Competition time! Win a personalised front page by The Occasional Reporter

Wedding gifts are hard. Finding the right present for your maid of honour or best man is always going to be tough - how are you meant to make up for all the times you've cried hysterically about hydrangeas or yelled "I HAVE BACK FAT, GET OUT" in a very fancy shop while they've had to hold down the fort? What gift says "Thank you for not telling anyone what happened on the hen/stag do"? More importantly, what could you possibly buy that says "I love you" in the most thoughtful way ever?

The answer, as Lauren at The Occasional Reporter has pointed out, is personalisation. Any chump can go out and get a bath set or a new watch. True everlasting BFF love can only be celebrated in the form of deeply personal presents that show just how much attention you pay to your platonic significant other.

Her personalised presents go a little further than most. The Occasional Reporter specialises in bespoke newspaper front pages that commemorate anyone or anything you like in Technicolor - or monochrome - detail. Your choice. The point is, you choose the photos and the stories to include and Lauren uses her journo skills to polish it all up into headline news.

Competition time!

Lauren from The Occasional Reporter has been kind enough to offer a free bespoke front page to a lucky winner. She's a good egg like that!

What you'll win:
A one-of-a-kind hand-made front page written by Lauren from The Occasional Reporter. Lauren will contact you directly to talk to you about the person you're dedicating this gift to, and will interview you to find out all the juicy details and special memories that'll make your BFF's front page spin. It's not just good for wedding guests either. One of these babies would make a great birthday present!

What you need to do:

• Follow @Bridezilcho and @OccasionalReporter on Instagram
• Like this post and comment below tagging the person you'd make a front page for

This competition will run until midnight on Saturday 14 April 2018. The winner will be chosen at random and messaged directly, and also announced publicly on the @Bridezilcho Instagram account after this date. Please find all terms and conditions at the bottom of this blog post.

💞✨COMPETITION TIME!✨💞 Personalised #gifts are the ultimate thoughtful #giftideas, and @occasionalreporter has nailed the format! An ex-journo and a lover of all things sugar and spice, owner Lauren creates bespoke newspapers to commemorate your special occasions or #celebrate your #birthday. 📰 She can make headline news out of anything, from a #christening to an #anniversary - she's even been asked to create one for somebody's interior designer as a thank you present! 📰 WIN A BESPOKE NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE! All you need to do is: 1. Like this post 2. Follow me (@bridezilcho) and @occasionalreporter 3. Tag the person below you'd love to create a unique front page for! 📰 CONTEST ENDS MIDNIGHT (GMT) ON SATURDAY 14 APRIL 2018. Winner will be selected at random and contacted directly. 📰 Good luck! 🌈 #competition #freebie #weddinggift #weddinggifts #weddingplanning #bridetobe #bestfriends #bridesmaids #bridesmaidgoals #indiedesigners #indieshop #homemade #craft #contest #ukbride #ukweddingblogger #ukbloggers #ukblogger #alternativebride

A post shared by Katie (@bridezilcho) on Apr 11, 2018 at 1:55am PDT

Meet Lauren, the brain (and the pencil) behind The Occasional Reporter

I decided after all this competition excitement, we all needed to find out a bit more about the lady who creates these amazing newspapers. I'll let you in on a little secret - we've known each other for a minute, and I'm super proud of how well her business is doing and how much people are loving her work!

So, we sat down and had a little chat about The Occasional Reporter, her career so far and what she loves about weddings. Read on and find out more about one of the most unique small businesses in the UK. Grab a brew and read on.

When did your interest in the wedding industry start?

I started my career writing features for a newspaper, but after five years doing that I left to move into writing for people’s businesses instead. I miss journalism terribly and wanted to find a way I could still chat to folks and write about their stories.

"The idea for The Occasional Reporter came to me one evening when I was thinking about how I could do just that – so I road-tested the idea after a friend’s wedding." 

I created my first newspaper page about her big day and was so taken aback by her reaction that I knew I was onto something. To be able to be a part of people’s day – and help them celebrate said day for years to come – is just lovely.

Tell me the soppiest, most heart-warming story you've ever been asked to put on a front page.

There are so many, it’s difficult to choose! Recently, I was asked to write about a couple who’d been caught up in Hurricane Harvey in their first year of marriage. They’d lost their home and all their possessions and had to move in with a family member.

"It was a lovely story, though, about how ‘love conquered all’."

Andrew – who’d ordered a newspaper page for the couple’s first anniversary – told me how they’d simply ‘got on with it’ – and all that mattered was that they had each other. It was an honour to have the chance to put down his love for his wife in words – and they were both thrilled with the end result.

Where's the furthest your front pages have been sent? 

Australia! In fact, I have a repeat customer from there. Lea-Anne got in touch for a page for her friends’ first wedding anniversary. She then contacted me again when her daughter had her first baby – and she said she’ll be back in touch very soon, as she’d like a third page. I almost feel like part of the family now; it’s great to be able to document people’s lives in this way and I’ll be over the moon if I’m still doing it in, say, 10 years’ time.

 When did your interest in journalism start?

I was only ever any good at writing – and I plugged away at it at school and uni, until I eventually hounded the then-editor of a local newspaper to give me a job. Luckily, my persistence paid off and I ended up working at the paper for five years. It was a fantastic introduction to journalism and I remember my days there fondly.

What's the most unique celebration you've been asked to help commemorate? 

I’ve been asked to create a page for someone’s decorator! A lady got in touch to say her DIY guy had done such a good job redecorating the house that she wanted to thank him for all his efforts.

Do you do wedding fairs? When can people see you next? 

I do! I’ve only done a couple as yet, as The Occasional Reporter is still a fairly new business. I will certainly be booking a few more for autumn, and I’ll be keeping everyone updated via my blog at www.theoccasionalreporter.com

What type of front page would you love to make?

Oooh, now that’s a good question! It would be fab to do a kind of ‘This is Your Life’ page – a retirement gift, or an 80th or 90th birthday one. So, if anyone knows anyone who’d look good in newspaper print, get in touch!

What's next for TOR?

My plan is to properly launch my ‘live reporting’ service this year. Ordinarily, the information I need to create the pages is gathered over email or via my personalised questionnaire on the website. But I’d love to be in attendance at people’s big days or celebrations, as it’ll make for an even more bespoke gift. So, keep your eyes peeled for that; maybe I’ll be at your big event next…

Competition Terms & Conditions

• One reader will win one bespoke front page by The Occasional Reporter.
• Closing date for entries is 12am (GMT) on 15/04/2018. The winner will chosen at random and announced on all @Bridezilcho social media platforms. The winner will also be contacted directly with information on told how to claim their prize.
• This contest open to all readers of the Bridezicho blog, regardless of location, over the age of 18.
• UK or international shipping is included, however if the winner is outside of the UK they may need to pay customs charges to receive their prizes.
• By entering the draw, you hereby warrant that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete.
• Liability cannot be accepted for entries which are lost in transit or not received due to technical difficulties.
• Bridezilcho and The Occasional Reporter's decision and any decision taken by the promoter is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• No purchase necessary.