Its That Time Of Year Again...

Image by stylemepretty.com on Pinterest

So its January and for many that means diets, detox's and gym regimes.  However, my diet and regime is not for my personal health but for my business.  I have never been so compassionate about anything in my life and I am determined that 2012 will be MY year.  I love the wedding industry, albeit it can be a little bitchy at times but what is life without gossip?!  On the otherhand I have met so many inspiring and creative people that I wouldn't swap it for the world.  So here is a list of my New Years Resolutions and (without giving too much away) my business objectives.

-  I want to finish the year with 30 weddings under my belt
- I want to continue blogging regularly (several times a week)
- The major one... To become self employed and run the business full-time- eek! This will also mean I can dedicate more time to blogging in order to achieve my next goal...

-  Once my readership for Lancashire Bride is strong enough I want to start taking sponsorship and donating half to a local Lancashire charity.

- To join a business network (scary but they remind me of being in the brownies!) and make some more great and local contacts.
- I want (NEED) to spend more time on marketing.  My lovely Mum bought me an amazing marketing book for Christmas and I am determined to follow its rules from cover to cover.  Starting this week!

Daunting, yes, but very achievable.  So raise your glass to the next 12 months.  Cheers.

Remember to check out the blog this afternoon when I'll be showcasing more photos from this little cracker of a wedding...

Wedding Fair at The Wyrebank

Well its wedding fayre season once again and the lovely guys at Wyrebank Banqueting Suite have teamed up with the Lancashire Evening Post to hold their own  fayre on Sunday 25th September from 12-4pm.

For those of you who haven't booked your venue yet, as I've said before, this place is definitely worth a look.  To contact Wyrebank call Stuart on 01995 605455.

One Glamorous Launch Party

You may remember me blogging a few weeks ago about the new Bridal shop, Glamour Bridal & Prom, in Bolton.   Well, I went along to the launch party last week, and heres a few pics from the fab boutique.

Natalie Cadman Photography



We sipped on bubbly and ate the hot pink cupcakes made by our favourite cake maker Helen from Cats Whiskers Cake Design whilst we looked in awe at the stunning gowns that Glamour has in store.  From the romantic Charlotte Balbier to Calista by Alfred Sung for the curvier bride, Debbie at Glamour has a dress in store for everyone.  Debbie even made her very first brides dream come true when she found her dream dress at Glamour.

I hope all you brides to be have booked your exclusive appointments! And while you're there, don't forget Simply Bows and Chair Covers are featured in Glamours Supplier Showcase so check out our Indian Summer display in the window.

Love Lancashire Bride x

A Lancashire Wedding: To Laugh Often and Love Much

I LOVED sifting through the photos of Zac and Steph's wedding album.  This picture should explain why...

Jonathan Bean definitely caught the real and cheeky side to this couple!

Now over to Jonathan to tell us more about the big day.

"I just loved Steph & Zac's wedding day. From the off when I arrived at Steph's parents house in Lancaster I was made to feel as welcome as an old friend, and there were just so many big smiles throughout the day it would have been impossible to have come away without one too!"

"The service took place at St. Pauls Church in Scotforth, Lancaster, just up the road from where Steph was getting ready, and one of my favourite church wedding venues in Lancaster. It's such a pretty venue with great grounds for the pictures and it helps that the vicar is just a little bit bonkers (in a really good way!)"

"The rain just about held off, with only a few short drizzly spells, and we mostly enjoyed some lovely summer sunshine. The beautiful bouquet and flowers were once again provided by the fabulous Flowers by Catherine."

"From Scotforth we went onto the very popular Garstang Country Hotel for the reception and wedding breakfast part of the day, where we heard some great speeches before the meal moving Steph and Zac, family and friends alike from fits of laughter to some very touching tears in the briefest of moments."

