{Feature Friday} White Mischief Bridal

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Retro Bride

Happy Friday!

We hope you are well on this grey and cold day and eagerly awaiting the weekend! I’m sure many of you have got your first wedding dress appointments, or going for a second fitting…OR looking to book somewhere for your first look.

I was so excited when I booked my first appointment. I don’t know why, but I guess it was because it all suddenly seemed real. I, Natalie, going with my mum to look for the most indulgent and beautiful dress I would ever buy! Now, this was no easy feat. I searched high and low to find the type of dress that I thought I would want, narrowed down the designers that I adored and even those overly-expensive ones (when else would I get the opportunity to wear something that only celebrities can wear?!?) Anyway, I decided early on that I wanted to purchase my dress in Brighton – the place where my fiancé and I had our first mini-holiday and also where we got engaged and chose my engagement ring together! hehe! Yes, call me a soppy romantic – I wouldn’t disagree with you. I found a designer whose dresses I was very keen on (my experience with that boutique wasn’t quite as great as I had hoped) BUT I then stumbled across two boutiques that had the most divine range of dresses and styles that I loved. The first appointment was booked at Mischief Bridal. The fact that I am telling you about them, just shows how impressed I was. So, let me introduce you to this gorgeous boutique and hand you over to Lorna, who actually was the patient and lovely lady who helped me into my very first wedding dress (a Naomi Neoh!!).

At White Mischief Bridal you will find a cutting edge selection of Designer Wedding dresses and wedding accessories from our carefully chosen bridal designers – all under one roof. Situated in the heart of Sussex, only 10 miles from Brighton, we’ll provide you with trend setting designer dresses from some of Europes and the UK’s favourite Wedding Dress designers.

An eclectic collection can be found in store from Augusta Jones, Jenny Packham, Jesus Peiro, Caroline Castigliano, VWDC by Charlie Brear, Naomi Neoh, Lusan Mandongus, Blue by Enzoani, Eliza Jane Howell, Lara Hannah, LouLou and more. With these Wedding Dress designers we have ensured you have the versatility and flexibility to create your own individual look whether classic or contemporary.

We hold one of the most comprehensive selection of Designer Wedding Dresses in Sussex, the South East of England and the UK. White Mischief, one of the UK’s premier Bridal Boutique, is ideally located in the lovely village of Henfield, in West Sussex.

In addition to Designer Wedding Dresses, you have a fabulous selection of Wedding accessories including tiaras, bridesmaid dresses, bridal gowns, veils, bridal shrugs, shoes, bridal lingerie, bridal strapless bras, pretty lace underwear. Don’t worry if you cannot visit us in West Sussex, all our Wedding Accessories are available to purchase online through our Online Bridal Store.

We also look after your Wedding Party, with a huge selection of outfits for your Wedding Day – something for the Mother of the Bride or Groom, Grandmother, Aunt and Friends of the Bride and when you become a White Mischief Bride – your Wedding Guests will be invited to visit our store and benefit through your purchase.

White Mischief is easy accessible from London, Greater London and Home Counties, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Berkshire, East and West Sussex and towns including Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Shoreham by Sea, Horsham, East Grinstead, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Tunbridge Wells, Croydon, Horley, Redhill, Reigate, Eastbourne, Lewes, Hassocks, Steyning, Dorking, Godalming, Guildford, Windsor, Esher and Woking.
– See more at: www.whitemischiefbridal.co.uk/#sthash.N8rLqUwY.dpuf

{Feature Friday} Sumptuous, Silky Gowns ~ Naomi Neoh

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Retro Bride

Hello everyone.

This is definately, a feature for those of you still searching for your dream dress. This morning, we are taking a closer look at bridal designer, Naomi Neoh.

We have handpicked a selection of styles that are guaranteed to get you swooning. They each combine luxurious silks, laces and embellishments that ooze femininity and romance… I have tried on a few Naomi Neoh gowns, and they are absolutely gorgeous. The fabrics used are exquisite and make you feel like a Hollywood star. They are also incredibly pretty. We have chosen are favourites from each collection, hope you like them as much as we do.

There are so many designs that I love; I tried on ‘Scarlett’ and ‘Marianne’ and was ever so close to choosing ‘Scarlett’. Do, tell us which ones you love…

Heirloom

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Chateau

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Loveletters

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Naomi Neoh has stockists all over the country, so take a look at her website and find out where your local one is – you can even get to see her entire range – you will find it almost impossible to decide!

www.naomineoh.com

Until Next Time xxx

A Bentley, Tea Dresses & Brooch Bouquets ~ Tina & John

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Retro Bride

Yes, it is already that time for Wedding Wednesday – hasn’t the week flown by so far?

Now, when photographer, Clare from CTI Photography got in touch with us to share this truly gorgeous wedding, we jumped at the chance to feature it so it could inspire you all. Who knows, you just like Tina, could end up creating your own business from it!

