< Previous60 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYYe Olde Red Lion in the village ofBicker is a recently renovated and newlyopened English country pub servingmenus that are simply out of this world.The subtly-lit and homely feel of theirdining room is a perfect setting for arelaxing evening and the food matchesthe lush surroundings. There are twomenus to choose from in the evening, atraditional three-course restaurant menuor a Lincolnshire twist on tapas. This is truly a triumph as it takes oldcounty favourites and presents themwithin a new, contemporary way. Wesampled a selection of the tapas beforeour main meal and enjoyed red onionand Poacher cheese Lincolnshire tartlets,ham hock terrine with piccalilli, mintedlamb cutlets and a half-pint glass ofprawns and crayfish tails. The terrine wasspiced with mustard all the waythrough, making it a highlight, but thesheer range of flavours on offer withinjust a small selection of the tapas gave ahint that this option is one that holdsmany delights.To begin the main menu, my diningpartner chose wild mushrooms, whichwere sautéed in garlic butter and servedwith toasted, homemade brioche whichcarried a delicate flavour to harness therich, nutty and creamy taste of themushroom. I plumped for potted beef,served with a miniature loaf of herbbread with a dollop of Norfolk cider andonion chutney which was a revelation.The beef came with a pleasing layer ofdripping which felt indulgent, but wentperfectly with the tart chutney and thewarm, aromatic bread. This is the waycomfort food needs to be and with thetemperatures falling below zero outsideit was a welcome indulgence.For a main course, I went for a slow-cooked chump of lamb, stuffed withgarlic and served on a bed of bubbleand squeak. This came with roastvegetables and a zesty but subtle pinenut and orange sauce, complete with arogue segment of orange making it adish of delicious contrasts. My partnerselected the fish of the day, which was ahunk of locally-caught cod with vinetomatoes, spicy chorizo, king prawns,new potato and wilted spinach, alldrizzled with a red pepper sauce. Thefish was fresh, pan-fried and carried ahint of charcoal, giving it aMediterranean feel which contrastedwell with the sharpness of the vinetomatoes and the soft, pliant chorizo.Dessert was an even more luxuriousaffair, with a dark chocolate, banana andwalnut brownie served with Bailey’s icecream proving to be a real highlight.The warm, spongy brownie held intactchunks of banana and the ice cream wasdelightfully creamy. I plumped for acoffee crème brulee which came withdelicate and alluring almond shortbreadand vanilla cream which was a cannymix I’d not tried before. The coffee wassubtle rather than overpowering and theshortbread was buttery but with anexcellent, delicate crumb.Ye Olde Red Lion is on Donington Road, Bicker, PE20 3EF, located just off theA52 and is therefore in driving distance of Sleaford, Grantham, Boston andSpalding. To find out more or to book a table, call 01775 821200 or log on towww.redlionbicker.co.ukFOOD & DININGYe Olde Red Lion, Bicker060:Layout 1 7/12/12 12:44 Page 1Join us at the White Hart Hotel in our GrilleRestaurantand‘Wine Dine & Save’duringJanuary, February & March with our amazingbudget busting offers.061:Layout 1 7/12/12 12:33 Page 162 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGSIt’s surely one of the most romanticmoments you can get – the final presentunder the Christmas tree is the smallestof them all, but when you open it, it’saccompanied by your partner goingdown on one knee. If you or one of yourrelatives were fortunate enough to getan engagement ring on December 25th,or you’ve decided that after agestogether this is finally the year you’regoing to make it official, there’s certainlyplenty of excitement in store.Yet if you thought organisingChristmas was a challenge, imagine theequivalent of an entire festive seasoncrammed into 24 hours, attended byalmost everyone you know and – with abit of luck – something you can’t repeattwelve months later. Planning a weddinghas been likened to a military operationand certainly you’ll need your wits aboutyou to make sure it’s a day that sticks inthe memory for all the right reasons, butthat doesn’t mean the planning can’t begreat fun in its own right.Lots of that is thanks to Lincolnshirebeing home to a host of fabulous venuesand wedding experts who have theknowledge and experience to turn yourplans into reality. Some people are waryof making use of wedding planners andspecialists, though, envisaging that theirown views will be marginalised and thatthey’ll become bit-part players in astandard tried-and-trusted weddingtemplate recycled for every othercouple.But that’s almost never the case. Therole of a wedding specialist is to helpmake things happen, not tell you whatthose things are going to be. Their skilland experience in organising