Archive for March, 2010

Local rate and free-fax contact details

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

In order to make it as easy as possible for you to get hold of us and discuss your bridal accessory needs we have just introduced a new ‘0845′ number: 0845 456 8662 is a local-rate number and is available for both trade customers and brides enquiries. We also have a free-fax number 0800 316 3615. Both of these numbers are for UK callers to use.

Our UK offices are open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday and our tireless customer service team ensure the phones are answered all day long – even during lunch! Cath, Charlotte and Nicola will be able to answer any questions you may have about our wedding accessories. We have been made aware that some emails to enquiries@ have not made it through to us; please use info@richarddesigns.co.uk if you would like to make a general enquiry.

If you are calling from the US our toll-free number is: 888 UK VEILS (858 3457), you can fax at no charge: 866 923 3737 or you can email maria@richarddesigns.co.uk.

We love to help both trade customers and brides to find the perfect veils, tiaras and jewellery so don’t be afraid to give us a call!

Handmade flower hair combs portray sheer elegance

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Flowers have always been loved for their natural beauty and effortless ability to bring joy to any occasion. It is a fact that they are linked to emotions, and are known to have an immediate impact on happiness. Needless to say, flowers and happiness go hand in hand.

Our gorgeous flower hair combs offer a refreshing option for brides who tend to shy away from the traditional diamante or rhinestone tiara. They compliment today’s wedding gowns with ease, and are so light and comfortable to wear. It’s no wonder that the demand for them is at an all time high!

This season our design team have produced more varieties than ever. Featuring textured leaves with glitter tips, clustered jewel centres, built in cage veils, and many more with exquisite detailing. These have just started making their first appearance in the US, with thanks to our 6 dedicated Sales Representatives. If you are a US trade customer and would like an appointment to view our collection please email maria@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 888 UK VEILS. For UK trade customers please email vicki@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 01353 661 600.

Tiara TR506A

Thank you to Nouvelle Vogue of San Mateo, California USA, for providing us with this beautiful picture illustrating style TR506A in Ivory.

If you have not had the chance to explore our shop window this week, please take a look at page 2 in the tiara section. We have added a selection of popular flower hair combs for you to see. This is just a small example, as we have many different designs available. As always they are hand made to order so they’re fully customizable, and can be mounted onto our flexible headbands instead of combs if required. Please feel free to contact us by phone (01353) 661600 or email for any additional pictures or information.

This week’s blog was written by our US Operations Manager, Maria Contreras. Thank you Maria!

Congratulations to our award-winning stockists!

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

In recent weeks two of our stockists have been recognised for their outstanding service and commitment to providing top quality bridalwear.

White Orchid of Swords, County Dublin, were awarded both the ‘best bridal shop of the year’ and ‘best wedding supplier of the year’ prizes by weddingsonline.ie. Chosen by a panel of independent judges and nominations from brides and grooms themselves, this really is a great achievement for a shop which has only been trading for two years. White Orchid have everything a bride could want, but this C16A veil sells extremely well for them – simple, elegant and flowing.

Veil C16A

Congratulations to White Orchid – we’re proud to be able to call ourselves one of your suppliers – and keep up the good work!

We were delighted to learn, within a matter of weeks, that another of our suppliers had also won a prestigious award. Bellissima Weddings of Chelmsford, Essex has been awarded the ‘best bridal retailer’ title at the annual Bridal Buyer Awards ceremony; another fantastic achievement by one of our top customers who we’ve proudly worked with for many years. A favourite tiara of Bellissima seems to be this TR799A below – a classic pearl and crystal combination.

Tiara TR799A

Congratulations to both bridal shops for their success, it really is a great sign of their dedication to making wedding days special.

We have a very limited number of regions with space for new stockists – see becoming a stockist for more information.

New bridal accessories collection a hit at BBEH

Friday, March 19th, 2010

A big thank you to everyone who visited us at the BBEH over the past few days. We had an incredible response to the new veil, tiara and jewellery collections. Our stands were constantly busy and we enjoyed meeting with both existing and new customers.

