Brides yearning for a Venetian style wedding, complete with that all important Gondola, may no longer need to travel to Italy.

Capesthorne Hall near Macclesfield has been revamped and is now offering couples to be the chance to get married in its new Pavilion.

As part of this, couples will be able to make full use of the venue's lakes, where newly-weds will have the opportunity to sail around the lake in a gondola serenaded by a gondolier prior to welcoming guests at their wedding reception.

They can also opt to have a masquerade ball as opposed to a traditional reception to tie in with the Venetian theme.

The venue is also launching a competition to find Capesthorne's Bride of the Year 2010, when the winner will receive a romantic Venetian style wedding package including a civil service in the Hall's 18th century Jacobean-style mansion or its Georgian Chapel.

More details about this to follow.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be a guest at a fabulous wedding held by two dear friends who will now be enjoying a well-earned rest in sunnier climes. While much could be written about their big day, there was one small detail that really appealed to me: they'd brought in half a dozen arcade games machines and loaded them up with enough cash to see that the guests (young and old alike) could have fun driving, skiing and shooting their way through the reception.

So how can you hire arcade games machines for your wedding?