Let There Be Love! – Some Valentine Day Facts!

In Ancient Rome the 13-15 February was celebrated as a pagan festival of fertility with many customs including young men stripping naked and using goat- or dog-skin whips to spank the backsides of young women in order to improve their fertility! (I think we need to be grateful that some tradtions aren’t continued!)

The day is said to be named after a Christian martyr from around 200AD who had been arrested for secretly carrying out weddings when the Emperor had forbidden men to marry as they made better soldiers! Allegedly, he later sent his lover a note from prison ‘From your Valentine’ and was martyred on 14^th February (although the date & note may have been added in later!).

Valentine’s Day became official in 496AD when the then Pope, Gelasius, declared 14 February to be a Christian feast day.

The first documented linking of Valentine’s Day and romantic love is by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382 however it is the French (no surprise there) who in 1400 opened the St Valentine’s Day court in Paris to deal with affairs of the heart and marriage contracts (it also dealt with infidelity, divorces and beaten spouses! – not so romantic)! Typically, it was a Frenchman, Charles, the Duke of Orleans, imprisoned in the Tower of London following capture at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, who is noted as writing the first recorded Valentine’s note to his love.

In 1601 William Shakespeare mentions Valentine’s Day in Ophelia’s lament in Hamlet:
‘To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.’

It was in the mid-eigtheenth century that the passing of love-notes (early Valentine’s day cards) becomes popular in England with early notes being made of lace and paper.

To give men a helping hand (somethings never change!) ‘The Young Man’s Valentine Writer’ was published in 1797, suggesting appropriate rhymes and messages.  As postal services became more affordable the anonymous St Valentine’s Day card became possible and by the early 1800’s, they become so popular that factories start to mass-produce them.

Richard Cadbury produced the first heart shaped box of chocolates for Valentines Day in the late 1800’s – today it is estimated that around 35 million are bought each year!

Hallmark cards produced their first Valentine’s card in 1913 possibly seen as the start of the commercialisation of Valentine’s day! Today over 1 billion cards are sent worldwide for as well as the UK, Valentines Day is celebrated in France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, USA, Canada and Mexico

 Red roses are associated with Valentine’s Day as they were said to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love – over 200 million stems are sent during the Valentine period each year!

A noted date in the calendar for romance, the diamond industry capitalised on this in he mid 1980’s promoting Valentine’s Day as a time to give jewellery, leading now to over 200,000 marriage proposals each Valantines Day!

Thank goodness for that!  However you spend your Valentines Day hope it’s with someone you love!

What a start!

Blimey it’s the end of January – where did that go?!

It’s been a fabulously busy start to 2014 with lots of gorgeous new wedding dresses arriving and our first major wedding show of the year done & dusted!

New Wedding Dresses

Ladies often ask us how we select our wedding dresses for the shop as there are so many to choose from – this is very true!  Although it’s a tough job (lol) we love selecting the wedding gowns to add to our collections and are very excited when these arrive!  Loads of excitement this month, as these gorgeous creations arrived and are now available at Pink Confetti!

These dresses enhance our,  already fabulous, collection from the award winning Diane Harbridge and from the top we have Ruby, Claudia (Back & front), Lindsey, Whitney, Jessica  and  Marilyn – all amazing!!

In addition, we have new wedding dresses from the talented Donna Lee to add to our collection at Pink Confetti and we are very happy to welcome Cassandra, Annie, Betty, Abbey and Nina to our Donna Lee Designs Collection!

UK Wedding Show

We were delighted to exhibit again at the West Midlands Wedding Show at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.  This was our 4^th year at the event and it’s always a pleasure to meet so many new people – especially excited brides-to-be, but also great to catch up with a few old (sorry familiar!) faces!

We received some lovely feedback about our stand and we have to say we think it looked great!  We love doing these shows but it wouldn’t be possible without the unending support of family and friends for which we are really grateful!

Just as well really!! As we’ve got a few more events coming up and we are also considering the National Wedding Show at the NEC 28 Feb to 2^nd March!

Come along and see us if we’re there or at one of the following wedding fairs – more details on our Facebook events page:

• Leicester RFC (Tiger’s) Wedding Fair – 9^th February
• Ullesthorpe Court Wedding Showcase – 23^rd February
• City Rooms, Leicester, Wedding Fair & Catwalk – 16^th March
• Guildhall Boutique Wedding Fair – 13^th April

Happy Valentines Day to All!!

Wow!

We are really proud that for the second year in a row we were a regional finalist as Best Bridal Retailer in The Wedding Industry Awards.

Although we haven’t made it to the national finals one of the benefits of not progressing in the competition is that we get to see the comments our lovely customers have made about us. Once again we are totally blown away by the amazing feedback we’ve received – Thank you! It’s difficult to pick out any comments in particular so…at the risk of blowing our own trumpet we thought we would share this all with you :o)

A truly magical experience one that every bride should have!

Extremely professional with a magical personal touch, wonderful shop with an amazing selection of beautiful wedding dresses that aren’t over priced

Having been to other suppliers to look for wedding dresses I knew as soon as I walked in that I would buy my dress from Pink Confetti. Leigh and Michelle are outstanding and know what they are doing. The put you at ease and make you feel special. There is no rush and nothing is too much trouble.

When looking for a wedding dress, you want to feel special and you want honest opinions and help every step of the way. There was nothing that was too much trouble for Leigh and Michelle and I would recommend them all day long! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

My dress was absolutely beautiful! The whole process, from first meting Leigh at Pink Confetti to trying on dresses and then getting fitted, was brilliant. Leigh made the whole process so stress free and enjoyable. I would recommend Pink Confetti to everyone!

The dress I chose was perfect and at a great price. Leigh went out of her way to meet my every wish. She managed to get lots of bespoke extras made for me. On top of the service they were sooo friendly and nice.

Leigh and Michelle were so accommodating with my dress choices originally and provided great advice on what might suit my shape etc. They were very patient with me when it came to fitting in fittings as I don’t live in Leicester at the moment so was quite limited. They really make you feel at home!