From the midnight blue bridesmaids dresses to the exquisite flowers, I have to say that I love this wedding and all the emotion it carried.  Its exactly what a wedding should be, lots of emotion but still lots of laughter.  And not forgetting, how gorgeous Steph looks!



And we couldn't leave this cheeky one out either!

With thanks to Jonathan Bean Photography and the newly married Zac and Steph x

Gold Dust

One of Simply Bows and Chair Covers most popular colour schemes this month has been gold and especially the handmade organza flock sashes that are shown below.

So very classy yet with a vintage twist these gorgeous sashes have been attracting brides with very different themes.  Its on this note that I thought I'd give our Lancashire Brides a bit of gold inspiration, featuring some very talented Lancashire Bride featured suppliers.

• Love Bouquets can create a bouquet to your needs and requirements so if you want your peice to fit into your colour scheme its easy-peesy!
• Champagne cocktails are an easy way to add to a gold theme (photo thanks to Martha Stewart Weddings)
• I love these chocolate invites from http://www.poshpartybag.com/.  Just choose your sparkly cover to fit your scheme and the 'Golden Ticket' acts as the invite to your wedding.  Plus the guests get a treat before the weddings even begun!
• This Ian Stuart dress named Bali from the Belle Epoque collection is a stunning vintage gown covered with french lace and embellished sequins and beads with off the shoulder sleeves.  I can't take my eyes off it!
• The hairpeice from Claire Ogden Designs is one of many intricate designs handmade by the talented lady herself.  See Tuesdays Taste of Lancashire post for more pretty pics!
• This menu card is made by What A Do Weddings- a very talented lady creating wedding stationary with a difference.
• And how cute is the little Flower Girls dress.  Dessy Group has so much choice in a wide variety of styles and colours.

If you are inspired by this post, then please write a comment to let me know!

Love Lancashire Bride x

A Taste of Lancashire: Claire Ogden Designs

Hi Claire, please introduce yourself and your line of business.

I am Claire Ogden, a Jewellery Designer based in the quaint hills of Saddleworth, in the UK, I create exquisite pieces that are individual and unique in their own right! My work stands out from the rest.  Wedding Jewellery and bespoke design are the aspects I really LOVE! I relish in the fact that my bridal jewellery is so very unique and the finishing touch to the very perfect day! I enjoy working together with my clients and giving them what they are expecting and much more.

All of my products have been created to infuse each piece with a sense of individuality, boldness and an impression made to last. ‘Once seen never forgotten’ philosophy! 

 I love to make a difference and create jewellery that shines through and gets noticed but designing each piece to last the decades and be wearable for a lifetime. All of my jewellery, wedding jewellery and hair accessories are made using the highest quality materials, I carefully handpick very small quantities to ensure you an exclusive design with limited materials made individually just for you.

 How did you get into this line of business?

I am just too creative, I have too much creative energy and needed to find something to satisfy all my bubbling creativeness! It began because I just couldn’t find the perfect accessories to make my look complete so I gave it a go and made them, from then it seems to have spiralled into Claire Ogden Designs!

Can you provide bespoke pieces?

I most certainly can!! I create a lot of bespoke pieces both bridal and non-bridal and have a lot of repeat business too.

What is your favourite piece?

This is hard to answer because I have the handmade jewellery side and the bridal side, I have to admit though that my tiaras impress me time and time again and I would have to say I would choose one of those, but I LOVE the Alice in Wonderland brooches and bracelets too!

 How much time goes into making the pieces?

Bridal pieces take time, there is a lot involved from sourcing the materials / researching the theme / era /period and creating the design, speaking with the bride to be and drawing up sketches which all takes place before the piece is created. Once the piece has been completed (which can take between 4-7hrs depending on how intricate the piece is) there are also photographs taken and sent. The finished result is always worth all the effort!

 Can you give us an idea of prices?

Hair Combs from £40 to £85.

