To commemorate this special show, you may have heard that we have a few surprises in store. We are still keeping our cards close to our chest but as the show rolls ever closer we are pleased to reveal these few hints:

There’s only one way to find out what these clues mean so come to Stand M33 at BBEH next weekend!

Images sourced from here and here.

The Bridal Preview

Sunday                         1.00pm        *6.30pm
Monday                       11.00am         4.00pm
Tuesday                      10.00am         1.30pm

More details can be found at http://www.bbeh.co.uk/visiting/fashion-shows

We will be attending the Sunday show and drinks reception at 6pm and we would love to see you there.

Richard Designs Boutique Collection will also be featured on the Occasion Wear Preview catwalk:

The Occasion Wear Preview

Sunday                        3.00pm
Monday                       2.00pm
Tuesday                     11.30am

Our products will be featured on every scene which is unusual for these catwalk shows, so if you want to see our headwear, veils and jewellery in action be sure to take a look!

More blogs in the BBEH series:
RD at BBEH through history…[...read more]
How the new collection is shaping up…[...read more]
Our hat in BBEH prize draw…[...read more]

This blog is devoted to the history of our visits to BBEH, which is the biggest and best event in the bridal wear calendar. We are pleased to be celebarting our 25th anniversary this year, making this show extra special for us and our customers.

Although we haven’t always had the size of stands that we have now, we have always tried to make them look beautiful, to show our products off to their greatest potential, as well as creating a memorable experience for those that visit us.

We attended our first show in 1991 when we branched out from floristry into floral headdresses. Some of you may remember that most exhibitors showed in the hotels rather than in the Harrogate International Centre, and we had a window bay of the dining room in the St George Hotel. We were very happy to move into the exhibition centre which improved the look and feel of the show, creating an altogether more professional atmosphere. In March of 1991, founder Elaine brought her son Ben to the show who was just 4 months old and apparently attracted many people onto the stand! Now he is working as a milliner in the company and claims that his first job here was in sales!

Since we moved to Hall M in the exhibition centre, we have stayed put as we love the light and bright atmosphere that it lends. We have expanded as space around us has come available, moving from 8sq m to around 180sq m! We have found that the show has improved over the years with the quality of the items on display much higher than in the early 90s.

We consider ourselves veterans of the show as we have attended so many, and we take the whole process very seriously from the design of the stands to the appearance of ourselves. We bet you won’t have noticed the hidden ‘cupboard’ we have behind one of our stands, which we use as an area where staff can rest when they are tired. We love that our exhibition team work so well together as well as having fun at the show and we make sure that we look after them as best we can.

We absolutely love meeting old and new customers alike and we are genuinely proud of the work we do and the products that we make. We hope that you enjoy coming to see us too!

Richard Designs will be exhibiting at the BBEH on stands M33, M28, M29 and M30.

Other blogs in the BBEH series:
How the new collection is shaping up…[...read more]
Our hat in BBEH prize draw…[...read more]

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright 2010.

Having a personal one-on-one session with a company representative has many benefits:

1. Gives you the chance to see veils, tiaras, jewellery and hats in all their glory, to try them on and to see their real-life size – something that buying from brochures cannot provide.
2. Your staff can make the best choices to match your wedding dress stock, as you will have the dresses to hand throughout the appointment. Our company representatives have knowledge of all the latest wedding dress styles and can pick out accessories which are made to match!
3. With a great knowledge of the latest trends, company reps can provide short ‘workshops’ on what is hot this season and how to sell to brides – great if your shop has recently hired new staff!
4. The company representative will get a feel for your shop and show you the products that are relevant to you – saving you valuable time.
5. Our company reps love to get to know you personally! The relationships that are built up between company representative and customer are invaluable, enabling us to do our job better, and enabling you the customer to get a real feel for us as a company, our values and our dedication to making your shop a success.
6. Our company reps are not there just to sell to you – we like to see how you are getting on with our products, find out if there is anything else you would like from us and have a catch up on what is new in your regional marketplace.

For those of you who already know your local company representative, this is an opportunity to learn more about them. If you have never seen a Richard Designs representative and would like to then please call or email Vicki on 01353 661600, and she will be happy to help you. All of the appointments carry no obligation to buy, and there is no minimum order.

Name: Vicki Hansford
Job Role: Sales Co-ordinator. I manage the representatives’ activity, which includes booking appointments with the customers as well as planning their travel – so we have probably spoken on the phone a few times!
How long have you worked for Richard Designs? For just over 6 years.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job? Building a relationship with old and new customers alike.
What is your background? After leaving college, I was a nursery nurse for 4 years. I then worked in retail for 18 months before starting at RD. I worked in the tiara department for a year and in the hat department for a year before joining the sales team.
Tell us a fun fact about you! I am getting married on 7^th August, the church will be filled with Richard Designs accessories! In my spare time I make sock creatures. I also co-organise a monthly craft fair with Charlotte who works in the customer service department.
Contact: vicki@richarddesigns.co.uk

Name: Shaun Walker
How long have you worked at Richard Designs? Oh, it must be four years now.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job? I love providing innovative designs and quality products to brides.
What is your background? I used to manage a designs and cutting department for a leading bridal dress manufacturer for 13 years.
Tell us a fun fact about you! I love cooking for my wife and three daughters. I also like travelling to and exploring different countries.

Name: Ben Allen
How long have you worked at Richard Designs? As a member of the family I have attended both BBEH shows at Harrogate every year for the past five years. I enjoyed it so much that I joined Richard Designs full-time this year.
What is the most rewarding part of the job for you? I love meeting new customers every day. I am proud to be able to provide the right product for each customer, in order to meet the requirements of each bride. I also love working with my family every day!
What is your background? I worked for 11 years in a pharmaceutical contract lab after studying chemistry at University in Cambridge.
Tell us a fun fact about you! I love sport and play squash every week. I do the London to Cambridge bike ride every year (that’s 60 miles!).

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.

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.

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!

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!