It's been another busy month in the shop since my last blog, ok I know it's almost two months but I'm still getting over the excitement of meeting Mary Portas!!
September is when all of the wedding world descends on Harrogate to do all our main buying for the following season. It's a great chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. There really are some fantastic new styles around for next year and we're really excited to be adding the Linea Raffaelli range of wedding dresses to the occasion wear that we already stock. They should be here in December, a nice early Xmas present!
After the whirlwind that is Harrogate we had a stand at The National Wedding Show at Earls Court. I have to say that although the show is so busy 16,000 people in 4 days, I really enjoy it and when at the end of the day you've had no food or drink (worse still no wee!) you do have a great satisfaction at seeing so many happy brides bagging a bargain and we've had some really lovely reviews from brides that bought their dresses at the London show.
At the show we met a bride who probably had the worst dilemma for any bride. I could see a girl and her mum looking through the dresses and they were looking at a particular style. I asked if she wanted to try the dress on and she then told me her story. She is getting married next year in May and has ordered a beautiful lace Essense dress for the wedding. Her fiance is being an usher at a friends wedding three weeks before, and yes, you've guessed it, the bride has the same dress!!!! That has to be a brides worst nightmare so she had the awful task of trying to find another dress or wear the dress that the groom and lots of mutual friends would have seen only three weeks before. In the end she bought a beautiful Suzanne Neville dress and the girls who were working for 'wedding ideas' magazine helped her to decide. I felt so sorry for her because she was in such a difficult position, what else could she do?
Back in the shop its still been really busy and the menswear is going from strength to strength. Last week we had a bridal party in, where the groom is a sea captain and he is wearing his dress uniform, he brought it in to try on so we could check that the rest of the bridal party could choose something that would tie in. He looked so handsome in his uniform with gold buttons and gold braid stitched all on the cuffs and the white hat. I commented on how smart he looked and said "Wow! A real sea captain." His fiance piped up "More like captain birds eye!".
Our lovely Rachel who was one of our Saturday girls while she was at college doing her design degree has just landed herself a job with the Strictly Come Dancing team and this week she made jewellery and head pieces, we are all so proud of her and can't wait for our wedding shop group invite to go and see the show, all those sequins, we'd be in our element!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
12 October 2009
14 August 2009
Prêt-à-Portas
This time of year is really crazy and as soon as the school holidays come around it seems to make us extra busy. Having said this every time I ask a bride if they're a teacher they say no. Halfway through serving a bride I happened to ask if she was a teacher and she said "No, I'm a journalist with Wedding Ideas magazine!" She was so lovely and settled on a gorgeous new Pronovias dress. I felt like I'd been secret shoppered!
So many of our beautiful brides have got married recently, Debbie, Jodie, Karen and Louise who both had our Groomswear. Louise was married at the Town Hall and her reception was two doors down from our shop at The Lemon Tree. We saw a bridal car arrive outside and when she stepped out she looked breathtaking, the groom looked good too! It was like watching royalty.
We are having a Jenny Packham designer day on Saturday the 19th September, so if you like Jenny Packham dresses you'll want to book early to avoid disappointment. We'll have an extended collection plus special offers on that day.
Last month I received an email from a bride who got married several years ago, she said that she hoped I'd remembered her, and always called herself the "mad woman" and I knew exactly who she was. At the time she had just found out she was pregnant and was absolutely ecstatic, she thought the chance for children had passed her by and we were all so pleased for her. Sadly, shortly after this she lost the baby, it was devastating. She said that since the wedding and losing her baby she had developed breast cancer, and was taking the drug Herceptin. She told me how in her darkest moments she had remembered all the happy times she had spent with us choosing her dress and having all her fittings, and it had helped her through. I was so touched to think that after so many years and after all she'd been through we had given her such special memories and that she had taken the time to let me know how she was feeling, it was very humbling.
August is our buying time for all of the Spring/Summer 2010 mother of the bride collections. It's really exciting to see all the new designs, we have taken on some new labels including Luis Civit and Marchello, as well as revisiting our firm favourites Linea Raffaelli and Paule Vasseur. They're all amazing and its so exciting you just want to have them in your shop NOW! All you mums out there are in for a real treat.
