Personalised Embroidery on your wedding veil, handmade with Love.

My first wedding of the year the bride and groom where from Australia. 

I was so lucky to have this bride find me, it was her granny from Donaghadee

that had introduced the pair of us. I think we were meant to meet, from day one

we just clicked and had each others best interest at heart.

My job is to make finding your dream dress and making sure that it 

is the perfect dress for the bride. Nothing need be an problem I should have 

the answer to any issues that need to be sorted, neither time nor distance need matter

I can always help somehow. When this bride decided on her dream dress I had the perfect

accessory, it was one of my favourite embroidered veils. 

Ferns featured as I walk past a fern everyday as I enter my house.

Did you know in the folklore and traditions of the Irish hedgerow 

fern symbolises the concept of eternity, everlasting youth, new life, new beginnings. 

I love it in my garden and it loves all the rain we get here in Ireland. 

Diarmuid Gavin, an Irish gardener in London, believes in using an array of ferns 

to set your garden floor alight.

Ferns figure into Irish legends, and fern symbolism in Celtic culture ranges from healing

to magic. The plants show up in stories and art about fairies, so only fitting that they turn

up in my embroidery.

It is believed that if you are giving someone a fern as a gift, you are giving them the hope

that they, will have confidence, shelter, wealth and happiness. 

So a great plant to give to someone or to have embroidered on your bridal veil. 

Often called Living Lace in the Victorian era the fern  embodied 

trustworthiness and humility. There are 100’s of different species, in Japan 

they exemplify family and hope for the future. With all that’s happening 

around the world we could do with lots of Hope for the future.  

My bride's Granny encouraged her to get the veil.

After a wedding and a blessing here my bride and groom returned to their

home in Australia with the plans for an St Valentines Melbourne wedding. 

Sadly there plans had to be put on hold as Granny's health deteriorated and

the family had to be with her.

This weekend as we are about to celebrate St Patrick's day I got this lovely 

message from my bride,"Thank you Joanne. Your passion and love enabled 

my Granny to be able to spend the best day of my life with me which was

both of our life long wishes, you're like a fairy godmother. .....

Magic! That made my week, my month, my year!

Congratulations on your engagement and best wishes for the Future

 Have you just got engaged 

 over the festive period?

 Discover what I can

 offer you, make a 

 phone call, have a chat, 

 and realise that I can do more

 to help you find your dream

 dress from start to finish.

From bridal dresses, bespoke 

and ready made, bridesmaids

dresses made to suit you and 

your bridesmaids, quirky, 

unique details personalised

to what you want.

Mother of the Bride, 

accessories, bows to basques

and bespoke embroidery.

What more do you

need, just contact 

us to find out more.

I want to hear all about 

your wedding ideas

and work out how I can 

best help you.

Regards and best wishes

for 2024 Joanne

Stars in your eyes!

It is the time of year when we notice the stars in the night's sky. The star represents a beacon of HOPE - a shining light that guides the way. Some would even say a star conveys divine guidance and protection. As it twinkles in the sky it lights the hope in the darkness, so you could say it's a symbol of positivity, happiness or renewal. 

So I decided to put stars in my window this season. This is a sequinned tulle.

This embroidery has stars and sparkle with a scroll in an ornate heart shape. 

Bridal design trends and ideas for 2024 brides

Sometimes I stop and realise how quick time flies and here we are nearly at the end of another year and looking forward to what's in store for 2024. When my head is down sewing I just don't see where the time flies. One thing about my work is I cannot ever miss a deadline so this time of year I feel I have to do my best to stop take stock of projects I want to do and how I want to best present them to you. 

I am quite a shy person and I much prefer to meet you in person to firstly put you at ease and then to get to know how I can help you. Trying to put into words or to present what I try to do for brides and customers seems really difficult for me. People often ask me outside of my shop what I do for a living and I never know how best to answer. This year one of my clients described me as a creative problem solver, which I thought was kind of apt. I am constantly creating but in that process you have to problem solve as fabric and people need you to adapt to their needs.

Sometimes I feel like I have my "back against the wall" as I have to work out what a bride wants and how I can give it to her for the price she wants, so I have to do my best to quickly come up with the perfect solution. Other times I feel a girl was meant to come to me and the whole experience just falls into the perfect scenario.

Keeping up with the latest fashion trends is easier now than ever. I actually find it nearly too much information. There are ideas and inspiration all around. One of the reasons I like working for a client is that it keeps me focused and stops me getting too many ideas and not knowing which one to start. However I also like to create “off the peg” dresses when I get ideas that I want to put into reality. 

