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With 'going green' becoming more and more important in all areas of life, including weddings, here's a gift that ticks all the right boxes: practical, earth-friendly, stylish, unique and affordable. It's called the Wedding Plantabox and it's available from Not On The High Street. com for £40.00. The box is stencilled with the names of the bridal couple, as well as their wedding date, and is planted with seasonal flowers.

Also, the smaller plantaboxes, planted with lavender, herbs or a mini cone, would make wonderful rustic table centrepieces and venue decorations. The boxes can be stencilled with table numbers or any other short message and, best of all, can be kept long after the wedding is over. Fantastic keepsakes of a fabulous day.

Choosing the music for your wedding can be just as difficult and fraught with tension as anything else you have to decide on. There are any number of beautiful, traditional pieces of wedding music to choose from, but what if you just don't want the standard 'weddingy' tunes?

What if you're having a non-religious ceremony? You know that you want something emotive, perhaps, soul-stirring and uplifting, or maybe just a very pretty tune. What is suitable?

We've put together a few pieces of non-bridal music that are still perfect for a wedding.

• Beethoven's Pathetique sonata - a simple and elegant piano piece
• The theme song from True Romance - You're So Cool by Hans Zimmer - it's hauntingly beautiful.
• Somewhere over the rainbow - an acoustic version would be very moving.
• All You Need is Love by the Beatles - remember that scene in the movie Love Actually? Wonderful! What a 'memory moment' and fabulous music too.
• What a wonderful world by Louis Armstrong - played on the saxophone, this is very stirring - there won't be a dry eye amongst your guests. Listen to a version here, on You Tube.
  

Tip 1: Good instruments would be: classical guitar, the ukulele and the saxophone

Tip 2: Check with your family to make sure they don't have any major requests, and avoid a family crisis!

Want to avoid that dreadful moment when your bestman sheepishly admits he forgot/lost/dropped the rings? Then get yourself a ring pillow and tie those babies firmly on. That way you know you'll have the rings when you need them, plus you provide an extra 'Aah how sweet!' moment as your ringbearer walks down the aisle.

Of course, if you decide to do this you then need to find a suitable ring pillow. One that reflects your wedding theme or personal style. It should be easy - there are lots of ringbearer pillows available, in a huge variety of styles. From classic, elegant and traditional white to cute 'n kitsch to vaguely amusing to quite outlandish.

If you want your dog to carry your ring to you, then get your pup a set of 'doggy wings'. Or maybe you're having a beach themed wedding and would love to have your rings revealed in an oyster? Or in a Cinderella carriage, perhaps? Maybe on a horseshoe? Whatever you want, you'll probably find it somewhere. (And Etsy is, once again, a fabulous source.)

Or, if you're feeling very brave (or just wonderfully creative), then why not make it yourself and get exactly what you want?

For a clearer idea of what's available on the Internet, click through the gallery below.

Multi-award winning design duo, Marguerite Hannah and her husband, Alan, of Alan Hannah, have come up trumps with this fabulous, short, full-skirted dress. Perfect for a civil ceremony, be it on a beach, in a garden or even in a romantic country lodge, this dress is fun, feminine and flirty.

Layers of tulle and those gorgeous full-blown, fabric roses add a soft and romantic air of innocence, whilst the slight up-catching of the hem is a nod to cheekiness. It's a seriously cute dress and we love it.

Find it in Alan Hannah's Topaz collection and for a list of stockists in your region, click here.

Renaissance women never went anywhere without a little pouch, made of leather or fabric, to carry things about or for storing herbs that they found and gathered. For your renaissance wedding, the pouch is a great way to give favors to your guests. Pretty much anything can be tucked inside a pouch, from those traditional herbs to Celtic cross soaps and even Celtic-patterned chocolates.

You can buy fabric pouches from Ye Steady Hands from $5.00 per pouch (they do give discounts for large quantities) or leather pouches from this wonderful Etsy seller, Eves Originals. At about $13.00 each they may be too expensive as favors if you're having a large wedding, but they would make lovely gifts for your wedding party. Pop in a little treat for a bridesmaid or groomsman and voila! a great wedding keepsake for those who are special to you.

