On Thursday this week, I had the huge pleasure of spending time with the Jasper Conran Bridal team, following a personal invitation to attend the exquisite Jasper Conran Sackville Street boutique in the heart of London. I spent the morning of the same day with the immensely talented Phillipa Lepley – one of London's leading couture bridal wear designers, and a name that has been mentioned in the same sentence as 'royal wedding dress', on more than one occasion {though Phillipa told me exclusively this week that she has not landed the design job of the century}.
I feel truly privileged to have had this opportunity and am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you soon. For today however, I wanted to reflect on my thoughts of the past two days since my London trip.
I was expecting for the conversation with the super welcoming and really very lovely Jasper Conran bridal team, {who won me over in an instant with tea and macarons in pretty pastel shades}, to be focused largely around wedding dresses, bridal wear trends, which fabrics were going to be hot next season, that kind of thing. And indeed, we talked about these things, but what we ended up talking about more, were blogs, and bloggers – and their huge and increasing influence, particularly in the UK wedding and fashion industries.
The Jasper Conran team are a savvy bunch who are very aware of the benefits of online social media and are using it to their best ability to help market the brand (Mr Conran has a well designed, informative and regularly updated website and blog, and is also utilising Twitter and Facebook). What took me quite by surprise however, was their interest in what I do as a blogger and the role and influence of Love My Dress.
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Imagery Copyright (c) 2011 and Supplied by kind courtesy of Jasper Conran
I don't think the enormity of that quite hit me until I got home and was conducting some more research for my piece on Conran, and found this interview he participated in with the brilliant (and anonymous) fashion blogger, Disneyrollergirl…
"Bloggers are making their own magazines, so voila, you can have your own empire. I think it's just beginning to dawn on people that blogging is business and we are very aware here that times are changing all the time. We’re anxious to keep up with that and be informed and be able to react to it."
I have spent the past 48 hours reflecting on this and I still have to pinch myself to realise it.
Love My Dress is amongst a group of UK wedding blogs that the industry is really beginning to take note of. This fills me with pride and excitement, but fear and pressure in equal measure. Knowing that so many people out there are paying so much attention means I can't slack on this project. It's the real deal. But it reminds me too of what a hugely privileged position I'm in; I get to regularly share the most beautiful weddings with my readers (something I will never, ever tire of) and I also have a powerful platform that I can use to help raise the profile of smaller and/or independent brands who might otherwise struggle to get the exposure. And on a personal level, this is hugely important to me and worth all the late nights 🙂
For the record, I adore this wedding blog with a passion and LOVE the opportunities it provides to work with and support so many brilliant people. It takes a huge level of commitment and hard work keeping these pages updated – it isn't easy, but it is most definitely a labour of love. If I could make the equivalent of a Girl Guide's oath to honour my commitment to this blog, I would. For now, you'll just have to accept that 'I promise to do my best to fill my duty as a Wedding Blogger, to help promote the talent of industry colleagues and make Love My Dress a trusted and respected online resource for daily bridal inspiration'… 🙂
Taken from the same Disneyrollergirl interivew with Jasper Conran….
"{blogging} allows the public to become the editors and that is right and proper. Because the public go with what they like, rather than being told what they're going to like. It's wonderful that people are being discovered by the public without having to be a superbrand."
I salute you Mr Conran, for being amongst the first of the luxury brands in bridal wear to give recognition and support to what we as 'Wedding Bloggers' are working hard to achieve and the impact our efforts are now having across the wedding industry.
Have a super lovely Sunday everyone – pop a comment in the box below to share your thoughts – it would be great to get some dialogue going around your thoughts on wedding blogs. You might also want to read the Love My Dress 2010 Reader Survey results here – they make statistics look chic and elegant. Really 🙂
Much love,
Annabel xXx
♥
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Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
We love your blog and we trust what you write. You deserve all this recognition and more. I personally can see how hard you work on LMD. You go girl!!!
Sass xxxxxxxx
Thank you 🙂 xXx
Thanks for posting such an interesting and thought provoking piece, I never buy bridal magazines yet it is my business and therefore I ‘should’ I suppose.
After reading up on all the latest blogs it Strikes me that the blog sites are so much more up to date with trends than the magazines ever will be due to the constant searching of great bloggers such as yourself.
New up and coming designers would never get the kind of platform available to them through magazines and without blog sites they may never be recognised for the work they do!