In between appointments just behind Oxford Circus where all the fashion houses are, we have our favourite little cafe where we always stop for lunch, delicious Ciabatta and quick and easy when your in a hurry, not at all glamorous, imagine my surprise when I looked around and saw Natasha Kaplinsky was sitting there drinking a coffee. No sooner had I said to Lesley "there's Natasha Kaplinsky sitting over there" when Mary Portas walked in!!!!!
I couldn't believe it, she was sitting right in front of me. I couldn't stop myself, and went over to her and told her that I owned a bridal shop and that we were all devoted fans of her Mary Queen of Shops programs and thought she was an inspiration to all of us. I asked her if she would autograph one of our shop brochures and she did! She asked my name and wrote me a personalised message! I couldn't stop shaking I was so excited, what a fantastic lady, I texted everyone I knew and it was only my Dad that said "Who's Mary Portas?". You gotta laugh!
So many of our beautiful brides have got married recently, Debbie, Jodie, Karen and Louise who both had our Groomswear. Louise was married at the Town Hall and her reception was two doors down from our shop at The Lemon Tree. We saw a bridal car arrive outside and when she stepped out she looked breathtaking, the groom looked good too! It was like watching royalty.
We are having a Jenny Packham designer day on Saturday the 19th September, so if you like Jenny Packham dresses you'll want to book early to avoid disappointment. We'll have an extended collection plus special offers on that day.
Last month I received an email from a bride who got married several years ago, she said that she hoped I'd remembered her, and always called herself the "mad woman" and I knew exactly who she was. At the time she had just found out she was pregnant and was absolutely ecstatic, she thought the chance for children had passed her by and we were all so pleased for her. Sadly, shortly after this she lost the baby, it was devastating. She said that since the wedding and losing her baby she had developed breast cancer, and was taking the drug Herceptin. She told me how in her darkest moments she had remembered all the happy times she had spent with us choosing her dress and having all her fittings, and it had helped her through. I was so touched to think that after so many years and after all she'd been through we had given her such special memories and that she had taken the time to let me know how she was feeling, it was very humbling.
August is our buying time for all of the Spring/Summer 2010 mother of the bride collections. It's really exciting to see all the new designs, we have taken on some new labels including Luis Civit and Marchello, as well as revisiting our firm favourites Linea Raffaelli and Paule Vasseur. They're all amazing and its so exciting you just want to have them in your shop NOW! All you mums out there are in for a real treat.
In between appointments just behind Oxford Circus where all the fashion houses are, we have our favourite little cafe where we always stop for lunch, delicious Ciabatta and quick and easy when your in a hurry, not at all glamorous, imagine my surprise when I looked around and saw Natasha Kaplinsky was sitting there drinking a coffee. No sooner had I said to Lesley "there's Natasha Kaplinsky sitting over there" when Mary Portas walked in!!!!!
I couldn't believe it, she was sitting right in front of me. I couldn't stop myself, and went over to her and told her that I owned a bridal shop and that we were all devoted fans of her Mary Queen of Shops programs and thought she was an inspiration to all of us. I asked her if she would autograph one of our shop brochures and she did! She asked my name and wrote me a personalised message! I couldn't stop shaking I was so excited, what a fantastic lady, I texted everyone I knew and it was only my Dad that said "Who's Mary Portas?". You gotta laugh!
22 May 2009
Highs, Lows & Smelly Cabbage
I can't believe it's been a month since my last blog, time is going so quickly. My first brides are married now, including my lovely bride Stephanie who had the Jenny Packham 'Petra' who was wolf-whistled! She looked amazing, you can see some of her pictures on the brides gallery. Kate gets married tomorrow and I hope the weather is nice for all the brides getting married this week end.
The highlight of the month has definitely been going to the Tower of London to see the launch of the new Suzanne Neville Collection. What a treat! She truly is a world class designer and the new dresses were breath taking. I'm so excited about all the new dresses we've got coming in. The new Pronovias 2010 preview collection is now in, you can see them on our Pronovias page, they are really yummy!
