Happy New Year!

It's 2012 so we thought we'd reflect a little on the last year and tell you a bit about what is coming up early in 2012 for Kerry Blu.

Our biggest achievement in 2011 was winning the Award for Best Bridal Accessories at the North West Wedding Awards.  We had let our customers know to vote for us by sending a link in our outgoing "despatch" email and were so chuffed that hundreds had taken the time and effort to vote.  Thanks again - we appreciate all your support and are very pleased that you were happy with your purchase enough to vote us as the best in the North West!

Our beautiful vintage bridal combs continue to be our best sellers in 2011 along with our Vintage Starlet Collection featuring pearls and diamantes. The above photograph features our gorgeous Vintage Starlet Side Headband modelled by the lovely Lisa at our Summer 2011 photoshoot with Kev Malone Photography.

We also launched our trade only collection and are very pleased to have some fabulous stockists now on board. Our Trade collection can be viewed here.  http://www.kerryblu.co.uk/trade-sales-19-w.asp. We are always on the lookout for new quality boutiques to stock our range.

2012 promises to be another busy year for us.  We are continuing to source new designs from our fantastic suppliers to give our brides the best choice for their wedding accessories and bridal jewellery.

As ever, thanks for all your support from all the lovely suppliers and customers and a very happy New Year to you all!

A little bit of luxury......

Well Christmas is nearly upon us and it's party season.  Time to dust off that little black dress and add some beautiful accessories!  Today we will showcase a handful of our luxury items that are just that extra little bit special as well as being a big hit with our customers in the style stakes.

Our Vintage Chic Hair Comb has been one of best sellers this year. It has literally flown off our shelves and continues to do so.  We love this piece, it exudes pure luxury and sophistication and has the added bonus of looking much much more expensive in real life.  Sweep your hair into a side bun and secure this gorgeous comb just behind your ear to create a stunning and elegant look.  Don't over accessorise, use this piece on it's own or with a small pair of sparkly studs or small drop earrings. Anything else would be overkill.

Give your ears a treat with our beautiful Vintage Rose Earrings. Another sumptuous design and bang on trend.

A cuff bracelet such as our Luxe Vine should be worn on it's own. A striking design full of sparkling rhinestones and expandable to fit all wrists.

To see more of our gorgeous pieces and for wedding jewellery inspiration,visit the website.  We are currently offering all our customers 15% off until 31st December 2011 using the code WINTERSAVER at the checkout.  

Featured Supplier - Look Darling

We've recently had a catch-up with the lovely Emma from Look Darling .http://www.lookdarling.com/  Here's what she had to say about her business selling 1950's wedding dresses and accessories.

What is your background, tell me what inspired you to set up your business?

I’m a solicitor (ex City now at a small commercial firm in Chester) but always wanted to set up my own business from an early age. When I was at university I would buy books about running a business but could never think of anything to offer and so the desire was put on the back burner. Then when I was planning my own wedding, I found it really hard to get what I wanted, which was a classic, elegant, simple 50s style gown for a reasonable price. For ages I kept saying to my husband that someone should be offering a range of 50s style dresses at affordable prices and he would always say, ‘why don’t you do it then?’ but it took years of thinking, planning and plucking up courage to actually do it.

Do you have a studio or are you internet based only?

The top floor of my house is a studio and office so brides can come and try all the dresses, shoes, veils and hair accessories before they buy.

What are your top tips for brides choosing a wedding dress?

Try on lots of styles and never assume that a particular style won’t suit you. They look very different from how they look on a hanger when they are on a body so try everything and make your decision based on what you see in the mirror.

Do you offer anything else other than dresses?

Yes!!! I offer the full range of Rachel Simpson shoes, plus birdcage veils and handmade headpieces by Fancy New York, bubble veils and short ribbon edged veils from Richard Designs, lace, diamante and beaded belts by Richard Designs.

If you could pick a celebrity to wear one of your dresses for their big day, who would it be and why?

This is such a hard question, but Natalie Portman is planning a wedding I believe and would look amazing in any of the dresses!

What do you love best about the vintage style?

I love the timeless elegance of the 50s style – it has never gone out of style. Fashions come and go, but there is something classic and enduring about the 50s shape of a full skirt and nipped-in waist.

Are you running any current special offers?

Yes!!! 25% off all shoes and  accessories for brides who order their dress by the end of December 2011.

How can we get in touch with you?

E-mail on emma@lookdarling.com

What’s new with Look Darling/What is in the pipeline?

I am planning a range of evening dresses so that everyone can have the opportunity to wear a beautiful 50s style whether they’re planning a wedding or not.

Take a look at the website for vintage inspiration from Look Darling http://www.lookdarling.com

Kerry Blu are currently offering a massive 15% off absolutely everything in store.

Whether you are a winter or spring bride enter WINTERSAVER at checkout to secure your discount.

No minimum spend.  Offer ends 31.12.11.

As our wedding headband collection continues to grow, we have re designed the wedding headbands page this week in an attempt to help our customers better navigate the site.
As well as choosing accessories by colour option, customers can now quickly select the right category of headband with a choice of
Pearl headbands - traditional to contempoarary pearl designs.
Crystal headbands - using genuine swarovski crystal
Vintage inspired headbands - 1950's hollywood glamour
Double headbands - popular double band designs
Side headbands - modern headbands with side detail
Diamante headbands - for that extra sparkle

Supplier feature - Kev Malone Photography

We were lucky enough to have Kev Malone on board for our recent photoshoot. He managed to capture some beautiful images including some of our most popular bridal headbands. Kev, as well as being a great wedding photographer is also one of the nicest people we've had the pleasure to meet in the wedding industry.  So here's a bit more about him.

