designer ones are a bit higher, but still well within most people’s budgets when you consider that the average UK bride spends a whopping £1,300 on a dress she’ll only wear once.

Our head of clinical admin, Lisa, is getting hitched next year, so modeled some of the gorgeous dresses on offer there recently (pictured).

The Lune Street store also has dresses for bridesmaids and flowergirls, mother-of-the-bride wear (including hat and fascinator hire), and suits for groomsmen and page boys.

Other ways in which people support the hospice during their special day is through getting favours from us for their guests – anything from our sentimental butterfly pin badges to lottery tickets for our weekly draw (which has a £2,000 jackpot!)

Some newlyweds also ask for donations in lieu of gifts, which is a really generous gesture, and we’re seeing quite a few couples opting to have their pre-wedding photos taken in the beautiful grounds of St Catherine’s Park in the run-up to the main event.

Email: kay.taylor@stcatherines.co.uk
Twitter: @MissHospiceNews