The main stand had a new jewellery display to promote our lovely new designs and it was very popular, receiving a huge amount of interest. As a result our jewellery sales were fantastic and included some specialist jewellery shops, which is an indication of how far the collection has come. The new tiaras sparkled under the bright lights of the exhibition and were snapped up by set-stone hungry buyers along with flowing veils with matching detailing.

Jewellery DisplayRD Main Stand

As well as the main stand, the Boutique Collection created great interest and Blue Ribbon Petticoats gained lots of new customers. Finally, once again, Nieve Designer Couture proved itself as one of the most innovative collections at the exhibition.

Nieve Designer CoutureBoutique Collection

If you weren’t able to make the exhibition but you would like more information on any of the products we make, please call us on (01353) 661600 or email us. You can also view a selection of our new designs in previous blogs or in the veil and tiara galleries (more new pictures coming soon!). If you are a trade customer and you would like to make an appointment to see one of our dedicated sales representatives then call or email vicki@richarddesigns.co.uk who will be able to arrange an obligation-free visit.

Nieve Selection

As well as our brand new collection for 2010 we will also release some mid-season items around June, to keep the collection fresh. In August (8th – 10th) we head back to Moda UK to show off the Richard Designs Boutique Collection and then in September (12th – 14th) we’re back in Harrogate for another BBEH

BBEH_all stands

Did you come to Harrogate and see the new collection? What did you think of the show and our new collection? We’d love to hear your comments – you can add them below!

Meeting the people behind the bridal accessories

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Well, it’s Friday and tomorrow the big set-up for the BBEH starts. We hope you have enjoyed finding out about what Richard Designs have to offer this spring.

We’ve packed up the product and it is on its way to Harrogate as we speak, we’re so excited about this season’s collection and we can’t wait to share it with you. You’ve heard about some of the team – Richard Allen and Kelly Harper on Nieve Designer Couture; Benjamin Dicks and Jane Adams on the Boutique Collection, but who else can you expect to meet?

Elaine Dicks, the company founder will be present for her 36th Harrogate show – a record that is almost impossible to beat! Karen Setchell and Wendy Dixon are our veil experts for this show and both have years of knowledge to share; Karen has been with us since she left school and as well as being a talented embroidery machinist, is now assistant to the workroom manager for the whole firm, if there is something she doesn’t know about veils, it just isn’t worth knowing. Gemma Cornwell is our team-leader in the tiara department and having trained in design at college, is responsible for many of the designs on display.  She is ready to show off the team’s sparkling new creations (which were previewed in our tiara blog last week). Kelly Harper, our head designer, is itching to meet you all and discuss the inspirations behind this season’s accessories. Last, but certainly not least, Richard Coles and Shaun Walker, our full-time sales representatives, will be present – many of you will have been charmed by them in the past and know them well.

This exhibition there is also a strong family connection, as Ben Allen, William Dicks, Louise Dicks and Benjamin Dicks will all be buzzing around – prizes to anyone who manages to meet them all! All are veterans of the show and have grown up in and around the company, so feel free to grill them if you have any queries!

We warmly welcome you all to M33, M30, M29 and M28! Every exhibition is a great pleasure and we look forward to seeing you there.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our bridal accessories, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

M30…great new hats, fascinators and occasionwear

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

By far the brightest and most eye-catching stand of the BBEH Spring 2010 is M30; home to the Boutique Collection, which makes a welcome return this spring.

The Boutique Collection is a wonderful celebration of seasonal colours and styles, perfect for the mother of the bride or wedding guests looking for that perfect hat or fascinator.

BOUTIQUE COLLECTION

All the hats and fascinators in the Boutique Collection are handmade by our highly skilled milliners in England. If you visit stand M30 you will have a wonderful opportunity to meet Benjamin Dicks and Jane Adams, who are two members of the hat department team. As true experts in hat making, they will be able to answer any questions or queries you may have.

All our hats are made using specialist techniques, our approach to using sinamay produces both incredible colour tones and strong, clean lines. Fascinators receive the same top-quality treatment, extensive use of sinamay and silk give a structured and substantial feel.