specialevents mean they have an innateknowledge of what will and won’t workin that context. This mean they’ll be ableto let you know if one of your big ideasis likely to be unworkable before you’vemade a commitment to it – or think of amore effective way to do it that will bejust as glamorous but less expensive.One absolutely vital role for thewedding planner too is that of animpartial voice. It’s likely that it won’tjust be the happy couple-to-be who’llhave ideas about what they want to seeon the big day but also their friends and,especially, their immediate family, andthey won’t be shy in pitching them.Often it can be hard for unsuitable ideasto be rejected without looking as ifyou’re favouring one side over the other,which can cause tension, but thewedding specialist can offer theirStars ofthe showChanges to the law and a huge range of venuesmeans it’s never been easier to make your big dayunique062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 1WEDDINGSunbiased opinion on why they won’t beable to do everything they wanted.Best of all, the wedding specialists cando all the Is and cross all the Ts duringthe build-up while leaving you to lookafter the more interesting aspects.Certainly, deciding on the dress, themenu and the entertainment can begreat fun and you’ll certainly want tokeep control of those aspects. But whatabout the tedious business of makingsure all the entertainment licences are upto date, or that the caterers have all thefacilities they need? They’re vital aspectsof ensuring the day can run smoothly butthey’re not always the most fun, so thewedding specialist can take care of thosemundane aspects while you concentrateon the bits that require your input.PHOTO: STEVE OATWAY PHOTOGRAPHY, ISLE OF AXHOLMEPHOTO: STEVE OATWAY PHOTOGRAPHY, ISLE OF AXHOLMECOURTESY C&G PHOTOGRAPHYWhateverthe weather,your specialday willsparkle65 062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 2Planning for yourspecial day?Then look no further,Lincolnshire Today’s Wedding Guidehas everything covered.Call 01472 310301 for your free copy,or visit www.blmgroup.co.uk/ltwg to view it online.LincolnshireRegistration &CelebratoryServicesTel: 01522 782244Email: regist@lincolnshire.gov.ukwww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/registrationMarriages Civil Partnerships Nationality Checking Service Citizenship Ceremonies Naming & Renewal of Vows CeremoniesCopy Certificates (from 1837 to date) Civil Funeral, Memorial, Woodland Burial and Interment Ceremonies Pre planned Script only Funeral Service now available062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 3Certainly there are plenty of things to consider when you’re planningyour big day – and there are almost as many types of wedding as thereare venues in Lincolnshire. The latest figures from the Office of NationalStatistics show that the highest number of marriages in England andWales is between men and women aged 25 to 29, while the biggestincrease in recent years comes from men aged 45 to 49 and womenaged 30 to 34. This is certainly a change from a generation or so agowhen you would almost always get married much earlier in life and thischange, combined with the increase in those getting married for a secondtime, means people have more money to spend on their big day and aremore interested in something different.The number of weddings that are taking place in England and Wales hasactually gone up in recent years – albeit from a particularly low base – withan increase of 3.7% in the latest figures, though this is countered with asimilar decrease in those getting married abroad. The increased options mightalso have something to do with it, too, and a change in the law means it’s nowpossible to get married at any time of the day or night. This was already the casein Scotland but now England are no longer limiting events to daylight hours. Ifyou think it might be more romantic to enjoy a late evening wedding, you nowhave the option, though the various local authorities continue to have the finalsay. In Lincolnshire, most are offering it on a trial basis.The wedding we feature on the following pages will doubtless provideinspiration, but there are now so many options for your wedding, the possibilitiesare endless. It’s never been easier to stamp your own personality on one of thebiggest days of your life.