Small Tiaras / Headband Styles from £75

Larger Tiaras from £85

Intricate Tiaras from £130

Bespoke designs prices vary but I do work to your budget and the price you want to pay.

Where can we find you?

I have an amazing blog (www.claireogdendesigns-theblogspot.blogspot.com) where you can find me and everything about me here, this also leads to my online shop. I am currently creating a new website which will be live very soon. I am always only an email or phone call away (claireogdendesigns@gmail.com) (07538 564277)

I promote my work a lot of time through word of mouth, I work a lot with social media and try to break into new circles and alternative networks by featuring in lots of different places. You can always find me on Twitter (@cogdendesigns) and my blog has become very successful and is the backbone for pushing me forward.  I run a couple of fabulous blog posts each week (Who to Know and One to Watch), which focus on other businesses in the wedding industry or creative individuals who simply need to be shouted out about.  I am currently creating a new website which will be live very soon and am in the process of producing promotional CD’s.

I also sell on other stores/websites I sell on Folksy and Etsy, WOW Thank You, Kellyeyes Boutique, By Gina Jewellery, Precious Creations, Hastings Crystal and Mootiful in Macclesfield, I do have a couple more lined up. I am currently working with Kosibah (Wedding Dress/Couture Gown Designer) creating headpieces for the new 2011 collection, the fashion show is due to go live on 01 September in London. My new website is www.claireogdendesigns.com which will be live before the end of the month!

Lancashire Bride were blown away when we first saw these images.  They are so intricate and unbelievable pretty and perfect for for any bride to be.  The enthusiasm and love for her work is definitely shown in the end result.  I can't wait to see more from this lady! x

A Taste of Lancashire: Simply Bows and Chair Covers

Todays feature is very close to my heart...

You may or may not know that I set up the Lancashire office off Simply Bows and Chair Covers 4 months ago.  Having worked in wedding and events I was often left disappointed with the low quality and standard products I had to work with.  I was eager to find a company that could provide high quality table linen and chair covers with a fashionable edge and exemplary service.  I then stumbled accross Simply Bows and Chair Covers and I have never looked back.

At Simply Bows and Chair Covers we provide top quality chair covers and table linen supported by impeccable and professional service.  We encourage our clients to create a theme for their big day whether it be based on a colour or a more extravagant idea and our chair covers can transform and brighten up a room.

 We manufacture all of our chair covers and table linen in house using the highest grades of fabric and to ensure we can control the quality of the products we deliver. In addition, our chair covers are made to measure each venue we work in and are professionally fitted by our team of Event Specialists. 

Simply Bows and Chair Covers have offices up and down the country.  From right here in Lancashire, down to devon and right across to Newcastle & Northumberland.  To find out more information please check out http://www.simplybowsandchaircovers.co.uk/.  To contact your Lancashire office please call Joanne on 07584 026981.



One Month In... What July brought

So July was a pretty hectic in the world of Simply Bows and Chair Covers and Lancashire Bride.   Its hard to believe that the blog is now one month old!!  Along with speaking and meeting many local suppliers in the last month, I have also been trying to pencil in a few photo shoots to display on the blog, so keep an eye out for them.  I also had a great response to our week long hen party feature last week.

I was also very fortunate to attend the Brides Up North Tweet Up.  For those of you who read blogs you will already know of Julia and the fantastic Brides Up North blog.  Julia did a fantastic job of arranging an informal 'tweet-up' for North West suppliers at Didsbury House in Manchester.  I was lucky enough to meet some brilliant people in the Wedding Industry and I am sure that a few of us will be working together soon.  Keep an eye on Julias blog to see the pictures!

Simply Bows and Chair Covers have also been chosen to work with Glamour Bridal & Prom (based in Bolton) in their Supplier Showcase once it opens in September.  We will be working alongside other marvellous local suppliers such as Whiskers Cakes, Ladybridge Vintage Cars and Love Bouquets. This supplier showcase will be offered to brides to be in the shop as a wealth of information along with displays for inspiration for your big day.