The personal service we offer is second-to-none, a comprehensive colour-matching service is available, which we believe to be unbeatable due to our ability to create different shades between standard colours. There is no minimum order with our hats or fascinators, so you can just try one or two and see how well they are received by your clients. We also never discontinue a style and we’re constantly updating our colours to match the latest trends; so there’s always something new to see in the Boutique Collection!

FQ 109 Fascinator in Giraffe, Almond and Pewter

This FQ109 fascinator in Giraffe, Almond and Pewter was a real hit at the Moda show and will be exhibiting at BBEH too. We were especially pleased the new print-style sinamay was so popular; we work hard at sourcing the best quality products and latest colours for the Boutique Collection.

The BM52H hat shown below was also one of the most popular hats at the Moda show, shown in aqua here, it is of course available in a huge variety of colours and, if required we can match it exactly to your customer’s outfit. Come visit stand M30 to see even more great hats and fascinators and meet our wonderfully skilled staff.

 BM52H Hat in New Aqua

You can see our hat and fascinator gallery for more pictures of our products and previous millinery blogs offer even more information on what we do. Finally, don’t forget our bridal millinery advice page and the Boutique Collection advice page for top tips on picking the perfect hat.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our petticoats, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Elegant new petticoats on stand M29

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Spring 2010 heralds the arrival of a brand new stand at BBEH; for the first time Blue Ribbon Petticoats have their own dedicated space on M29.

You can see from our petticoat advice pages that Blue Ribbon Petticoats offer a whole new experience in petticoats. Our team of designers spent months researching what makes the perfect, modern petticoat before launching the range – and we’ve continually added to it as new ideas have developed.

Petticoat BR16

Available in 11 colours and in sizes 8 to 28, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect petticoat! Gone are the dated, faded petticoats you might have seen elsewhere. Blue Ribbon Petticoats are fresh, modern and are perfect for a huge variety of gown shapes, sizes and colours. Comfort, luxury and confidence are the key to this label with a wide scope for customising the petticoat to suit your needs.

Trade customers will be especially pleased to hear that service is paramount at Blue Ribbon Petticoats. Every item is made to the highest standard; our membership of the Guild of Master Craftsmen is an independent accreditation that gives you confidence that you are receiving a petticoat of the very best quality. In gaining this membership we join an elite group including the likes of Fortnum & Mason, Rolls Royce and Burberry. Petticoats can be ordered through your Richard Designs or Nieve account, allowing the same great service and credit terms.

Petticoat BR6

M29 is the place to see all 21 designs in one place, including 6 new designs; from the large and extravagant to a sleek, slim silhouette. Our dedicated sales team will be more than happy to discuss your needs in a pressure-free environment. Until then, you can see more pictures in our petticoat gallery.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our petticoats, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Exquisite bridal accessories at M28

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The next stand on our tour of Richard Designs at the BBEH, is M28. Home to Nieve Designer Couture, this stand is not for the feint-hearted. Only the finest materials are used in the Nieve range of veils, tiaras, jewellery and hats, each of which is a masterpiece in its own right.

Nieve Lace Veil

The March collection, which has been specifically designed to preview at the Harrogate show, incorporates all the elements that you adore in a Nieve design. We have an even greater variety of innovative designs in veils and an expansion on our very popular closely scattered sparklers. As is expected from this luxury label, we have a few ‘wow’ creations for you to peruse, while we have not ignored the need for simple, elegant and impeccably finished staple pieces.

The Reflections range is also available from M28. In response to customer suggestions for some high-quality but simpler designs we launched the Reflections range. Simply outstanding quality is complemented by subtle designs that are sure to delight your brides!

Head dress NT150

Many of you will know Kelly Harper, the designer for this collection, who will be available to guide you through the new concepts. Richard Allen will also be on hand to discuss your exact needs and provide his usual effortless direction, enabling you to look with confidence and without pressure.

If there is one new stand you need to look at this year, it is M28. Every visitor leaves feeling energised by the wonderful display.