Made you feel so special and like your the only Bride they are dealing with.

Friendly, given lots of time for my fittings ect, approachable, excellent communication, excellent value. Allowed me to put the dress on at the show and walk to a shoe retailer :-). Wonderful ladies.

I was made to feel special from the start, Leigh genuinely shared my excitement for the big day and were helpful and imaginative throughout. The range of dresses available was fabulous and exceeded any other places I visited, I found the perfect dress and all the finishing touches too!

I can’t speak highly enough of the ladies at pink confetti , they are amazing. Nothing was too much trouble. I didn’t get my wedding dress from the shop, but I had it altered there and brought my bridesmaid dresses there. They even came to my house the morning of the wedding to help me.

From the moment my Mum and I walked into the shop we were made to feel extremely welcome and special. We knew instantly that Leigh and Michelle really cared and that they would look after us and they certainly did that! I will definitely be recommending Pink Confetti to future brides-to-be!

Superb service, lots of choice, couldn’t have asked for more!

From the moment I walked into Pink Confetti (without an appointment on a busy Saturday) I was made to feel special. The service I received throughout from selecting my dress to my shoes and accessories, advice on hairdresser and make up was amazing. Leigh came to my venue to fit my dress.

My dress is a combination of 2. Leigh made this happen. She also understood I was a more alternative bride and gave superb advice that was relevant to me. She didn’t try and sell services that weren’t needed and ordered my dress straight away.

Having looked at another couple of wedding shops first, I went to Pink Confetti knowing that a friend had received outstanding customer service from them. I walked in and felt very welcome, they had so much time to assist and could not have been more helpful throughout the whole process.

Leigh and the team at Pink Confetti are simply AMAZING. Their professionalism and level of care are fantastic. From day 1 they made me feel at home in their pink confetti family. Their service which for me extended right through to the morning of my wedding was invaluable to making my big day so special.

Leigh made be feel so special from the moment I walked into the shop, being a older bride I was very nervous about looking for my wedding dress. From the moment I walked into the shop Leigh put me at ease. Nothing was to much trouble and her advice on style choice was spot on. Thank you Pink Confetti.

I visited hundreds of bridal shops and the service I received from them were no where near the quality I received from pink confetti! Very very helpful and made me and my family feel very welcome

This bridal shop is perfect, I had to delay my wedding a few years ago to this year and the shop showed empathy and supported me so much so when I got married this year it was perfect! The dress fitted amazing on the day I got so so many compliments saying it was the most perfect fit.

I had a fantastic service at pink confetti. Leigh was amazing in her service on all my visits and also the contact in between. You felt like you were the only customer they had as the service was so personal! I had so many comments about my dress and how lovely it was. Thank you so much.

I was so happy with Pink Confetti, their service was outstanding. They were friendly, helpful, easy to contact, good at getting back to me about enquiries. I couldn’t fault them in anyway.

Pink confetti was great. I had very little time to organise my wedding and they were so helpful and made me feel very special. I would have no hesitation in recommending them.

Leigh and Michelle at Pink Confetti were so friendly and helpful, it really did feel like nothing was too much trouble! Pink Confetti was the first bridal shop that I visited when looking for my wedding dress. I instantly felt at ease in there, which is no easy task when it comes to getting undressed!

They were fabulous I now recommend them to anyone I know who is getting married. They were just brilliant so helpful, definitely highly recommended in my books

Everyone at Pink Confetti were amazing. From the moment I arrived to the moment I got my dream dress was such a lovely experience. I had a private fitting with the designer (Nicola Anne) of the dress which was so special and personal. I would recommend Leigh and all at Pink Confetti to every bride

Lovely shop, lovely people would 100% recommend. Wish i could get married again just to go back to the shop as they have such lovely things in there .

The attention given to my wedding party was brilliant (my mum, sister and myself). On every visit we were given undivided attention, nothing was too much trouble or effort, any querries were soon dealt with in a lovely friendly mannner. The refreshments helped too!! Can’t praise Pink Confetti enough.

After having a dreadful experience in a bridal outlet, Leigh at pink confetti restored my faith and helped me to find My” dress!

Nothing was too much trouble. My experience was personal and I felt like I was the only bride!

The staff are absolutely brilliant, really helpful and give some brilliant advice and tips about choosing the correct dress and accessories. They are very friendly and helpful and made the whole experience of choosing, fitting and purchasing my wedding dress so easy and exciting.

Beautiful dresses and accessories and the team give great advice and are so friendly and helpful.

Wonderful ladies who provide a fantastic service, the shop has a great many selection of very beautiful dresses and accessorises to match. It is decorated beautifully and whenever i stepped foot inside the shop i was made to feel like a princess, of which is all down to the atmosphere and service.

I found to be the customer service at Pink confetti to be of an excellent standard and incredibly friendly – just what was needed after some unusual wedding dress shopping experiences! I cant fault them from the first email to leaving the shop with my perfect dress that I want to wear again!

The team at pink were amazing. I had problems with my bridesmaid dresses which I purchased from a different supplier and this caused me undue stress however the girls were fantastic and pulled out all the stops to get it resolved. Their attention to detail was fantastic and I miss working with them.

All the ladies at pink confetti make you feel comfortable and so welcome. At other shops I was made to feel like I was not worthy of being there but it was totally different at pink confetti. I would 100% recommend them to my friends. The service and quality of dresses are amazing.

Pink confetti deserve more then 10 outstanding is just too little for them their service is out of this world and make everything special for me! Truly amazing ladies and shop wish I was getting married again (with the same man of course) so I can go back and receive the special treatment all over again

I found Leigh at Pink Confetti to be personable, kind and supportive, it was professional but on a personal level. nothing was too much trouble and she knew how to make me feel special

Leigh and her team were wonderful, putting me at ease and took all the stress away from me, they are warm hearted and proffessionally, I felt confident that my dress and accessories were perfect and would fit perfectly thankyou ladies you deserve this for all the hard work you put in x

I was a first time bride and at the age of 45 wanted to be traditional but not look over the top so when i met Leigh at a wedding fare at Shearsby bath i knew she would be the perfect person to go and see. Pink Confetti had my perfect dress.