  We will also be working together to create a different theme every month, with the first theme being An Indian Summer for opening month.  I have so many ideas and can't wait to get started and I will keep you all up to date with the pictures!  I will also be showcasing Debbie from Glamour Bridal and Prom on the blog very soon!

So what does the future hold?  I often feel like I have 2 aliases, a bit like Jekyl and Hyde, as not many people know that Lancashire Bride and Simply Bows and Chair Covers Lancashire are the same person (as i found out at the tweet-up).! For the first month I was busy promoting other fantastic local suppliers but I am aiming to display my work through Simply Bows and Chair Covers via the blog so it can be used as inspiration for wedding planning. And of course I will continue to showcase amazing Lancashire talent.

This month also sees the start of our first weddings. Its been 4 months since I first set up office in Lancashire and August is jam packed with weddings and events.  Me and my little team of helpers will be putting our luxurious chair covers out at some fantastic Lancashire based wedding venues including Stanley House and Barcelo Imperial.  Don't worry, I'll be posting all the photos in due course!


Love Lancashire Bride x

Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe

I am so pleased to have Nicola from Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe as featured supplier today with a very unique and creative idea.

Hi Nicola, please can you tell us a bit more about Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe.

I design and handmake vintage inspired accessories for the modern bride. The majority of my business comes from brides wanting bespoke birdcage veil headpieces and garters. However I have also done things for bridesmaids, Mother of the bride and even guests. This is really what led me to set up the craft parties as I could see people were looking for something unique to wear to events. I now run classes and private parties where ladies can come along and craft up their own headpieces! It’s a great hen party activity.

How did the name come about?

I was looking for something that fitted with wedding traditions but had a point of difference, that would be remembered. I actually asked a lot of friends at the time and said I liked the old, new, borrowed, blue rhyme and a friend came up with “silver sixpence” and I thought it sounded nice with the “in her shoe” added. It’s not easily forgotten!

  How did you get into making your beautiful pieces?

It really was as simple as planning my own wedding and not being able to find what I wanted for the big day. I had people ask me to make theirs after that and tell me to quit my job and do it full time. I have always sewn - I did a fashion design degree, but was a high fashion buyer in London for 10 years prior to this. I guess that has given me the confidence to set up my own business.

Annie Birdcage Veil

Coco Garter

Ruby Ring Pillow

Can you tell us more about your vintage themed hen parties?

Well as mentioned before these are run as classes local to me in Didsbury Manchester at various venues and also as private parties, It is a great hen party afternoon activity and is usually accompanied by a good few glasses of bubbly! I set all the materials up in cute vintage china and glass bowls and after a little explanation of what will follow everyone gets stuck in. I have mood boards, plenty of examples of my own work for people to try on and lots of gorgeous materials and trimmings to rummage through for inspiration and I am of course on hand for advice but I like to let people be creative with their own ideas too. Best way to get inspired!

I find that the couple of hours fly by and people always end up very surprised with how good their piece is they have made! The girls will often trot off to the night out wearing their creations or save them for a photo op at the wedding. It’s great fun. I am currently running these across the north at £30.00 per head inclusive of all materials for 2-3 hours depending on group size. I can couple up with a partner for afternoon tea service to be provided too at an extra cost

What about our readers who aren’t very creative and can't sew?

People are constantly amazed by how easy they find it to make something brilliant! I think it is important to have lots of inspiration and I always make sure I give extra help and support to those who are not so confident. It is my job to sense that with people. It is all handsewing too so fingers tend to be spared!

Where do the parties take place?

Classes are running at Airyfairy cupcakes in Didsbury monthly at the moment and I am also planning in dates for alter in the year with The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon in West Didsbury. The classes will expand running up to Xmas with new ideas added to the list. For hen parties I usually go to the serviced apartments where the girls are staying and set up there or at someones home but a local venue can be hired at extra cost.