Alejandra de Bourbon, a lesser member of the Spanish royal family, (daughter of Alfonso de Bourbon, the second cousin of King Juan Carlo) got married to Bosco Ussia on the 21st June. Alright, we admit it; we don't know all that much about the lesser European royals and so this is one wedding that almost slipped under our radar.

What brought it to our attention was the bride's fabulous wedding dress. Just look at it.


A gorgeous, 1920's-inspired Chanel concoction.

Every detail of her outfit is perfect. The loose unconstructed style, the floaty fabric, a dropped waist, that pretty, tasseled belt, and those luxurious, long ropes of pearls around her neck. Then there's that long, flowing veil with the close-fitted headpiece. All of it is utterly enchanting, absolutely Twenties.

We love it and hold it up as the perfect dress for any bride wanting to invoke the romance and nostalgia of the 1920's, yet with a modern and contemporary edge.

Everybody loves chocolate. Well, almost everybody. And who does it better than Godiva? They have a gorgeous range of luxury chocolate favors that are melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

The range is small but perfect and we particularly love their wedding cake-shaped chocolate favors. Inspired by New York cake artist, Sylvia Weinstock, the white chocolate couture favors are filled with hazelnut praline, whilst the milk chocolate pieces are filled with dark chocolate ganache.

Each favor is presented in an elegant, ribbon-wrapped white box and cost $38.00 for four. Yes, they are pricey, but they're also irresistible. For the bride and groom who can afford it, and want to give their guests a little slice of heaven, these are just the ticket.

Slightly less expensive but no less delicious is the two-piece chocolate set, consisting of a milk chocolate praline crescent and dark chocolate ganache heart, at $4.75.

Yum.

Dragonfly Cakes make the most sinfully yummy petits fours which we think would make elegant and delicious favors. Their petits fours consist of three layers of moist cake and three layers of flavoured buttercream. Currently, they offer six different flavors: chocolate, lemon, apricot, vanilla-orange (they say this makes them think of impossibly long summer days!), raspberry and milk chocolate hazelnut. Mmmm. Chocolate.

You couldn't ask for better than that!

These little bites of heaven cost from $36 for 16, to $102 for 64. Individual favor boxes, which you can customise to suit your theme, are also available at $5.75 per box of two.

The classic bride is one whose personal style is understated, polished and timeless. Whose ideal wedding is traditional and filled with beautifully crafted, fine details and accents. The reception venue is, perhaps, an elegant country club or a traditional marquee set in a beautifully landscaped garden.

A superb choice of wedding cake decor, one that would suit a classic wedding perfectly, is the sweetly sophisticated swiss dot. We love the hint of nostalgia that a swiss dot cake evokes. There's something so romantic about it too. Yet, as shown in the picture, right, swiss dots can also be used in a way that is sleek, minimalist and contemporary. (We love that tiered, square cake by Collette Foley.)

Whilst a creamy white icing is the most traditional colour for a swiss dot cake, we have seen some gorgeous pastel confections too, with the icing in one colour and the dots in a contrasting hue.

For a bit of swiss dot eye candy, click on the gallery below.

Scroll invitations are a great way to set the scene for your renaissance wedding. They have an 'olde worlde' charm and add a wonderfully fun element to an already fabulous wedding theme.

We've found an Etsy seller, Handykane, who has masses of enchanting scroll invitations, in many different styles and themes, that would give just the right first impression to your guests, and whisk them back into times gone by.

The invitations are printed on parchment that has been treated for an authentic ancient paper look. They're sold in packs of 50, together with matching envelopes, and most also include a printed seal on the envelopes. Prices are from $49.99 per pack, depending on the design.

Check out the gallery below for a small sample of Handykane's scroll invitations.

A key feature of medieval banquets were gloriously rich wall tapestries and banners. In the 21st century, you can either get a specialist company such as Fantaysia Limited to do all the decorating for you, or do it yourself.