Lovely friendly staff, very helpful. Beautiful dresses to choose from and no pressure. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

Leigh and Michelle offer a very comprehensive personal service. They go out of their way to be flexible with their time, especially when dealing with clients like me who are difficult to pin down! They were very professional throughout.

Leigh and Michelle are two are the nicest most caring and professional people I met throughout the whole planning process for my wedding. With every visit I made to pink confetti I was welcomed and so was my family. I was always given honest opinions and brilliant advice which helped me greatly.

I had already bought my dress second hand but used Pink Confetti for my accessories. They could not have possibly been more helpful, accommodating or reassuring and their advice was invaluable. I can’t recommend them highly enough!

Pink confetti were by far the best bridal shop I went to. They were so incredibly helpful, polite and at not point did I feel I was causing a nuisance. I really cannot praise them enough they were fantastic!!!

The ladies at pink confetti made me feel comfortable from the outset and I wasn’t the exactly looking forward to dress shopping! The service provided was perfect me from the first visit, the alterations and Leigh even coming to dress me on the big day!

Michelle, Leigh and sue were very attentive and made my experience of choosing and buying my dress extremely special!

I loved my wedding dress,everything was perfect and I really looked like a beautful ,every one at my wedding they loved my dresses.it was outstanding. Thank you ladies for your good customer services,if any one in my family want wedding dress,I will recommend them to Pink Confetti. Thank you again .

Fantastic service and always treated you and your family like a friend not a customer. Their expert knowledge and advice really helped. Actually miss visiting the shop now.They deserve to win.

Lovely group of ladies who were very helpful and patient in helping me choose my ideal wedding dress. The whole process felt very personal. Offers of teas and even champagne very thoughtful. Would recommend this store to any future bride.

Pink confetti was the first and only shop I went to .. Leigh spent hours with me trying dresses on. I couldn’t find anything to suit my shape, but eventually we found my perfect dress. She was a pleasure to deal with from start to finish. Down to earth and nothing was too much trouble.

I went to many bridal shops searching for my dream dress and found some that I liked but wasn’t too keen on the staff at the shop. As soon as I walked into pink confetti I was welcomed by smiling faces. The whole experience of trying dresses on was fantastic and I felt completly at ease.

Pink confetti were very helpful and i loved the fact you got pink fizz on arrival very welcoming

The expert team at pink confetti were warm and welcoming from the start of my wedding planning journey. They were very helpful and tailored their service to my needs. I will always recommend Leigh at pink confetti and the team their as they made my day very memorable.

The ladies at this shop were amazing in helping me choose my dress. Their customer service they showed made you feel like the only customer they has in their shop. They were polite and honest. The choice of dresses was amazing. The fitting and adjustment were quick and it fitted perfect on the day!

I absolutuely love Pink Confetti, Leigh and everyone who is involved with the shop are just simply lovely, and make your whole experience so stress free and relaxing and i could not of been happier with my dress x

They have an outstanding variety of bridal accessories. i struggled to find the right thing and when i went there i found something that wasn’t quite big enough so they made me a brand new one no problem. very friendly and approachable not like some bridal shops that look down their nose at you

The team at pink confetti are great! They are all so friendly, helpful and accommodating! Nothing is too much trouble and they make you feel so at ease. I would recommend them to absolutely any bride without question.

From the moment I walked into this shop I was made to feel special. The dresses were amazing and Leigh and Michelle have been brilliant. I almost feel sad that I won’t have to go back for my dress as he care they gave was brilliant. The shop is amazing and there was never any rush to leave.

From the moment I walked in till the day I wore my dress I had only pink confetti to thank. I’d been to alot bridal shops in and around Leicestershire. I didnt feel any excitement, warmth or even care from the sellers Leigh was smiling, bubbly, cheerful and offered pink fizz. Customers always came 1st

They were really welcoming and enthusiastic and made me and my mum feel special. They were very helpful and offered advice and guidance.

I would recommend and one looking for a wedding dress to go to pink confetti . The ladies are soo friendly they made me feel relaxed and where so helpful and honest when I was trying on dresses . Can’t praise Leigh and the girls enough.

Pink Confetti’s customer service is second to none, they helped me in every step of the way from choosing my dress to fitting it and choosing the right accessories. They made me feel at ease, and comfortable.Lovely people, who makes you feel like you are not facing sales people, but ladies who care!

I cannot say enough how impressed me and my family were with the service offered by Pink Confetti. My dress was one of my favourite parts of the wedding (!) and I have had so many compliments about how beautiful it was. I have already recommended them to a number of friends and will continue to so

They were so friendly and eager to help and they had the dress I had my heart set on, but to be honest so did the shop up the road from me which is only 10 mins away. Instead because of their enthusiasm i was happy to travel an hour to be fitted with them.

I initially booked with Pink Confetti to try on a dress by a particular designer, Nicola Anne. I was lucky enough to get an appointment on a day when Nicola was visiting Pink Confetti…it was an amazing experience. Because they were fabulous in every single way!!!!!!

I was recommended by a friend, and I will recommend to many many more people to go to pink confetti, Because I found my perfect dress and they had named her and were happy to make her mine!! They were not pushy and gave me all the time in the world to make my decisions!!

When I went into the store it was fantastic the choice of wedding dresses was brilliant! Also I didn’t feel like the ladies were sales assistants they felt more like friends. They were soo honest with me which made me put lots of trust in them and that trust was never broken and still remains till this day! If pink confetti don’t walk away with this award they still walk away with lots of new friends(brides) and the peace of mind of how many people they have made happy and feel so special! Pink confetti to Win!!!

