"Lives Reflected"

Over the past year our lives have been put on hold and  we have had restrictions on our lives in order to make sure of our future. 23/3/21 12 noon we stopped to remember those who lost their lives. Rainbows, daffodils, Spring time , vaccinations All giving us Hope for a Better Future.

Joanne Ferguson Bridal established in 1985 for the first time ever had to find a way to help her brides with new means of technology and new ways of communicating so virtual appointments became a new thing in order to reassure and alleviate the stress.

 Covid-19 restrictions as good as stopped all weddings and brides had issues to cope with that seemed so unfair.

The NHS fought the battle of a century as Covid-19 took loved ones and prevented others from the treatment and care that was considered "normal"

People were dying and loved ones denied their final dignified good byes.

21/3/21 a year to the day that I last saw my Dad who was in the Ulster Hospital after a fall and dyed some weeks later probably without understanding why we weren't allowed to visit him.

The strangest of times, cruel, desperate times which have effected us All.

The Covid 19 pandemic has impacted lives and livelihoods across our land and across the world. But one of the most painful aspects has been upon our grief and grieving. In hospital wards, Intensive Care Units, in Nursing Homes and in family homes lives have been lost directly to Covid 19, and many more lives have been lost within the necessary restrictions that our communities have followed to restrict the spread of the disease.

So much which helps us in the final days of the life of someone we love, know or care about has been denied to us: a hand held close, a whispered final farewell, a prayer breathed. We have not been able to gather together to share memories and tears. We have even been restricted in how we can gather for funerals. Each of these denials has added to our grief and made healing more difficult.

For others, lives have been impacted in very different ways. Those who have worked in hospitals and care homes have faced immense pressures. And from teachers and to shop workers, ambulance crews to delivery drivers, everyone’s working lives have been turned upside down. While for others home working and home schooling, short term working or the reality of redundancy has radically changed personal lives and circumstances.

It is into these very personal places that we offer “Lives Reflected”. With this Website, we invite you to make a personal tribute, in word and picture, to someone you have known or loved who has died, whether directly from Covid 19, or for any other cause since the start of Lockdown in our country. Your tribute placed within our on-line Book of Remembrance will allow you to share your memory of someone special in a precious and respectful place. Alternatively you may wish to share a longer personal story of the impact of the pandemic upon your life, or the life of someone special to you.

“Lives Reflected”, an initiative in these times of Covid 19 by those at the Belfast Cathedral, to remember and to reflect on the lives of people we have known and loved.

Thanks to one of my former brides Gillian Collins, for sharing this.

Happy St Patrick's Day 2021 from Belfast Northern Ireland

This St Patrick's Day will not be "Normal" Have Hope, Be kinder, Spread Love & Friendship.

Bridal Blogger

What do you do when weddings are postponed?

Well there is always something to work on.

 So it's time for a new post. They say we should write down our feelings, that writing a diary is good for people. However these days I feel that there is so much noise that sometimes the best thing we can do is to stop and listen. Listen to nature, the birds chirp away and just get on with life, listening to them can really cheer you up.

Have you found lockdown mentally difficult? I have been surprised as to how it has affected me. I have always credited myself with resilience and ability to cope with anything thrown at me, but this last year has tested me. It has been a year since my Dad fell and that seemed to be the start of all the things that seemed out of my control. Covid, cancer, do all nasty things start with a C. Well I thought I would start a group and call it the Creative C so that I could find some good in that letter C. But everything has seemed to get in the way of that so far.

I have been clearly out and cleaning through this Covid/ Coronivirus crisis and I came across an article written by Charles Swindoll that I want to share with you.

It is all about ATTITUDE!!!

The longer I live the more I realise the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than sucesses, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how i react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes'

Today branding is so important and it seems during lockdown everyone had time to stop and rethink what their present websites and online presence looked like. So me too I had time to stop and think while I had less sewing work to do.

Many years ago my Logo started with the back view of this bride with a tiny JEF hidden in her embroidery detail on her train.

These days I am still on a similar theme, still my poor brides back view, maybe it's because I don't like having my own photo taken that I always show her back view but it could be that I like buttons!!

 Where have the years gone? Do I tell people that this is how long I have been doing this??? Yesterday I joined in a seminar with some girls that run bridal shops in the UK. The good thing was they couldn't see me and so I really enjoyed the crack. Talking is something I didn't realise I was so good at. I know I am shy, but it seems nobody else really knows that!!

I have noticed some of my favourite designers just use their name but I don't think that really says anything to new brides. If I want someone to know which bridal place I am I have to say the one across from the Strangford Arms Hotel, not my name!!

