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

Last minute availability for the Maggie Sottero Trunk Show on Sat 4th Oct!!

We've had a few ladies who cancelled last-minute for our Maggie trunk show (see previous blog entry to find out more about this event) so if you'd like to book in, please email me on beautifuldaybrides@hotmail.com or phone me after 9.30am on the event day on 02871 813682.


There are 30 dresses in on loan at the event from Maggie Sottero and it's a once a year event, so if you love Maggie dresses, get in touch and don't miss this opportunity!!

(plus there's 10% on all Maggie Sottero dressses for orders placed at the event)

You can also contact us through our facebook page if you follow our feeds on there.

Shopping for your wedding dress - some questions and answers.......

Hi everyone!!  Haven't been blogging now for a few months, so trying to get back into the swing of it!  I've had several queries recently (particularly at the wedding fayres) and I've been jotting them down to address in a blog, so I'm grouping them all together in this topic.   Your essential guide of Q&As in relation to going wedding dress shopping in our shop. Hope you find some useful tips. xx Ciara

When should I go looking for my dress?
We are always getting new styles coming along and dress styles are always getting discontinued, so in short, my answer is go when you are ready to seriously think about buying the dress.  In an ideal world, we'd all go looking 2 years before to get ideas, we'd find a dress, and then come back 8 months and it's still there waiting for you, but in practice it doesn't work. So don't make the mistake of missing out on your dream dress because you've come too early and found out that the dream dress you found last year has gone discontinued or that we've sold our sample.  And don't leave it too late either or you may be limited to buying off the peg!!!  Last orders are usually 6-7 months before the wedding, but 12 months before is a good time to start looking.  Our brides order on average about 10 months before their big day.

Who should I bring with me?
We have seating for up to three people in our bridal rooms. Any more than this, and the search can often get chaotic with too many opinions and not working on focussing on you and what your wants and needs are. Ideally, one or two helpers is best, but don't be afraid of setting out to look on your own either.  You'll often want your closest friend, a sister, your mum or someone close to you to help you make that final decision, but just make sure that whoever you bring, they will be on the same wavelength as you and that they will give you honest feedback without letting their own personal tastes get in the way if finding the dress for you. Choose your helpers wisely!!  If you don't, you could be setting yourself up for a difficult and frustrating time!

How long do I get for an appointment?
You will normally get 70 mins for an appointment.  However, if you get to the end of your allocated time and you find that you want to see more dresses, you are more than welcome to book a second appointment to come back another day.  We often run on a tight schedule, especially on Saturdays, so try to be on time.  If you are late, we cannot let you eat into the time of the girl after you. (I had a bit of a backlash about this one recently from an unhappy bride, but I'd like to think that most of you would be happy to oblige when it comes to helping to keep our appointment book running to schedule and not keeping other brides waiting.)

What should I wear?
If you can, wear a strapless bra and big knickers (unless you aren't embarrassed about being seen braless or in a skimpy thong!)  You are free to wear leggings or tights if that makes you feel more comfortable (or warmer in the winter).  We do give a one-to-one personal service in our shop and you will be helped into and out of the dresses at all times, so make sure you feel comfortable with what you are wearing.  Bring heels if you can as the dresses are quite long (we'll have extra pairs of court shoes and a box for you to stand on if you need a little help though!!)  And we would would ask for minimal make-up and no rub-off tans. You will be trying on thousands of pounds worth of dresses, so things like heavy foundation and lipstick mean expensive trips to the dry-cleaners for us, so you may be asked to remove make up if you come with quite a lot on!!

I have a strict budget!
Our dresses range from £400 to £1800, and we always will do our best to steer you in the right direction should you be on a strict budget.  Just let us know what your budget is when you arrive or when you are booking your appointment and we will keep you right!!  We would never encourage you to try on an £1800 dress if your budget is £900 and it can often lead to frustration on the brides part, so keep us informed.

Can I take pictures?
I used to turn a blind eye to this one, but due to designers' stricter copyright rules, photography of their dresses in our shop is not permitted (unless it is a dress you have purchased or have placed a deposit on). We are not even permitted to take photos at our designers' fashion shows :(   Almost all dresses can be viewed on the designers' websites anyway, so we will point you in the right direction should you wish to have a picture of the dress to see at home.  And don't forget that you are welcome to come and see your favourite dresses again should you need to - we won't expect you to make a decision based on your memory of one visit.

If I find a dress, what deposit do I need?
You'll need 50% of the dress price to place an order.  However, assuming you have got the time, you can pay an initial deposit of £200 and pay up to the 50% in instalments.  Quite a lot of our brides find it easier to do it this way.


Also, just a note to say that it is always a wise move to look for your wedding dress first before you move on to your bridesmaids.  It can be often a confusing task when presented with bridesmaid shopping when you have no idea if your dress is white or ivory or champagne, when you have no idea if you will fall for a modern style or vintage inspired style, or when you have no idea what neckline you are looking for.  Get the wedding dress sorted first, and your task will be much easier and you'll have a clearer focus.