Pink Confetti offer so much more than what you would expect from a bridal retailer; they made my Mum and I feel very special and relaxed throughout the whole experience with their warmth, professionalism and efficiency. They always had time for us and remembered details e.g. about wedding plans from one visit to the next. One of my bridesmaids lives abroad and wasn’t arriving in the UK until a week before the wedding and Pink Confetti arranged a quick turnaround (fitting and alteration) for during the week before the wedding without batting an eyelid, and which went smoother than I imagined was possible!

Originally because I was just looking for somewhere in Leicestershire that was a bit quieter than city centre locations, but as soon as I walked in i knew I wanted to find the dress of my dreams there because they were so friendly! I am just so happy that i did – my fittings provided an oasis of calm during what was a stressful time!

I liked the look of the website and the shop. Also I visited a few shops before deciding on Pink Confetti and I think that they had the best range of dresses. Also Leigh made me feel so comfortable and at ease. It was more than just buying a wedding dress, Leigh made the process an experience that was so special.

Right from the beginning they were friendly helpful, very polite and very inviting unlike some of the bridal shops I had already visited

The friendliest people in a bridal shop I have met. Leigh sourced extra lace from wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses to make details for each so they matched each other perfectly! She got a hair piece made from the lace and make a matching cravat for my husband which was a surprise for him on the day. Nothing I asked for was too much trouble. Although I was dealing with Leigh all the staff knew my order.

I was made to feel special by everyone in Pink Confetti – Choice of dresses was amazing and the most perfect staff!

Overall Voter Scores out of 10!
Quality and accessibility of the shop and fitting rooms/area.: 9.5
Range of products available.: 9.7
Quality of customer service and communications received from your bridal retailer.: 9.95
Quality of expertise, advice and guidance received from your bridal retailer. : 9.9
Quality of the fitting and adjustment process.: 9.7
Quality of your bridal retailer’s web presence (web site, facebook etc). : 9.5
Value for money.: 9.8

If you’ve read this far you will understand why we are so overwhelmed!! We are so lucky to be doing the job that we do and so privileged to meet so many wonderful people.

Unlucky 13? I don’t Think So!

As always, it’s hard to believe that another year is drawing to an end and it’s an exciting time planning for the year ahead whilst reflecting on the past 12 months.

There was a lot of doom and gloom in the wedding industry about 2013 as there was a feeling that superstitious couples would avoid marrying this year. After talking to many different suppliers, (who’ve been around a lot longer than us!) it appears that there may be some substance to their unease, however as we are relatively new to the industry we have not felt any real impact and have fortunately seen Pink Confetti continue to grow in 2013.

In fact it’s been a cracking year!!

The UK Wedding Show

It got off to a great start in January when at the Midlands UK Wedding Show we were awarded the accolade of Outstanding Exhibitor!  We were a little excited as this was our 3^rd year exhibiting at this show and we’d always harboured a secret desire to win!

As always, it was a very successful show for us and the award was just the icing on our cake – however the cherry on top was that the show provided a springboard for our television debut!!

We were approached by a production team working with the UK Wedding Show as they were launching an associated TV Programme and were interested in Pink Confetti and in particular the relationship we have with talented local designer Nicola Anne.  It was an amazing, and very possibly a once in a lifetime, experience! Next stop Hollywood? I don’t think so – Our TV debut aired on Sky Showcase channel late last January and we’re still waiting for the call!!

The Wedding Singer 

Shortly after this (and not connected at all – our next adventure required people with real talent!) we were approached by the Leicestershire Amateur Operatic Society to sponsor their production of ‘The Wedding Singer’ being staged in June at the fabulous Curve Theatre in Leicester.  We jumped at the chance to take a different approach to promote Pink Confetti whilst supporting local talent.

Unfortunately, despite our new found fame they didn’t ask us to join the cast, however, it was very exciting seeing our name appear on all the advertising and we’ll forever recall the squeal that echoed around Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester when Michelle saw our name appear on their interactive advertisement!

The show coincided with our 3^rd Birthday (where did those years go!!) and having seen some of the rehearsal footage we knew that it was going to be amazing however we were blown away by their professionalism, talent and the quality of the show’s production.  The show ran for a week to packed houses and we were really proud to be associated with such a fabulous creation and fantastic team who we were fortunate to join for a celebratory drink (or two!) after the show!

National Wedding Show

Following the glorious summer we once again went along to exhibit at the National Wedding Show at the NEC.  This was our second year so we were a little more prepared this time!  However, the crowds at this huge event still took us by surprise.  We had an amazing three days and met lots of wonderful people, coming back on a real high – if not a tad exhausted!

Following the show we received a call from Show Review UK to tell us that from over 200 stands we were one of 20 ‘Best Selected Exhibitors’! This acknowledgement and the feedback we received from visitors to our stand really boosted our confidence in attending these big shows and so we may be looking at possibly both March & October next year (really must invest in some comfortable shoes!)

Awards! 

Last year we were delighted when we were nominated by one of our brides as Best Bridal Retailer in The Wedding Industry Awards and over the moon when we made it onto the East Midlands Regional Shortlist.  This year we were again nominated and have been totally overwhelmed by the response from our brides in voting for us.  These awards are based on the number of votes and comments received and we are ecstatic to once more reach the Regional Finals.  Everything is crossed now for the end of the month when the Regional Winner will be announced!

Hot on the heels of these awards we also found out that we had been nominated in the Wedding Ideas Awards as best bridal retailer.  This is a national competition and once again the response we have received has been amazing.  As with The Wedding Industry Awards the finalists in this category will be announced later this month.

We are so excited to be nominated for these awards and even if we don’t make it further in either competition we are so happy and encouraged by the votes & wonderful feedback we receive.

World Domination :o)

During 2013 we also saw Pink Confetti extend its reach across the globe!  In 2012 we became multinational with European brides from Paris, Switzerland and Dublin finding their perfect dress in our little boutique in Broughton Astley(!), however this year we are truly global with brides from New Zealand and Malawi!  Just have Asia & America to conquer now!!

