Could the Coronavirus affect your wedding?

The development of coronavirus is ongoing. It’s believed to have originated In China where, according to the BBC 78,159 people have been infected as of 26 February, with 2,717 of them dying. The virus - causing severe lung disease - has since spread to 27 countries including the UK, with 15 Brits being diagnosed so far. This has understandably had the world on high alert, and the latest effect concerns wedding dresses

Many bridal retailers in the UK import their dresses from China, where the outbreak is said to have started and where many factories have been forced to close. Closure means no production and no production means no wedding dresses. 

Labour MP Chris Bryant spoke out about the issue and said that shops in the UK are already finding it difficult to keep their businesses going, since spring is peak wedding dress shopping season.

“Having married many women in my time when I was a vicar, I am aware that this is very time sensitive,” he said. “And there is a real danger to many of these businesses that they are going to suffer enormous financial loss, let alone to the families.”

Meanwhile, the British Bridal Suppliers Association (BBSA) is advising brands to reconsider their standard delivery times as a pre-emption to suspended deliveries and to avoid customer disappointment.

This news is shocking for brides but keep calm there are vintage wedding dresses and dress makers like me that can help don’t stress there are worse things to worry about. Stay healthy and keep calm. 

The Future in Bridal Design

For bridal retailers, window displays have always been an effective way to attract potential customers – even for those boutiques who don’t accept walk-ins. They are usually the first point of visual contact that a consumer has with a boutique and the starting point of the retail experience.

However, with the new Millennial bride and rise of social media, has the virtual shop window made the physical one less effective? I spoke with several bride's from across the country to hear their opinions on the topic.

“I think over the last 10 years retail has changed dramatically. There is definitely more of a focus now on online. Social media has very much become a go-to place for customers to conduct research and plan and, because of this, I think window displays are useful but they can’t be solely relied upon,” says one girl.

“Although it is nice to have, our shop window display isn’t our main way of attracting customers. We are very lucky that our main way of enticing brides is through word of mouth, and we are extremely grateful to our current and past brides who spread the word for us.” say I, Joanne. I really appreciate it when girls take the time to recommend me to others.

Sometimes I make time to take my dresses out of the shop and put them on display at wedding fairs but its a lot of hard work and probably doesn't do the dresses any good. So my latest thoughts are that photographing the dresses and putting images online hopefully is the best way to promote them. It seems more brides are so influenced by the internet that this is the best place to focus on at present.

Learn from all your experiences if life and use your intelligence. 

But Brides be wise!! OMG I just had a man on the phone who wanted to write me 10 google views to improve my business. I told him that I thought what he was doing was dishonest & despicable!! His reply was ‘ it’s just business’! What is happening everyone seems to be lying and cheating & no one cares. 

Girls who have had a Jo Ferg experience please write a google review for me. He said I had no reviews, I have 18 google reviews. I didn’t want to say anymore to him but if we could add a few it would possibly help other potential customers. Point taken my promotion tactics aren’t great. Moral of the day learn from all your experiences. 

When you go to book anything for your wedding stop and think ‘ Am I wise??’ DON’T let people rush or pressurise you!!

Do your research and study reviews!!! Genuine reviews!! WORD OF MOUTH IS BEST!!!

As one of my brides wrote to me in response to my post about the bogus review man ( who I don’t think was Google, just some marketing man!! )

“Google don’t make lovely wedding dresses and look after brides with such personal professional attention- I believe ratings and recommendations don’t apply so much when your wonderful business is personal... I’m not sure I agree with that gentleman’s tactics either. "wordofmouth x”

Bridal Design Trends for 2020-2021

It's your day so best to pick your way, what's to stop you having any style or colour or design you want. However here's what is inspiring me, clean lines, slits, modern detail, capes like veils which can be taken off. Pick something personal and just you.

Bridal Designer Blog

It’s 24th December 2019 and I have just finished working on one of my bridesmaids dresses for my wedding this weekend! Sounds exciting and it is, each wedding I do involves many hours of work and each one is personal to the bride that it has been worked for.

Sometimes I wonder could I have picked a different job but I guess it picked me.
There is practically nothing I wouldn’t do for my customers, especially ones that I have stayed in contact with over the years. Today’s bridesmaid just arrived in from Cork last Saturday with her children who are attendants at the wedding. I suppose the correct term is matron of honour as this is one of my former brides. I’m guessing that word of mouth meant that my present bride was reassured by her sister in law to be that I was capable of doing her whole ensemble for her. I think most of my brides are referred in this way. It means my work is so personal and special.

This is a special time of year, romance and family traditions are key. It’s an exciting time of year to get married but it is also a venerable time to arrange so many things what with Christmas and all that it brings. Making sure that wedding outfits stay the correct size over the festive season is one concern, however I will do my best to make sure that that is sorted. As you can imagine it is a busy time for florists and entertainers and even venues such as hotels as they have so many parties to cater for at this time of year. The advantage is that everyone is off work and looking forward to family get togethers. Maybe some people are travelling home for Christmas.

Whatever you are up to enjoy it. Merry Christmas from me.

Competition Time

It’s a busy time of year but here’s a Competition for
 All Brides to Be.

For your chance to WIN @ bit.ly/2XsEPDB

Costume Designer, Vicky Gill, who leads the team delivering the visual va-va boom every week.

Have you been watching Strictly and wondering?

So how do you go about dressing the nation’s favourite show?

Vicky Gill designs the costumes we see on the Strictly Come Dancing shows. She has a background both in fashion and dance Costuming. Her clients have included girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue. However in the last ten years she has been involved in the costuming for Strictly,which takes her through from August to December each year.

Let's take a look as to how it works .

                                                 Vicky works the sketches of ideas.

Once the shows are under way it is totally Full On, with up to 14 new sets of costumes per week.

"The Executive Producer will flag up the theme they want to portray each week and so I use that as the launchpad for my design concepts.
My whole aim is to meet the producer's needs while making the celebrities look and feel fantastic.
Some people are naturally more confident than others so it's vital that we take everyone's personality into account as we are presenting mini-stories with each dancer
taking the starring role. We have the most fabulous job to be allowed to design and create these costumes that even when the pressure is on and the days simply
disappear I guarantee no-one minds about the hours we need to put in as it's all absolutely worth it. It's a real privilege to be involved in the show, every crazy minute! 

Approximately 200 costumes are created for each series, with every design needing to take into account the type of dance and the kind of moves and lifts incorporated".

The dummies taped with padding to replicate the dancers body shape to help with fittings

Vicky leads the team delivering the visual Va-Va boom each week, there are loads of workers behind the scenes.

 The pattern cutter in action.

The fabric being cut out in shapes to make up the garments

One of the many stitchers sewing at her machine.

The garment being pinned on the dummy to see how it is shaping up

The skirt and waistband being added

The many many layers of tulle being trimmed into shape.

Having grown up with dance and design as very much part of her life, 

Vicky is uniquely placed to make the Strictly dancers not only look fantastic, but capture the movement and theatre of the dances they perform.

Going Green for your wedding.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about eco-friendly dress shopping is re-wearing a gown, maybe even your mother's. I have done this for a bride we totally restyled the dress. If you love the idea of wearing your Mum’s dress, but aren't totally in love with the dress itself, work with me and I can advice you if we can make it more your style. Or, if mom's dress is out of the running, start from square one and pick out a gown that's totally you. First stop my Off the Peg range. Most of my dresses are made in natural silk and made in my studio so that makes them more green.