The saddest thing was a bride who was to be married in the summer, her mother had become gravely ill and the wedding was moved forward to ensure she would be there, then we had a phone call first thing Monday morning to say that things had taken a turn for the worst and the bride collected her dress, drove straight to the hospice where they were married that morning at 11am. The bride was so brave and I'm sure it meant a lot to her and her mum to have the service there. Every now and then something like this happens which makes your realise not to take things for granted and keep a sense of perspective on the little things that can get blown out of all proportion.
As with most businesses we have noticed an increase in custom from fellow Europeans who have either chosen to settle here permanently or are just over here working for a few years before returning home. It's amazing that only one of all the girls I have asked is marrying an Englishman, most are marrying from within there own communities. Although one of our Australian brides met her New Zealander fiancee here in London. When trying to pronounce the name of the most beautiful Polish bride she told me to pronounce it 'smeelly cabbidge'! I couldn't believe the most stunning girl asking me to call her a 'smelly cabbage'! I asked why she hadn't chosen a prettier way of saying it and she told me that I wouldn't forget this way, and she was right. Four months after ordering her dress she came in for a fitting and I said "Ah look, Miss Smelly Cabbage is here for her fitting!" She just fell about laughing!
The highlight of the month has definitely been going to the Tower of London to see the launch of the new Suzanne Neville Collection. What a treat! She truly is a world class designer and the new dresses were breath taking. I'm so excited about all the new dresses we've got coming in. The new Pronovias 2010 preview collection is now in, you can see them on our Pronovias page, they are really yummy!
The saddest thing was a bride who was to be married in the summer, her mother had become gravely ill and the wedding was moved forward to ensure she would be there, then we had a phone call first thing Monday morning to say that things had taken a turn for the worst and the bride collected her dress, drove straight to the hospice where they were married that morning at 11am. The bride was so brave and I'm sure it meant a lot to her and her mum to have the service there. Every now and then something like this happens which makes your realise not to take things for granted and keep a sense of perspective on the little things that can get blown out of all proportion.
As with most businesses we have noticed an increase in custom from fellow Europeans who have either chosen to settle here permanently or are just over here working for a few years before returning home. It's amazing that only one of all the girls I have asked is marrying an Englishman, most are marrying from within there own communities. Although one of our Australian brides met her New Zealander fiancee here in London. When trying to pronounce the name of the most beautiful Polish bride she told me to pronounce it 'smeelly cabbidge'! I couldn't believe the most stunning girl asking me to call her a 'smelly cabbage'! I asked why she hadn't chosen a prettier way of saying it and she told me that I wouldn't forget this way, and she was right. Four months after ordering her dress she came in for a fitting and I said "Ah look, Miss Smelly Cabbage is here for her fitting!" She just fell about laughing!
24 April 2009
The Perfect Spring Wedding
I must apologise to all of you for how long it's been since I wrote my last blog entry.
You might remember that in my last post I was talking about going to the wedding of a very close friend. The day went perfectly, the weather was kind to us, the bride looked absolutely stunning in her designer dress, and my daughter Olivia was a flower girl and looked really gorgeous in her little dress that our seamstress Bryony had made for her. The guys scrubbed-up well too! The groom made a lovely speech which made everyone cry, and he said that because we'd provided the bride and bridesmaids dresses, as well as the outfits for both mothers, his sister and all of the guys, he felt he should have had a sign that read "wedding courtesy of The Wedding Shop Colchester".
The menswear is going really well and I have to say us girls could learn a thing or two from them. I love the camaraderie they seem to have with each other and I suppose it's easier for them to have a more light hearted approach as they feel the spotlight will be elsewhere! It's really great seeing a huge grin on the grooms face when he comes out of the changing room all dressed up. You can see our menswear collection on the web site now.