Countdown to Christmas

With only 43 sleeps until Christmas(!) our last few weeks will be very busy!  We are thrilled to be working with Reach Photography & Shell Edwards Make-Up Artistry on a fashion shoot next month, which will be something that little bit different and we are looking forward to sharing these images early next year.

Also to create space for new gowns and accessories we are having a Designer Dress & Accessory Sale throughout December.  This is a great opportunity to grab a bargain with ex sample dresses from £100 and accessories from only £5.00.

THANK YOU!

Looking back on 2013 there are lots of high spots and it’s we are really pleased with what we have accomplished however our main achievement, this year as any other, is the relationships we build with our beautiful brides, their families and friends.  Over the last three years we have met many wonderful people, both in the boutique and at numerous wedding fairs, and developed long and lasting friendships.  That without doubt is our greatest success.

So what will 2014 bring?  

We are already planning for the UK Wedding Show at the Ricoh Arena 18th & 19th January – thrilled to be back there for the 4^th year! We have some new and exciting ideas for our stand – after all we have a lot to live up to!

Our new collections will be in stock early in 2014 and we are very much looking forward to extending our selection of gowns and accessories – may be even introducing a new label or two!

More Finishing Touches evenings will be announced in the New Year! For brides who are unsure about their bridal hair or make-up these are great events to get ideas directly from the experts.

Then there’s the National Wedding Show and local wedding fairs that are already being booked up for next year.  As always you can keep up to date with all these events via our Facebook Events Page.

Merry Christmas!

Well, I think we’ll be needing our Christmas break (we will be closed from 24^th December until 1^st January) to build up our stamina for another busy and exciting year!

So from us all at Pink Confetti may we be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014.

Marriage, a Great Institution;That’s a Fact!

Wow! What an amazing summer! The weather has been glorious; they’re has been some great sporting achievements, a smattering of celebrity weddings and a new baby Prince!

So now autumn is here, which must mean that the Wedding Fair season is starting again! It seems impossible that a year has passed since we made our debut appearance at the National Wedding Show, however, this week we are preparing to head there again for this years event at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham this weekend (4-6 October).

We are really excited to be going back as we get an opportunity to chat to lots of brides from all over the country.  This is one of the biggest Wedding Shows in the UK with over 6,000 brides coming along in 2012 with more expected this year!

This made us wonder whether the number of people getting married is increasing so we delved into a few statistics and we found out some interesting facts – thanks to ‘The Wedding Secret’.

Marriages are on the up!

In England & Wales the number of marriages has been steadily moving downwards since the 1970’s however from 2009 -2011 (the most recent information available) the number of marriages increased with almost ¼ million taking place each year!

It still doesn’t compare to those year’s with the most recorded marriages at nearly ½ million – unsurprisingly, this was in 1939/1940 at the start of WWII!

Looking over time it seems that the numbers are affected not just by significant historical events but also changes in the influence of the church, diversity of population, social & economic transformation and of course – the 1960’s!!

The Day’s the Day!!

It was no surprise that Saturday is the most popular day for weddings to take place accounting for over half (58%) although 1 in 5 weddings now take place on a Friday.

This still leaves 20% of weddings being held Sunday-Thursday, (the least popular day to be married being Tuesday – but not by much!) We are definitely noticing that there is more of a spread throughout the week, possibly helped by venues offering better deals for the less popular days of the week.

Summer Loving!

Well, it seems we’re not alone in experiencing the majority of our weddings between June & September as over half (52%) took place during these four summer months. It’s fairly evenly spread over the remaining months however January is the least popular month to get married – possibly the weather, post Christmas blues or too much Christmas Cheer!

Making your mind up! 

People are generally waiting longer to get married and in the latest figures the average ages were 33.2 for men and 30.9 for women.  This is around 6years older than 100 years ago (27 for men & 24.8 for women) although the age gap of 2-3 years between couples has remained pretty constant.

Interestingly, the 1960’s saw the lowest average ages to get married, which were men at 23.8 and women at 21.7.

Get me to the Church!

At the beginning of the 1960’s over 70% of weddings were in a religious context or building with the remainder taking place in a Registry Office.

Up until the early 90’s registry office weddings were increasing until they accounted for nearly half, however, a massive change occurred after 1995 when it became possible for premises to apply for a licence to hold marriages.

Suddenly couples could chose to move away from the queue at the registry office and have a stately home or hall all to themselves.  This significantly changed the location of marriages with over half now taking place at an approved venue.

For the remainder religious weddings still account for the largest part and the 1990’s change seems to have had the biggest impact on with registry office weddings  which only accounted for just over 10%.

To be or not to be (married)!

The biggest percentage of the population still has their status as married but only just!  ‘Cohabitation’ is the fastest growing relationship status, with 11% of all couples in the UK registered as cohabiting in 2011. This figure has approximately doubled since 1996.

The End Result!

It seems as though people are still getting married (which is good news for us) and the numbers are on the increase.  It will be interesting to see from later statistics whether the speculation around 2013 and the superstition surrounding this did have an impact on the number of weddings taking place this year.

Either way it looks as though we’re in for a busy weekend and we’re looking forward to chatting to all those lucky ladies planning their wedding over the next couple of years.  Watch this space for details of how we got on!

June is Bustin’ Out all Over!

Can someone please explain where this year has gone? Almost half way through 2013 and thankfully we’ve hardly had time to catch our breath!  What’s even more amazing (apart from some glorious sunshine) is that this month sees our 3^rd Birthday!

As well as celebrating our birthday (rude not too!) June is busy with lots of lovely other things that we have planned!

Nicola Anne Designer Day

We are delighted that our most local, very talented, designer Nicola Anne will be joining us on Saturday 22^nd June along with her stunning new collection of wedding gowns for 2014 plus some favourites from previous collections.

