In her current BBC series, retail guru Mary Portas, a.k.a. Mary Queen of Shops, tells us that the great British high-street is suffering. Small independent shops are going out of business with the rise of huge supermarkets. She says that 5,000 small shops closed last year - We’ll miss our neighbourhood shops when they’ve gone... so why not incorporate some local style itmes into your wedding gift list? More...

A BBC report announced that a watchdog is calling for more protection for shoppers who pay in advance for goods but lose their money when the business collapses. After the collapse of wedding list company Wrapit in August 2008, around 2,000 newlyweds were left without their gifts. It is impossible to predict which company will be affected by recession, so what should soon-to-be-married couples do to avoid risk when organising their wedding gift list?

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Vintage wedding ideas are becoming more popular. Why not have a wedding with a tea party theme…

Personally Tea has been part of my heritage as my Dad is a tea taster for a major brand, and my parents are from Yorkshire and drink gallons of the stuff. Between our wedding and reception we held a tea party in the church hall so we could invite a larger number of people. Friends and family brought a plethora of cakes and we were served tea by the Mothers Union.

Here are some ideas to whet your appetite...   More...