We've been and chosen all of the new collections for next year and I've gone meringue mad, I couldn't help myself as they all looked so pretty and romantic. Also, lots of dresses with shoulder straps and shrugs, and for those of you who cringe at the thought of yards of fabric we visited the Jenny Packham evening wear store where they also have a showroom for their collections. The boutique is simply amazing, it was an old bank and as a listed building they had to keep a lot of the original features and they've designed it beautifully to fit in with the fab' evening wear dresses. I especially like the door engraved with 'Acquisitions'. The dresses are classic Jenny Packham, very feminine and floaty in silk chiffon, and the charmuse silk-satin like liquid over the skin. I just can't wait for them all to come in.
You might remember that in my last post I was talking about going to the wedding of a very close friend. The day went perfectly, the weather was kind to us, the bride looked absolutely stunning in her designer dress, and my daughter Olivia was a flower girl and looked really gorgeous in her little dress that our seamstress Bryony had made for her. The guys scrubbed-up well too! The groom made a lovely speech which made everyone cry, and he said that because we'd provided the bride and bridesmaids dresses, as well as the outfits for both mothers, his sister and all of the guys, he felt he should have had a sign that read "wedding courtesy of The Wedding Shop Colchester".
The menswear is going really well and I have to say us girls could learn a thing or two from them. I love the camaraderie they seem to have with each other and I suppose it's easier for them to have a more light hearted approach as they feel the spotlight will be elsewhere! It's really great seeing a huge grin on the grooms face when he comes out of the changing room all dressed up. You can see our menswear collection on the web site now.
We've been and chosen all of the new collections for next year and I've gone meringue mad, I couldn't help myself as they all looked so pretty and romantic. Also, lots of dresses with shoulder straps and shrugs, and for those of you who cringe at the thought of yards of fabric we visited the Jenny Packham evening wear store where they also have a showroom for their collections. The boutique is simply amazing, it was an old bank and as a listed building they had to keep a lot of the original features and they've designed it beautifully to fit in with the fab' evening wear dresses. I especially like the door engraved with 'Acquisitions'. The dresses are classic Jenny Packham, very feminine and floaty in silk chiffon, and the charmuse silk-satin like liquid over the skin. I just can't wait for them all to come in.
07 March 2009
Ready Steady Show
Well, it's show time! At this time of year the shows come thick and fast. Almost every weekend there is a show of one kind or another. Last weekend we were at Olympia for the National Wedding Show and this is always busy. It's really nice to be at such a buzzy show and it's great to see what all the other stands have on offer. This weekend we are off to Harrogate where we do our buying of wedding dresses for next year. I'm really excited to see what the new designers will be showing and maybe look at some new designers. It's always good to get fresh new ideas.
The weekend after that is our Mother of the Bride and Groom Fashion Show at the Marks Tey Hotel in Colchester. This is a real highlight of the year for me. I really love seeing all the models in the stunning new outfits parading down the catwalk, they look so good it really brings a lump to my throat! I feel like a proud Mum watching her daughter at the first school play!
I've had some really lovely customers in the shop over the last few weeks, and Jodie, if you read this you look really fantastic in your Ronald Joyce dress. It's such a wonderful feeling when you help a bride find her perfect dress. On the April 4th my daughter Olivia will be a bridesmaid and I can't wait, she's only three and she's so excited, Bryony is making her the prettiest ballerina style dress with massive tuelle skirt, the only trouble is she thinks she's marrying the Groom!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
The weekend after that is our Mother of the Bride and Groom Fashion Show at the Marks Tey Hotel in Colchester. This is a real highlight of the year for me. I really love seeing all the models in the stunning new outfits parading down the catwalk, they look so good it really brings a lump to my throat! I feel like a proud Mum watching her daughter at the first school play!
I've had some really lovely customers in the shop over the last few weeks, and Jodie, if you read this you look really fantastic in your Ronald Joyce dress. It's such a wonderful feeling when you help a bride find her perfect dress. On the April 4th my daughter Olivia will be a bridesmaid and I can't wait, she's only three and she's so excited, Bryony is making her the prettiest ballerina style dress with massive tuelle skirt, the only trouble is she thinks she's marrying the Groom!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
08 February 2009
E-commerce, Catwalks & Fire!
January has whizzed by and I can't believe we're in February already. Saturdays continue to be the busiest day and we're open some Sundays so make sure you ring for an appointment.