We love having Nicola come into the shop as, not only is she a lovely lady who designs fabulous dresses, but she makes a great cup of tea and brings biscuits!  As always these events are very popular and there are only very limited appointments now available.

Lou Lou Designer Day

Our second Designer Event is being held on Saturday 29^th June when we will have in store an extended collection of bridal and bridesmaid dresses from Lou Lou.  With their signature vintage and retro styling it is always exciting to see what new ideas this talented British team have come up with.  Having seen some of their new collection at a recent trade show I don’t think we are going to be disappointed!

The Wedding Singer

One of the many firsts for us this year was being asked to sponsor a show – appropriately ‘The Wedding Singer’ – being staged by Leicester Amateur Operatic Society and we are thrilled to be associated with this talented group.

It’s been so exciting when we’ve been out & about and we see advertising for the production and our name appears (squeals of delight in Highcross Shopping Centre – not at all embarrassing!) The show is on at the Curve Theatre. Leicester from 25^th to 29^th June and we are really looking forward to going along to see the performance.

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Beat it! Cancer!

On Sunday 30^th June a ‘The Pink (Confetti) Ladies’ will be taking part in The Race for Life to raise much needed funds in the fight against cancer.  This horrible disease affects so many either personally or their friends and family and we all have our own reasons for taking part.  We are all training hard(!) as our husbands have agreed to greet us with a bottle (or two!) of champagne at the finishing line! We are hoping to raise as much as possible and donations can be made via our just giving page http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/pink-confetti

Happy Birthday to us!

It seems like the blink of an eye since we opened Pink Confetti on 18^th June 2010 however reflecting on the last 3 years we are astounded by what we’ve achieved and amazed at all the wonderful people we have met.

It’s been a great twelve months as we received top stockists awards from 2 of our suppliers and also The Wedding Industry Awards shortlisted us as one of the top Regional Bridal Boutiques (1 of only 4) in the East Midlands! This award is extra special in that it was voted for by our brides and we were blown away by the feedback received through this process.

To celebrate or 3^rd birthday we are asking all customers, old & new, to come and join us for a glass of pink fizz and birthday cake between 15^th and 22^nd June and as a thank you we are offering 10% off any purchase during our birthday week (a day just isn’t long enough!)

What Next?

This is also a great time for us to start planning for our next twelve months and we have lots of exciting ideas!  Plans are well underway for the relaunch of ‘Pink Confetti Parties’ with lots of lovely new handbags and fashion jewellery plus great benefits for hostesses.

From the autumn onwards we will start to receive our gorgeous new collections from all of our designers there are some amazing gowns and we can’t wait for them to arrive!

However because of this, we are planning our first ever ‘Sale Event’ at the shop to create some much needed space so there will be some real bargains to be had!  The event is on from Thursday 4^th to Saturday 6^th July – more details to follow!

We have already booked our places at the NEC National Wedding Show in October and both UK Wedding Shows at Excel, London and their Midlands event at Ricoh Arena both of which are in January next year!

Looks like it’s going to be another busy year – Fantastic!!

The Big Bridal Trend for 2014!

Last weekend we had an amazing time in London where we went along to two major bridal trade events – The White Gallery, in Battersea, and The London Bridal Show, at Olympia!

We went down to specifically see the 2014 collections from our existing designers but it’s great to see so many exhibitors, from all around the world, as this gives a real feel for what is changing in bridal design and what is likely to be the trend for the future.

Four of existing designers were at these shows – Nicola Anne, Donna Lee Designs, Diane Harbridge & Lou Lou – and as usual we were delighted with the beautiful collections they had to offer – it’s really difficult having to choose only a few! As you can see from the photos below (these styles will be available at Pink Confetti in the next few months) there is still a heavy vintage influence and lace still features strongly in many gowns.

Although bridal fashions change it does tend to be a slower process than on the high street and obviously lace fabrics have been increasingly popular especially since the Royal Wedding in 2011. However it was interesting last weekend to see how bridal styles appear to have been influenced by TV & film in particular Mr Selfridge, Downtown Abbey and Gatsby as there was a noticeable trend towards the styles of the early 1900’s.

This era introduced a step change in women’s fashion, moving away from the controlling corsets and layered petticoats of the Victorian age, and towards gowns that whilst still floor length were less structured, more slimline and incorporated a variety of embellishments including jewels, lace and feathers.

It was clear from the number of designers that had adopted this style as a large part of their collection that they believe that this will be the next big thing! There were some gorgeous gowns that epitomise glamour – sleek georgette covered in rhinestones, heavily beaded chiffon, drop waists, high necklines and detailed epaulettes all seemed to feature.

This era also seems to be influencing our accessory designers with more art deco inspired pieces and ornate hair creations. Bridal shoes have not escaped the trend with ‘Louis’ heels, button straps and T-bars all featuring heavily.

We are very excited about our new collections which will be starting to arrive from July onwards (we had cheated and ordered some a little earlier!) however the challenge will be to find space to show all these beautiful gowns and accessories off at their best.

Watch this space for details of our sale events – coming soon!!

Your shape, your style – Choosing the Wedding Dress that’s right for you!

You’re newly engaged and one of the first things you do will be to stock up on every bridal magazine you can find.  Flicking though these pages, or online, you will be bombarded with lots of beautiful wedding dress ideas  – all that little bit different – so where do you start to find the one for you?

It’s important that your dress reflects your style and personality but probably one of the most important things you will need to consider is your body shape.

We are often asked by brides-to-be if we could tell what style of dress would suit them as soon as they walked through the door and although we may have a thought in mind we are constantly surprised.  It goes to prove that there are no hard and fast rules about styles as it’s all about getting the proportions right for your height, size & shape.

As many people will tell you, you need to try on lots of different shapes and styles to find out what suits you and this is very true, however there are general guidelines which may help to make your search a little easier.

Your body Shape

Every woman’s figure is as individual as the lady herself!  Generally however ladies have similar traits so that they tend to fall into one of four categories.  We have attempted to describe these and give a guide to the style of dresses to compliment these body shapes.