Where can our readers meet you? And do you have a website?

My product is currently being stocked by the White Closet  in West Didsbury and The White Room in Sheffield.

I will be doing the Vintage Wedding Fairs in Harrogate on Sept 18^th and Chester on October 16^th plus the West Didsbury wedding event on Oct 15^th.

My website is www.silver-sixpence-in-her-shoe.co.uk/

Collete Bow

Lancashire Bride love ALL of Silver Sixpence In Her Shoes designs, there a must have for brides to be!

There's no place like Blackpool

Blackpool.  Commonly known as the hen party destination of the North.  Whilst others recoil in horror at the drunks in fancy dress, others embrace everything Blackpool has to offer, which isn't just bars and clubs.  So here is a guide that will hopefully suit everyone hen, from the cultural hen to the 'lets go out and par-tay' hen!

So first of all, we will deal with the night spots.  And top of this list, is of course Funny Girls. As the website states "Funny Girls is an utterly unique and altogether unforgettable experience... We are dedicated to maintaining unrivalled excellence in live entertainment and passionate about providing extraordinary value to our customers." And for a bargain price of £16 for a 2 course pre dinner including admission, who can turn down the oppurtunity to see one of most enteratining shows in the country.  To make your hen party extra special you can also reserve VIP tables to ensure you have the best seats in the house AND have waitress service!

http://www.funnygirls.co.uk/

Voted Blackpools best hen night show for 7 years running, Adonis Caberet is another hen party destination.  "Adonis Cabaret constantly beats one dimensional strip shows or comedy clubs by combining both! Everything you could want to solve your problem of keeping everyone from 18-80 happy with the UK’s biggest package bulging with sexy ‘Full Monty’ strip fun and loads of humour!"  Plus you can always get a complete package (excuse the pun) that includes entrance into Club Sanuk. 

And of course, you could always venture off to a club like The Syndicate, which has Europes largest revolving dancefloor.

If partying the night away isnt quite to your liking then maybe this could be your thing.  Could it be murder on the dancefloor at your hen party? Uk Girl Thing have come up with this brilliant package to ensure your hen party goes down in history: 

1 Nights Accommodation, Optional Breakfast, Pampering Health & Leisure Day, Private Dining Room and 2 Course Meal and Murder Mystery Event

All you and your hens have to do, is turn up!

For a hen party with a twist why not try Dove Photographys recently launched Boudoir shoots.  Sheila from Dove Photography thinks the photo shoots are ideal for a hen party. "As a female photographer, I want women to be proud of their bodies.  Celebrate your curvacious figure, have stylish, sexy photos regardless of age and body image.
 
Book your party now, and have a fun night with friends and some lovely photos to be proud of.  Each guest takes away a fabulous fun boudoir photo in a folder, with the added oppurtunity of buying further photos taken on the night.  What a brilliant way of capturing your Hen Night with a difference."  Parties start at £120 for 6 people to include boudoir photos and a bottle of wine.  You could even give your boudoir photos as a present to your lucky groom!

Of course there are many B&B's offering a cheap night stay in Blackpool, but to add that extra bit of luxury, why not try Ribby Hall.  Located just outside Blackpool in Wrea Green, Ribby Hall is opening its first Spa Hotel on 19th August 2011.  Spa breaks starts at just £99pp/pn and the hotel offers everything from afternoon teas and a champagne bar to a rasul mud chamber and outside sauna, making it perfect for your hen party!  Hopefully, Lancashire Bride will be booking in soon so watch out for, what I am sure, will be a fantastic review!

http://www.ribbyhall.co.uk/

There is always a show or exhibition on at Winter Gardens (such as Alice through The Winter Gardens) and The Opera House if that takes your fancy and for the big kids, the new Tower Dungeons open on September 1st and The Tower Circus is on until November.  And of course there is always the usual attractions of The Pleasure Beach, Golden Mile and newly renovated Blackpool Tower to tie into your hen party.

