And The Bride Wore.......

Hello  Hello, Happy (belated) Easter to you! and how was your long weekend? Did you choose to spend it with family and friends, whilst stuffing yourself face with masses of chocolate and your mums sunday roast? or did you take the ‘Y.O.L.O.’(You Only Live Once)principle literally and spend this four day weekend partying hard (like some people I know-who shall remain nameless… #youknowwhoyourare!) Well I spent my weekend, doing the first option, eating copious amounts of all things tasty (and bad for me) and catching up on the latest movies at the cinema – two things I love the most; food and films, so it was a great time for me!

Talking of great times, it time to introuduce our ‘Supplier of the Week’! A few weeks ago we received an invite to attend the bridal fashion showcase, for Designer Charlotte Garrett’s latest couture collection - Charlotte Garratt is a couture design studio in London, specialising in bespoke gowns designed for each individual bride. All gowns are designed and made in their London studio by Charlotte herself!

The showcase was held at the understatedly glamourous location of 30 Pavillion Road in Knightsbridge (a Searcy’s owned venue) well you know me, I never like to miss a chance to mingle with some industry lovelies, whilst drooling over a few beautiful gowns; So I of course RSVP’d ASAP! lol. Now I haven’t been to that many industry events and the few I have been to, have always been very enjoyable, but I must say that this by far has to be my favourite; the venue was stunning (if a bit conspicuous, me and one our interns Lindsay got slightly lost trying to find the place.. though maybe on hindsight this could be because we were relying on my iphone’s GPS – which we all know is ever so reliable… ahem) the supplier’s featured at the showcase were fab; we had a great time stuffing our faces with the sweet treats; ranging from sea salt and caramel popcorn to delicately decorated cookie pops (biscuits on a lollipop  ) and of course the real highlight of the night was Charlotte’s GORGEOUS Gowns!. After a quick mingle and a drink of a champagne cocktail or two, me and Lindsay settled down in our front row seats and eagerly waited for the catwalk show to commence.

And what can I say about Charlotte’s collection? it was gown after gown of silks, lace, beautiful backless detailing, there was even some feathers (which I’m now learning I’m a bit partial to! lol) I loved them all, but I fell headlong in deep love with the ‘Elizabeth’ (see below for photos) – I just loved this design, very typical of  the sleek, elegantly gowns I tend to favour and the feather detailing, just added that small touch of glamour to it! Once the show ended, I made a speedy beeline for the Charlotte; I firstly wanted to thank her for the invite and of course to gush like the fashion fiend I am, about how much I loved her new collection. Charlotte was so warm and personable and she very nicely agreed to let me do a feature on her and her beautiful gowns! So on that note, enough from me and let me leave you to hear all about Charlotte’s design career, what inspire’s her creations and what makes this designer so special:

My Inspiration:

“I find inspiration for my gowns from many places but primarily from historical garments and architecture. I love visiting the V&A to view their marvellous collection of historical gowns and clothing, and am fascinated by the wide range of intricate architecture to be found in every London street. Having started my design career with corsetry they still play a key part in many of my designs, again this comes from a historical element, from Elizabethan to Edwardian corsets themselves have a long evolution and fashion all their own.”

 Our Unique Selling Point:

“Charlotte Garratt is a design studio, we are not a boutique. We do not stock racks and racks of dresses, but cater to each individual brides needs and wants in a creative, design-lead environment. I offer a personal one to one shopping experience for each of my brides to visit fabric stockists together and plan their gown as part of a fun, tangible experience. Shoes and accessories can also be made to match our dress designs, offering a complete, head to toe bespoke service.”

 My Favourite piece:

“One of my favourite designs is actually one of my first bridal gowns. I wanted to create something beautiful and romantic, but also unique. With lace sleeves and a heart cut-out back feature, it has been very popular and still receives comments when brides look through my portfolio! I have found that sleeves are becoming more and more popular, lots of brides are self conscious when it comes to their arms, so this style is very suitable for current fashions”

I figured it’s enough with the talking and time to show you Charlottes new collection and the photo’s of the Bridal Showcase evening- enjoy! and let me know which one is your favourite!:

(Dresses from Top Right clockwise: ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Camille’, ‘Harriet’, ‘Grace’ ‘Natalia’ & ‘Katerina’ – Photoshoot credit: Dresses and Jewelery by Charlotte Garrett, Photography by Cecelina Photography, Venue: Ashdown Park Hotel, Brooch Bouquet & Stationary by The Finer Details, Hair & Make Up by Brides and Beauty)

credits: Venue: Searcy 30 Pavillion Road, Stationary & Brooch Bouquet by The finer Details, Make Up Artist and Hair by Brides and Beauty, Shoes supplied by Marshall Hall, Flowers and Styling by Essential Flowers, Music by Melissa Music, Cake Table and Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, Macarons by Chateau Macaron, Popcorn by Soda Popcorn, D.I.Y SOS Kit by Bride and Glory

credits: Venue: Searcy 30 Pavillion Road, Stationary & Brooch Bouquet by The finer Details, Make Up Artist and Hair by Brides and Beauty, Shoes supplied by Marshall Hall, Flowers and Styling by Essential Flowers, Music by Melissa Music, Cake Table and Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, Macarons by Chateau Macaron, Popcorn by Soda Popcorn, D.I.Y SOS Kit by Bride and Glory

credits: Venue: Searcy 30 Pavillion Road, Stationary & Brooch Bouquet by The finer Details, Make Up Artist and Hair by Brides and Beauty, Shoes supplied by Marshall Hall, Flowers and Styling by Essential Flowers, Music by Melissa Music, Cake Table and Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, Macarons by Chateau Macaron, Popcorn by Soda Popcorn, D.I.Y SOS Kit by Bride and Glory

To find out more about Charlotte and her wonderful gowns, you can find her on:

Web: http://www.charlottegarratt.co.uk/

Twitter: @C_Bridal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteBridal

As you can see from the photo’s it really was great night and I definitely wasn’t complaining about the goodie bag’s given out to guests at the end of the evening;I must say  big thank you to Charlotte, as they were filled to the brim with all sorts of FAB  give aways! amongst all the many treats,  included a very stylish Debretts Diary; very nice, two thumbs from me!

I hope you enjoyed todays post as much as I did that evening, I look forward seeing the lovely Charlotte and her Beautiful gowns at the next Bridal Showcase  Tune in again this Friday for the 2nd post of the week – its all about my team at ‘Stylish Events‘ and how our ‘Life Of A Wedding Planner’ course has helped fellow aspiring Event Planners on their career paths! but until then my lovelies….

Stay Blessed and we’ll speak again soon!

xx

**For more bridal inspiration why not head over to my blog and pinterest!**