What is your background, tell me what inspired you to set up your business?

Over the past few years I’ve photographed everything from pet portraits, newborns, cycling races, live music, live theatre and a lot of things in between. I always said I’d never do weddings but after doing a favour for a friend in August 2010 I was bitten by the bug and had to have more. I spent the next 12 months shooting weddings for friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends, in order to experiment, and build experience. This proved to be a massive eye opener with every wedding being more successful than the last.

I now find myself completely addicted to capturing peoples special day and look forward to a long and rewarding career.

How far do you travel to photograph a wedding?

I am based in Blackpool but will travel anywhere I’m needed, from Blackpool to Gretna Green to Barbados (I wish)

What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?

I care about the fact that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. As well as having the technical know-how to shoot in any situation, no-one will care more about providing high quality professional images of your day.

What other services do you offer besides wedding photography?

I offer lifestyle and studio portraiture and Christenings. To follow your wedding I am also happy to offer a Cherish The Dress shoot. A perfect excuse to wear your dress one more time.

What are your top tips for brides looking to choose a wedding photographer?

Be careful. Never choose a photographer from their website alone. Anybody can be lucky and get a few good shots. It takes hard work and a keen eye to get repeatedly professional shots throughout an entire day.

Make sure you get to know your photographer as they’ll be with you for the entire day. Even if they get fantastic images, if you don’t get on with your photographer it could put a dampener on your day.

Define your budget and find the best photographer you can for that price. If you go out to find the cheapest you can find it could end very badly.

Are you running any current special offers?

Find my Fan page on Facebook. If you’re a fan I offer 10% off portraits and 5% off wedding bookings.

How can we get in touch with you?

Website at www.kevmalonephotography.com, email at info@kevmalonephotography.com or call me on 01253 316056 or 07547 142174.

You can also follow my blog at blog.kevmalonephotography.com, Twitter @kevmalonephoto and finally my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/kevmalonephoto.

What’s new with Kev Malone Photography/What is in the pipeline?

From Autumn 2011 I hope to be a regular feature at local wedding fairs across Blackpool and the North West. Starting at Springfield House Hotel on September 25th.

Buying a Cheap Tiara

I love a good bargain me.  One of my biggest talents (other than designing wedding jewellery of course) is sniffing out something that is completely bargainous but looks a million dollars.  If i’m not at home designing wedding jewellery and packing up customers’ orders you’ll probably find me in one of the local charity shops rooting through the rails of secondhand clothes and handbags and believe me, i’ll usually find something fabulous!

So... i’m all for the thrill you get when you bag a bargain, I really am but sometimes cheap isn’t always best. Cheap can look....well cheap.  “You get what you pay for” is *nearly* always true...unless you are an expert bargain hunter like me;). 

Picture this... this actually happened to me this weekend.  I was walking back from one of my latest bargain hunting expeditions and came across a wedding party emerging from one of the local hotels. I slowed down my pace (as I always do when i’m eager to see the bride) and saw the most beautiful bride appear at the doorway, she was bedecked from head to toe in stunning ivory tulle, her gown was a superb vision of loveliness - and obviously designer (I have an eye for these things). Her dress was literally breathtaking.    My eyes wandered upwards to her head to check out her accessories and that’s when my heart literally sank to the pit of my stomach.  Lets just say she hadn’t paid nearly as much attention (or spent as much brass) on her headwear as she had on her wedding gown.  To be completely frank and I won't mince my words here but her tiara wouldn’t have looked out of place in my 3 year old’s dressing up box.  It completely cheapened the whole “overall look”.  You may think that sounds catty and you’d be right; if I knew this person I wouldn’t have said it to her face (obviously).  If i’d have been a guest at her wedding I would not have been able to take my eyes off her tiara (but for all the wrong reasons). 

Now i’m not saying brides shouldn’t buy cheap tiaras but attention to detail is the key. I made a massive mistake myself with my own tiara.  I went “cheap” and definitely paid a price for that – when I opened the box the day before my wedding a huge piece had broken off and I had to superglue it (or rather my very nimble fingered husband-to-be did).  I spent my entire wedding day catching a whiff of Loctite and worrying whether i'd still be wearing the damn thing on the plane to Mexico...

Not all cheap wedding accessories are tat though; you can find quality tiaras and hair accessories that can look very expensive in real life at very competitive prices.  But how do you know what is tat and what isn’t?  Here are some tips for you.

•  You nearly always get what you pay for.  
• A ten pound tiara from Ebay or the like that is described as “Swarovski crystal” will more than likely be Austrian Crystal or “diamante” or “Poor Man’s Swarovski” as I like to call it!  It can sometimes be difficult to see the difference when you come across an image that has been photoshopped to look expensive.
•  Swarovski crystal is never ever “cheap”.  Swarovski is expensive even to buy wholesale, so if you think it looks too cheap to be Swarovski then you are probably right. 
•  If you are unsure of what you are purchasing contact the vendor and ask specifically what you are getting.  Most genuine retailers will be more than happy to go into more detail of the materials used in their products.

What i’m trying to say is I find it baffling that brides seem to be very happy to spend thousands of pounds and man hours hunting down the wedding gown of their dreams but not applying a similar logic to their accessories.  More and more brides are leaving it until two or less weeks before their wedding date to think about their wedding accessories and this may be part of the problem.  Every week I get emails from brides-to-be enquiring about our delivery timescales as they are getting married in four days’ time.  Scares the living daylights out of me it does.

So my advice is simply this:  Apply the same care and logic with your accessories as you did when purchasing your dress. .... AND there’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying a cheap tiara – as long as it LOOKS expensive!

Kerry x