You can view a sample of the Nieve collection of veils, tiaras, jewellery, millinery and hats at our dedicated Nieve Designer Couture site.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our bridal accessories, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Tommorrow we will be previewing the Blue Ribbon Petticoat stand on M29…

A fresh look at veils, tiaras and jewellery on Stand M33

Monday, March 8th, 2010

In the first of a four-part series, we’re going to let you know what to expect when you visit Richard Designs at the British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate this coming weekend. As mentioned previously, we have 4 stands this time around, which means lots of choice. Today we’ll be looking at what the centrepiece stand – M33 – has to offer.

Stand M33

Our biggest stand is M33 – in Hall M. This is where we show the Richard Designs collection of veils, tiaras and jewellery. As you can read in our previous blogs, there is going to be lots of beautiful new veils, tiaras and jewellery to see on the stand.

Veil C320B detailingTiara TR1161A in silver, comet and cream pearl

We know that the exhibition is a great opportunity to ask lots of questions and enjoy a personal service; we have a fantastic team at the show who are all extremely knowledgeable. Our dedicated sales representatives have second-to-none knowledge of what is in trend and what sells! We also have ‘the faces behind the designs’ as our top veil, tiara and jewellery designers join us to provide expert advice on the inspirations which have driven this year’s collection.

Classic Tiara BOO13MClassics Jewellery

An incredible 60 new tiara designs, 30 new jewellery pieces, 30 new veil designs and all of our best sellers ever, mean you will find the perfect bridal accessories to match those dresses you have just bought! Our fantastic team will be delighted to help you choose just the right bridal accessories, in a no-pressure environment.

As well as all the Richard Designs wedding accessories, new Classics designs will be on stand M33. Designed for the high-volume customer, the Classics provide the lowest priced, best-quality veils, tiaras and jewellery, which are guaranteed to sell and have a broad appeal, no matter what dress collection your bridal shop has chosen. There are new tiaras and jewellery as well as veils in this low price collection.

There are so many new veils, tiaras and jewellery items that there isn’t time to show them all here – you’ll have to pop along to see them!

Take a fresh look at bridal accessories at stand M33, Hall M.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our bridal accessories, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Tomorrow: Nieve Designer Couture on Stand M28

Brand new tiara collection

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Continuing our build-up to the British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate, as promised on Wednesday, today we take a peek at the latest sparkling wedding tiaras crafted by our talented designers.

Before we get started with the excitement of the new pictures, we would like to remind you why our tiaras are so special:

- All of our bridal tiaras are handmade to order in England, meaning you can tweak, tinker and tamper with colourways to suit the style of your dress collection.

- Because we make our tiara bands by hand, they are particularly comfortable, especially compared with the sprung steel bands you see elsewhere.

- Another benefit of our handmade tiara bands is the option to have the band in a different colour, to allow it to blend into brides hair.

For a comprehensive overview of on choosing a tiara and taking care of it, please see our tiaras advice page.

Now for the fun part, a glimpse into the new collection…you can see all of these pictures and more in our new tiara gallery.

Tiara TR1160A

In the last blog we described the 1920s and ‘30s vintage style that is so popular with dress designers at the moment and how our tiaras complemented this style. As well as attending to this trend we also have some more contemporary designs. Like the TR1160A above, a beautiful side spray with lots of little silver backed stones which will shine as your bride walks down the aisle.

Tiara TR1133A 

After Cheryl Cole’s X-Factor appearance last series in a beautiful headpiece, we were inundated with requests for similar tiaras. Having anticipated the demand, we were able to provide similarly stunning bridal tiaras. The TR1133A tiara above adds to this collection.

You can see even more new tiara pictures in our new tiara gallery, however, we have over 60 new tiara designs for this season and the only place to see them at once is the British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate on Stand M33, Hall M.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our tiaras, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Next week we’ll be adding a blog every day as we go BBEH mad. With 5 different collections we know you’ll be spoilt for choice, so we’ll be profiling each of them on a different day, so watch this space!

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