You may have noticed that this year we have been advertising for several vacancies. We have been expanding our workforce over the last twelve months to ensure we can provide our customers with a fast, efficient service.

We have fulfilled many of our vacancies, but we have opened several more positions in the last couple of weeks. These are:

Trainee Tiara & Jewellery Maker

A highly sought-after position, this opportunity requires hard work, but is very rewarding. Knowing that you have created a beautiful headdress or jewellery for the most important day of someone’s life is a brilliant feeling. You can read more about what the job requires and the key skills you need to have on our careers page.

Assistant to Sales Co-ordinator

This is a part-time role, perfect for an organised person who loves to speak to others on the phone. As our sales department has been expanding (more on that in the next couple of weeks!) this role has been created to ensure that our customers are getting the support they need, and plenty of opportunity to have the right products in their shops. For more information on this role and how to apply, see our careers page.

Of course, we are always open to hearing from people that feel they have something to offer the company. You are always welcome to send your CV and a covering letter to our human resources manager Nicola Cole. See how to do this on our careers page.

We are thrilled to have been chosen for this prestigious award which recognises our devotion to original and groundbreaking headdress design.

We hope that we will see some of our customers at the awards ceremony in March where we will be celebrating this achievement. Until then, we will continue to work hard to fulfil your orders for the new season whilst creating our new collection (due to be released at BBEH in March – watch this space!)

Finally, we would like to send our congratulations to the other finalists in the awards.

Stockists, we are ready to take your orders; we have 3 fantastic customer service assistants who are all experts with our products and thousands of items in stock ready to send to you. As always, bespoke ordering is available at no extra charge. You can order by telephone, email, fax or post; however you order you will be sent a delivery confirmation by email with an estimated dispatch date and another email when your order is shipped. It couldn’t be easier!

These are just a few other ways in which we can help you this year:

Stockists: We make sure that brides come to you. Our policy of not selling online or to online retailers will stand fast throughout 2012 and beyond. Bridal wear is special, and we understand that the service and experience received from one of our stockists is second-to-none.

We receive hundreds of direct enquiries from brides each year, and we direct them to you. We will send you a veil, tiara or piece of jewellery on a sale or return basis if a bride local to you has seen a particular style and wants to try it on. If the bride decides to purchase the item then you will be invoiced for it at its normal price. Of course it is your sale and you keep 100% of the sale price (we don’t have RRPs and we don’t advertise any products with them either!) If the bride changes her mind, then we will arrange for it to be collected from your premises on a day of your choice. Free of charge of course!

Our three company reps are available year round to visit you in your shop with our collections. For an no-obligation appointment just email Jennifer on jennifer@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 01353 661600.

Just call, email, fax or post your orders to us and we will process it straight away for delivery when you choose. See how to contact us here.

Brides: This website is designed to help you to plan your perfect wedding. Choosing your accessories is both fun and rewarding as you transform into a bride! With 26 years of experience in bridal wear, we can help you with any queries you may have – no matter how big or small. Just contact us via email at info@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 01353 661600 and we will be pleased to help you. Whether you want to know which shape petticoat will best go with your dress, or you want to know where you can buy our accessories, we are here to help you!

Don’t forget to like our Facebook page to keep up to date with latest trends, news and pictures, as well as regular competitions. Inspire others by sharing your photos with us and other brides on our wall!

Next Steps: For expert advice on choosing your veils, tiaras, jewellery and other accessories, see our Advice Centre.
To see more pictures of our products, see our galleries.
Click here to see how to buy our accessories.

Monday 19th December to

Monday 2nd January inclusive.

This means that we will not be able to answer the phone between these times, and the last date for despatch of items will be Thursday 15th December.

Don’t forget you can still email and fax in your orders and queries and we will get back to you after 2nd January.

Stay tuned until then for some special Christmas-themed blogs. Here are some from last year:

How to stand out with your Christmas shop window display

Wedding Shops: refresh for the new season

Our favourite Christmas wedding accessories

Remember, we don’t sell direct to brides. See our How to Buy page for more information.

Following on just one week after Harrogate was the Chicago National Bridal Market. If you think the Harrogate show is big, you should see the Chicago Bridal Market! I really feel sorry for the feet of all the visitors!! The show itself was incredible, beyond our wildest dreams. We didn’t stop for the full three and a half days of the show, and we opened so many new accounts we actually ran out of new customer account forms!