Thankyou for providing such a valuable service to designers, brides and all other wedding related industries. XxX
I love Jasper Conran..actually one of my favourite designers to be honest…
Being a new up and coming bridal design company, blogs for us give us a huge opportunity to show the world our services and products. It costs a fortune to advertise through the standard magazines and the blogs for me are the way forward and feature quite heavily in our marketing strategy.
LMD is for me one of the best in the world never mind the UK and I thank you Annabel for all your hard work in making this blog the best there is. I know how little you sleep lady !!!!
xxxxxx
Totally agree the wedding blogs (especially LMD) are so important to the new wedding creatives. I for one am so appreciative of the support you’ve given. I have no idea how you have the time to put together and post such great daily articles. Xx
Thank you for such an interesting post (I LOVE this Sunday series BTW!) Blogs are a powerful marketing tool, not just within the wedding industry but in many, many areas. I first found my way into blogging through beauty blogs. Within this area the brands have really figured out how to work with bloggers to their advantage. I really think they now wield more influence than magazines.
The same can definitely be said of wedding blogs. I haven’t bought a wedding mag in months (not since we first became engaged back in June) yet I check my favourite wedding blogs up to 3 times a day! I have already made 2 major purchases as a direct result of posts on LMD from companies that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise (our Save The Date cards from GoGoSnap Designs on Etsy and my head band from Magpie Vintage).
I truly love your blog Annabel, the passion and hard work you put in shows in every single post and you never fail to inspire me on a daily basis! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I kind of dream about having my own wedding featured on these pages! Oh, that it might be beautiful enough for that!!
Loveaudrey xxx
This is a really interesting post Annabel. Blogs are hugely powerful in this modern age of social media and, with so much competition out there, you deserve this amazing recognition. Your dedication and passion shines through on each post and that’s why LMD is at the top.
You’ll continue to fly Mrs and you deserve every success!! Look forward to reading more about your London trip xx
I really like this series too…can’t beat a good bit of reflection time!
I bought one wedding magazine when we first became engaged and found it totally useless as it assumed everyone has a similar format to their wedding. I LOVE all the fresh ideas on LMD – it gives you the confidence to plan your day the way you dream of it AND the reassurance that it’s ok not to follow convention!
As a result of some of the beautiful, inspiring weddings on here we’re not having a cake, I’m not having a veil, a friend is making my dress, I have a quirky ‘crown’, we’re not having speeches or flowers…we’re (hopefully) having a lovely, relaxing day with our nearest and dearest with no pressure!
Well done Annabel for all your hard work – it’s very much appreciated by us avid readers and I’m sure many of us will continue to visit long after we’re married!
Thank you 🙂
What helpful and interesting feedback everyone! Thanks so much for having taken the time. I hugely value your comments and am pleased that the reaction to this piece hasn’t been negative (difficult to know sometimes whether readers will respond to a reflective piece as intended).
I adored wedding mags when I was planning my wedding, but blogs like this one just weren’t around at the time. I’d have saved s amall fortune and been so much more inspired had they have been 🙂
I hope you do continue to visit Sarah, that would be lovely 🙂
Have a lovely day everyone.
xXx
I completely agree with Sarah, I bought a couple of wedding mags in the early days of planning my wedding but they were full of quite dated ideas, plus everything was the same and followed the same formula.
Love My Dress opened up a new and beautiful world to me. It’s given me so many ideas and helped me find suppliers along the way.
I also read a couple of other wedding blogs but LMD stands out from the crowd I can say hand on heart that this is the only blog I will still be following after my wedding.
I’m a second time bride, when I was married the first time there were no blogs around, just magazines, so I have also known a wedding world without them – all I can say is thank you!!! 🙂 x
I couldn’t agree more with what everyone above has said. This is a very high quality blog (great content, obvious commitment to it) and I love how you profile the small, as well as the larger suppliers. The real wedding posts I just adore too.
Keep this up, you will long be successful if you carry on as you have been so far.
Kayt x
Great article and you’re right its Fab that so many people are now realiing the power of blogs.my only gripe however is that a lot of these companies will subsequently just expect free coverage / advertising from us.its great to have the backing of big brands like this but at the end of the day, who’s really supporting who?
As a photographer it never even crossed my mind to look anywhere else but the blogs to find our ideal couples. There is the ability to target much more specifically your dream couple, for example we adore LMD readers because we know they are not just modern day brides and grooms who are embracing new technologies and trends like blogs, but they also appreciate the timeless beauty that LMD features. I feel confident as a blog sponsor that I get exposure with exactly the kind of couples I want, something much harder to do with offline material which by it’s nature is much broader.
So thank you Annabel, for supporting businesses such as ours and providing such an awesome platform for us, and continually producing the best posts to attract the best readers!
xo
Ps. I am posting this from my iPhone, in bed, so apologies for any terrible spelling mistakes!
What really hit the nail on the head was this quote:
“”{blogging} allows the public to become the editors and that is right and proper. Because the public go with what they like, rather than being told what they’re going to like.”
So true.
My sister and I were recently discussing the ‘smaller business’ side of blogging and that is really important too. In times past, magazines would promote big names and smaller local suppliers stayed just that. With blogs like yours, smaller suppliers whose USP IS that they are handcrafted, unique and often one artisan’s work get the coverage they deserve. It really opens up the market and enables people to be creative and source exactly what they want, supporting businesses with a ‘real person’ at the helm and it’s a case of choosing, not being told what they like by a magazine (which may or may not be biased towards certain suppliers…).
Think you’re doing a great job Annabel.
What I love about blogs and in particular this one, is how addictive they are. Real time inspiration!
A constant supply of relevant and informative beauty that keeps the wedding industry on it’s toes & gives future brides something to aspire to, as well as endless inspiration.
I check back religiously everyday to see what beauty you have featured and also your articles that you have written.
I think there will always be a place for magazines, as a bride to be I just couldn’t get enough inspiration and bought every single wedding mag every month as well as my daily blog fix, so for me the wedding mag will never die out but more to the point gain a bit of healthy competition.
Love and respect as always!
Natalie
x x
I totally agree that we are living within ‘the social media’ generation and that it is wonderful that Brides can get up to date information through blogs like your’s as well as information about not only the ‘big’ suppliers but the smaller ones too.
You are doing an absolute amazing job Annabel and I must visit your blog every day. xxxx
Great post Annabel. I think one of the reasons blogs work so well for the wedding world is the nature of the readers – they are always evolving as newly engaged brides join the fun, they contribute lots of fresh ideas through submissions, and inspire new ideas for the next round of brides to be. Although magazines will always have the same changing readership blogs are able to respond so much more quickly. Blogs are a constant breeding ground for us wedding obsessives!
I don’t think blogs will catch on.
Only kidding, blogs are awesome and I think a big trend in 2011/2012 will be blogs engaging in micro-publishing (digimags and print on demand). Print is far from dead.
Everything you wrote in this post is so very very true! Even though I’m a bride anymore, but I absolutely love looking through wedding blogs to get inspiration and I recommend them to every couple whose wedding I get to photograph. I know sometimes they have loads of ideas but i can be hard and daunting to put them to practice and find all the suppliers – blog provide huuuge help in this regard. So keep em beautiful features coming and you should be totally proud of inspiring and helping so many brides 😉
x
Good point Kat – will be interesting to see how things unfold over time.
Another excellent point Andrew – and may I say it was a delight to meet you today! We must get together as Bloggers to support each other and talk about the challenges and decisions we are facing, that would be fabulous 🙂
xXx
Hi Annabel,
As everybody else has said, I love what you and the other wedding bloggers are creating. This is indeed a different time in utilising social media, and I am very happy that the big companies are beginning to realise that.
It’s also so important to have honest ‘you’ style posts and this one really makes me admire you as a person 🙂
Love, CC
Strangely, I was asked recently by an undergraduate in Events Management what role I thought the media has in wedding planning and I mentioned LOADS about blogs.
They are definitely more powerful than the printed press because they are so much more personal – the reader feels really connected to the blogger so the blogger’s opinion counts for so much more.
Plus, it is free for the reader, and updated all the time so there is so much content on blogs for a bride!
So well done Annabel – keep up the hard work – but don’t let the power go to your head 😉
Mine was about finding a place just for the negative
http://positivecomplaining.blogspot.com/2011/01/wedding-part-one.html
I also enjoy the odd wedding blog even though I wouldn’t go through it again
Hi Isabel, I love your comment, I really do, and I’m so glad you made, it, because one thing I try really hard NOT to do with Love My Dress is come over as some kind of narcissist.
I was with a colleague of mine today – my Wedding Photographer actually. She won’t mind me saying this I know, but my wedding photographs have been very helpful in securing her new business – I mention my Photographer via my blog, I post on blogs – those links are picked up by Brides to be who think ‘aha, I like those photos!’ and voila. Anyway, the point I was going to make was, my Photographer actually asked me today (with a tongue in her cheek, of course) if I felt ‘famous’, with all this attention focussed on my blog. She was being humorous of course, but, No way! I am all about keeping it real. I don’t want any kind of personal notoriety with my blog. That’s not what I’m about. I simply want Love My Dress to be a highly respected online resource for bridal inspiration.
So no, I won’t be letting anything get to my head and I have the upmost respect for all forms of media that represent the wedding industry.
I’ll not deny being very proud of Love My Dress however, or that I am honoured to be a part of this blogging movement and occasionally, you might find me celebrating that fact – minus any big head, of course 🙂
Much love,
Annabel xXx
I am addicted to blog yours and rock ‘n’ roll bride primarily – love them, they offer something totally real (written from your hearts) and fresh (fab content) and give me all I need in terms of wedding inspiration.
L x
As a photographer I am just starting to realise the importance of blogs and this one gives out so much fabulous information. My clients love being featured on blogs, it makes them feel special.
Thank you for all your efforts in writing this blog and for sharing with us such an interesting article!
Nicky
Your blog is lovely and quite worth reading. Social media is truly creating a level playing field for all where
the cream will rise to the top.
This subject is of particular relevence to me right now. I have been designing and making Wedding dresses for a long time, just quietly getting on with my own thing quite separate from the main stream and other like minded folk. This has all changed for me now that we have the incredible platform that a blog offers to new or smaller businesses. I actually think that what is happening is quite radical and brings back the power to the people ( sounds corny I know)we all can participate to an extent, certainly if not on the blogs then facebook and twitter allows for our voices ( or work) to be recognised.
I love to read Love My Dress blog, I have met a few people now who are mentioned or participate on LMDB thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of Annabel putting a few of us together giving it a good stir! A perfect mix of creativity on the fabulous and creative photo shoot yesterday. Alex Beadon was like a little streak of lightening darting about completely in her element. I cannot wait to see her pictures.
Well done Annabel.
He he @ Andrew!
I much prefer a blog to a magazine now. Sounds daft, but to me, there’s so much more movement in the images you see on screen than in print. Buying a few magazines when you first get engaged is a rite of passage but after that I think many brides realise there’s not much point. Each magazine is removing almost a fiver form your purse each time – just think how much you could put towards you budget! Certainly enough for a pretty piece of jewellery…
Keep up the excellent work, Annabel. One of the things I love about LMD is that I know every wedding you feature here will be beautiful.
x
What a fantastic and refreshing post. I fell into the world of blogland as a vendor a few moons ago and it has indeed had a massive impact on my little ol’ stationery business. What I love more than anything is the feeling of a community, sharing ideas, and the passion, commitment and love you give to all your sponsors. I for one will be with you for as long as my little studio keeps shining…..
Much love Annabel.
xxxxxx
Hi Annabel,
I know I’m a bit late with the comment and will probably repeat what others have said, but this is a great article. And one that you might have read on a wedding blog from the USA a couple of years ago. It’s great to see this industry take off in the UK. Blogs are (should be) written from the heart and honest, as well as dynamic, and that’s what readers – especially brides to be, want.- You’re doing a fab job (your latest stats show that)- stay true to your readers. Your’re a great inspiration to newbie bloggers like me 🙂 x
As a bride to be who has been scouring blogs for the past 4 months, all I can say is I have obtained a huge wealth of knowledge from blogs like Love My Dress (my fave by the way) that I don’t think I’d have found in the magazines. I do buy the odd magazine but find myself discarding them quickly because they are, sadly so full of regurgitated ideas. I wish you very well in taking LMD forward because it is so obvious how much it means to you and how much you do this to help others. I’m a big fan and tell all my girly friends about it. Probably a bit sad I know :-]
Hi Modupe 🙂
Thanks for your comment. Can you provide a web address for the US blog article? I have not seen it and would be very interested to read it.
I love the US blogs but get very little time to dip into them unfortunately {must do something about that!}. Being a Mum of 2 young little girls and then this blog zaps most of my time. Of course I spend most of my day trying to be the perfect wife also (failing miserably in the kitchen, I hasten to add). Hehehe! 😉
Thanks so much again 🙂
Annabel xXx
One thing I didn’t add to my feature was a reference to my personal experience with small businesses and trying to ‘make it’ and raise your profile. It’s easier to do this these days with formats like blogs, and online social networking opportunities via Twitter, Facebook and the like.
This article hear explains my experience:-
https://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2009/11/being-married-to-a-fashion-designer.html
Because of what I went through with my Husband (when there were no online social networking opportunities like there are now), I am really very dedicated to wanting to help others that find themselves in a similar position to that my Husband was in a few years back – because I now have a platform to provide that support, it is personally very important to me that I do assist, wherever I can.
I know how important any positive exposure can be to the small business and I feel so thrilled to be able to provide some form of help to those small businesses doing amazing things in the UK wedding industry.
xXx
I’m a long time reader but have never commented, but wanted to let you know, how this post touched me. Your dedication and personal touch is what keeps me coming back. I love looking at what other photographers are shooting, inspiration can come from anywhere. Blogs are super powerful, and what I like about your blog, is that you tend to showcase a wide range of people and products, keeping the ideas fresh and interesting, rather than the same top people in their profession. keep up the amazing work, x.
I adore this blog. It’s my daily fix. So refreshing, so pretty, so personal, so full of inspiration and fabulous ideas. I love a good magazine but gave up on the wedding magazines yonks ago. I know this article isn’t about giving up on wedding magazines but it has reminded me how much value a blog delivers to it’s readers, for free.
I’d love to see more DIY features on Love My Dress. I’d love to contribute too as I’ve been really hands on DIY for my wedding so far.
Hi Annabel – you and me both! I have 2 kiddos (the ladt is just 2 months old!) and trying to be a good wifey!
I didn’t mean that there was an actual blog post, but rather that is the kind of post one might have seen in the US…this is what I mean…
http://backstage.stylemepretty.com/2009/10/bye-bye-glossies/
Modupe
x
Meant to say ‘the last is just 2 months old’
interesting read indeed, i agree with what others say, times are a changing and the best of the blogs will rise to the top. lmd will def be one of them. good luck annabel, not that you need it xxxx
I fully agree – as Bloggers we the opportunity to create our own empire, thanks to our passion and readers.
Annabel … thank you for this insightful post. I recently wrote an article on the importance of blogging, obviously from a photographers’ point of view, but I think all the same ideas and principles apply to what you have written here.
The power blogs have cannot be underestimated. Brides of today lead busy lives and need easy access to information … and here is where blogs come in to their own. This is instant information, updated regularly a bride can be assured you (as a wedding supplier) are producing work that is consistent from week to week, that you are still in business (something very important in this economic climate) and that you are busy.
I don’t envy you the task that you have created for yourself, Annabel … this is a huge responsibility, ensuring future brides have enough choice and inspiration for their day, ensuring they have a good array of quality suppliers to choose from. I think what you have created here is awesome and long may it continue. Kudos to you.
One final thought … having been featured on your blog on a number of occasions, I have to thank you for the exposure, both for myself and for my clients who were THRILLED to be featured. It is an honour for us and not to be sniffed at 🙂
Keep up the good work, Annabel xx
Gill, I can’t thank you enough for this! It’s always a pleasure to work with you 🙂
Thanks everyone else for contributing to this piece, your comments are invaluable and reflective of the changes we are now witnessing taking place in the wedding industry and how powerful a tool online social media is in supporting this industry 🙂
Much love all,
Annabel xXx
As a wedding professional it’s my duty to keep up with “trends” and up to a couple of years ago my first point of contact would have always been the bridal magazines-quite an expensive way to keep up with the industry! Now, I always go to the UK bridal blogs for inspiration and to feature my work whereas before it was only the U.S sites that held my interest. If only there were UK wedding blogs as inspiring as this when I got married!
Proud of what you’ve achieved Bel-keep at it!
Wedding Blogs aren’t the future; they are the present. Very interesting and well written piece Annabel, thank you.
After blogging for 6 years, i have seen a huge change in the way that brides research inspiration for their wedding.
My blog really is used by brides and other vendors alike and has replaced all of my previous print advertising.
Great comment Peter and really good to hear of your positive experience with blogging.
And Tiffany, thank you so much 🙂
xXx
Thanks Julia, really appreciate your feedback 🙂
xXx
Really interesting article x
Anyway, road was chosen by oneself! Once you’ve tried your best, never regret!
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strange, i was just talking about this with my boyfriend the other night —
especially with the new i-pad that will supposedly “save magazines”.
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