Yarwood-White BrideStyle

Buying the dress should be a delight

I am always shocked when I hear stories of brides who have had very bad experiences in wedding dress shops.  It is more common than you'd think, from snotty "pretty women" style staff who make you feel like you are wasting their time to grubby dresses and a "rule" list that makes you feel unwelcome before you get there.

All of this can make dress shopping very intimdating, but here's the thing - it doesn't have to be this way!!

There are many many fabulous dress shops out there run by enthusiastic, experienced and helpful staff who's only aim is to provide the dress of your dreams and the experience of a lifetime.

The Dress, in Teddington, is one such boutique.

Run by Gillian and Jo, they are quite rightly reknowned for their fabulous service, and brides travel from far and wide to visit them.

The Dress work on an appointment only basis, allowing them to give their undivided attention to every bride.  Brides love their large and luxurious dressing room which overlooks a beautiful garden providing a relaxing setting for making the most important decision of the whole wedding (after choosing the man!)

We love their philosophy; "to ensure you cherish and enjoy the whole experience of choosing your wedding dress, from your first visit to your final fitting."

They have a gorgeous selection of elegant and classic dresses from leading British Designers such as Lyn Ashworth, Stewart Parvin, Augusta Jones and Suzanne Neville. 

We have been working with The Dress for 4 years and they have just taken delivery of a wide range of Yarwood-White stock adding to their fabulous accessory collection.  As well as jewellery they also stock veils, shrugs and shoes ensuring you can get everything you need to look stunning on your wedding day all in one place.

 

Accessory Event

We are holding an accessory event with The Dress on Thursday 5th May 5-8pm.  We will be showcasing our collections and hair and make-up artist, Alexis Daly will be on hand to do mini hair trials and give brides the chance to try some of the gorgeous jewellery from Yarwood-White.

We'd love you to join us at the boutique for a glass of champagne; to reserve your place call The Dress on 0207 8977 6167.  For more information on The Dress please visit www.thedress.co.uk

And remember, dress shopping should be a delight, so if you aren't happy with the service you receive, do tell the boutique, and try somewhere else!

How To Accessorise Oscar-style!

This weekend saw the 2011 Oscar awards.  This week we will all be buzzing about what the stars were wearing and how well they accessorised their outfits.

Your wedding dress and accessories will be the closest most of us get to dressing up red carpet glamour style and this year saw a few potential bridal looks:

Gwyneth Paltrow sparkled as she walked down the red carpet, wearing a Calvin Klein Collection dress which would be perfect for any bride wanting the ultimate wow factor.  We love how Gwyneth has chosen to accessorise her dress, she has chosen a colourful brooch pinned to her hip with a pair of large matching earrings keeping her look simple yet dazzling!

Re-create Gwyneth's look by attaching this vintage style brooch to your hip, Blackburn Brooch £95.

Gwyneth met up with Nicole Kidman on the red carpet who was also wearing a Christian Dior bridal style dress with Oriental-inspired embellishments.  Nicole kept her accessories simple, only choosing a large statement necklace to enhance the embellishment on her dress.  Keeping her hair in a simple pony-tail, Nicole could have picked up on some of her dresses sparkle and added a few diamante pins to her hair.

 

Re-create Nicole's look by choosing a statement necklace like the Modern Heirloom Pendant, £165.

For those brides wanting to break with traditions, go for a hot red strapless dress like Sandra Bullock.  Keeping accessories simple Sandra wore two simple bracelets with matching earrings.  Enhancing the stunning dress a loose bun with pearl or diamante pins slotted into it would be the perfect hair style.

Re-create Sandra's look by wearing the Modern Heirloom Bracelet, £130 or the Modern Heirloom Cuff, £150 for a bigger accessory:

Staying on trend this season, why not go for a ballet-inspired nude/pale pink dress like Halle Berry.  Halle wore a nude and crystal encrusted Marchesa corest gown with organza and silk tulle ruffles.  Create a statement with a dress like this and accessories with a pair of ballet pink crystal drop earrings and a matching cuff bracelet.

Create Halle's look with the New Rose Cluster Earrings, £85.

The Designer Wedding Show 11th-13th February

We are very excited to be exhibiting at the Designer Wedding Show again this year for the fourth time. The show starts next Friday 11th February, Battersea Park, London.  We are looking forward to another three days of champagne, designer catwalk shows and wall-to-wall wedding glamour!

The show is all about you, indulging in your natural sense of style and finding every exquisite detail to make your wedding day blissful.

 

We love the atmosphere at the Designer Wedding Show, very relaxed and glamorous, the best thing is you can enjoy a glass of champagne whilst browsing and watching the wonderful catwalk show.  

The show is a must-visit for all brides and is a fantastic opportunity to see our full collection and meet the team in the flesh.

 

 

 

 

Free Mini Hair Trial:

This year we will be giving FREE mini hair trials.  If you are unsure how you are going to wear your hair on the big day, or what accessories to choose, book a Free Mini Wedding Hair Trial with the wonderful Alexis Daly.

The trial takes 15 minutes and will help you decide what you do and don't want for the big day.  To book a slot call 08445 616 862 (spaces are limited so call early to avoid disappointment) or come to the stand for a chat.

