Now taking bookings for our annual Maggie Sottero Trunk Show (21st/22nd Nov 2015)

It's that time again!  We're now taking bookings for our annual Maggie Sottero Trunk Show Designer Weekend which will be held on the 21st and 22nd of November.  If you're wondering what exactly a trunk show is, read on........

When the designers have finished showing the shop owners their new collections, each shop owner gets a chance to take 30 of their favourite dresses to their premises to show them off to their customers.  These are the dresses which are worn by the models at the catwalk shows and are generally size 8 dresses (suitable for trying on for brides size 12 or smaller). 

When the dresses come to our shop that weekend, we will be putting away any dresses which are not by Maggie Sottero and the dresses on show during the event will be our current Maggie dresses (ranging from size 10 - 18), plus the 30 dresses that are on loan.  We work strictly by appointment only and all appointments must be confirmed in the week of the event.   Anyone who decides to put their full deposit on their Maggie Sottero dress during the event will also get a special offer and discount of 10% off plus a free petticoat or £50 credit for accessories.

Please note that if you fall in love with one of the samples on loan, you will not be able to come back and try it on again as the dress has to be sent back after the event, so it's a good idea to make sure you bring any key decision makers with you that day.  You can't bring your mum or your best friend back the following week for a second opinion on a dress that we won't have again!!  So if you can't pick a dress without them, then make sure you bring them with you. 

If you are the sort of person who feels that they can't commit on the first appointment, it's always a good idea to have been out looking beforehand so that you feel ready to buy if you do find 'the one' without feeling the need to come back and see it again. 

Key points to remember

- 30 dresses on loan for 1 weekend only straight from the catwalk.  These dresses can't be re-visited!

- Borrowed dresses are size 8 (will normally be suitable for trying on for brides up to size 12).

- Discount for purchases made on the day (cannot be backdated to previous orders or cannot be used in conjunction with other offers) 

- Bring your key decision makers with you that day (unless you are going to be making your own choice).

- Have a good idea of what you are looking for before you come.

- Book an appointment in advance (which must be confirmed nearer the time) 

Hope to see lots of you there!!

Ciara xx

Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, Greysteel - 1 mile from the City of Derry airport.

Hello Beautiful!!!!!

Wednesday the 16th of September 2015 was a pretty exciting day!  Only those who are obsessed with weddings, and in this case, TLC's 'Say Yes to the Dress' will get it (and who will understand the blog title!!)  and if you watch the show, you will understand the excitement of it all.  For someone like me who works with brides everyday and helps them to find their dress, it was a pretty big deal to get to go to a seminar where Randy Fenoli was the guest of honour (and we were going to have afternoon tea with him!)

From listening to him talk about his early life to how he got where he is today, one thing that is crystal clear is that this is a man who is passionate about dresses - and most importantly, how a dress can empower a woman and make her feel special and beautiful.  Not only does he sell dresses, but he's made loads of them (he made his very first one at age 9 for his mother!) and is an award-winning designer too.  He's a man who knows his stuff!!!  In relation to helping a bride in her quest for the dress, I found a lot of the things he talked about were things that we focus on in our shop, and have for a long time.  Randy, like us, is a strong believer that a bride buys her dress with her heart and not with her head.  If I don't see a huge smile, if I don't hear the 'love' word, and if a bride doesn't want to stand in a dress for ages, I'll get her to take that dress off and keep looking.  She has to feel beautiful in it and hopefully she should even get butterflies in her tummy. It doesn't matter how long the train is, or what type of fabric it is or the design of the beading, whether she knows someone who wore something similar or whether it is the opposite of the dress that she imagined she'd wear.  It's all about how the a dress can make her feel beautiful.  And if a bride feels beautiful, her confidence and posture will make her look beautiful, and she will have found the dress she will walk up the aisle in. Randy believes that the dress should sell itself - when the bride finds the one, she'll know.  I often get very positive feedback from brides about our approach to selling, and I'm often told by brides that they felt pressurised elsewhere.  But I am in the Randy Fenoli school of thought - it's all about how the bride feels, and if she's not feeling it 100%, we'd rather she walk away and make the decision when she is positive that she's saying yes to the right dress for her, so you won't get the hard sale from us!!

