Another colour that was favoured by designers for Spring/Summer 2018 was Blue.
The traditional rhyme which starts off with 'something old', details what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck. Wearing ‘something old’ is meant to represent the life that the bride is leaving behind, while the ‘something new’ represents her new life as a married woman. The ‘something borrowed’ should come from someone who has had a long and happy marriage, and blue is meant to symbolise purity, fidelity and love.
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BRIDAL FASHION WEEK, NEW YORK -2017
In my experience, the majority of brides opt for a white/ivory dress for their wedding. I would say that in the last couple of years, many are choosing to experiment with different colours and try something new. From my days of working as a Bridal Consultant, I used to try and get at least 1 bride a week in a dress with colour whether it be mocha, blush pink, red or even gold, I wanted to them see passed white and ivory and think outside the box! Fast forward to 2017 and the designers at BFW have done just that, this time with my fave colour, Black! From full on gowns, to a subtle hint in the forms of ribbons, gloves and accessories, black was the way forward. Designers like Reem Acra, Marchesa and Hayley Page show cased at least one piece that incorporated this colour within their collections. Bridal Fashion Week took place October 2017 in New York (already seems like a life time go!) and from it came a whole host of trends, designers (old and new) and styles that were every girls dream!
Due to a very busy schedule and my private jet not being ready on time,I was unable to attend! But have no fear! I have taken it upon myself to bring you some of my faves and hopefully yours too right from the comfort of my kitchen table! As there is so much to report on, I thought bite size weekly chunks would seem more appropriate rather than a really long post! I need you to stay focused and alert! So get a pen and paper at the ready and start making notes! CAPES (yes!!) To say I'm a fan of a cape is an understatement! I don't care what any one says, there's something about the cape that makes you feel AMAZING! (confession time, I own at least 6!) At BFW, most designers made sure that at least one of their dresses incorporated a cape, from a cropped caplet to full-length. Now a cape can't be worn with just any dress/outfit, in my opinion it has to compliment your look and have the WOW factor! If you aren't completely sold on the idea, try a few out (not necessarily bridal), find what suits and what you're comfortable in. I guarantee, you will wish you had invested a long time ago! It's January, it's cold and I have work tomorrow, but on the plus side, it's bright outside for a change! How many of us will be making resolutions and breaking them by the end of the week?! I've promised myself NOT to join another gym......I'm pretty confident that I will see this one through to the end of the year!
As I haven't posted in forever, I thought I may as well take the opportunity to do it now otherwise I will forget later! Whilst being off work, I've had time to reflect (with the odd cheeky glass of wine!) on how I plan on expanding my business over the next 365 days! I will be coming into my 3rd year (OMG!) and I still feel like a newbie to the whole thing! I definitely need to Network more, not my strongest point!! I have connected with some brilliant people who have encouraged me to keep going and inspired me to take chances. I'm learning to think outside the box a lot more, not compare myself to others (very hard not to do!) and believe in my skills and abilities. Growth within your business is so important. Ideas can open up opportunities, which can lead to amazing experiences, but only if you're prepared to put them into action and put in the work. Self determination is a must!! After much deliberation and taking my own advice for change, I have decided to add another element to my little empire creating accessories (eek!). I don't want to give too much away just yet, as things are still in the early stages! I have promised myself to not get too carried away with it all and take my time! Self discipline is a must!! As always, I know I will receive support from friends and family in making sure this gets off the ground (I've talked about it long enough!) Another promise I made to myself is to post more in my blog (hangs head in shame) I can talk for England, but when it comes to blogging........not so much! Hats off to those that do it on a regular basis! I will keep you all posted on my progress and who knows, maybe there will be a launch later in the year! It's time for me to sign off ,get some work done and possibly eat some more cake! Much love & stay fabulous! Ella x I first met Louisa performing a wedding ceremony a few years ago. She truly has a unique way of bringing to life a special moment. If you're looking for an alternative way to personalise your service, then Starr Gazing Ceremonies could be just what you need!