 

 

 

 

New Collection:

As well as free hair trials we will also be launching a brand NEW collection at the show, come along to the stand to see the collection....but if you can't wait here is a sneaky peak!

 

 
 

We look forward to seeing you there!  Stand 55. 

Sneaky Peek at Enchanted Garden Bracelets

We are very excited about a new collection we are designing to add to the Enchanted Garden Collection.

Each one of these is made with an eclectic mix of gemstones, and every bracelet is one-of-a-kind.

They are currently on sale in the gift shop at The Medicine Garden, where we are now based, and are flying off the shelves faster than we can make them!  So they will be appearing on our website very soon.

They have a very organic design, and are popular for every day wear, or for relaxed summer or beach weddings.  They also look fabulous on Honeymoon.  Please let us know what you think!

The bracelets have been designed to work with our Enchanted Garden Necklaces:

Clare Yarwood-White on Wedding TV

 This interview was recorded for WeddingTV, and hopefully you will find the tips for choosing your wedding accessories useful.

 

Your Invitation to a Designer Wedding Accessory Evening

Luella's Boudoir is hosting an exclusive designer evening with shoe designer Freya Rose, Alexis Daly, hair and make-up artist and of course lots of lovely jewels from Yarwood-White.

 

You are welcome to join us at the boutique for an evening where you can meet the designers face to face on Wednesday 18 August, 5.30pm until 8.00pm.

 

Please do phone Luella's Boudoir on 0208 879 7744 to reserve your place for this glamorous evening! 

Divinity Collection Look Book

I thought you might like to see our best-selling Divinity collection brought to life by our real-life brides and through the magazines that have featured it.  If you wore Divinity on your wedding day (and there are lots of you out there!) please send us a picture!

Yarwood-White Bride: The Lovely Maria

Maria chose the fabulous Divinity Chandelier Earrings. Big earrings are such a modern bridal look.  These earrings have a fresh, romantic feel, and there is no diamante in this design so there is no danger of looking too bling, if that's not your thing.

 

Maria asked us to design a bespoke haircomb to wear with her veil.  We took the Divinity Hair Pins as inspiration, then added feathers to soften the look even more.

Fashion Editor's Favourite

The vintage wedding trend shows no sign of slowing down and Divinity remains one of the most heavily featured collections across wedding magazines including Conde Nast Brides, You & Your Wedding, Wedding, Perfect Wedding, Wedding Ideas and Perfect Day.

Do I need to go on...? !

Dress Suggestions

This collection looks fabulous with vintage inspired, slim lace dresses.  Have a look at Claire Pettibone for amazing gowns.

View the full Divinity collection here, or let me know your thoughts!

Tiaras are the New Toasters

Traditional gift lists have been going out of fashion for a while now, whilst honeymoon funds, charity donations or experience lists are becoming more and more popular.

We have noticed a similar trend among our customers.  Increasingly tiaras and jewellery for the bride to wear on the big day are being bought as wedding gifts by parents or close family members, fiancés or even bridesmaids clubbing together.

This has the double benefit of helping the couple make their wedding budget go further, whilst the bride receives a gift that she really wants.

Modern couples don’t need another toaster, and older generations such as aunts or grandparents can sometimes find choosing from a wedding list a bit impersonal.  I think offering to pay for part of the wedding attire is a fantastic way to give an extremely personal gift, and makes Great Auntie Maureen feel very proud to see her gift worn on the day.

In most cases the bride will liaise with us directly about her wedding jewellery, and the final purchase will be made on her behalf, but we have had a few cases where the gift has been a surprise.  So far, in every case the bride has been thrilled with the jewellery that was chosen for her.

Alternatively gift vouchers or bespoke packages are an option so the bride can enjoy the experience of choosing the accessories herself.

Exclusive New Bridal Jewellery Collection

We were very excited to be approached a few months ago by chic London bridal boutique Luella's Boudoir to create an exclusive range of bridal jewellery for their store.

Our team met with Rachel who owns the boutique for a briefing session, where we looked at their wedding dresses and other accessories, talked about the type of woman who shops at Luella's, and brainstormed creative ideas for a collection that would be like no other.

Our talented designer Charlotte got to work making the prototypes and after a few more weeks tweaking the designs we were able to take the finished collection to Rachel.  Luckily she adored it, and we got to work making the stock she needed for her fabulous launch event at One Marylebone last week.

The Starlet Collection for Luella's Boudoir is dripping in diamante, and has a mix of glamour and vintage style which is bang on trend for 2010. The designs can only be bought through Luella's Boudoir, but you can see the full range on our website here.  Let me know what you think!

Calling Young, Fashion Forward Brides

There is lots of airtime given to classic, elegant, traditional bridal looks, but what if you are a wee bit younger and looking for something a bit more now?

Take inspiration from Miley Cirus, in her relaxed tiered Sheri Bodell dress.  Get the look with loose, beached-up hair, and natural, fresh make-up.

Finish by accessorising with delicate pearl jewellery; an interesting pearl bracelet, simple pendant necklace and crystal drop earrings.