Well the Gin Bar certainly scored points at Harrogate –
thanks go to Peter Posh. And the five retailers we talked
to relished the opportunity to meet friends old and new…
Jessica Letheren
Allison Jayne – Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol
1) We loved the Bridal Buyer Awards – as always. And we thought David Emanuel was a great host!
2) We loved the gin bar and we took away a gin glass as a souvenir.
3) The Maggie Sottero suite was inspiring; we loved the collections, the one-on-one social media advice and the catwalk shows.
4) The Justin Alexander suite was extremely educational, they brought in external social media specialists, talked about their designs…and all that in addition to a beautiful selection of the newest dresses.
5) The Ellis stand stole the show for us. Their stand is always lively, they’re such generous hosts and their new collection was amazing; the epitome of British Bridal, see right.
Rebecca Doyle
Isabella Grace – Tunbridge Wells
1) We have just taken on Stella York so bought our first collection in from them.
2) Some gorgeous veils from Nieve Couture and Joyce Jackson, left – lots of single-tier veils with a lot of 3D flowers and embellishments. Lovely!
3) Catwalk shows – loved the buzz of these and always good to get an idea of the latest trends and styles.
4) VIP Lounge and Champagne Bar – always a favourite on our trip.
5) Catching up with fellow retailers and comparing notes.
Maria Kelly
The Confetti Box – Eccles, Manchester
1) Viewing all the new gowns from our top designers.
2) The Champagne Bar .
3) Sitting on the Jupon stand drinking Champagne and wearing their new tiara Megan – so funny.
4) Being invited to join the Maggie Sottero team at the Bridal Buyer Awards and then speaking to
David Emanuel.
5) The opportunity to network – we love that!
Anneleise Jones
Chameleon – Bournemouth
1) I picked up a fabulous new designer, Madi Lane, below. I’m so excited to be working with this Australian label who has an amazing array of modern laces, on-trend designs and some stunning dresses for the curvier girl.
2) Loved the Essense sweetie stand. This should be a pre-requisite for all designers wanting to exhibit at Harrogate!
3) I loved attending the RBA committee meeting. I’ve just been appointed to the board so I’m excited to work with the other committee members who have a wealth of experience. It was so lovely to chat about how shops from up and down the country can improve their offering and customer experience.
4) I enjoyed the awards dinner. It was lovely to see the excitement and pure emotion from some well-deserved winners.
5) I enjoyed seeing the dresses on the catwalk. Harrogate has such a beautiful theatre where the gowns can be shown off to their full potential.
PS: It’s always such a pleasure to catch up with other shops and meet new ones!
Maria Musgrove
Go Bridal – Tunbridge Wells
1) My first favourite has to be buying prom for the first time with my 15-year-old Generation Z daughter Isabella, both of us Prom ‘virgins’.
We were guided gracefully and patiently by Teresa and the team at Tiffanys and Petronela at Mascara.
2) The Gin Bar!
3) The sensationall blue Alexandra prom dress from Tiffanys, right.
4) Ms Generation Z, all-over-Insta daughter loved the presentation and organisation and layout of the Halls and how accurate and helpful the maps and show guide were. Mmm… something we old timers/baby boomers take for granted. Well done Wendy Adams, Georgia and the rest of the team.
5) Awards Night. David Emanuel was professional, polished and pacey and a great improvement on whoever the ‘taking the piss out of bridal’ comedienne was last year! I still like hankie waving/standing on chair risking breaking your neck (or your Jimmy Choos) and the Italian geezer singing Amore best of all though!
PS: My Manager Alexandra wants to know what happened to the sweetie bar. Message from Wendy – “It’s gone!”