 Hourglass

Arguably the body shape we all desire! With balanced, full bust and hips, well defined waist and often shapely legs this is the body shape which was epitomised by Hollywood screen sirens such as Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren and more recently Kate Winslet & Salma Hayek.

Most styles of wedding dress will suit this shape but consider showing off your curvaceous hips, full bust and small waist by wearing a fish tale gown to compliment your curves. A princess skirt would should also show off your small waist and a straight or curved neckline will accentuate your bust.

Some styles we have that we would suggest are:

Dolce by Nicola Anne

Diana by Diane Harbridge

Trudy Lee 25701 we call her Isis

Apple Shape

For those with a more rounded or apple body shape take the opportunity on your wedding day to make the best your curves by considering an A-line skirt to create balance with a larger bust and broader shoulders.  Choosing a design that has asymmetric pleating and no horizontal lines will add length and even out your figure. One of the world’s greatest inventions is the corset lace up back which is a great way to nip the waist in and create that hourglass silhouette. Some of our styles we maight suggest are:

Natalie by Donna Lee

Obsession by Nicola Anne

Trudy Lee 63002 we call her Freya

Pear Shape

A classic pear shape (like the fruit!) will have wider hips, bottom & thighs, smaller bust.  Some of worlds sexiest women are celebrated pear shapes such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Shakira.

Compliment and accentuate your small bust and curvaceous hips by having an embroidered, beaded or a lace bodice with a sweetheart or curved neckline to add shape.  A full princess or A-line skirt will cover or skim your hips to enhance your figure.  An empire line gown will lengthen the body and again, accentuate the bust however if you’re proud of your curves and you want to show them off don’t be afraid to try a fishtail gown, keeping the styling simple.

J’Adore by Nicola Anne

Bonita by Diane Harbridge

LB19 by Lou Lou we call her Daisy

 

Athletic or Rectangle Shape

An athletic or rectangular shaped body with very few curves will often have an undefined waist, narrower hips and small bust such as Keira Knightly, Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon and Trinny Woodall.

As with the pear shape accentuate your smaller bust with a sweetheart or detail neckline and an embroidered, beaded or a lace bodice and add balance with a princess or A-line skirt. A corset lace back will nip the waist in to add shape and create an hourglass figure.  With more fitted styles consider adding a belt to create a waistline and emphasise your figure.  Consider drapes and detailed backs to add interest.

 

Dahlia by Donna Lee Designs

Laura by Diane Harbridge

A splash of Colour

The tradition of wearing white wedding gown is often credited to Queen Victoria in the 1840 prior to that any colour was acceptable (Black was very popular in Scandinavia!)

Over the last 50 years the traditional white gown has been replaced largely by Ivory or variations of this such as Diamond White, Cream, Champagne, Oyster, etc, however with a nod back to the 19^th century a greater variety of colour seems to be making a comeback with pink, peppermint green, lemon, black & red seen at recent bridal catwalk shows.

The colour of your gown is something to consider against your skin tone and the setting for your wedding.  It’s well worth trying on a variety of colours – as even within Ivory dresses there are so many slight variations

Something to think about!

• Once you have started trying dresses on you will get an idea of what style suits you so use the internet and magazines to get an idea of styles you like the look of.  Check out the Designers websites to see where your local stockist is.
• Your wedding dress is one of the most important dresses you’ll ever buy so don’t be pressurized into making a hasty decision.  We always tell our brides that if the dress is ‘the one’ it will still be ‘the one’ after they’ve tried on dozens more.
• Make sure you leave plenty of time to order the dress you love!  We recommend at least 6 months before the wedding but some suppliers may need longer than this so check it out!
• The experience you have when you’re looking for your dress should be a memory that you treasure forever so take people with you whose opinion you value but who will let you make the decision.   Choosing you dress is emotional journey, not a democratic vote, so don’t add confusion by being tempted to take too many friends & family with you!
• Everyone works to a budget and there are bargains to be had but think carefully before ordering your wedding dress off the internet.  Not only are these sellers breaking copyright law (the picture you see is usually the designers original, this is not the dress you will get) but you may find it’s a false economy as the quality of design, fabric and manufacture is often very poor.  We have heard of a couple of success stories using this route but this is far outweighed by the number of horror stories we hear and the number of alterations & remodeling we’ve done on these dresses.

Just some thoughts and ideas that will hopefully help you on your way and of course we at Pink Confetti would be delighted to help you in your search :o)

Happy Hunting!

ALL THE FUN OF THE (WEDDING) FAIR!

It’s hard to believe that we are half way through March already and spring is almost upon us (if it ever stops snowing)!

Although this is one of our busiest times in the shop, we like to make the most of the Spring Wedding Fair season so that we can get out and about to meet lots of lovely Brides, their families, friends and occasionally even the Groom!

As we are coming up to the end of our 3^rd year (where did that go!!) we roughly totted up that so far we have attended over 100 wedding fairs, so we are now starting to get a reasonable idea of how these work, lol!  Together with comments we’ve received from our brides we thought we would share our ideas with you so that you can get the best out your time you spend at these events.

Size doesn’t matter! 

As with most things wedding fairs come in all shapes and sizes!  From the large National/UK events lasting 2-3 days to a small 3 hour showcase at your local hotel, church hall or wedding venue.  Irrespective of the size and scale, you are dedicating your time to going along so you need to make the best of it!

Whatever type of show you go along to, you will be bombarded with information, leaflets, flyers, brochures, website details, etc and this is wonderful if you’re at the very early stages of planning your wedding.  If this is the case try and visit as many exhibitors as possible but don’t spend too long with each one as, particularly with the larger events, you may run out of energy before you get round to them all (yes you need boot camp fitness for this, so make sure you get in training as soon as you can!).

As you go round the stands you will start to get an idea of what you like and what you don’t!  As you collect your favourite ideas you can go back and speak to these exhibitors in more detail – no one exhibiting at a wedding show will mind answering any questions if you are showing an interest in the service they provide!

First Impressions Count!

Obviously one of the main benefits of wedding fairs is that you get to meet people who potentially may be part of one of the most important days of your life!

You get an ideal opportunity at these events to not only see what is on offer but also how you feel about the provider, how interested they are in you, their understanding of your needs and how you relate to them.  We have several brides who have said that one of the reasons they came to our shop was because of how we came across at these events – equally as many brides have also commented that they have been put off by the attitude of an exhibitor and the lack of interest shown in their plans – after all it is your day!!

If you are attending these events at a later stage in your wedding planning and have a clearer idea about what you are looking for you can be more focussed on the services you need. It can be a good idea to make a list before you go so you can focus your energy on searching these out and spending more time discussing your requirements.  If you have time left over you can always browse around the other stands which may inspire a different idea or two!

Some top tips for getting the best out of these events:

• First things first, consider who you want to go along to these events with you.  You may wish to attend as a couple or make it a great girly day out! It’s good to have someone with you who can share ideas and opinions – but avoid someone who will dominate you with theirs!
• If you’re attending one of the major shows consider wearing comfortable footwear and factoring in breaks (might we suggest the champagne bar).  If you are hoping to try on dresses think about your underwear and if your looking for hair accessories you might want to go with a style similar to that you’re thinking of for your big day.
• If there are goody bags available make sure you pick one up as there will usually be lots of information about the exhibitors and often vouchers, goodies and freebies – the bag is also useful to keep together all the other details you collect as you are looking around.
• Not all exhibitors will have leaflets or brochures so make sure you have something on which you can make notes – phone, tablet or good old pen & paper!  If you want to take photographs to help you remember ideas it’s a good idea to ask the exhibitor first!
• Often exhibitors will have special show offers so it’s worth checking these out as they could help maximise the wedding budget!  There may also be promotions advertised away from the event itself for example we use these events to promote our ‘Designer Days’ and more recently our ‘Finishing Touches’ evenings.
• Unless you’re only popping in to see a specific supplier, make sure you have plenty of time to look around and don’t get stuck talking to exhibitors whose services you’re not really interested in!
• In saying this though, be open-minded! Long held ideas and childhood dreams may fade when you see the array of new designs, styles, colours and concepts that continuously become available
• If you’re looking for dresses or accessories try and attend events where there is a catwalk show – not only are these fun to watch but you will see the dresses being worn and how they move as opposed to just on a hanger.
• The most important thing though is to have fun and remember that this is all about YOUR special day!  Chose your companions, be comfortable, don’t get stressed, have plenty of time and use these events as big treasure chests of ideas!

If you want to put these tips into practice check out the events page on our website or Facebook Events for details of Wedding Fairs we are attending.  You can catch us this weekend at the UK Wedding Show, EventCity, Manchester.

Just leaves us to wish you happy wedding fairing (!) x

Lights, Camera, Action! – Next Stop Hollywood?

It is with much excitement and anticipation that we will be gathering together next Sunday evening as Pink Confetti makes its first (and very possibly last!) appearance on television as part of the UK Wedding Show programme!

Although (understandably?) nervous as to how we’ll appear on TV it has been an interesting experience working with the fantastic presenters and production team at Lancashire One.

The UK Wedding TV Show follows The UK Wedding Show events up and down the country and the pilot programme was aired in October last year. In November, we were contacted by one of the researchers from Lancashire One who was speaking to exhibitors scheduled to attend the East Midlands Show at Ricoh Stadium this January (see Happy 2013!).

During a chat with their lovely researcher, Dolores, I mentioned that our desire is to make every visit to Pink Confetti a memory to treasure and that we had been short listed as Regional Finalist by The Wedding Industry Awards. I also discussed our passion for supporting UK Design – in particular the relationship we have with our most local designer Nicola Anne and the fact that her dresses are made in the UK, by hand, in her workshop just down the road!

This obviously struck a chord as a couple of weeks later we were sitting in the shop with producer, Mike & Jonny, the presenter from Lancashire One, discussing ideas for their forthcoming programme. As well as what we’d discussed with Dolores they also loved the idea of our ‘Finishing Touches’ events and how we are using informal networks with other wedding suppliers to support one another in developing business.

(They were also quite taken with the fact that Carol used to be a human cannonball but struggled to find a way that they might include this!!)

A date was arranged for filming and then the panic set in! – What to wear? How to loose a stone in 2 days (especially after Christmas)? Should we book in for hair and make up?

On the day, with a heightened sense of anxiety, we met Mike and Jonny plus presenter, Emma, at the shop and it was the start of a long, exhausting but fantastic day!

Emma and Jonny – starring in the pilot programme!

Having never been filmed before it was a whole new experience and I can certainly understand why it takes so long to make a movie! Altogether they filmed for about 6 hours and I believe that the finished piece is about 5-6 minutes long!

As well as being interviewed (do I really sound like that?) and some filming of the team in action at the shop we also filmed at Nicola Anne’s studio. To add continuity to the finished article they also filmed me driving to Nicola’s – it’s very disconcerting driving along with a camera up your nose and you get some very strange looks at traffic lights!

We also had to create an impromptu ‘Finishing Touches’ event in the evening for this to be included in the programme – our thanks to our lovely brides – Amy, Georgie & Katy – who turned up at short notice and were willing guinea pigs for our trial event.  If this evening was anything to go by these events are going to be a great success!  In fact the first two events are now fully booked – see our Website or Face Book Events Page for more details and dates of future events.

On reflection of the day, although very nervous at the beginning, the Lancashire One team were brilliant at putting us all at ease. It was a long, intense day and everyone worked incredibly hard – hopefully the end result will be worth it!

Pink Confetti’s debut performance will be aired on Sunday 27th January 2013 at 6.30pm on the Showcase Channel – Sky 191 and Freesat 400.

As to whether the next stop is Hollywood, I don’t think so! – but hope you enjoy the show!