Monday 14 November 2016

North West Wedding Accessory Designer 2017!

I won!!!

And I haven't stopped smiling since the announcement was made at a glittering awards event at Mitton Hall in Lancashire on Tuesday November 8th!

As usual, The Wedding Industry Awards pulled out all the stops for their annual awards bash...

Mitton Hall was awash with wedding loveliness, as the industry's finest turned out, resplendent in gorgeous gowns, and sassy suits, to enjoy cocktails, canapes, and wedding chat, ahead of the nerve wracking awards announcements.



Each category was hotly contested, with the region's best battling it out for those coveted Wedding Industry Awards pins and trophies.



The unveiling of the winners was met with whoops, high fives, tears, hugs, and exuberant on stage antics (yes, that's you Fun Time Frankies - winner of the Best Wedding Band).




This award means A LOT, being as it is, one of the few that is awarded on the basis of specific feedback from brides who have used your service in the last 12 months. And having won my category in 2016, I really felt that it was a high bar that I needed to reach to do the same again this year.

The rush of excitement, and emotion I felt when the winner of North West Wedding Industry Awards, Wedding Accessory Designer of 2017 was announced as Glorious Tiaras, meant I don't really remember going up on to the stage to collect my award, but the pictures show that I did!!!







I really am so very grateful to all the Glorious brides who voted for me. It's now on to the national Wedding Industry Awards ceremony in London on January 12th 2017, where one amazing accessory designer will be crowned the best in the land, but for now, I've got some Glorious accessories to make for next year's brides...



Wednesday 31 August 2016

The Rossetti bridal hair accessory collection


It is with great pride that on September 1st 2016, I launch the brand new, 16 piece, Rossetti collection of bridal hair accessories from Glorious Tiaras!

Inspired by the art of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, the Rossetti bridal accessory collection features key themes from the art movement - those of nature, and women as Goddesses.

Celeste Hair Comb

Whilst most elements of a bride's day need to be fixed a considerable length of time before the big day, a hair accessory is one of the few items that can have a certain amount of flexibility to it, and if chosen carefully, can be worn to embellish everything from a relaxed 'undone' wedding day hairstyle, to perfect plaits, a chic chignon, to a classic pleat, with or without veil, and even worn again after the wedding day.

With this increased demand for versatility in mind, the Rossetti collection has been designed to feature combs, hair vines, and pins, that can be worn through the hair, along a plait, around a chignon, at the back of the head, to the side, on their own, or as a collection for greater impact.

Each piece within the collection harnesses the fluid lines found in our natural environment, and features dramatic, sweeping diamante headpieces that frame the face to perfection, alongside romantic, flowing hair vines embellished with French beaded feathers, flowers, and fresh water pearls. The delicate hair pins can be worn by the bride or as a complimentary piece, by her bridesmaids, and the classic vintage Vogue style fascinator looks amazing worn by the bride, or if designed using a bolder colour, by the mother of the bride or groom.

The Rossetti collection works equally for brides looking to choose pretty accessories that work in a relaxed boho styled wedding day, or those looking for a hair accessory that embellishes a more dramatic, goddess like look.

And, as with all of my designs, the Rossetti bridal hair accessory collection uses high-end components such as Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls and silver lined seed beads, and an attention to detail that my inspiration, Dante Rossetti, used to such greatly admired, and timeless effect in his art work.

Pieces start from £30 for an individual pin, to £190.00 for the large headpieces.

Hair and make up for the accessory photo shoot are by Hair by Amy at Hush Lounge and Gemma at Dollface Makeup Studio in Cheshire.

Photography is by Richard Buck Photography, Cheshire

Dress is by Ellis Bridals, and was supplied for the photo shoot by Isaac Charles Bridal in Cheshire.

Our model is the beautiful Holly Cartlidge.

The divine, dove grey, armchair was provided by Deja Vu, Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Celeste Hair Pin

Aveline Hair Vine


Aveline Hair Vine


Greta Hair Vine


Greta Hair Vine


Greta Hair Vine
































Monday 29 August 2016

A wonderful woodland wedding shoot



I love being involved in a styled wedding shoot, especially when all I have to do is turn up on the day, meet lots of nice wedding industry people, and do a few refreshment runs!

So, I was delighted to be asked by Becca, of Knutsford plus size bridal boutique Edith & Winston, to provide some of my Glorious hair accessories for her Heaton House Farm shoot.

I've admired Edith & Winston's product shoots featuring the uber glamorous model, Georgina Horne, for a few months, and am very proud to be a Heaton House Farm recommended supplier, so this shoot was set up to be a joy before I'd even boxed up the accessories.

On the day, the hits just kept coming....

Super talented photographer Stephen McGowan, also turned out to be a good laugh (always a bonus),  make up artist Kerry Baker, was a riot! And models Nancy Whittington-Coates and Nic Pollard were top lasses to talk tattoos and hair pieces with.


The shoot made the most of the beautiful natural environment, including the lush English woodland and breath taking Peak District views that surround Heaton House Farm; complimented by beautiful floral arrangements from Knutsford Bloom and strings of romantic festoon lights from Love Lights the Way

AND we had an owl!!! Can't believe how chilled out Eric the owl was, surrounded by lights, lenses, dresses & models, but he was just like "meh, wedding shoot, medding shoot..."!

I cannot wait to see the final edit for this shoot, but if recent form is anything to go by - Stephen McGowan Photography has just been voted as the 15th best wedding photographer in the UK by Your Perfect Wedding Photographer, whilst a stunning collaboration between Stephen McGowan and Edith & Winston has been featured on the cover of Pretty Pear Bride magazine - the results are going to be well worth waiting for.