Randy's enthusiasm was infectious, and I hope I've brought some of that back to the shop with me.   My customers often tell me that I have the patience of a saint, but this man even leaves me trailing behind in that department!!  The time he spent talking to all the retailers who attended the seminar - taking selfies, recording video messages for them, signing books and photos, posing for photos and chatting with us about our shops (God love him though, he really struggled with my Northern Irish accent!!) - this man has a way of making people feel special.  I can see why so many people love him.  I told him I'd traveled the furthest in the room to see him - almost 500 miles from Ireland to Sutton Coldfield (on planes trains and automobiles!!!) and I have to say, it was well worth the journey.  He's a warm and genuine man with a passion for wanting women to feel beautiful, and I hope I will get the chance to meet him again someday.

Randy and Ciara selfie!

We may not have a big store like Kleinfeld's in New York, but our humble Bridal Cottage in Greysteel has been a place where we've made a lot of magic happen,  and we hope to have many, many magical, special and beautiful moments for a long time to come.

My customers have been all asking me about him since I got back and telling me how they'd loved to have come along too ..... and I've brought back a little treat with me to share - I'm going to be giving away a signed copy of Randy's book, 'It's all about the dress' (an excellent guide written for brides who are planning their wedding) and a framed signed photo too.
Make sure you follow our Facebook page or follow our Twitter account over the next few days to find out how you can get your hands on one of these. Good luck to all who enter!!!!  Ciara xx


Click to go to our Facebook page

Spring sale at Beautiful Day - wedding dresses from £195.

All dresses in the sale are dresses which have been used as sample dresses, and will be reduced by AT LEAST 50%, with discounts of up to 75% (starting at £195).  The selection of dresses will include current season dresses (reduced for that day only and then reverting to full price) and discontinued dresses.  Most dresses will be Maggie Sottero gown and  Essense of Australia, with some by  Special Day and White One. 

Book now to secure your  private slot on Wed 25th March.

 Many dresses will be from our current collection and will only be reduced for the 1-day sale and will then revert to full price once the sale is over.  Full price dresses will not be on show that day - just the sale dresses, so if you want to see non-sale dresses, please book an appointment for a different day.

People always ask me about sale days and what advice I would give anyone looking to come to one, so here's a list of top tips that I've put together which should help you to on your quest to find a dream dress at a bargain price!

Top tips for attending a sample sale..

1. Get out beforehand and try dresses on.
Don’t make a sample sale your first bridal shopping trip.  The girls who come prepared with ideas from trying on beforehand are the girls who have the most success at getting a bargain.  You will be restricted to the number of dresses you can try on (5 max in your allocated time slot!!)  so you don't get the normal private consultation to try and figure out what shapes and styles you prefer and which ones flatter your figure.  When you come to a bridal sample sale, you should already have a good idea of what style you are looking for, what size you need and what suits your shape.

2. Bring a friend

Don’t bring a whole entourage, but bring someone who will be brutally honest. Weddings are expensive and any discount you can get, especially if it’s on your dress, is well worth it - but only if you will be happy with it. Brief your friend to be brutally honest and listen to  her (or him!)  And remember that on a 1 day sale,  you can't go for a look and come back again the next week.  So if you need your friend/sister/mum with you to help you make the final decision, then make sure she comes with you to the sale event. 

3. Wear the right underwear
This is a wedding dress appointment necessity regardless, but make sure you wear the right undies! You need to do everything you can to see how the dress will fit you.   Plus, we ask for no fake tan, and that only light make-up be worn.

4. Bring your purse!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd be surprised at how many people don't think about this one - remember, it's a one day sale, and we don't hold items over.  So bring your purse (we accept all major credit/debit cards) so that if you do find 'the one' then you can actually buy it!!! (and many of the dresses will be reverting to full price after the event). 

5.  Ask the sales assistants about sizing.

Bridal sizes are generally a bit smaller than high street sizes, so when you are looking, bear that in mind.  But also, don't be afraid of looking at dresses which are a little bit bigger as they can always be taken in.  If in doubt, ask one of our sales assistants for guidance on the sizes when you are looking through the dresses.   All dresses will be grouped in sizes to make it easier.  The majority of dresses will be in sizes 12, 14 and 16, but we still have a good selection of smaller and larger dresses (it just means that the 12-16 bride will have a better picking choice!) 