What’s your name and where do you come from? I am a Professional Independent Celebrant based in York and I cover Yorkshire, all UK areas as well as international destinations. I write, create and perform unique, tailor-made personalised ceremonies for weddings, funerals and namings. I specialise in creating ceremonies from scratch to ensure that customers receive a totally unique script that is personal and identifies the values that are important to them so as to make the ceremony memorable to everybody there on that special day. A ceremony can be outdoor or indoor, festival-style, themed, bohemian, traditional, alternative, spiritual and basically exactly what couples want! All ceremonies are written from scratch in order to create a personalised and specialised ceremony that is totally unique to the couple and recognises their personalities, characters, beliefs and philosophies. Tell us a bit about the business I became a professional celebrant in 2015 after receiving training from the Fellowship of Independent Celebrant UK. Although my husband and I had a celebrant perform our wedding ceremony, my initial motive to become a celebrant myself, came after two dear friends asked me to perform their wedding ceremony for them in a barn in a field! From my previous career of 15 years in Theatre Management, I had learnt the art of delivering a good performance to an audience and the importance of customer service and so was able to use these skills in this new venture. I discovered that I loved writing, creating and performing unique, personalised, inventive and creative ceremonies and so I decided to become a celebrant based in York where I live with my husband and son. I love working with people! I enjoy getting to know couples so that we can work together to make their ceremony a totally memorable part of the day. My husband and I met at University in York and even though neither of us were originally from the city, it became our home and we decided to get married in the place we loved living. Our celebrant delivered a personalised and traditional candlelit hand-fasting ceremony on the banks of the River Ouse on Winter Solstice. This made the wedding very personal and unique for my husband and I and all of our guests. From my own experience, I am greatly aware of how special ceremonies are to everybody attending. I believe that the inclusion of people creates an atmosphere and a truly memorable day. What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Remember that it is YOUR day! Many people feel pressured into keeping to tradition and to what they think is the norm and what their families want and approve of. The ceremony is often the part that people just brush through or ignore yet it is extremely important as it is when couples make promises to each other and state their love for one another. There are no rules to keep to with a celebrant and a ceremony can be created to include as many people as possible as well as combining fun and seriousness. So what makes you different from the rest? I like to think out of the box! I love spending time thinking about various possibilities and ideas to help encourage couples think of ways that they would like their ceremony to be. It's not a case of me just telling them what they should have or do but a case of us working together as a team so that we understand each other and are on the same wave length. I love the challenge of creating totally unique themes and ideas for ceremonies and love brainstorming with couples so that we can come up with something very different! Any tips? Don't be scared about doing something different! If you want to do something outrageous or non-conventional, then just do it! If you want to raise eyebrows, involve family and friends, make people laugh as well as cry and make people remember that part of the day then thin out of the book to make your day totally unique! General advice for newbies in the industry Find your USP! It is such a competitive business so you need to really dig deep and find your niche so that you stand out in the crowd! What are your plans for the future? To spread the word of Celebrants! Unfortunately, Celebrants in the UK are unable to conduct the legal ceremonies so to be legally married, couples must still be bound by the law at a registry office or with a registrar. (Costs start at £50) I am planning on supporting the role of a celebrant and encourage what we do. Wedding bookings are starting to role in steadily now for next year so my concentration for the next few months will be spent on planning my calendar and getting to know my couples! www.starrgazingceremonies.com www.facebook.com/starrgazingceremonies.co.uk/ Twitter: StarrGazing2014 Instagram: starrgazing_celebrant After studying Millinery at college, I realised the time, effort and extreme patience that goes into creating bespoke headwear. I learnt to appreciate the skill and dedication that goes into every piece.