So instead of being split I stay focused on what is desired and required. Hopefully from my 

inserted pictures you are being feed the trends for 2024. That is what our smart phones do today, they feed us with trends they want us to inspired by. However much they want to tell us what to wear, we have our own unique style and personality and we want to feel special.

The wedding dress is perhaps the most important aspect of any bride's big day. It's a symbol of love, beauty, and tradition. Recently, wedding dress trends have evolved to reflect the changing tastes and styles of modern brides. 2024 is all about personalisation and that extends to wedding fashion. Couples are opting for bespoke wedding attire, ensuring their outfits are as unique as their love story. Discover the world of custom wedding gowns, jumpsuits and accessories that reflect your individual style. 

One trend that has taken the bridal world by storm is the rise of the non-traditional wedding dress - and this trend is here to stay. Many brides are opting for dresses in colours other than white, such as blush, champagne, or even bold shades and details. These unconventional colours allow brides to express their unique personalities and stand out from the crowd.

Bridal seperates are a popular choice for brides in 2024. With the growing trend of having multiple looks throughout your wedding day, we're seeing a lot more brides opting for a two-piece or three-piece bridal ensemble for their wedding day. This look is seriously stylish and you can put it together however you like.

Oversized bows are making a real impact on bridal catwalks. In addition to adding drama and elegance to bridal attire, they create a striking focal point, drawing attention to the back of a gown or the neckline, which elevates the overall look. With bows available in different fabrics, colours, and styles, brides can experiment and find one that complements their dress and vision.

Bridal Fashion Week featured fresh, modern twists on traditional bridal styles. Designers aren't abandoning tradition, they're just updating it, from detachable trains to opera-length embellished gloves. A trend that we're loving is shorter veils - they aren't too formal, but still very elegant.

I find veils are a personal choice and I tend to find my personal choice is a long veil and because I know this when a bride is deciding what she wants I know to hold back and let her decide what she likes. So one trend so will promote is choose what makes you smile. 

More on finding your style for your wedding, this time its about bridal shoes

The one thing I will admit I can't make are shoes, and they

are really important for your Big Day. We all love our shoes, 

for me they make or break an outfit.

   

   

       

When I make an outfit for myself and also for my clients I 

 can be inspired by the shoe as to what details I might add. 

 I remember on occasions people asking me how I got the 

 shoes to match the embroidery, but I had bought the shoes 

 first and then embroidered my outfit!

 I have sold shoes from my shop for years. I always tried 

 my best to support local firms. In N Ireland we had are own

 Dana Shoes but sadly they died and my main supplier

 has been Rainbow Club shoes who I still deal with. 

 

 

Once I meet the characters in a firm I have a personal 
connection
with them I like to support them.

 

 

For my own wedding day I chose to wear a London designer called 

Diane Hassall. I had meet Di and stocked her shoes so it was an easy

choice. They were soooo comfy and of course I still have them today.

I always thought I would dye them as I do dye all my shoes for clients

but these ones still match my wedding dress. The details and 

embroidery work on Di's shoes naturally intrigue me.

 

 

It always amazes me but these days more and more brides order 

their bridal shoes online. It does mean that for a shop that sells 

shoes sometimes we can spend a considerable time letting the 

client try on shoes for her to then go order them online. So it has

made me more reluctant to stock many shoes, as a bride can return

a pair of shoes that she orders online that don't quite fit where I 

have to stock all the sizes for my clients to try. Different styles 

can be a different fit even though they are the same make.

This week I listened to the story of Emmy London as I was hand

beading. I sometimes listen to music to make me sew faster but I 

also love to learn, so if I can find a good podcast that I think is of

interest to me I'll listen. I loved the conversation on "The Love My

Dress"podcast with Emmy Scarterfield of Emmy London. Annabel's

soothing voice makes you stay tuned and Emmy's enthusiasm, 

passion for shoes and the honesty of her life story was compelling

listening. Annabel wore a pair of Emmy shoe's on her wedding day 

and sung high praises for her high heels, descibing them as 

"unbelievably comfortable to wear for hours and hours" one of the 

secret ingredients of even the Emmy London high heels.

 ( brides, take note!)

Finding your style for your Big Day.

 

"Going out to find Your Bridal Dress should be one of your 

happiness memories"

Before we go any further, this is a very tricky topic. If you’re

 not in the headspace

 to read about body image/size then feel free to come back 

another day, but this is

 an area that we  have to navigate every day.