Please note that the vast majority of dresses will be ex-sample dresses, which means that they have been tried on in our shop and/or have been worn in fashion photoshoots/catwalk shows.  They may have minor issues that need addressed, for example, some may need dry cleaned or spot cleaned or may have a few missing beads or buttons, and we have priced each dress accordingly to take this into account.   You are getting a genuine designer dresses for a fraction of the full retail price and are able to see them and try them on , unlike shopping online where many of the 'bargains' are in fact poorly made copies of designer dresses, made with inferior materials.  

Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, Greysteel, Co Derry -  Tel 028718 13682
www.beautifuldaybrides.co.uk

Christmas/New Year Opening hours

Tues 23rd Dec - Open 10am - 3pm

Wed 24th Dec  - CLOSED

Thur 25th Dec - CLOSED

Fri 26th Dec - CLOSED

Sat 27th Dec - Open 9.30am - 5.30pm

Sun and Mon (Closed as usual) 

Tue 30th Dec - Open 10am - 5pm

Wed 31st Dec - CLOSED

Thur 1st Jan - CLOSED
Fri 2nd Jan - CLOSED

Saturday onwards - Business as usual

Remember, we do consultations by appointment only, so make sure you book in in advance!!

Happy Christmas everyone, and Best wishes for 2015!! 

Book now for our Autumn 2 day sale! (plus top tips for visiting a wedding dress sample sale)

All sample dresses in the sale will be reduced by AT LEAST 50%, with discounts of up to 75%.  The selection of dresses will include current season dresses (reduced for those two days only and then reverting to full price) and discontinued dresses.  Most dresses will be Maggie Sottero gowns, with dresses also by Essense of Australia, Special Day and White One,  Book now to secure your 1 hour private slot.  Thursday and Friday the 2nd and 3rd of October 2014.

Many dresses will be from our current collection and will only be reduced for the 2-day sale and will then revert to full price once the sale is over.  So remember to bring your purse and your helping crew!! 

People always ask me about sale days and what advice I would give anyone looking to come to one, so here's a list of top tips that I've put together which should help you to on your quest to find a dream dress at a bargain price!

Top tips for attending a sample sale..

1. Get out beforehand and try dresses on.
Don’t make a sample sale your first bridal shopping trip.  The girls who come prepared with ideas from trying on beforehand are the girls who have the most success at getting a bargain.  You will be restricted to the number of dresses you can try on (5 max!!)  so you don't get the normal private consultation to try and figure out what shapes and styles you prefer and which ones flatter your figure.  When you come to a bridal sample sale, you should already have a good idea of what style you are looking for, what size you need and what suits your shape.

2. Bring a friend

Don’t bring a whole entourage, but bring someone who will be brutally honest. Weddings are expensive and any discount you can get, especially if it’s on your dress, is well worth it - but only if you will be happy with it. Brief your friend to be brutally honest and listen to  her (or him!)  And remember that on a 2 day sale,  you can't go for a look and come back again the next week.  So if you need your friend/sister/mum with you to help you make the final decision, then make sure she comes with you to the sale event. 

3. Wear the right underwear
This is a wedding dress appointment necessity regardless, but make sure you wear the right undies! You need to do everything you can to see how the dress will fit you.   

4. Bring your purse!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd be surprised at how many people don't think about this one - remember, it's a two day sale, and we don't hold items over.  So bring your purse (we accept all major credit/debit cards) so that if you do find 'the one' then you can actually buy it!!! (and many of the dresses will be reverting to full price after the event)

5.  Ask the sales assistants about sizing.

Bridal sizes are generally a bit smaller than high street sizes, so when you are looking, bear that in mind.  But also, don't be afraid of looking at dresses which are a little bit bigger as they can always be taken in.  If in doubt, ask one of our sales assistants for guidance on the sizes when you are looking through the dresses.   All dresses will be grouped in sizes to make it easier.

Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, Greysteel, Co Derry -  Tel 028718 13682
www.beautifuldaybrides.co.uk

10% off for one week to celebrate our 10th birthday

From Wed 10th to Wed 17th inclusive, all new orders will have 10% discount to celebrate our 10th birthday!*

*not available in conjunction with other offers - cannot be backdated or exchanged for money - 50% deposit must be made when ordering.  Applies to wedding dress, bridesmaid dress and accessory orders as well as storage boxes.

Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, Greysteel, Co Derry

www.beautifuldaybrides.co.uk

Tenth birthday offers at Beautiful Day

Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage in Greysteel is 10 years old this month - on the 10th of September to be exact, and we've got some great things going on in the shop to celebrate!!!

