Come to Harroagate Bridal Week with us.
Harrogate has been hosting these extravagant events for over forty years, and they’re renowned for showcasing the largest collection of bridal gowns in Northern Europe! But don’t mark your calendars just yet! These events are exclusively for bridal retailers! Sorry brides and grooms, you’ll have to sit this one out!
Bridal specialists from all over the country come to this quaint little town to find the latest in bridal gowns, veils and, of course, networking opportunities! We here at Forever Bridal Belfast are no exception! We love a good show and it’s one of the best places to mingle with others in the industry. And let’s not forget the opportunity to stock up on some of the most beautiful gowns we’ve ever laid eyes on for all our to-be brides! But let’s take a moment to step back and I’ll walk you through the day-to-day of a bridal vender at one of Europe’s hottest bridal events!
Day one.
An early flight is the last thing any of us wanted, especially on a sunny Sunday morning, and certainly not as early as six a.m. (Thanks Leondra, this girl loves an early morning flight). But our mood was shortly lifted by the prospect of attending one of Harrogate’s bi-annual wedding shows filled with new networking opportunities, glorious gowns and plenty of laughs!
We met up with all of the other local bridal suppliers at Belfast City Airport and were surprised to find that a large majority of our flight was made up of glamourous bridal specialists!
The first day was largely used as an opportunity to scope out the show and find our bearings in the sea of bridal vendors. However, we did purchase some gorgeous veils for you all to try. You probably saw Rachel modelling them on our Instagram stories! You could tell she was completely in her element and ready to party.
But, sadly, not on night one. We were tucked up in bed by nine-thirty and even declined a few tempting invites for a drink or two. Look at us being responsible!
Day Two.
The next morning we awoke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for business. We had booked three appointments back to back one of which was with Dando London, and one with Cizzy, two of our long-term stockists.
The first appointment, however, was with a prospective new designer, so keep your eyes peeled! We spent a total of two hours with this designer and picked out ten gowns in total. We’re buzzing to say that we’ve finally found a designer for our curvier brides, something we’ve been promising for a long time! Their gowns are romantic, elegant and, most importantly, affordable! We are talking 3D laces, floral prints, lots of organza and dramatic designs.
Then it was time to meet with Dando London, a stockist of ours for ten years. We absolutely love Christene Dando and her girls, and it’s so exciting to welcome the arrival of what we think are some of their strongest designs to date!
This appointment was 10/10, we were having so much fun sipping bubbly, sharing laughs and hand-picking our new collection. We didn’t want to leave! Their new collection is so diverse that every gown brings something different to the table. From structure to soft, floaty lace and even sparkles; there’s something for everyone with Dando London.
Last, but certainly not least, it was time to meet with Cizzy Bridal. These girls travelled all the way from Australia, can you imagine?! It was so good to finally meet their cool, chic team in person.
This season with Cizzy we switched it up a little and focused on the gowns with clean lines, crepes and striking silhouettes. We also organised a Cizzy Thunk show. In this show, Cizzy will fly their entire collection over from Australia to us in Belfast for just one week, and during that time all of their gowns will be subject to a 10% discount! So keep an eye out for that one, brides!
We were able to round off the weekend with our two gorgeous friends from London who also happen to run a bridal shop! We all went for a beautiful, authentic Italian meal, and indulged in some espresso martinis and even some red wine! We talked all things bridal and the craic was ninety!
Of course, I can’t let this blog end without mentioning the fun we had meeting more bridal girls from Cork and Belfast in the cutest wee bar. Work hard and play harder, I say!
Our predictions for next season.
We don’t want to give too much away, but next season is shaping up to be an exciting one! You can expect to see daring, extravagant veils, lots of minis, and printed fabrics with dare we say it…. colour. And let’s not forget about detachable sleeves and the return of romanticism with elegant, floaty vibes.
Next season is certainly fashion-forward and one to watch out for if you’re an up-and-coming bride!