Richard Designs stand, Chicago

The US buyers particularly liked the new collection, stating that it was so different from anything else available, they also liked the flexibility in the pearl and crystal colours that we offer, something that seems like such a simple thing to us. We found veil C325C and headpiece TR1361A to be very popular with the American market.

Victorian Inspired Headdress TR1361A

Wedding Veil Diamante Edge C325C

Finally the last show of the year was in Vienna, where we exhibited in the British Embassy, which is an amazing building! We had the opportunity to meet both shops and agents from Austria, but also buyers from 17 other countries in Europe. It was a very eye-opening event, we learnt a lot about buying in different cultures throughout Europe. We took with us a small sample of the new collection that we released at Harrogate and this proved to be a hit, particularly The Classics.

Classics Side Tiara B025L

In short it has been a very busy period for Richard Designs, a refresh of the Boutique Collection stand, the release of the new belts and shrugs, the best American show ever and our first exhibition in Europe. But for now it is time for me to get back out on the road to see you all! In my next blog I will be giving you all an insight into the most popular pieces on the road from the new collection. Until then, thanks for reading!

Ben Allen

Senior Sales Executive

Trade shows aren’t the only place you can see our collection of bridal accessories. If you would like an appointment with Ben in your shop where he can show you the new samples with no obligation to buy, just give Jennifer a call on 01353 661600 or email sales@richarddesigns.co.uk

Hi there,

Its been a few months since my last guest blog, but my goodness they have been busy! It has been show after show, starting with MODA in August we then had BBEH and the Chicago National Bridal Market in September and finally a trip to Vienna for an event organised by the UKTI! I have even managed a few weeks out on the road in between!

I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you all about them, starting with MODA all the way back in August:

MODA saw a new stand layout centred on ladies day at the races, and the displays looked fabulous. Our design team as usual had done a brilliant job in both producing new styles, but also colour matching hats and fascinators to several outfits on the stand.

With several high profile weddings happening over the summer, disc style fascinators were very much in people’s minds, with FQ198 being the most popular headpiece by a mile.

Boutique Collection Zara Inspired Fascinator FQ198

Soon after MODA followed BBEH, at the beginning of September, where Richard Designs launched its new collection of belts and Blue Ribbon shrugs. This was once again a brilliant show for us, with the Victorian themed stand being the talk of the exhibition!

Both the shrugs and the belts were extremely well received, with Belt 003 and Shrug SH5-3 the bestselling styles. The belts are an excellent way of bringing to life a plain dress or lifting those old sale dresses you are trying to move. With the prices starting low, they seem like too good an opportunity to overlook.

Richard Designs Wedding Belt 003

Blue Ribbon Shrug SH5-3

Lastly and by no means least we won the RBA award for top accessories supplier for the fourth time in five years, this was such an honour for us and can I just take the time to thank all the RBA members that voted for us.

I’ll be back next week with a recap on the Chicago Bridal Market and the exhibition in Vienna, but until then, have a great week!

Ben is currently on the road showing the Victorian-Inspired collection. If you would like to see him and the collection, make an no-obligation appointment by calling Jen on 01353 661600 or emailing sales@richarddesigns.co.uk

To see Ben’s other blogs, click here.

Held in very grand surroundings which complemented the Victoriana collection theme very well, visitors from all over Central and Eastern Europe attended. William said, “We really enjoyed visiting Vienna and speaking with customers from all over Europe. We met retailers from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and beyond. They were very impressed with the quality of design and workmanship, and we really appreciate them all coming to visit us at the exhibition.”

The trade show was organised by the UK Trade & Industry team in Vienna, with the aim of promoting British brands in Europe. If you are a European retailer and would like to find out more about stocking the Richard Designs accessories collections, please contact us.

Finally, we would like to thank the UKTI for inviting us to show at this exhibition. We are proud to be designing and manufacturing in the UK, and this was a wonderful way to display our work.

As promised, we are back today revealing the most popular bridal fascinators, jewelry, shrugs and petticoats from our visit to the Chicago show last month. Even more orders have gone out this week to our new and existing customers and we hope that you like the new samples. Of course if you have any questions or feedback, Maria is always available on the phone (888 858 3457 toll-free) or email (maria@richarddesigns.co.uk) for a chat.