I adore the brooch bouquet and the attention to detail..and that 50’s wedding dress – GORGEOUS! So, I will let you now take a peek at these beautiful pictures and invite your to Tina & John’s wedding. Enjoy x

“John proposed to me Christmas Day Morning 2009. We had just woken up and I thought he had hidden a present under the bed but it was the engagement ring and he got on one knee”

“To start with we wanted the big fairy tale wedding but as we already had an 18 month old baby and another on the way we realised it would take us years to save. So we decided that it was about us getting married and not how much we spent. We decided on a vintage theme and I planned to make as many things myself, being a mum who loves to create I knew I could keep the cost down this way”

“We were married at The Sun Hotel in Hitchin on 1st October 2011, our wedding was fairly intimate with only 50 day guests of close family and friends and 50 more for the evening reception”

“I found most suppliers through Facebook and searching for things via the Internet. My hair stylist was found at a wedding fair. I was recommended Clare from CTI Photography from a friend who had used her for their wedding. She was so professional from the start and visited me in my home to discuss what we wanted. On the day she did an amazing job and really went the Extra mile even staying later than expected to get shots of me in my evening dress. When I received the final photos I was over the moon. I couldn’t recommend Clare enough, I can honestly say I have made a new friend”

“I knew my dress was the one, I wanted to be different from the standard ivory and white dresses. I was very lucky to have two gowns. My main daytime gown was an Ian Stuart design it was an unusual choice being Aqua ivory in colour but I knew I wanted to be different and when I tried it on I knew it was the one and brought it on the spot, it was my dream dress”

The second dress was from Phoenix Gowns it was a 50’s style tea dress which I paired with a lace shrug from monsoon. It was a godsend as we had 30 degree heat for our October wedding so it was nice to change into something shorter in the evening. I crystalized my shoes myself it took three hours for each heel but it was worth the time as I was so pleased with them.

The thing I was most excited about was my bouquet which I made myself using vintage brooches which I collected. I surrounded them by roses and used an antique Lace collar as a frill and on the handle I added my Nana’s wedding ring as my something borrowed and my children’s hand and footprint cast into silver. I enjoyed making it so much I am launching my own business making them called The Haberdashery Bride. In my hair I had a headband made by Treasured Vintage using a Sarah Coventry brooch to compliment my Bouquet.

I tried to make as many details myself. I decorated the centrepieces myself and added fairy lights so we could light them up at night. We also had a beautiful wishing tree which I decorated and attached lights to light it up at night.

I made all the Ladies little felt hearts with the details of our wedding on and children’s favour bags myself and for the men we gave them Lottery tickets which I had wallets made for from BY Handmade to compliment the hearts.

The most memorable moment was arriving into Hitchin town Centre and everyone looking into the beautiful Bentley it really made me feel special

We had our first dance to Avril Lavigne When You’re Gone as we used to listen to it when we lived apart. It means a lot to us

We went to the New Forrest for 3 days to a family friends Holiday home which was lovely but very strange without our boys. But as gifts we asked for Thomas cook vouchers so we will be taking a holiday this year as a family.

Any tips to offer brides-to-be out there?

Be as organized as possible, delegate jobs where you can

Credit Where Credit’s Due

Photography: CTI Photography

Brides Bouquet: By the bride – The Haberdashery Bride (website coming soon)

Tea Dress: Pheonix Gowns

Venue: The Sun Hotel, Hitchin

Monday Muse ~ Love Miss Daisy

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Retro Bride

Why, hello there vintage lovers!

We have a truly sumptuous Monday Muse for you today, Love Miss Daisy. Now, if you haven’t heard of this utterly delightful shop then let me introduce you. Love Miss Daisy is home to a collection of vintage clothing and accessories and from those who have been, I have heard nothing but wonderful things. So, what makes them different? I hear you cry! Well, what makes Love Miss Daisy so special is that is also has the most gorgeous collection of vintage wedding dresses. When you enter their shop they won’t try to push any dress onto you but will guide you to find ‘the one’, which will even be affordable.

Finding your wedding dress is probably one of THE most important clothing decisions you will make, so it makes sense to find something that you fall in love with, making you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. As you all know, I too, am a bride-to-be and always on the lookout for my dream dress, I window shop from the comfort of my own home in front of my laptop, very frequently indeed – Karen often has messages from me pop up saying, “What do you think of this one?”. The poor lady (she loves it really!). So, I tell you no lies when I say that I have been on Love Miss Daisy’s website sooo many times and ‘ooh’d and ‘ahhh’d at their collection. I think you will do the same when you see just a small selection of them here…

“Here at LMD we offer an eclectic range of vintage wedding dresses from the 1940’s to the 1980’s”

Photography: Olivia Shaw

“We aim to keep our dresses affordable and wearable, so only offer the very best vintage condition at the best price. We are really proud to know that we have helped dozens of brides find their dream dress”

Photography: Jon Mold

“There is nothing better than seeing that smile which says “this is the one!” This is our motivation to search out such beautiful treasures, and wherever we go we never stop looking!”

Photography: Love Miss Daisy

Dreamy aren’t they… Part of the appeal for me with vintage items is that sense of history that you get with them, a type of nostalgia that makes them feel so special. You certainly get that with these beauties.