My shop window has done all the work for me over the years but now its time to embrace online business, so I need to polish up my logo and everything else. A total face lift, sounds perfect.

My facebook.com/joannefergusonbridalshop

So I have been playing with this for years. Note the bride on my website.

www.joannefergusonbridal.com

The needle and the thread seem to stay there.

I could never manage to get her on my blog template, but maybe I should investigate Wordpress!

The mirror got a facelift and got some gold dots around it, it had had some gilt leaves and a hidden shamrock. As you saw from my last post the shamrock always gets a look in. I love the sentiment it means to me. So the shamrock is hidden in the bride's bouquet here, if your eyesight is good enough to see that.

I know what is going to happen the quality of my doodles will not come up good enough for me to be happy with them online

I tried this one on my Linkedin page

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-ferguson-18127692/

Or lets go for some fun! I put colour in my images on my forms for work, but online they distract me if they are not prefect for whatever platform I am using. However there is nothing like a bit of colour to give us all a lift.

Let me know all your thoughts, I miss my chats girls.

LOCAL BRIDAL DESIGNER IN NORTHERN IRELAND

 I have designed and made my products since I left Art College that's what I know and know well. In Northern Ireland word of mouth and my shop window have brought my customers to me over my years in business. I have taught myself to use computers and I have tried to keep up with technology but it's still a weakness so it stops my business from growing. 

Every day I try to learn something new.

Undoubtedly I could use advice and guidance on improving my old and dated website, adapting to E-commerce, help with the business's SEO and digital analysis. I have written a blog in the hope that it improves my Google rating. I started an online shop with Etsy so that could learn about selling goods online. I have studied photography to help me promote my products. Recently I started to use  Facebook shop and have put some products online, and likewise with a Shopify store. However I  know that I'm struggling to have enough knowledge to set it up properly, to know about coding, taxes and shipping, to understand SEO and all that it requires to get an online store up and running. I would like to use this unpredicted time to be more innovative and more efficient. I believe my business could grow with improved digital marketing as this is the first research medium for most young brides. E-commerce has the potential to grow my business further than the localised area which would in turn help welling and creative people in the local area find work.

The time seems right to learn more about the world of digital,  E-commerce and the web. Arts and creative people are what is going to help this province have something to sell to the rest of the world and also to attract them to come visit us here. If there is less money locally we will have to find customers anywhere in the world to sell to. Digital marketing opens up new possibilities and online sales opens  up  new markets so that my business is less dependant on the Shop window and passing trade and grows to employ people in the local area in a new way. 

So hopefully soon you will be able to shop via my new Shopify Store.

The Budget -Savvy Bride

It's usually this time of year that bride's run around all the bridal shops in Northern Ireland looking for a bargain. The Wedding Journal Northern Ireland tells newly engaged couples how to be savvy with their  wedding budget. They suggest that shops can sell their dresses at 80% less than the usual price. Stop and think about this bride's to be. Firstly how can you possibly drop a price so much unless it has been over hiked in the first place. If you buy this shop sample dress, can it be cleaned or at least pressed. What happens if you need more fabric or beads to replace what should be there. Who do you know that can best advise you on whether this is truly good value. This something sounds to good to be true, remember it usually is.

Some brides tell me how they were talked into a dress and that they regret buying it. A bargain is only a bargain if you can use it. Rushing to buy your wedding dress can cost you more in the long run, as some brides end up buying another one.

2021 is an odd year, things are definitely not the normal, if there is a normal when you are planning your wedding. This is a totally new experience for you. Please enjoy the experience and stop and allow yourself time to think before someone pressurises you. If I can be of help in some way, just arrange a virtual appointment for now on my facebook page

www.facebook.com/joannefergusonbridalshop

How to shop for your Bridal dress in 2021

Wow what a start to the New Year, 2021!! Ulster Bride's for 2021

are wondering how to shop if the Best Bridal Shops in Northern 

Ireland are closed. As usual my brides have provided me with the 

answer.

I am surprised what I can tell once I chat to you. 

Normally I get to meet you in person but even if we have to

just speak over the internet or the phone you would be surprise 

what a good conversation can do. Because I have been designing 

and making bridal dresses for 35years I can guide you with what 

you would suit. A sketch of the shape and style of the dress is 

confirmation that we have an idea of the look. 

Certain styles suit different bridal fabrics, different brides like 

different things. However if I ask the right questions and listen 

to the bride herself I can really help you. 

So why not book a virtual consultation today and we can convert 

those measurements into a plan so that you can start to look 

forward and get excited about that Wedding dress that you have 

dreamt of getting.

Make a virtual appointment on my Facebook 

facebook.com/joannefergusonbridalshop

or phone my mobile 07736069692