Heidi has kindly given up her time to let us all know how it all began for her! What’s your name and where do you come from? I'm Heidi a multi-award winning designer of bridal and special occasion accessories. .I create stunning, award winning, wedding day hair jewellery, to unique designs in my Cheshire studio. Tell us a bit about the business I've always been very creative and after completing a degree in Creative Arts, went into photographic research representing photographers whilst working to briefs set by advertising agencies, design companies, and anyone who needed visuals for their marketing. Glorious by Heidi started out life four years ago as Glorious Tiaras after I'd designed a few hair accessories for fun, for family and friends, and found that more and more ladies were coming to me to ask that I make something for them. In the intervening years I've enjoyed creating accessories for a great range of brides and their wedding parties, and am incredibly proud to have been awarded The Wedding Industry Awards 'Accessory Designer of the Year', North West, in both 2016 and 2017. I decided to relaunch the business recently as Glorious by Heidi after it was pointed out to me when I was describing my business and the service I provide to my clients, that what I described was a highly personalised service, with my skills, knowledge and creativity at the heart of what I offer, and yet I was guilty of rarely mentioning myself in any of my promotional activities! I'm doing my best to change that now starting with including my name in the name of the business! What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Try not to loose yourselves in the hurly, burly of planning a wedding. Sit down soon after you decide you'd like to get married and agree on the kind of wedding you'd like, big / small, rural / City, themed / simple, home / away, then get your diaries out and plan in a few 'wedding meetings'. A regular check in to keep each other on track, get excited about the fun stuff like wine tasting, and the music you're going to have, and allocate the admin; will make sure your big day doesn't end up becoming a chore for either one of you. So what makes you different from the rest? The personalisation of my service. My brides deal with me directly, and to best design a hair accessory that's a perfect reflection of their style and one that will enhance their wedding day look, we'll look at pictures of the detail on their dress, discuss how they plan to wear their hair, and check out any Pinterest boards they might have created. My brides approve my design sketches before I start work, and throughout the design process I check in with them to keep them up-to-date and excited about their accessories., and to invite any feedback they have. Any tips? Don't ever think that your hair is too short for an accessory! I've picked up a number of tricks from working alongside hair and make up artists on photo-shoots over the years, that will make sure a hair accessory will stay put in the shortest, chicest of hairstyles. My favourite is to part and lift the hair approximately where you'd like your hair pins or hair comb to sit. Then create 2-3 tiny bunches along the parting and secure using the teeny tiny clear hair bands available from places like Claire's Accessories, Boots and Superdrug. Once the bunches are created drop your hair over the bunches and set with a styling product. You won't be able to see the bunches once the rest of your hair is covering them, even in a short style. You then have a strong platform to feed the teeth of your pins, or comb into, ensuring that even when you hit the dance floor at your reception, your accessory will stay very firmly put! General advice for newbies in the industry Start creating networks of industry friends as soon as possible. You'll need to become an expert in the field pretty quickly with brides asking you for wedding industry recommendations for everything from cakes to photographers, from venues to florists, and more. If you can consistently give good quality leads then you not only grow your reputation as an expert in the field, but you stand a good chance of your industry friends returning the compliment and recommending you in return. What are your plans for the future? I'm currently burning the midnight oil rethinking and redesigning my website so it better reflects me and what I offer brides. I'm planning the relaunch for the end of September... no pressure! I'm also expanding the number of outlets for my core accessory designs. I can currently be found with stores at www.andsotoshop.com , www.loveandlilah.com and have and Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GloriousbyHeidi. A selection of Glorious by Heidi designs can be found in stock at Gracie Bleu Bridal in Buxton, Derbyshire, Dollface Make Up Studios in Congleton, Cheshire and Andrea Pickford Make Up & Beauty in Warrington, Cheshire. www.gloriousbyheidi.com Once the date has been set, what better way to give your guests a little snippet of what to expect than with stand out stationery! Pen and paper at the ready for some useful tips!