• For banner patterns and inspiration, do an Internet search, using keywords such as 'medieval banners' and 'renaissance banners' and, an absolute must, have a browse through renfairwench's wonderful renaissance wedding photos.

• The simplest method is to make your banners from felt. The great thing with felt is that it doesn't need sewing. Simply cut the pattern out then fix any decorations in place with fabric glue. (For more detailed information, have a look at this website on banner making.)

• Or buy plain calico and dye it in the colours you need; alternatively look around for cheap, coloured cottons. Using stencils and fabric paints (you'll need lots of gold and silver paint,) paint on a design and glue on any ribbons that are needed.
  

For non-traditionalist brides who want to eschew a fairytale white wedding dress and wear something that truly reflects an independent, creative and free spirit, finding the right dress, at an acceptable cost, can be quite a task.

Recently, we discovered,Wai-Ching Clothing, by Chrissy Wai Ching, a marvellous Seattle-based designer who has a range of fabulous 'Indie' bridalwear (and a great range of fashion clothing as well).

The good news is that even if you live far away from Seattle, you can still order a dress from Wai-Ching and know that it will fit you perfectly. The studio communicates closely with you to get your measurements and they guarantee a perfect fit.

Their designs can be altered to suit you, and they will happily adapt existing designs, adding, for example, straps, corset backs and trains. Best of all, though, are the prices. Most designer wedding dresses fall above the $2000 mark but a Wai-Ching gown can cost as little as $198.

For a look at some of our favourite designs from the range, click through the image gallery below, and don't forget to visit the website for the full clothing range.

In response to the intense media speculation that Madonna and Guy's marriage is over, Guy's mother has spoken out and dismissed the rumours as complete and utter nonsense. She said, "It is absolute rubbish, worse than that. Guy will be furious at me talking to you but I feel I can't just let these reports go unanswered as they make me so angry and they are hurtful intrusions into their private lives."

Lady Amber Leighton said that when she chatted to Guy on Friday morning their conversation had been about his new film project and not his divorce, because there is no divorce.

She went on to say that marriage is not a bed of roses and can be tough for any couple, and Madonna and Guy are no different. In addition, they have hectic schedules and the very nature of their careers means they spend a lot of time apart.

"But", said Madonna's mother-in-law, 'Like other couples they work at keeping their relationship happy and fresh and they are a close and loving couple who have a family to bring up."

In the meantime, reports that Madonna sought legal advice from Sir Paul MacCartney's divorce lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, remain unconfirmed.

Madonna is keeping Mum, so, as we've said before, only time will tell.

Looking for a stunning wedding venue in the heart of England? Well then take a peek at The Ashes Country House, in Staffordshire.

Located in a beautiful Grade II listed house, The Ashes is a new wedding venue that is well worth considering if you're dreaming of a classic, English countryside wedding.

When you book your wedding at The Ashes you have exclusive use of The East Barn & The West Barn, which is licensed for civil weddings. The venue, which can accommodate up to 150 guests, is in an idyllic setting and perfect for both summer and winter weddings.

The cost of hiring this venue depends on the season and time of week. For a low-season, mid-week wedding prices start at £2450 and go up to £3950 for a high-season, Saturday wedding. Click here for detailed pricing.

The Ashes is holding a Wedding Open Day on Sunday 20 July from 11am to 3pm - it's a date worth bookmarking.

The latest collection by London designer Juliet Poyser was inspired by the 1950's and the classic, feminine elegance of that time is evident in this gorgeous wedding dress range.

There's something about the sleek and chic simplicity of these designs that inspire visions of a superbly glamorous, stylish wedding. We're thinking Grace Kelly meets Audrey Hepburn. Ballrooms and orchestras and sophisticated cocktails. Men in tuxedos. Perhaps a touch of James Bond too!

The collection features tight-fitting, slinky gowns, Dior-style coat dresses, elegant shrugs, smooth fabrics with interesting bow and buckle details and beautifully flared A-line skirts. These are modern, elegant dresses with a fabulous retro element. True classics.