Which ones do you like best? Would you ever buy a vintage wedding dress, or perhaps you are – we would love to hear what you think, we never tire of talking about all things vintage, especially wedding dresses!

Go take a peek at their lovely website, www.lovemissdaisy.com.

Until next time lovelies xxx

Feature Friday – the fabulous Bellissima Weddings

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Retro Bride

It’s Friday! Hurrah to that! To all of you enjoying a wonderful wedding planning weekend, this is just the post for you! Today, I have the absolute pleasure of sharing a real jewel in the crown of Essex bridal shops – the fabulous Bellissima Weddings.

Remember Laura & Paul‘s super romantic Santorini wedding from August last year? Then you may have noticed that Laura’s gorgeous 50s inspired dress was from this very boutique. After visiting Bellissima, Laura was singing their praises, as have every other bride I have spoken to about their experience with Laura Daly and her wonderful team.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Bellissima’s special vintage room opening day. Accompanied by the super talented Tracy Morter, I managed to tear Laura away from the hustle & bustle of the shop to chat about the inspiration behind a dedicated vintage room and why Bellissima Weddings seems to be leading the way in bridal shops in the South East. I loved listening to Laura’s passion & enthusiasm for a job she clearly loves. Her customers become her friends; with most of her current staff being ex-brides who started (and ended) their dress search at Bellissima! Offering a huge range of around 260 dresses, you will not fail to find the “one” in this treasure trove of gorgeous gowns. With ranges from Ian Stuart, Enzoani and Mori Lee, the rails are bursting with elegant full length gowns to shorter, tea length dresses – styles to suit any bride all in one place.

But what makes Bellissima an experience is the attention to detail and level of service. A reputation for amazing customer service precedes a bride’s visit to the gorgeous team at Bellissima and I can certainly see why. Every bride has a dedicated area for fittings where they will not be disturbed when enjoying trying on all the dresses they need (or if like me, spinning around to see what the skirt will look like on the dance floor!) The time and care Bellissima give to their brides is evident in the smiling faces of the excited brides-to-be, where a personal consultant ensures there is on-going customer service offered from the minute you find your dream dress to the minute you leave after your final fitting. We all know just how special those dress seeking days are. It must be an experience where you feel comfortable, un-rushed and in the company of people who care. And I promise you, brides-to-be, you will not be disappointed at Bellissima.

Now, to enjoy the prettiness…………

The vintage room inspiration

The inspiration for a dedicated vintage room came from the utterly beautiful Charlotte Balbier dresses. Deconstructed, less structured gowns with floating silks & luscious lace exude femininity and glamour. More and more brides are moving away from the traditional strapless gown and opting for designs like Charlotte’s and Bellissima’s newest range from Gemy.

Vintage Day-36

The back is the new front

The back has never been more important. Lace detailing, sensuous low back lines and beautiful keyhole designs are dominating new ranges this year. Often, a bride’s bouquet can hide detail, so focussing on the back of the gown (especially when taking the all important walk down the aisle) is becoming more popular.

Accessorise vintage-style

Side pieces, birdcage veils and Rachel Simpson shoes adorn every corner of the gorgeous vintage room. Sparkling gems from Liza & Ivory & Co. tiaras fill the shelves amongst vintage china and beautiful, dainty jewellery.

So what are you waiting for? Bellissima Weddings is open 6 days a week, Monday-Saturday. Contact their wonderfully helpful team today for your appointment.

Bellissima Weddings

22 Market Square

South Woodham Ferrers

Essex

(01245) 323585

www.bellissimaweddings.co.uk

Photography by the wonderful Tracy Morter: www.tracymorter.com

Monday Muse ~ Kitty & Dulcie’s Country Set Bridal Collection

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Retro Bride

Morning Everyone 🙂

The wait is finally over. Kitty & Dulcie have launched their new Country Set Bridal Collection, and it is beautiful. As a bride-to-be myself, I want that stylish, vintage inspired short gown but not one that costs thousands – one that exudes quality but is budget friendly, always a good thing in my opinion!

The delightful new collection, features seven ‘exquisite wedding dresses, available exclusively online at www.kittyanddulcie.com and all priced below £400’. Now that is my kinda wedding dress. Even more money left over for those ideal shoes you have had your eye on 😉 Don’t be fooled by the low price, they by no means compromise on quality, quite the opposite. The cost is kept down by there being no showroom – the showroom is your own bedroom, there are no limits to how many people can come and check out your different options, and no heavy price tag! Once ordered the ‘dresses arrive wrapped in tissue with a satin padded hanger, enclosed in a gorgeous pink box’. So, after your wonderful wedding there is no need to buy a box to store your dress, you already have one!

Need any more convincing… Ok, well Kitty & Dulcie are now offering the option of different coloured sashes that can even be personalised with a selection of iron-on retro motifs, oh and let’s not forget the “Cover Me Kate” jacket, a bolero that works perfectly with strapless gowns and then can be peeled off for the first dance – gorgeous!

Now, enough of my ramblings… go and take a peek at the collection, I gurantee there is something for everyone!

*cue excitement*