See Blackpool isn't always as tacky as it looks!

Love Lancashire Bride x

Cassie Fairy

Tell us a bit about Cassie Fairy.  Where are you based?

Cassiefairy.co.uk is a designer/maker of fairy tutus for girls (and boys!) of all ages. I am based in two areas of the UK – the business started in Preston, Lancashire and I now work from my workshop Suffolk and Lancashire. But I send my tutus to any destination throughout the UK and since 2009 have been shipping worldwide – the furthest so far is probably Canada or Australia and the most exciting was sending a tutu to be worn as part of a Rio Mardi Gras costume!

 

 How did the business start?

I was studying on a masters degree in Fashion & Lifestyle Promotion in 2008 and as a “poor student” with very little money and a bunch of friends' birthdays approaching, I decided to use some tulle and fabric that I already had to make tutus as gifts for my fancy-dress-loving friends. I made customised tutus for 4 of my friends that was unique to each of their personalities, using their favourite colours and fabrics. Luckily this went down well and I wasn't considered a cheapskate for not buying 'proper' gifts! Other friends saw these tutus and requested their own custom-made tutu and I decided to try selling a few online.  Thankfully this went well too and as I needed to find work that would fit in with my long hours of studying it seemed that making tutus to sell was an ideal way of working from home and Cassiefairy.co.uk was launched. Here's the original Cassiefairy tutus I made:

 Are all tutus custom made?

Yes all tutus ordered through the website are custom-made. This allows my customers to tell me exactly what they want and aren't limited to a specific style or colour choice. Customers can browse the photos on the website and choose an existing design or can get in touch via cassie@cassiefairy.co.uk to discuss their colour and fabric combination requirements – this is very exciting for me, because I love creating something new specifically for a customer and it gives me another tutu style to add to my website too! Although things can get pretty busy at Cassiefairy HQ sometimes, I can usually process, make and send an order within 3 working days and challenge myself to beat this whenever possible!

 Can you offer hen parties anything else other than tutus?

Yes, I am currently launching a range of handmade fairy wings created by one of my fairy friends which can be added to any order. I sell a range of leg-warmers, tiaras and fairywands (nothing too tacky!) and I also find that hen parties enjoy choosing matching t-shirts to complement their tutus so I also provide a service to custom-design and supply vests or t-shirts for the whole hen party – a one-stop-shop for hen parties really!

 Can you give us an idea of prices? Have you got any special offers for our readers?

One single custom-made tutu is priced from £11.99 for children and £13.99 for adults – that's for any colour, any special fabric, any size! For hen parties of 6 or more hens I offer a group discount and free recorded delivery. If there are more than 12 hens in the party, I can offer wholesale rates, a free bridal tutu for the bride and free priority delivery. And I'm just SO happy when I get an enquiry from an excited group of hens who have gathered their order together for their big night out! We also run a monthly photo competition – customers can send in images of their night out for the chance to win a Cassiefairy gift voucher and I love seeing all the fun party photos!

Where can our readers meet you? Do you have a website?

I will be taking Cassiefairy.co.uk on the road this summer to a number of festivals, so keep an eye on the Cassiefairy blog cassiefairy.wordpress.com for details of events where I will be stallholding – I have just returned from the Fairyland Trust's 10^th anniversary Fairy Fair where I had wonderful time meeting all the lovely fairies!  The website address is www.cassiefairy.co.uk and you can also keep up with all my goings-on at http://cassiefairy.wordpress.com. Hens can chat to me via Facebook at www.facebook.com/cassiefairy or on Twitter @CassiefairyTutus and I would absolutely love to hear from
you!  

I'd like to wish you all good luck your weddings, and best of luck to Lancashire Bride blog too – its a great regional resource for brides in the North West so keep up the good work!

Love from

Cassie x

 

(Thanks Cassie!)