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY65KateAtkinsonMake Up ArtistSpecialising in Bridal and Occasion make upUsing Mac, Benefit & Bobbi Brown and the Exclusive Dinair Airbrush 9 years experience in make up artistry now available by appointmentplease call on 07982 514440 or email catherineatkinson@msn.comWEDDINGSPHOTO: STEVE OATWAY PHOTOGRAPHY, ISLE OF AXHOLMEDairy BarnLuxury Self Catering AccommodationLocated in a traditional village north of the historic City of Lincoln33 The Green, Ingham, Lincoln LN1 2XT01522 730636 07747 893465 a4jec@aol.com www.dairybarningham.co.ukwww.doves4love.co.ukWhite dove release for special occasionswithin a 30 mile radius of Lincoln.Luxury, bespoke cakes for every occasionCelebrationCakes by Carolwww.celebrationcakesbycarol.co.ukBRIDES OFBAILGATE9 Bailgate Lincoln, LN1 3AE01522 576011www.bridesofbailgate.co.uk Gowns of DistinctionFor more informationcontact us today:T: 07553 373 387E: info@keymarque.co.ukwww.keymarque.co.ukMarquee hireTable & Chair hireVenue Decoration062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 4SAVETHE DATE21.02.13FREE ENTRYLincolnshire Wedding Fayre returns to The Showroomthis February. %URZVH D VHOHFWLRQ RI /LQFROQVKLUHV ´QHVW wedding suppliers at our evening event.Whether you’re still looking for the perfect venue, or you’re on the hunt for those personal ´nishing touches, our fayre has soPething for couples at all stages of wedding planning.www.lincolnshireweddingfayre.co.uk | Twitter: @LincsWedFayreThe ShowrooP | Tritton Road | Lincoln | LN 4Y | 0122 030DATE? Thursday 21st February 2013TIME? 6.00pm – 9.00pmVENUE? The ShowrooPRustonSports & Social ClubLincolnʼs premier venue perfectforWeddings, with the Lincoln room, our mainfunction room being largeand airywith itsown dance floor andbar. Also available for all Parties and Christenings, Business Conferences and Training Days, at a price YOU can afford!New Members always welcome Family membership at only £20 per year entitles you to use all oursuperb facilities and a 17.5% discount on all drinks. Watch Sky Sports and ESPN Sports on our HDprojector and big screen whilst enjoying a drink in the lounge.For more information donʼt hesitate to contact us...Newark Road, Lincoln. LN6 8SA Tel: 01522 882111 www.rustonsclub.co.ukThe Lincoln Room - fully air conditionedCelebrate062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 5Your Perfect Wedding VenueThe Pyewipe Inn is an idyllic seng for the perfect wedding venue. If required, exclusive use is guaranteed for the day, accompanied by superb cuisine and first class funcon facilies. Set in a 4 acre rural seng beside the famous Fossdyke Canal your pictures will have the backdrop of truly breathtaking views of the Cathedral and Castle. With ourown moorings you can arrive or depart in style, or choose tostay in the bridal suite within the adjacent lodge.Saxilby Road, Lincoln 01522 528708enquiries@pyewipe.co.ukwww.pyewipe.co.ukSara&RobertwelcomeyouTo make a reservation please call01522 528708enquiries@pyewipe.co.ukwww.pyewipe.co.ukThursday 14th FebruaryValentineTreat yourSpecial Valentineto a Special eveningat The Pyewipe062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 668 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGSHow did your relationship blossom?Vicky: “We first met at work back in 2005 and bothknew we were right for each other, but it was the wrongtime. Five years on, Paul managed to track me downwhen we were both single. It was as if we’d never beenaway – but we’d lived so close to each other it wasamazing we hadn’t bumped into each other before!”Why did you decide to pop the question?Paul: “It was quite early on in our relationship. Vickyhad gone to Jamaica with her family for two weeks and Ihated being without her. I vowed that would neverhappen again and, when I proposed, she said yes –thank goodness!”How did you choose the venue?Vicky: “On a country drive we passed a beautifulmanor house and both decided it would be the perfectvenue. When we got home we looked up Walcot Hall,found we could hold our reception there and booked itPictureperfectThough they had differing views on the size of thewedding, and a slight motoring malfunction, Vicky andPaul’s big day was hugely memorable for all the rightreasons, as we found out when we spoke to them...062-074:Layout 1 7/12/12 14:00 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRETODAY69WEDDINGSthe very next day. On the day itself the marquee looked amazing in the hugegrounds, and once you were inside the marquee you’d have thought you wereactually in a stately home itself. The grounds were also a fabulous backdrop forthe photos. We’d certainly recommend the venue to others as they were hugelyrelaxed and came up with plenty of excellent ideas.”Where there any differing opinions?Paul: “I thought the bigger, the better, as nothing was too much for Vicky –but she said she wanted a simple occasion.”Did you enjoy planning the event?Vicky: “Paul did the majority of the planning, but both of us enjoyed doing it.The only hiccup was when our Staffie, Taz, broke his leg, which cost us a smallfortune that we started to wobble slightly! If I was to pass on any advice, I’d saythat while everyone talks about keeping to a budget... forget it!”“On a country drive we passed a beautiful manor house andboth decided it would be the perfect venue.”70 PHOTOS: MARK APPLEBY PHOTOGRAPHY062-074:Layout 1 10/12/12 10:50 Page 8Next >