by Helen Kelleher

Here is the sun and summer weddings and bright ideas make up this colourful edition. How to be the perfect beach bride, hints on how to pack your bags for that wedding abroad or for your honeymoon in the tropics, summer wedding reception themes at home and hints on how to remain cool and where to find the lighter fabrics out there such as satin, silk or tulle for a distinctly summer feel.

And the fellas will like this edition too as there are lots of grooming tips on how he can look his absolute best on the big day and Confetti have looked to the guys for inspiration on wedding reception themes. Also Quentin Fottrell gives grooms a step-by-step glow-by-glow to looking good at the altar so really there is no excuse for you both not to enjoy this mag.

If you are still looking for a venue for your wedding day there is a round up of some of Ireland's most beautiful hot spots and new additions to the honeymoon scene. If you are travelling there is a guide to where to stay and what to do if honeymooning in South Africa or Mauritius or if you want a stress-free, lavish and yet varied honeymoon, a romantic cruise seems to be where it is at.

Getting married on a tropical island need not be an outlandish fantasy. Confetti reveals the most romantic island settings and advises couples on how to achieve the perfect beach wedding and lists pros and cons for the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic or the Pacific.

But if you want to have the fun at home the seven beautiful Irish boutique hotels with fabulous designer spas are really worth knowing about and all the photographic and information is in here. There really is a whole new world of hospitality opening up in Ireland perfect for hens, honeymooners and alternative wedding receptions alike - no excuse not to check them out.

by Gillian McMahon

Confetti always shines out by having a trendy front cover like the latest one, of a bride with fabulous jewels! It’s a thinner magazine than some but well worth buying for its “Real Irish Weddings” section - It’s always good to see real life examples rather than photos of models in wedding dresses. “Love in the Afternoon” in Barcelona is a good read for anyone thinking of getting married abroad. The usual adverts and pictures of dresses were all good as was the travel section. I particularly liked the make-up advice which promotes doing something a little bit different on the big day. And of course, learning how to avoid the nightmare pre-wedding scenarios will help any bride-to-be. Confetti Summer edition as expected didn’t let me down !

By Fiona Cleere

This edition of Confetti begins on a high note by bombarding you with the ‘We Like…’ pages. There are eight of them, jammed packed with quirky, unusual ideas from floral arrangements, wedding gifts, jewellery, accessories, dress styles to, very importantly, shoes! All those niggling questions that trouble even the most relaxed bride are answered in full by Confetti’s advice feature. Sometimes having someone else back you is all you need to do things your own way!

My absolute favourite feature of this edition is the ‘Worldwide Weddings’ extravaganza. From Japan to Nigeria the unusual flavours of other cultures come to life. I am intrigued by the idea of bringing some touches of the exotic to my wedding.

The ‘Real Irish Weddings’ pieces kept me reading for days and I found I kept coming back afterwards to look at a photo or to remind myself of the source of the dress or the flowers or whatever detail had caught my eye. The season feature is definitely one for my ‘Wedding book’. I especially like the emphasis on the groom and how the seasons might affect his style choice.

       Fiona Cleere