The website is going from strength to strength and I must say a huge thank you to all the brides who have given me such a positive feedback about my blog! We have just introduced on-line sales for the mother of the bride and groom outfits in the sale section and it's being received really well. We're hoping to expand it to the rest of the occasion wear range. All the new outfits are starting to come in now and I really love the new Linea Raffaelli and as our best man is now getting married in April I think I'm going to have a hard time deciding which one to have!
We are having a fashion show just for the Mums on Sunday the 15th March at the Marks Tey Hotel. We have two show times 11am & 1.30pm. It's really good fun and it's great for the mums to have a special day that's just for them with no brides dresses or bridesmaids. After all they put such a lot of time and care into the planning of the wedding.
I have to say this week has been a bit out of the ordinary, on Monday there was snow so all of our evening and fitting appointments cancelled but then we gained some from people who had the day off due to the snow. Then on Tuesday the Chinese restaurant across the road caught fire! There were fire engines everywhere and I have to say they did a brilliant job and put it out within minutes. Before you ask I didn't see any hunky firemen but then I am happily married so obviously wasn't looking!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
The website is going from strength to strength and I must say a huge thank you to all the brides who have given me such a positive feedback about my blog! We have just introduced on-line sales for the mother of the bride and groom outfits in the sale section and it's being received really well. We're hoping to expand it to the rest of the occasion wear range. All the new outfits are starting to come in now and I really love the new Linea Raffaelli and as our best man is now getting married in April I think I'm going to have a hard time deciding which one to have!
We are having a fashion show just for the Mums on Sunday the 15th March at the Marks Tey Hotel. We have two show times 11am & 1.30pm. It's really good fun and it's great for the mums to have a special day that's just for them with no brides dresses or bridesmaids. After all they put such a lot of time and care into the planning of the wedding.
I have to say this week has been a bit out of the ordinary, on Monday there was snow so all of our evening and fitting appointments cancelled but then we gained some from people who had the day off due to the snow. Then on Tuesday the Chinese restaurant across the road caught fire! There were fire engines everywhere and I have to say they did a brilliant job and put it out within minutes. Before you ask I didn't see any hunky firemen but then I am happily married so obviously wasn't looking!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
16 January 2009
You've Got Male!
It's been a very busy start to the year, Saturdays are the busiest day and we're going to open on some Sundays to try and accommodate everyone who wants to come and see us, so please ring and make an appointment. No sign of the credit crunch here! If you're reading this Richanda you looked really stunning in your Suzanne Neville dress and the jacket is going to set it off perfectly. It's funny how it all clicks into place and you know you've found 'the one'.
We are busy renovating the menswear floor as I write this. It will be housed at number 38 St Johns St, just down from The Wedding Shop and will give the groom and his party their own space away from the brides and bridesmaids to choose their suits without a wedding dress in sight. I'm very excited about this new development, for the first time in nearly 30 years we will be dressing the guys! I'm told by friends in the industry that the men are much easier than brides as they know exactly what they want but the thought of dressing 6 men at once sounds like no mean feat to me! It's going to be great to be able to offer everything under one roof, no more having to pick lots of outfits up from different places.
It'll be ready for the end of January so if you'd like to make an appointment to bring in your Groom then just let us know. We thought long and hard about which brand of menswear and decided on Cameron Ross. The managing director came down personally from Scotland to make sure we met the standard he requires for his label and he has a real enthusiasm for his business and genuinely cares and the prices are very reasonable (more money for the bride to spend on her dress!).