And it’s complicated.

As women, we have to work so hard to stay centred and 

secure in the face of constant messaging about the way 

we look. How we style our hair, our make up, 

our weight, the shape of our bodies… It goes on and on. 

Beauty standards are constantly changing and, here’s the

thing, your body is not a trend! It doesn’t have to be a size 

whatever to be beautiful. That’s a lie we’ve been fed for years 

and it’s amazing to now see women rejecting it.

Beauty has nothing at all to do with dress size or body shape, 

neither does feeling good about yourself. I’m pleased we’ve 

made great strides towards body diversity in the past few years

but those feelings of inadequacy can be deep rooted and 

difficult to unlearn. When I was growing up, I didn’t fit the

beauty standards of the time. I was the girl who tied knitwear 

around my waist to hide a round bottom - a bottom I was ashamed 

of! - only for big bums to become en vogue later in my life. 

I’m a curvy woman and it took me years to accept myself as I am, 

shed the hangover from those societal expectations, and be happy 

with myself. Clothes helped me do that. Finding my own style and 

my tribe of amazing women who are all so different, and so confident

being (and dressing) for themselves set me free. That’s what we do 

every day at Joanne Ferguson Bridal to give you confidence. 

Trying on wedding dresses is an incredible experience, but it can

also throw up some unexpected emotions. If that sounds familiar, 

I’m here to give you permission to let it all go.

Truly, you are beautiful exactly as you are.

I’ve talked a lot about the moment when a bride steps into the 

perfect dress and sees herself for the first time. Despite what you

see from popular media, not everyone bursts into happy tears. 

Some do, but some simply stand a little straighter, walk 

a little taller, smile a little wider. Whatever the reaction, 

it’s obvious to myself and those with you, and what a moment 

it is to be a part of! I want every One of my bride’s to feel that 

confidence during her appointment, then that feeling will continue to grow 

for her wedding day, and beyond.

My calling in life is to craft clothes to empower women to feel 

amazing on one of the most important days of their lives and, 

let me tell you, you’ve given me as much joy and confidence as

I’ve given you these past (almost!) three decades. Watching you, 

wonderful women of all different shapes and sizes, blossom when

we discover your perfect outfit has been a revelation for me, 

because what could have possibly changed in those moments it took 

to pop a dress on? Your body certainly didn’t change from one moment

to the next. You are physically exactly the same, yet everything about 

you seems different. 

That’s the power of a great outfit.

Love Xx Jo💓

Building a Fashion brand

 "I don't want to be a big fashion designer. 

I want to build a house for other people to do that."

She envisions it as a space of collaboration, a kind of cultural centre meets 

design workshop that combines tailoring and up-cycling services with a 

gallery space for local artisans and a café run in partnership with refugee

organisations.

After proving herself a successful actress and entrepreneur, 

she is now experimenting with fashion.

Angelina Jolie in an Atelier Jolie dress incorporating deadstock materials. 

Values of ethics, community, collaboration, and sustainability are at the 

heart of Jolie's new project. 

In November, the actor, director, and former UN Refugee Agency Goodwill 

Ambassador and Special Envoy will open the doors on Atelier Jolie, 

a somewhat broadly defined effort to bring her globally minded, 

socially conscious values to the world of fashion.

“Over the last 20 years documenting humanitarian stories, 

I’ve seen the negative impact of Western consumerism on developing

 countries—from child labor, illegal extraction of minerals, pollution 

from the dyeing of fabrics, exploitation of farmers, and much more,” 

she says. “Atelier Jolie can have an incredible positive impact on artisans

 who have often been unrecognized and undervalued—

but we also have an opportunity to start conversations about workforce 

exploitation, pollution, and waste.”

Further more she said,

“I was 26 when I became a mother,” she tells me. “My entire life changed. 

Having children saved me—and taught me to be in this world differently. 

I think, recently, I would’ve gone under in a much darker 

way had I not wanted to live for them. They’re better than me, 

because you want your children to be. Of course I’m the mother, and 

hopefully that safe place for them and that stability. But I’m also the 

one that they laugh at—and I see them taking over so many different 

aspects of our family.”

Though she’s loath to admit it, her approach to fashion has been hugely

influential. Each style move she makes is fastidiously anatomized by fans

on social media, and her seeming reluctance to make a spectacle of herself 

has only contributed to the current yen for all things quiet luxury 

And it’s precisely that power that Jolie is hoping to harness for good.

Best wishes to her, I wish her every success!