Supplier of the Week: Village Bridal

What is Village Bridal and where are you;

Village Bridal is a family run Bridal Shop in the picturesque Harton Village, South Shields.  Offering a stunning collection of Bridal Dresses combined with an exceptional customer service, we ensure every bride has a truely unforgettable experience.  From Empire Line’s to Fishtales to Ballgowns we have a style aswell as a budget to suit all with dress prices starting from £190.  We also stock a fabulaous range of Bridesmaid & Prom Dresses, with each dress available in a multitude of colours.  Not forgetting the man we offer Hire Wear from Cameron Ross Formal Hire.  The market leaders in Formal Wear Hire offering Morning, Evening and Highland Wear.  Have a go at their ‘Outfit Builder’ available on their website www.hirewear.co.uk

What has been your favourite wedding to date and why;

We could not possibly choose, we find that all of our customers weddings are unique and special in their own way.  We enjoy listening to their stories and being involved in the run up of their Big Day.

What can couples expect from your products/service;

We pride ourselves on the excellent customer service we offer and can ensure that every customer who walks through the door will be treated this way.  Yes the product is important and thats why we individually select all of the dresses in our shop, we have an eye for detail and quality is no compromise.  However, we feel that our brides should be given the service as well as the product, this is a once in a lifetime experience, therefore each and every detail no matter how big or small should be remembered with a smile.

What has been your favourite dress of 2011 and do you have something special for 2012;

This is a tricky one… I can not say I have a favourite as I choose the dresses we have in stock, so although I have to buy dresses and ensure I have a variation of styles, I do tend to like each dress I choose…  As for 2012 our supplier Venus has just launched a fantastic new collection, there are too many to choose from.  Have a look at their website www.venusbridal.com

Do you have any top tips for couples planning their wedding;

Keep within your budget and ensure you have plenty of time to order both bridal and bridesmaid dresses.  6 months is a good time limit as if you do need a quick delivery you may get charged a large fee on top of your dress.

Where can we find you;

You can find us at www.villagebridal.co.uk however our site is currently under reconstruction so visit our facebook page for up to date collections and news www.facebook.com/villagebridal

P.S….

We are currently selling off our 2011 discontinued dresses, grab yourself a bargain as some dresses are reduced up to 50%!!!

Why I won’t “Shoot and Burn”

Now, I’m writing this quick blog as I am receiving more and more enquiries of a shoot and burn nature….by shoot and burn I mean; turn up to a wedding and capture the photographs then hand them over on a CD/DVD without an album.

Let me start by saying I have no problem at all with those photographers who provide this service, nor do I have a problem with people who ask for this service.

I understand the budget constraints which lead to people choosing this as their wedding “package”. I even understand from a profitability perspective of a photographer why they would want to offer this service.

Now here is why I won’t…

Imagine an original Gustav Klimt painting being hung in a plastic clip frame from a DIY store.

Imagine a michelin star chef having their meal served on paper plates.

Imagine a Maclaren F1 racing car being driven in a back lane full of pot holes.

So, when I say I want my images presented in the best possible way, you may understand where I am coming from. When I shoot a wedding I shoot with the design of an album in mind. I see sequences how they will appear on the page, and I think of the layout constantly in my head. I like to think that the way I design albums truly tell the story of the day. This is after all what I tell my potential clients, I want the album to be the most realistic representation of the day as possible.

I have said before in the past when asked, that I don’t believe I would be doing my job properly if I didn’t supply the images I’d taken in a beautiful, bespoke and award winning Bellissimo Album. From my perspective your wedding day is such an amazing day (and I like to think the images reflect this) and I believe your images; the emotion, the tantrums, the fun, the love should be displayed and presented then most beautiful way.

Again at this point I would like to reiterate that I have no issue with people who want this for their wedding day, or the photographers who offer it- I have many photographer friends who shoot a lot of weddings in this way.

There will be people who will agree with me and of course there will be people who want to tell me where to go nicely, but I have written this because of the passion I have to deliver a beautiful product which you will cherish quite literally for the rest of your life!

Engagement Shoot: Kate & Lewis

I was very excited to get out with Kate & Lewis today who’s wedding we are shooting in March this year. Despite the rain and the wind, we still managed to capture some rather funky and fun imagery around the well know Sage area of Gateshead…… here are a few shots from the session today….

 

Supplier Of the Week: Beautiful Bridal Makeovers

What is your business and where are you;

I run a wedding hair and make-up Business called Beautiful Bride Makeovers. Our base is in Sunderland but we are mobile to all of the North East. This was set up in 2006 but i have working with bride for over 20 years.

What has been your favourite wedding to date and why;

There are so many amazing weddings i have been a part of so it is difficult to pick one. I very much enjoyed my Chinese weddings last year as i got to see the differences between European weddings and be part of the fun. I stay with them all day as they have 3 or 4 dress changes with hair and make-up to match each one.