And let us know if your close friend, your cousin, your sister-in-law or workmate has got their dress with us. Our dresses are available for anyone to order, but if we get a heads-up on connections with existing customers, we can make sure we steer you away from picking the same dress as them :)

And remember to keep an open mind when you go shopping.  You might feel a million dollars in a dress that you never dreamed of trying on, so don't come in wearing blinkers and be prepared to surprise yourself!!  Some girls find their dream dress in their first shop - for others it takes a few more trips around to find one that they love, so be patient and don't get too disheartened if you don't find it right away.

Top tips for getting the most of out of a one-day wedding dress sale.

Well, it's that time of the year again.  One-day sale time, and this year it is happening on Thursday 26th September from 12 noon until 8pm.

In October, there are going to be big changes at our shop, with a new layout to incorporate our current seamstress's new alteration shop which will take up a big section of our second unit.  (More about that in our blog later this month!)

To get me ready for the new layout (and to take on my next collection) I am having a MASSIVE clearance sale.  It won't be just the usual discontinued lines, but also we will be adding dresses from the current collection which will be reduced for 1 day only.  Some of these dresses will be reduced by as much as £1000, so this is an event not to be missed!

All Discontinued dresses will be £395 or less

Many current collection dresses will be reduced to £495 for the one day only.

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.  If the sale day is busy, you will be restricted to the number of dresses you can try on to make it fair for people waiting to use the changing rooms, so you won't have the chance of spending over an hour having a private consultation (as you normally would in a bridal appointment) 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 another day.  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 one day 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.  Also, if it is busy, the dressing rooms will not necessarily be 100% private.  So don't wear skimpy underwear unless you are happy to be seen in them!!

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!!!

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.  All dresses will be grouped in sizes to make it easier.

Is the 'best price' always best? The bridal retailer's viewpoint...

I got a phone call today from a bride looking to see what price one of my dresses was.  I assumed that she viewed it on our website or facebook page and whilst I was looking up the price, I invited her to come down and try it on.  It was then that she admitted that she had actually tried it on elsewhere and was ringing around all the stockists of the designer of this dress to see which shop would do it for the lowest price.  She very quickly hung up when I told her the price and told her that we sell at the RRP.

I get phonecalls like this all the time!!!  I have come to the conclusion that in a recession, people will always be looking for the 'best price', but is this the best way to go when you are choosing your wedding dress... the most important dress that you will ever pick?  Is it all about the price?

I'm sure we've all seen the news headlines in recent times about bridal shops who close down and leave brides without their dresses, and I have not found it to be surprising that most of the shops who do close down are well known for being 'discounters'.  They sell below the RRP and end up struggling with their businesses as they aren't making a margin that will keep their business afloat.  Designers set RRPs for us to follow so that we don't devalue their brand and they are set for a reason so that the retailers who stock their dresses will be able to sustain their business and pay all their overheads.  If we devalue a brand by undercutting the prices, we run the risk of our designers cutting ties with us.  This is something that happened very recently in a shop close to home - the designer refused to sell any more dresses to this shop because they were undercutting prices and they ended up having to close abruptly leaving many brides hugely disappointed and out of pocket (and without their dresses!).

This is not a risk I am willing to take and when a mum of a bride who had found her dress with us asked me recently why I wouldn't drop my price to beat another shop, I explained that I wanted to be still in business by the time her daughter got married and that the shop with the best price isn't always the best way to go (depending on how high you rank other factors alongside the ticket price)

Interestingly, this particular bride came back to me afterwards and purchased the dress with me even though we weren't as cheap as the other shop she rang.  A few google searches, forum searches and asking around had opened her eyes and  made her realise that the money she was saving wasn't worth the risk and she told me that she had come to the conclusion that  if another shop had to resort to undercutting tactics to get customers, as opposed to winning them over with their dresses, their service and their reputation, then it says a lot about this business and the character of an owner who would do this.  She decided not to go down that route for the most important clothing purchase of her life.

So sorry ladies... I won't be joining in on undercutting prices  :(   I want to stay in business rather than risk it all by getting involved in undercutting tactics.  My business reputation means too much to me and I feel it is morally wrong to steal a customer off another shop after they have done all the ground work and helped a customer find her dream dress.  I asked a girl last year who phoned me (who again asked me if I would undercut a very reputable shop) if she was happy with the service she got in that shop and with the shop as a whole.  She said she was very happy and the staff had been so helpful, so I suggested that she give them her business and to think carefully about shops who use undercutting tactics to get sales without doing any of the ground work.  I met her recently and I was delighted to hear that she went back to the shop that helped her find her dream dress after I had got her thinking.   She was very close to ordering from a different shop who had told her that they would do the cheapest price if she ordered with them.  I didn't get a wedding dress sale from that bride, but I was glad to hear that the shop who had impressed her with their dresses and service was the one that she chose to give her business to.   She had never thought about questioning the other shop's price or thought about doing her research and finding out more about them before making the biggest clothing purchase of her life and she told me she felt much a happier spending her money in a shop that she knew and trusted.

