There's no denying it anymore, we're well and truly in 'wedding season' now.
Are you getting ready to tie the knot? Concerned about how much damage your big day will do to your bank balance, but still want to make sure your guests have a good time? If this sounds like you or someone you know, then thankfully, Aldi has just launched a new competition, and it could be exactly what you're looking for.
The budget supermarket is pretty well-known for its wine selection at this point, so if you're engaged and would consider yourself to be an Aldi wine advocate, then 60 bottles of the retailer's finest award-winning vino could be yours for free.
Aldi is looking for engaged couples to supply free wine to on their wedding day / Credit: Aldi | Matthieu Joannon (via Unsplash)
Launched to celebrate David and Victoria Beckham's silver wedding anniversary (for some reason?), this new competition is open to all engaged couples across the UK - with three lucky lovebird duos set to be chosen as the winners of a selection of the supermarket's top tipples, all paying a resemblance to some more pricey picks.
One of these wines Aldi's popular Pierre Jaurant Bordeaux, which wine expert, Sam Caporn, says "allows for a taste" of the Beckhams’ favourite Château Mouton Rothschild, that would set you back a whopping £3,600 per bottle.
Aldi says its also chosen to launch this competition for lucky couples now after some recent research has revealed that, despite the rising cost of living crisis continuing to make its impact felt on millions nationwide, the average wedding now costs around £20,775.
Three lucky winners will be chosen to win 60 bottles of the supermarket's finest vino / Credit: Aldi Corporate
This is apparently the first time the figure has topped £20,000 too, according to the research.
So, if you're engaged and you fancy being in with a chance of receiving a wedding party-sized supply of Aldi’s wines, then all you'll need to do enter sending an email to aldiweddingwines@clarioncomms.co.uk with your full name, proof of age, date and location of your upcoming wedding, and 150 words explaining why you think you should be chosen as one of three lucky winners.
The competition closes on 25 July, with the three winners contacted after that deadline date, and you can find out more and full T&Cs here.
Featured Image - Al Elmes (via Unsplash)
Shopping
A massive Le Creuset factory sale is coming to Yorkshire next month
Le Creuset will be bringing its biggest-ever in-person event to Yorkshire next month, offering massive discounts on its hit cookware pieces.
The Factory to Table Sale will be heading to Harrogate, filled with all of Le Creuset's most popular items, from salt and pepper grinders to casserole dishes.
And they've said that the sale will include some rare colours, unusual shapes, and pieces you won’t typically find in the brand’s UK boutiques and outlets.
Taking over the Great Yorkshire Events Centre from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, there'll be loads of Le Creuset cookware for up to half price.
And this isn’t just any old warehouse clear-out. The event is billed as Le Creuset UK’s biggest-ever in-person event, with more cast iron cookware on offer than ever before.
Expect plenty of the brand’s instantly recognisable pieces, alongside limited-edition colours and harder-to-find designs.
The biggest-ever in-person Le Creuset event is coming to Yorkshire. Credit: Fever
Among the tempting finds are seasonal favourites including the pumpkin and petal casseroles, making this one for anyone who likes their kitchenware to be as decorative as it is practical.
The sale takes place across three days at the Great Yorkshire Events Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, as follows:
Friday 25 September - 9.45am–7pm, with last entry at 6.15pm
Saturday 26 September - 9am–6pm, with last entry at 5.15pm
Sunday 27 September - 9am–5.30pm, with last entry at 4.45pm
Tickets are allocated to pre-booked time slots, and under-16s will need to be accompanied by an adult.
The catch? Tickets haven’t gone on general sale yet. You can join the waitlist nowfor exclusive presale access, giving you the chance to get in before the wider public.
So, if your kitchen has been crying out for a new Dutch oven, or you simply enjoy the thrill of finding a bargain in a very attractive shade of red, Harrogate might be worth the trip this September.
IKEA to launch its own online marketplace full of second-hand furniture
Emily Sergeant
IKEA will be launching its own online marketplace full of second-hand furniture.
Just like the ever-popular Facebook Marktplace, the IKEA second-hand marketplace is a dedicated space where pre-loved IKEA products can find a new home.
In bid to make affordable second-hand home furnishings easily accessible, the new online platform will enable customers across the UK to connect with one another directly, so they can buy and sell pre-owned IKEA items locally.
Designed specifically for IKEA products, the marketplace will provide everything shoppers need in one place.
The Swedish retailer is already known and loved for its 'functional' and 'affordable' home furnishings, all produced with care for people and the environment, but the launch of the new IKEA second-hand market place will make it just as easy to pass on an old favourite as it is to find a new one.Â
IKEA is launching its own online marketplace full of second-hand furniture / Credit: Supplied
"At IKEA, we are always looking for new ways to make life at home even better and help our customers discover products they love," a spokesperson for the retailer said.
"With the launch of IKEA second-hand marketplace in the UK, we’re taking a meaningful step toward creating a destination that simplifies access to pre-owned IKEA furniture.Â
"Our goal is to make passing on beloved IKEA pieces as seamless as possible.
"We’re creating a trusted and vibrant space to make it quick and easy for our IKEA Family members to trade directly with one another. We want the process for buying and selling pre-owned IKEA products to be simple, accessible and rewarding."
Detailed information regarding the official launch and how customers can get involved will be made available in the coming months.
Emily Sergeant -
28th June 2024 