What can couples expect from your products/services;

We are reliable, talented and very friendly. I love being a part of each brides preparations and the weddings mornings. Its like we have been bought into a secret society of friends and family and i am privileged to be a part of that.

What has been your favourite wedding in 2011 and do you have anything special planned in 2012;

I think one of my most memorable was Dot King married 29th Jan. She wanted a very difficult hairstyle and it was a challenge for me to master it. The finished result was amazing and i got great satisfaction from doing it. She was very pleased too . I am looking forward to meeting all of my brides booked for 2012 and getting creative with them. That is the best part for me!

Do you have any top tips for couples planning their wedding;

Book your suppliers well in advance. I often have brides very upset on the phone as they have left it too late to book anyone reliable and experienced for there date and this can be extremly stressful. Before you book arrange to meet up for a consultation so you can meet them and view their work. Make sure you feel comfortable with them as they will be a big part of your wedding day.

Where can we find you;

Find me on facebook under Beautiful Bride Makeovers

Website www.beautifulbridemakeovers.co.uk

    http://www.beautifulbridemakeovers.freeindex.co.uk/

Wedding Industry Awards Feedback

As the official Award Ceremony takes place as I type tonight, there are some phenomenal photographers vying for the award of Wedding Photographer of the Year 2011……….we may not be at the award show, but we feel unbelievably lucky to have received the recognition and feedback from our past Bride’s & Grooms which got us a Nomination for North East Wedding Photographer of the year. In my eyes, the best man (or woman) definitely won!

As part of the voting for the awards, our past customers had to vote anonymously and give feedback as to the level of service they received from Xtraordinary Photography…so unedited…untouched…..unspellchecked…. Here was our feedback!

“Fantastic service, friendly, personal and professional! Photos were fantastic and really captured our special day!”

“The lads at XO Photographhy were exceptionally professional before our wedding and during the day itself. The pre wedding shoot was a great idea and helped us get to know each other much better, whilst they got on with the job on the big day without disturbing our celebrations. Their funky and contemporary ideas for shots on the day were great fun and we were delighted with the outcome. Book these guys fast…..”

“i found the service very friendly and most helpful, i would definatley recommend xtraordinary photography to all of my friends”

“Fantastic guys and superb on the day making everyone feel relaxed. The photos were just what we wanted a mixture of formal and relaxed photographs. Nothing was too much trouble for the guys and they were part of the day. They also stayed right until the evening well after the first dance and even came to the hospital with me so I could have some photographs with my grandad who was taken ill the day before the wedding. The album would not have been complete without him.”

“These photographers are amazing to say the least. They made my wedding! Organising a wedding can be very stressful, I can honestly say that these guys took all the stress away. After meeting them once I trusted them 110%. On my wedding day they were fantastic…..they weren’t just photographers they helped in lots of other ways to. I was amazed at the photographs from my day! The lads told me to “enjoy the day and let us capture it and tell the story!” And that’s what they did……I will never ever get board of looking at the photos. If ever I need a photographer again they will certainly get the job…that’s if they aren’t too busy as I know lots of people that want to use them since seeing their unique work. THANK YOU Xtraordinary photography xxx”

“The guys at XOP are very professional and very friendly. They carried out our wedding is such in a way, that you would not really know you were being photographed. Very personal service. Cant wait to see the finished album.”

“they were excellent through out our whole day fab photo’s so friendly ,professional & helpfull i would recommend them for any ocassion”

“the morning of our wedding they were excellent with our 5 bridesmaids at our home taking fab photo’s of them they level of service never changed all day making everyone comfortable getting there photo’s taken”

“I first me Chris & Sean at my best friends wedding. Knew i’d be booking these xtraordinary boys for my wedding! Very professional & nice genuine lads. Happy to customise & suit each couple’s needs.”

Why They Booked (in random order)

“Being maid of honour for my best friend & having already met these guys at her wedding, knew i couldn’t find any better. Most importantly loved the final product they produced for the Lattimer’s wedding. ”

“booked for wedding photography , this was arranged through our wedding venue and i am so pleased that it was as they did an outstanding job”

“On reccommendation from a friend! I seen her wedding album and fell in love with it!”

“We booked on recommendation after seeing a friends album and cost.”

“Recommendation”

“Very professional and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble for them. They listened to what was important to us and delivered with a very friendly and easy going manner.”

“my friend used them for her wedding & i loved her album & photo’s”

“we saw friends album it was fab”

“We received a recommendation and saw their gallery of photos. We were also very impressed with the financial package that they provided us with which was so much more competitive than any others we met.”

Dionne & Jamie…..the one in the Park

Here is a wedding we shot earlier this year in South Shields Registry office followed by a trip to Marine Park…….