What’s your name and where do you come from? Helen Scott Design specialise in beautiful high quality, personalised Wedding Stationery, with collections and designs for every stage of your wedding, from Save the Dates and Invitations, to On the Day stationery and Thank You cards. Tell us a bit about the business I started Helen Scott Design back in 2011 after completing a Graphic and Communication degree at the University of Sunderland. Originally focusing on Graphic Design for other small business, I found my love for wedding stationery after being asked to design some for a friend. I enjoyed the whole process of working with the bride, coming up with a starting concept and developing it to a finished product. What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Send your invitations out with plenty of time for guests to RSVP, they may need to check if they can get time off work or sort babysitters before committing to saying ‘yes’. You will most likely be set a deadline by your venue regarding confirming final numbers, giving yourself more time allows you to chase any last minute (and forgetful!) repliers. Remember you don’t need to order invitations for every guest, I’ve had so many couples prepared to order 100’s of invitations, but when talking to them further it turns out they are talking about individual guests. Remember one invitation would be per couple/household, which will reduce your final numbers. So what makes you different from the rest? Coming from a Graphic Design background gives me the skills to create a bespoke design service those couple who would like to incorporate specific themes, designs or other aspects to allow for that truly personal touch. I also follow the trends and launch collections to compliment these. Any tips? Don’t buy your postage before you know the size and weight of your invitations. If your invitations are slightly larger or made up of different inserts, then they may need more than a first-class stamp. Taking them to the post office to be weighed will ensure you pay the correct postage and they are sent correctly. It is also important to consider this extra cost when organising your budget. General advice for newbies in the industry Research is really important for any business to succeed, look at your target market and work out your unique selling points that will make your business stand out from the rest. Also connect with other complementary wedding business, working together is a great way to get your name out there! I’ve worked with many other suppliers on styled shoots and networked at a range of different events. I find a lot of work has come from work of month and recommendations from other wedding suppliers. What are your plans for the future? My hopes for the future are to grow as a business and extend my collection ranges. I have so many ideas for new designs and products that I hope to launch soon. I also want to branch out into other event stationery such as Christenings and Birthdays. www.helenscott.co.uk www.facebook.com/helenscottdesign As there has been a lot of interest in my monthly blog, I've decided that it will be fortnightly instead so that everyone gets an opportunity to be under the spotlight! Happy reading :) What’s your name and where do you come from? Collette Evans I'm a makeup artist and photographer from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Tell us a bit about the business I started taking photos aged 12, aged 15 got my first bit of work experience in a portrait photography studio in Barnsley and soon gained a job, Went to college and studied photography at HND level and then gained a job at a commercial photography studio in Sheffield shooting products, events, pr etc. Set my business, Picture Perfect Photography up just over 5 years ago, at first specialising in weddings but since I have ventured into other areas including fitness and commercial/business. In 2016 I did my makeup training and so now I can offer this to my clients, I think the two services compliment each other well and my clients seem to love the concept. What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Plan ahead and deligate! Also book vendors early and keep a spreadsheet for all costings. Dont fanticise too much about the insignificant details that you see on Pintterest (I’ve been there and done that), yes have a theme but spend your hard earned money on the big things first and then decide what you can afford for added extras later down the line. So what makes you different from the rest? I like to give a very personal service, it goes without saying that each client is given my full attention during the wedding day but I think that what makes me different is my customer service standards. I provide a special viewing premiere after the wedding, where I present their images and also a rough draft of their wedding album, they also choose their bespoke album cover options then. This is guided by me and dont like to rush my couples either, for a single appointment I usually book out 3 hours minimum. Any tips? When choosing your photographer, first look at their style and make sure you like it, secondly make sure you like them as a person! They will be at your wedding all day so I cant stress how important this is. General advice for newbies in the industry Forget college, go get work experience, I learnt more this way. What are your plans for the future? I will be exhibiting at The Wedding Affair wedding show at Wakefield Cathedral on 21st October 2017 and I'm currently having a new website built with fresh branding. t: collette_photo fb: pictureperfectbarnsley IG: pictureperfectbarnsley www.colletteevansphotography.co.uk Kerensa is one of the first people I made contact with in the early days of my career. Starting out is hard and getting people to believe in your abilities and see your vision is a challenge, but Kerensa gave me that chance and took my business cards and the rest is history! Thank you for your support! xx
