As many of our trade customers will know, we have the best customer service team in the industry, their knowledge of the product and cheery demeanour has helped many a bridal shop in distress! As well as each having their area of expertise, every member of our team has an excellent knowledge of all of our veils, tiaras, jewellery and other bridal accessories.

We would also like brides to know that they are more than welcome to call us and ask advice when searching for the perfect accessories to match that wedding gown. Our team is always very happy to help, no matter how big or small the query.

This week, we caught up with them to find out more about what makes them so fantastic.

Name: Charlotte Bennett
Speciality: Veils
How long have you worked at Richard Designs?
I’ve been working at RD for just over six years.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job?
Saving the day! When a customer rings up and has a bride who needs a veil that weekend and we manage to get one to them at short notice. You know you’ve made their day!
What is your background?
Before working in the customer service team, I used to work in the sales office making appointments for the sales reps, it was useful knowing all of the shop names and likes and dislikes before I started in this role.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
In my spare time I love to make jewellery and polymer clay charms. I also co-organise a local monthly craft fair with Vicki (who took over my job working in the sales office!)
Contact: charlotte@richarddesigns.co.uk

Name: Cath Rickwood
Speciality: Tiaras and Jewellery
How long have you worked at Richard Designs?
Five years
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job?
The satisfaction of knowing that the bride has all the accessories for her perfect wedding day.
What is your background?
Before working in the customer service team, I worked in the tiara department for three years, before working for RD I was a chef/manager of a local hotel.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I have lots of chickens in my garden and I make wedding cakes/celebration cakes for a hobby in my spare time.
Contact: cathy@richarddesigns.co.uk

Kelly Herd is currently filling in for Nicola, who is away on maternity leave.
Name: Kelly Herd (not to be confused with Kelly Harper – our design team leader!)
Speciality: Millinery
How long have you worked at Richard Designs?
For four years
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job?
Making customers happy with a perfectly colour-matched hat.
What is your background?
I started working for RD in the veil embroidery department, then I moved to the hat department and after a couple of years in hats I started contributing to the design team. Before working for RD I also worked in a bridal boutique!
Tell us a fun fact about you!
My Dad is in the new Harry Potter; The Deathly Hallows film and was also in Return of the Jedi! (We have checked, this is true!)
Contact: nicola@richarddesigns.co.uk

Whatever your problem, however small, we are on hand to help, so don’t be shy if you want to give us a call on (01353) 661600. Brides who have any questions regarding their accessories or their nearest stockist can also give us a call or email: info@richarddesigns.co.uk.

We are delighted to announce that Ben Allen is taking over the sales role for Southern UK including the Republic of Ireland. Ben graduated from University 12 years ago and worked for a large pharmaceutical firm in Cambridgeshire. He has joined us at many British Bridal Exhibitions in Harrogate and has proved to be very popular with customers, as well as having a great knowledge of our product so we’re very pleased he has agreed to take over the position of southern UK sales representative. Vicki will be booking appointments for Ben, so do call on (01353) 661600 or click here to email if you would like an appointment.

Shaun Walker continues to look after customers in all his usual areas including; Wales, Midlands, the North, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Our sales representatives are on hand to visit you in the comfort of your own shop, they will not pressure you into buying but will be able to show you an extensive selection of our collection. Especially useful is seeing the veils, tiaras and jewellery we design alongside your collection of gowns. If you would like an appointment then our sales office administrator, Vicki, is on hand to help you out, simply call (01353) 661600 or click here to email.

Richard Designs Limited employ around 90 full-time staff, we are pleased that due to continuing expansion we are able to offer a number of job opportunities to suit any level of experience.

All jobs provide full training leading to NVQ qualification – over 80% of our staff have gained qualifications with us and recently we were recognised for our ‘outstanding support and lasting contribution to staff training’. There are opportunities for career development available. All jobs also come with the option of a pension.

Junior Graduate Designer
At our premises in Ely, Cambridgeshire, we design and make veils, tiaras, fascinators, hats, jewellery, and petticoats. Due to continued expansion we now have an exciting opportunity for a design graduate to support our Senior Designer  and design team in the role of Design Assistant. You will help with all collections from initial concept mood boards, through to design development and final production. You will also receive training in the basic manufacturing techniques used in the workrooms, in order to assist with sample development. You will be responsible for sourcing new materials, assisting with marketing and promotional material, as well as Product catalogue management.

Salary: starting at £12,000 p.a.

Candidates should apply either by email to kelly@richarddesigns.co.uk or by post, you can find our postal address here. Letters should be addressed to Kelly Harper. Please include a covering letter and CV, including module grades so far. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 19th May 2010.

Full-time workroom assistants in bead craft
We are looking for full-time permanent staff that can work neatly and carefully using beads, crystals and fine fabrics. School or college leavers are very welcome and may be eligible for an apprenticeship. Applicants of any age may apply; we are proud of our diverse team.

Salary: Above minimum wage. Dependent on experience, but will develop as training is completed.

Candidates should apply by telephone to Elaine Dicks, Managing Director, 01353 661600.

We are very proud to have recently been recognised for our continued commitment to staff training and development.

For several years, we have taken seriously an ambition to recognise the talent of our staff through formal qualifications. To this end we are now proud that over 80% of our staff have taken and passed City and Guilds qualifications with us. Our workforce is extremely talented and most have been with us for many years – some as many as 20! We’re extremely proud of them for their fantastic ability, which we believe is unrivalled in the industry. This certificate is also a recognition of their commitment to learning and individual motivation to constantly improve.

We are currently recruiting for our work rooms, if you would like more information on the opportunities available, please visit our careers section, call 01353 661600 or email elaine@richarddesigns.co.uk.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 (8^th – 10^th) we head back to Moda UK to show off the Richard Designs Boutique Collection and then in September (12^th – 14^th) we’re back in Harrogate for another BBEH…

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!

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 36^th 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.

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.

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!

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.

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.