If a bride gets her wedding dress with me, I will happily agree to a bit of discount if she goes on to buy her bridesmaids with me.  She might even get a bit of discount on her wedding dress if she buys during a special event that I have had pre-approved by the designer. I won't overcharge on accessories such as veils or petticoats (as many undercutting shops do to make up for the lower prices they quote on the dresses).  I will also guarantee that she won't be overcharged for her alterations by our seamstress.  My reputation means a lot to me, and the business we get from word of mouth and recommendations speaks volumes.  I can put my hand on my heart and say that my customers buy from me because they know this and they know that I earn the business I get from them with the gorgeous dresses I buy in and let my customers try on, and the service my shop provides.... not by luring customers away from other shops with promises of the best price.  I may not always have the best price, but I will promise the best service!!!!!

When should I order my wedding dress?

At recent wedding exhibitions, I have been asked the following question by loads of brides.  'When should I order my dress?'   As a rule, we tell our customers that they should have orders for wedding dresses in about 7 months before the wedding (at the very latest!!! order earlier if you possibly can!)  and 5 months for bridesmaids - stick to that rule and you shouldn't go wrong.  

We always allow a ‘cushion’ of at least 6 weeks between the quoted delivery date and the bride’s wedding.   I like all orders to be in a good bit before the wedding to allow adequate time for a relaxed run-up to the big day for getting things like alterations carried out and accessories picked, so whilst the company are not actually quoting us the full 6 or 7 months, this is the guideline which keeps stressful timescales at bay!

If you can , get ordered a good 9 months or more in advance.  The earlier you get in your dresses, the sooner you can relax and get organised.  No bride wants to be be getting anxious over how close to her wedding that her order is going to arrive.  Organising a wedding can be stressful enough without having to worry about how close to your wedding your dress will arrive. And as a busy shop owner, it is a worry that I can do without as I get stressed out over deliveries too!!!!! (especially when they arrive later than what I was expecting and I am getting the 'is it in yet?' phonecalls from frantic brides!)  I often get brides who keep putting off going to try on dresses as they are in the process of losing weight, but don't forget, you can always go out looking a year before, and if you find your dress, you can still put a deposit down to secure it and get measured 7 months before the big day to give you a chance to start on your weight loss regime and get a dress closer in size to the dress size you will be on your big day. The dress can always be taken in if you lose any additional weight.  Better to do that than to leave it a couple of months before the wedding and miss out on the dress that you really wanted. My heart sinks when a bride makes an appointment and tells me her wedding is only a few months away as I know she will be limited in her choice of dress.  Every bride should have the liberty of choosing any dress in any size in any colour that we can get.  The more organised you are, the more choice you will have.  You can still buy off the peg if you leave it too late to order, but you won't have the same selection as you would have had if you had come earlier, and it's not every dress we will part with for a bride who needs a dress in a rush!!

In sum, my advice is 'be prepared and get organised!!'  Get out at least a year before your wedding if you can – the earlier you get out the more relaxed the whole experience will be and you won't be feeling pressure to 'panic buy'   Most brides coming to our shop for the first time have over a year until their big day.  Our average first time bride goes looking about 13 months before her big day.

Our entire Essence of Australia range and some of our Maggie Sottero dresses can also be got on rush cuts (additional fees apply to most of these) so if you have left it a bit late, we won't turn you away - we always have options available including the option of buying off the peg (although your choices will be more limited).   Some of our bridesmaid dresses can also be got on a rush cut so don't fret about that either if you have left that task a bit late.  

And one last tip – only go shopping when you feel you are ready to buy, so don't come out too early either until you are ready to do some serious looking.  Our stock is forever evolving.  New dresses are always coming in… current dresses are forever being discontinued… dresses are being bought off the peg.  So if you do decide to go shopping early, NEVER assume that you will be able to come back and revisit a dress in the future as it may no longer be in the shop or it may be discontinued. This is something I find happens all the time (and I often get grief from brides to be about it!)  so wait until you are ready to go shopping, as opposed to saying ‘Let’s go out for ideas and revisit those ideas in 6 months time or next year’.   That gorgeous dress that you loved may well be gone on your next trip back to the shop.  It's a bit like you saying that you want to buy a house in 18 months time.  You wouldn't go visiting estate agents or arranging house viewings until you were ready to make a move.  You might have a nosy at websites to get ideas, but you wouldn't throw your energy into house-hunting until the time was right to act on making a purchase.

If you do go out early and find ‘the one’, then STOP LOOKING at wedding dresses!! Get it ordered, and when it comes in,  put it away when it arrives in and don’t let it lose its magic by looking at it too much!  I get loads of brides visiting my shop who tell me that they have a dress at home that they have went off.  Wedding dresses are too expensive to buy and not wear, so don't fall into that category and be disciplined to tick the box as 'done' when you decide on the one.

Happy (stress free) shopping.x x   Ciara