Hello again darlings. Are you well? We hope you’re safe and happy right now and that you’re ready for some uplifting stories.
I’ve long known that wedding professionals are a creative, resilient, caring and totally committed bunch of lovely individuals, but the current crisis has proved to me beyond doubt, that they’re even more amazing than I had realised.
There’s no doubt about it, wedding suppliers are finding things a little tough right now – many businesses have quite literally ground to a halt with the current blanket ban on weddings, and beyond the practical business implications of that, they’re all missing doing what they love most – working on weddings, making people happy and being part of precious and memorable days.
In the absence of ‘normal service’ however, talented wedding professionals everywhere are doing things differently . They’re pivoting to a new way of working, a new way of helping and a new way of trying to make things lovely for those around them and especially those on the ‘front line’.
Here are just a few stories from some wonderful wedding businesses that we’re sharing in the hope they lift your spirits and make you smile.
Please give these guys a follow, a like and show some love and support if you can. They’’ll appreciate this more than you could possibly imagine, I promise you.
Bridal Boutiques Creating NHS Scrubs
Flic Jackson of Jean Jackson Couture + Follow
“Whilst business is evidentially tough, we are in some ways doing more work than ever. We came across a group called ‘For The Love of Scrubs’, and we wanted to help. We have access to clean, functional industrial sewing machines, so it was a no brainer that we were doing this.”
“My grandad used to have a factory that made garments for hospitals but sadly it was closed down as they were unable to compete with the prices of offshore factories.”
“My grandma (Jean) used to make all the patterns for David so before we knew it, Jean had already come up with a size chart and had made patterns up to a size XXL. We have already made up a few pairs but we are waiting on a delivery of polycotton to make more.”
Virtual Wedding Dress Appointments
Flic Jackson of Jean Jackson Couture + Follow
“In regards to the studio, we now have the option to offer virtual appointments – I even have a Britney Spears type headset for these ?. I understand it’s difficult to choose a dress without trying it on but unfortunately we are just having to adapt because this situation is far from ideal. We had a number of brides who were due to see us for appointments to choose dresses later this year but sadly were unable to visit.”
“For this reason we have started an online sale where there are a selection of dresses available for immediate purchase so that nobody will be without a dress or have to worry about order timings. For our poor brides whose weddings have been postponed, we have created a Facebook group where they can chat and share ideas – we hope that this provides some comfort.”
“We miss our beautiful studio so much but we are so grateful for all the support and love that we have been shown. We will all get through this together one day at a time.”
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Courtyard Bridal Boutique + Follow
“We’re really missing the boutique and interacting with brides. We have been posting positive stories on Instagram and Facebook to keep our interaction with the brides but miss actually talking. So, for all our ‘new’ brides we can’t meet over the next few weeks, we have decided to offer virtual appointments.”
“Brides can schedule an appointment with us both and we will invite them to our ‘zoom meeting’. We are absolutely encouraging having a gin, wine or cup of tea to hand during this appointment! We want to hear all about the bride’s plans for her big day including details of the venue, colour scheme and ideas on flowers and table centres etc.”
“We use Zoom as we can ‘share screen’ to go through our website with each bride and she can also show us her likes and dislikes. Then, after our probably lengthy chat (we love to talk!), our bride will have got to know us and hopefully be feeling totally re-energised about her wedding plans as well as being excited for when she can come and see us.”
“From our perspective, we will have got to know her and will have so many ideas on the styles of gowns we have in store, that she will hopefully love. So then after the appointment we will put together her own personal ‘Courtyard Edit’, which will show her the gowns we have in the boutique that we think will be perfect for her to try on when we can open the boutique again.”
“Once each bride has received this, they’re more than welcome to schedule in a second virtual meeting to discuss and let us know her thoughts. She may want to bring her mum on this appointment, or her bridesmaid – the more the merrier!”
Delivering Meals to the NHS + Key Staff
Fossil Food Catering + Follow
“We wanted to do something to help people since the beginning of the virus outbreak but the timings didn’t feel right in the beginning. We are only a wedding caterer and with a fully booked season under our belt gone to tatters in the a blink of an eye we felt like our first focus should be to look at our couples first and come up with a solution that help our couples.”
“This has settled now so our turn of focus was ‘how we can help?’ so we launched our i>Front Line Food Thank You meal delivery service. We will deliver meals every Thursday to front line and NHS workers and their families in our local area. We chose Thursday to go alongside the clap for our NHS movement, which is absolutely amazing!”
“We are not taking payment as a thank you and will be delivering the meals on the doorstep so there’s no contact needed and we’re using seasonal produce with a focus on family favourites and classic dishes, delivered hot and ready to serve so everyone involved can enjoy quality time with their families.”
“So far it has been really well responded too with over 50 people signed up this week, which is fantastic! We have received some heart-warming messages from lovely people, even nominating their friends and family who they know work really hard – it’s lovely to see so much kindness!”
From Wedding Flowers to Edible Essentials
Emma Soulsby Flowers & Magnificent Marrow + Follow
“I already have a successful floristry business, Emma Soulsby Flowers, having worked for the last 4 years creating luxury weddings and events. We have worked in some of the top venues across the UK and abroad, creating floral dreams for our clients and couples.”
“It’s been really heart-breaking over the past few weeks to see so many couples having to cancel or postpone their weddings as a result of the growing coronavirus pandemic. As with many wedding suppliers, the consequent impact on our business has been huge. However, I decided to channel my energies into something positive. I love helping people, and being able to combine my existing supply-chain contacts, delivery vans and business experience, I saw a great opportunity to be able to use my time and expertise to meet the growing need for fresh food supplies.”
“With people now having to stay at home and food stocks in limited supply, the idea for Magnificent Marrow was born. Within just a week, I’ve turned the idea into reality and am now delivering fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and eggs direct to peoples’ homes.”
“During these difficult times, we want to remove some of the stress and uncertainty from peoples’ lives with a dedicated food delivery service, ensuring your fridge is full of fresh, delicious fruit and vegetables. All deliveries are non-contact; payment is taken online and deliveries are dropped off at your doorstep (we’ll knock three times and keep 2m away).”
“We’re so excited to be bringing the freshest produce straight to peoples doors and helping them to eat well during these difficult times.”
Cake deliveries to make you smile
Tiny Sarah’s Cakes + Follow
“Like a lot of people, I’ve seen most of my weddings this year being postponed. I had already set up an e-shop to my website with cake boxes to order for yourself or as a gift, and since my weddings have been postponed I’ve focused all my efforts in this – and the number of boxes I have sent in the last few weeks has been crazy!”
“From couples ordering cake for what should have been their wedding date, or people wanting to cheer themselves up with a little treat, to people buying boxes for NHS workers and simply as gifts for people struggling mentally and physically with the lockdown – it’s been incredibly humbling. As I offer the option of adding a personal note to each box, I have been very overwhelmed (in a fabulous way) by the love and the care so many people take in each other.”
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If the thought of a virtual appointment is making you excited to get wedding dress shopping, we’ll be taking you through these in more detail next week in the company of the wonderful bridal boutiques and designers in Little Book who are offering such appointments right now.
So, if you’re missing out on trying on gowns, these personal consultations really are the next best thing and you’ll learn so when the boutiques re-open, you’ll know exactly what to look for!
Love Annabel x
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.