What’s your name and where do you come from? My name is Kerensa and I own a beautiful bridal boutique in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, called Bijou Bridal Boutique, supplying brides with gorgeous British designed bridal wear and accessories. I have also just introduced a superb brand new bridesmaid collection by Motee Maids. Tell us a bit about the business Opening the bridal boutique almost three years ago was a complete dream come true! Running my own business has been in my blood since I was a young girl helping out in my Dad's hi-fi and electrical store! Retail runs in the family and the passion for bridal started when I was a bride to be looking for my dream dress myself. I couldn't get it out of my system but I had to wait until my children were grown up and it was all worth the wait! I love it! What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Do a lot of research and always keep an open mind when looking for bridal suppliers. I find that if you make a connection with the person you are dealing with and you get good vibes from them, that is a very good start! So what makes you different from the rest? The first thing that makes my boutique stand out is that I do 'fly the flag' for British bridal! Everything in the boutique from wedding gowns to a pair of shoes, has been designed by leading British bridal designers and a good proportion of it has also been made in England. I have always believed that British goods are of exceptional quality and are also very competitively priced in the market place. For such a special day you want to make sure that the products you are investing a lot of money in are not going to let you down on the big day! For me personally, having been a finalist 3 years running since I opened, for outstanding customer service in the bridal wear category in The North of England Wedding Awards, means that I must be doing something right! Any tips? My top tip for wedding gown shopping is to enjoy the experience and keep an open mind on different styles of gowns. You may have a fixed idea of what you would like to wear but sometimes that may not be 'The One' and you may find something completely different than what you first imagined wearing. General advice for newbies in the industry It's a wonderful industry and you meet so many interesting and inspiring people along the way but it is exceptionally hard work! Very rewarding but also very hard! Accept help when offered as it can be tough setting up a business and always ask for help if you feel that you might need it! There is an abundance of help out there in this industry and at the end of the day we all want to succeed! What are your plans for the future? I love working in this industry and for me personally I would like to see my little boutique continue to grow and thrive and keep being a part of making my brides dreams come true by offering them the best possible customer service I can! www.bijoubridalboutique.co.uk I had the wonderful privilege of working alongside Eleanor and Nathan last weekend ( Saturday 26th Aug) for the stunning wedding of Ben and Chelsea Gooding (more on their wedding when I get back from my hols!) I would highly recommend this husband and wife duo, they are amazing at their craft and capture the moments so beautifully. Check out their website for further inspiration. What’s your name and where do you come from? Caitlin + Jones a photography and videography team from Yorkshire, specialising in weddings and documenting people. Tell us a bit about the business Nathan was a trained photographer and (as his girlfriend) I got tired of sitting and watching him work and wanted to get involved. One long, cold winter we started a food blog (named Caitlin + Jones). One of our friends asked Nathan to take some photos at her wedding, we put these on our blog and more and more people started asking for us to do their wedding. We love being able to document such precious and timeless moments. It never gets old. What's the general advice you would give to couples getting hitched? Our biggest advice is to spend the big money on the things you REALLY care about and be savvy with the things that aren’t as important to you. For example you may adore flowers but may not be that interested in having a cake… Get a proper florist and ask people to bring cakes. And also remember it’s YOUR day, if you want to do a ‘first look’, but it’s not traditional and you’re worried about what people think, remember its your wedding, your memories. So what makes you different from the rest? We try to keep things really simple. We arrive in the morning and stay until the dancing, we don’t charge per hour or charge per download. We work as a pair, we know the shots each other needs and we can do our jobs without getting in anyones way. Any tips? Seriously consider having a videographer. It captures such a different perspective to the day. Photo and video works hand in hand. It feels like such complete memories when you have both. General advice for anyone looking to start up their own business in the industry Don’t waste loads of money on advertising. SOCIAL MEDIA IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Only show the work you want to do again. Hashtag everything! We get most of our clients through Instagram. Make friends with other people in the industry and learn from them. What are your plans for the future? We are doing our first destination weddings this Autumn, one in Italy and one in America which is super exciting and looking forward to a busy wedding season in 2018. www.caitlinandjones.co.uk www.instagram.com/caitlinandjones |