Friday 6 May 2016

A sweet styled wedding shoot

I absolutely love being involved in a styled wedding shoot!

Why? Well, first and foremost there's the fun of the day itself. A lot of planning, Facebook messaging, Pinterest board pinning, supplier contacting, emailing, and phone calling should go into a good styled shoot, so when the day finally comes around it's the chance to meet up with all those people you've been 'talking' to for weeks, and with all hands on deck, spend the day making your plans into reality.




 Then there's the chance to see other professionals at work. This gives me great insight into someone's style, attitude, and the quality of what that they do, meaning that when it comes to recommending my colleagues to couples, I do so with complete confidence.


Then there's the results of everyone's collaborative hard work - the pictures! A good styled shoot usually bears profits for all involved as everyone gets something exciting, interesting, and good to look at, to talk about on social media, on their blogs, and in print.



This Manchester shoot, devised by Chelsea and Victoria, was totally sweet to work on!

I'd already admired Chelsea Shoesmith's photography after one of my brides had used her to capture her day, so was delighted when Chelsea approached me to ask me if I'd be interested in this sweetie themed studio shoot to take place at The Pie Factory studios in Salford Quays. Chelsea was particularly after a confectionary themed bouquet to compliment the sugary sweet make-up and styling for the shoot. It's good to be stretched to do something different, and my Liquorice Allsorts bouquet is certainly that!



The day was full of laughs, high drama (as we got chased by security guards for naively thinking we could take pictures anywhere within the Salford Quays complex without needing to apply for a permit...) and hot chocolate. That and these exciting styled wedding pics, mean that this is a day that will stay with me for a long time, with Chelsea and Victoria being ladies I would love to work with again.



Photography: Chelsea Shoesmith
Hair and Make Up: Victoria Shoesmith
Model: Samantha Gregmar
Bouquet: Glorious Tiaras
Dress: 7th Heaven Bridal
Balloons: Balloon Ur Room
Roller Boots: Roller Jems

Friday 8 April 2016

How to order your bespoke bridal hair accessory

For many of you, choosing your hair accessory is a simple as browsing the different options online, clicking a button on the keyboard, and waiting excitedly to receive something Glorious through the post. If that's you, then head this way!

www.glorioustiaras.co.uk



But if you're keen to have a hair accessory that is unique to you, something that you've had a hand in designing, you're probably one of the brides that asks me my most commonly asked question:


"How do I go about getting you to make something for me?"

  • Book a consultation with your chosen designer/s - Consultations are usually in person, over the phone, via email or other messaging service, and some designers, like me, offer Skype consultations.
  • Set your budget - Very often it's the elephant in the room, but if you speak to your accessory designer about how much you want to spend on your headpiece at the start of the consultation process, then you do away with the possibility of that embarrassing moment when you have to say that the piece you've just spent half an hour discussing, and falling in love with, is too expensive. As a guide, you can expect to spend from £80 - £280 on a hair accessory, dependent on it's size, intricacy, and value of the components used in it's making. Also, ask about payment options. Designers work differently, but personally, I require a 20% deposit to start work on your accessory, with the final balance due on completion. I also offer payment by instalments, invoicing you an agreed amount across a period of months.
  • Share your ideas - Pinterest is your friend! If you're using Pinterest to gather inspiration for your wedding, share your hair style, hair accessory, or wedding theme boards with your designer. A good designer will be able to see straight away if your look leans towards boho, vintage, city chic, modern, classic, rustic, festival, alternative, or fairytale, and will be able to suggest accessories styles that would suit that look


  • Get the dress - Don't start accessorising until you've chosen your wedding dress. Your accessories are the icing on the cake, the things that raise your look to the next level. Colour clashes can look fun, and contemporary, fluid lines look organic and natural, crystals enhance a glamorous gown. Again, if you're unsure, your designer can guide you.
  • It's all in the detail - If you have pictures of your dress, and any detailing on the bodice, sleeves or overskirt, share those pictures with your designer. If the lace on your dress carries a floral, or leaf design, it may be nice for your hair accessory to build, compliment and enhance that design. If your gown is fairly plain, then you can go to town with your accessories. Likewise, if you have a lot of sequin and crystal embellishment on your bodice, you might want to keep the accessories relatively simple. A good designer will talk you through some ideas.
  • Have some hair ideas - Again Pinterest is great for gathering wedding hair inspiration! If you have a collection of pictures, be they online, in a magazine, or simply in your head, be sure to show/discuss them with your designer. Looser styles work really well with hair vines and combs, more formal styles look stunning topped off with a more classic piece a la Kate Middleton's tiara.
  • Try a few different styles on - If you have the luxury of meeting your designer face to face, either at a wedding fair, or at a consultation, make the most use of that time by trying a few different styles on, I guarantee that you'll surprise yourself! So many of my brides have told me that they definitely don't want a 'traditional' tiara, or a gold accessory, or something with pearls in it, and yet once they've tried that very style on they change their minds. Much like trying on wedding dresses, it's often very hard to visualise what it is that is best going to compliment your hair colour / face shape / where you want to wear your accessory
  • Think about what you're accessorising - Talk to your designer about what you want your hair accessory to work alongside. Is it to compliment a veil? If you're wearing a headpiece with a veil, think about that point in the day when you remove your veil. How will your accessory look then? Do you want your hair accessory to accentuate your overall theme? Hollywood glamour? Great Gatsby? Disney fairytale? