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.

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

What an Amazing Start!

Well so much for the good intentions of posting a weekly blog!

Our new website launched over a month ago and it’s been a busy few weeks since!  Getting our website live was one of our major goals for the beginning of 2012 and it was a wonderful feeling when it went live in January. Thanks to the hard work of Rebecca at Let Me Organise You and her ability to translate our half baked ideas we now have a wonderful site that reflects the essence of Pink Confetti – well we think so anyway!

UK Wedding Show – Ricoh Arena 21^st & 22^nd January

The focus on getting the website launched was diverted a little by the UK Wedding Show which we were very excited to be attending for the second year. We had carefully been planning (on paper!) the layout of our stand for some weeks so that we could show at their best our gorgeous bridal gowns, bridal shoes and bridal accessories. We had a different shaped stand to last year and despite our planning we proved the case that women are unable to judge size or distance.  We used every inch of space but think achieved the overall idea of recreating the Leicestershire wedding boutique on the stand – too much to choose from & not enough space!

From last years experience we knew it would be busy and so had roped in friends and family but in the event with 8 of us on the stand there still wasn’t time to speak to everyone or even take a lunch break!  As with all wedding fairs and events we met some wonderful people and it is so nice that so many have since visited us at the boutique.

Wedding Fair Season!

It’s that time of year again!  Since the UK Wedding Show we have attended several more wedding fairs including, Ullesthorpe Court Hotel, Chesford Grange Hotel, Brownsover Hall, Hilton Hotel Coventry and Debenhams, Leicester (that was an interesting one!).

With many more planned over the next couple of months we are looking forward to meeting more lovely people – details of the events we will be attending are on our Facebook Events page.

The BIG Wedding Day Out!

As in previous years we wanted to do something for charity so this year we are planning our first full wedding carnival on Sunday 29^th April 2012!   Not to be missed by any prospective bride and bridegroom – watch this space for updates on how the event’s progressing!

Will be back soon!…..