Supplier of the Week: Little Bundles Bunting

What is Little B Bunting;

Little Bundles started back in 2004 (the year we returned to the UK) when my then 4 year old daughter wanted a personalised bunting for her bedroom. After scouring the internet, I didn’t find anyone who would make something for me… My husband said I should make it myself. It sort of snowballed from then. I took two years off whilst renovating our Victorian Chapel and in January 2011 decided to make it a full time business. It has been a fantastic year for us. Highlights have to be our Union Jack bunting at Royal Wedding parties as far afield as the US and Australia, as well as taking part in a BBC DIY SOS The Big Build in Chesterfield, which hopefully airs on TV in 2012.  We specialise in completely bespoke bunting, from plain fabrics to intricate hand stitched flags. We try to use British manufactured fabrics as much as possible, along with vintage and up-cycled material.

What has been your favourite wedding to date and why; My favourite wedding has to be Regula & Bruno’s… They wanted both Union Jack bunting and pirate bunting for a skull & crossbones theme! It looked fabulous! I think I loved it so much because it was sounconventional!

Image by Assasynation Photography

What can couples expect from your products;

The most important thing for us is that our customers are happy and get exactly what they want. We are open, friendly, and easy to work with. Often customers have an idea, but can’t visualise it….that’s where we come in! if it can be drawn, it can be created into bunting.  all our work is quality assured, and will be totally unique.  We offer a non-obligation design service and also offer bunting to hire, in easy to manage 10 metre lengths.

What has been your favourite bunting yet;

We make bunting for weddings, parties, children and corporate events. I love all of our bunting!! but, if I had to choose, I would say our children’s princess castle bunting…. It’s just what I would’ve liked as a little girl!!

Image by Assasynation Photography

Do you have any top tips for couples planning their wedding;

My top tip… Don’t make things too complicated, write a list of what is important to you as a couple and don’t be drawn into anything which doesn’t feel right! Most importantly enjoy yourself!!  

Where can we find you; (Facebook, Twitter, website, blog etc);

Our website is www.little-bundles.co.uk and our Facebook page is “Little Bundles Bunting”. We are enjoying tweeting with all our followers, so please come and say hello on twitter @LittlebBunting. We are also proud to be a partner at Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous [http://www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.co.uk/little-bundles-bunting_14404-products.asp] a specialty online shop.

P.S….

We are so excited already with our plans for early 2012.  apart from our two wedding styled photo shoots scheduled for February, we have been asked to decorate the Oxfam GB head office in Oxford during their launch for International Women’s Day [http://www.oxfam.org.uk/womensday] we are so honoured to be part of such a fantastic appeal. International Women’s Day itself is 8th March and we are organising a fund-raising event ourselves in Morpeth… Details to follow!

£15.00 Portrait Sessions

It’s been a month or so since we last shared a host of portrait images with you, so here are a few more from some of our lovely clients who have only been to happy to take advantage of our fantastic £15.00 Portrait Offer!

 

Daisy Chain Events

Tell me about about yourself;

My name is Kerry and I am one half of Daisychain Events. The other half is my business partner and bestest friend Jeanette.I am 36 years old and I live near Beamish in County Durham. I love teapots, cheese and cats and I dislike anchovies, long car journeys and spiders.

What is Daisychain Events;

Daisychain Events began a little over a year ago and was born from a love of organising parties. We have evolved from planning into also supplying chair cover and vintage crockery hire for weddings and events as well as an amazing candy buffet.

What has been your favourite wedding to date and why;

My favourite wedding is definitely one we planned in March of this year. It was held at Linden Hall and the couple were so sweet. They had so many lovely elements which made for a fantastic day.

What are the biggest advantages to brides using you;

Well, I suppose the biggest advantage to couples using us is our competitive prices. We have extensively researched the local market and believe our prices are extremely reasonable whilst not compromising on customer service.
Couples who decide to hire us for our help with planning their wedding will have the advantage of less stress, time saved and also, in many cases, money saved.

Do you have any top tips for couples planning their wedding

Ensure you set a budget and stick to it. It is so easy to get carried away, especially once you start reading wedding magazines and blogs and going to wedding fairs. Most couples say to us that they can’t set a budget because they don’t know how much things cost. This is irrelevant; no one has an unlimited budget so you should work out how much you can afford to set aside for the wedding and then tailor your wedding around that, not the other way round.

Where can we find you;

www.daisychainevents.com

www.daisychainevents.com/blog
www.twitter.com/daisychainevent

www.daisychainevents.com/facebook

The Wedding of Victoria & Jon……The one with the Cricket pitch..

Now this was something special. Set in the beautiful grounds of Grinkle Park with a…..hhmmm….Cricket pitch cut into the lawn. These are the lengths the fantastic Richard (Manager of Grinkle Park) was willing to go to ensure Victoria & Jon had the best wedding day they could have dreamt of! (watch out for the speeches!!!)