Now for the bestsellers…

Bridal Fascinators

Fascinator style F224 oozes sophistication and class. Simple yet striking the feather and filigree detail that sits on the side is finished off perfectly with a delicate birdcage veil.

The FQ40 has been popular for several seasons, so it was no wonder people snapped it up at the Bridal Market. Delicate feathers and complementing crystals make this a classic style for brides and mother of the bride.

The F225 is a really sweet style. The spotted tulle bird cage veil would work really well with a 50s style dress and the glitzy disc and bouncy flowers make this a fun piece to wear. Of course this style, as with all of the fascinators, can be made in different colours for different occasions.

Like the F224, the F227 is small and easy to wear. The striking silver detail on the base works well with many current gowns and the feather flower is also on-trend.

Jewelry

The P583 necklace, earring and bracelet set is part of the Victorian Inspired collection, and combines many of the key influences of the era. Laces, cameos, sequins, filigrees and buttons have been layered by our designers and then finished off with a twist of pearl and crystal strands.

The P538 jewelry set was released in March this year, and caters for the bride who wants to make a statement with her jewelry. Elaborate twists of various sized pearls and crystals make up this set.

P584 is similar to the P583 but is simpler and makes a feature of the Swarovski pearls at the neckline. The necklace ties together with a soft silver ribbon for an extra touch of texture and glamour.

The cuff bracelet P575B is a simple way to make a statement at your wedding. The magnetic clasp means it is easy to dress your brides in the shop as it simply snaps shut – no fiddling required!

Blue Ribbon Petticoats & Shrugs

The Bridal Market was the first time we showed our range of Blue Ribbon Petticoats & Shrugs to our US customers and we are pleased to say that you all loved them! Their femininity, high quality finish and sensitive design means they were a real hit!

The fishtail petticoat BR11 not only has three layers of net but also incorporates one hoop to make it easy to walk on your wedding day.

The simplest style, the a-line BR1 has two hoops and a frill, and will work with many dresses.

BR8 is a stunning style perfect for gowns that are shaped at the hips and flare at the hem. It also has a hoop to keep the net away from your legs.

The most popular shrug at the Bridal Market was the SH1-9 which is a short sleeved style with fine tulle, flowers and diamante. This shrug can be made in a wide selection of colours to match any gown.

All Blue Ribbon petticoats and shrugs come with a small blue bow sewn into the design for your ‘something blue’!

See more Shrugs in our new shrug gallery.

Of course the new belt range was just as popular in the US as it was at our UK show. See the bestsellers here and the full range in our wedding belt gallery.

If you are a bridal wear retailer in the US and would like more information about our accessories, call Maria on 888 858 3457 or email maria@richarddesigns.co.uk

All of the above styles are also available in the UK, Europe and Scandanavia. For more information, brochures or an appointment with our company representatives contact Jennifer on 01353 661600 or email info@richarddesigns.co.uk.

If you are a bride and would like to wear Richard Designs at your wedding, please see our How to Buy page.

On Monday night, we attended the RBA Awards Dinner Dance, along with other suppliers and bridal retailers. The Retail Bridalwear Association is a fantastic organisation to be a part of, for both retailers and suppliers. With years of success in the bridal industry, the RBA have taken several important steps to protect both retailers and brides. For more information, see www.rbaltd.org.uk

The RBA Awards, therefore, mean a lot to the UK wedding industry. With the winners being nominated and voted for by retailers within the RBA, these awards are truly important to us as it is what our customers think of us that counts. That is why we are so pleased to have been voted as

Top Accessories Supplier 2011

Thank you to all of our customers who voted for us and who have supported us over the years. We hope that we can continue to offer you a high level of service, innovative designs and quality products for a long time to come.

Don’t forget we will be at the National Bridal Market in Chicago this weekend (24 – 27 September). This is a great opportunity for US retailers to see our new collections. We’re looking forward to seeing you at Market Suites on 7, Merchandise Mart, Booth 3098. For more information, see here.

Open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday,
Closed Lunchtime 12:45 – 13:15 Monday to Friday

If you cannot get hold of us on the phone, please just send an email to info@richarddesigns.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

To learn more about our customer service team, click here.