The best thing about writing my blog is being able to share such wonderful true stories with you. On Saturday a lady bought an outfit from our occasion wear department to get married in. She told our manager that both her and her fiance had been widowed and that she met her new husband to be in Tesco. Tesco?! my manager inquired. She said that as she was leaving the store she happened to say to the gentleman next to her that her basket was heavy and it would be nice to be able to put it in his trolley to get it to her car. He said 'no problem!' She said she was only joking but he took the basket to her car, and it was obviously meant to be as they're now getting married. And to top it off, his name is Mr Keys, and her name... Mrs Lock!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
We are busy renovating the menswear floor as I write this. It will be housed at number 38 St Johns St, just down from The Wedding Shop and will give the groom and his party their own space away from the brides and bridesmaids to choose their suits without a wedding dress in sight. I'm very excited about this new development, for the first time in nearly 30 years we will be dressing the guys! I'm told by friends in the industry that the men are much easier than brides as they know exactly what they want but the thought of dressing 6 men at once sounds like no mean feat to me! It's going to be great to be able to offer everything under one roof, no more having to pick lots of outfits up from different places.
It'll be ready for the end of January so if you'd like to make an appointment to bring in your Groom then just let us know. We thought long and hard about which brand of menswear and decided on Cameron Ross. The managing director came down personally from Scotland to make sure we met the standard he requires for his label and he has a real enthusiasm for his business and genuinely cares and the prices are very reasonable (more money for the bride to spend on her dress!).
The best thing about writing my blog is being able to share such wonderful true stories with you. On Saturday a lady bought an outfit from our occasion wear department to get married in. She told our manager that both her and her fiance had been widowed and that she met her new husband to be in Tesco. Tesco?! my manager inquired. She said that as she was leaving the store she happened to say to the gentleman next to her that her basket was heavy and it would be nice to be able to put it in his trolley to get it to her car. He said 'no problem!' She said she was only joking but he took the basket to her car, and it was obviously meant to be as they're now getting married. And to top it off, his name is Mr Keys, and her name... Mrs Lock!
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
02 January 2009
New Year, New Dresses
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year, and are now ready to turn your undivided attention to your upcoming wedding! We've had a very international Christmas with brides coming from Dubai and Singapore.
The new Jenny Packham dresses have just arrived and I have to say they are absolutely gorgeous. Some of them are really bo-ho style in lovely soft chiffon's and others are the height of sexy sophistication in luxurious silk charmuse. For those of you that have visited us, you'll know that our shop goes over a set of steps and people can walk underneath you. One bride was trying the Jenny Packham dresses on and was wolf-whistled! We couldn't stop laughing and I told her she must have looked fantastic as the last comment we had from a passer-by was "Don't do it!".
January is very busy in the shop, we don't have a sale as such but we do sell our samples with a discount, so lots of the brides that have been in through the last year will come back and maybe buy the sample, or order their new dress in for the summer.
The Suzanne Neville dresses are also really lovely, the corsetry is fantastic and they give a stunning shape. She has been busy designing for the X-Factor and also for Alisha Dixon and the dresses looked fantastic. Beverley Lister is the latest designer we have added to our collections, if you're looking for a vintage lace style dress, but with the corsetry you would expect from a Suzanne Neville dress, then you'll love Beverly's dresses. From the outside they look soft and feminine but on the inside they are working hard at holding everything just where it should be!
Menswear is coming...
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
The new Jenny Packham dresses have just arrived and I have to say they are absolutely gorgeous. Some of them are really bo-ho style in lovely soft chiffon's and others are the height of sexy sophistication in luxurious silk charmuse. For those of you that have visited us, you'll know that our shop goes over a set of steps and people can walk underneath you. One bride was trying the Jenny Packham dresses on and was wolf-whistled! We couldn't stop laughing and I told her she must have looked fantastic as the last comment we had from a passer-by was "Don't do it!".
January is very busy in the shop, we don't have a sale as such but we do sell our samples with a discount, so lots of the brides that have been in through the last year will come back and maybe buy the sample, or order their new dress in for the summer.
The Suzanne Neville dresses are also really lovely, the corsetry is fantastic and they give a stunning shape. She has been busy designing for the X-Factor and also for Alisha Dixon and the dresses looked fantastic. Beverley Lister is the latest designer we have added to our collections, if you're looking for a vintage lace style dress, but with the corsetry you would expect from a Suzanne Neville dress, then you'll love Beverly's dresses. From the outside they look soft and feminine but on the inside they are working hard at holding everything just where it should be!
Menswear is coming...
Nicola Garton
www.theweddingshop.co.uk
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