Firstly, we've decided to give 10% off any new orders placed with us from the 10th Sept to the 17th Sept inclusive. (50% deposit must be paid to get this offer and only applies to new orders)

Secondly, a big 2 day sale will be held on Thurs 2nd and Fri 3rd October.  All sale dresses will be discounted by at least 50%, including some newer styles as well as discontinued lines.  We will be booking 1 hr slots for this from 12 - 8 on the Thursday and 10 - 3 o the Friday, so book early to avoid disappointment!!  Styles in teh sale are from Maggie Sottero, Essense of Australia, White One and Special Day.

Thirdly, we will be holding our annual Maggie Sottero designer weekend / trunk show on the 4th and 5th of October.  You'll get a preview of the new collection (including many styles that we don't normally have!!), plus you'll get 10% all Maggie orders placed that weekend too.  Please note that the trunk show dresses are the dresses that are used for the catwalk shows and will normally not fit ladies who are bigger than a size 12 (we will be doing a 'curvy girls weekend next year, so keep your eye out for that if you want to come to an event with larger sizes).  Again, it''s strictly by appointment only, so book your slot as early as you can as this is always a popular event!

Sale day tips and advice to get your dream dress at a bargain price!!

We have set a date!!  It will be on Friday and Saturday 25th and 26th April, from 10am to 5pm both days.  This time we are operating an appointment-only system with 50 min slots, so you MUST BOOK IN in advance to guarantee that you will be able to try on dresses.  

All sale dresses reduced by AT LEAST 50%.  

Many reduced by up to 75%

Many dresses will be from our current collection and will only be reduced for the 2-day sale and will then revert to full price once the sale is over.  So remember to bring your purse and your helping crew!! 

People always ask me about sale days and what advice I would give anyone looking to come to one, so here's a list of top tips that I've put together which should help you to on your quest to find a dream dress at a bargain price!

Top tips for attending a sample sale..

1. Get out beforehand and try dresses on.
Don’t make a sample sale your first bridal shopping trip.  The girls who come prepared with ideas from trying on beforehand are the girls who have the most success at getting a bargain.  You will be restricted to the number of dresses you can try on (5 max!!)  so you don't get the normal private consultation to try and figure out what shapes and styles you prefer and which ones flatter your figure.  When you come to a bridal sample sale, you should already have a good idea of what style you are looking for, what size you need and what suits your shape.

2. Bring a friend

Don’t bring a whole entourage, but bring someone who will be brutally honest. Weddings are expensive and any discount you can get, especially if it’s on your dress, is well worth it - but only if you will be happy with it. Brief your friend to be brutally honest and listen to  her (or him!)  And remember that on a 2 day sale,  you can't go for a look and come back again the next week.  So if you need your friend/sister/mum with you to help you make the final decision, then make sure she comes with you to the sale event. 

3. Wear the right underwear
This is a wedding dress appointment necessity regardless, but make sure you wear the right undies! You need to do everything you can to see how the dress will fit you.   

4. Bring your purse!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd be surprised at how many people don't think about this one - remember, it's a two day sale, and we don't hold items over.  So bring your purse (we accept all major credit/debit cards) so that if you do find 'the one' then you can actually buy it!!! (and many of the dresses will be reverting to full price after the event)

5.  Ask the sales assistants about sizing.

Bridal sizes are generally a bit smaller than high street sizes, so when you are looking, bear that in mind.  But also, don't be afraid of looking at dresses which are a little bit bigger as they can always be taken in.  If in doubt, ask one of our sales assistants for guidance on the sizes when you are looking through the dresses.   All dresses will be grouped in sizes to make it easier.

Sneak Peek of our photoshoot

The winter February sun was shining yesterday for our Beautiful Day photo shoot for the Local Women magazine, shot in and around our shop at the Vale Centre in Greysteel.  I'm really looking forward to seeing Helen Mc Carter's shots in next month's Local Women magazine!!  Whilst Helen was busy doing her job, I took a few snap shots with my little camera too to give you a sneak peek of what we were up to.  The gorgeous Azin was the perfect model for our dresses - I'm sure you'll all agree that she looked stunning in a variety of different wedding dress styles, from the cute short fifties number to the elegant vintage backless lace gown.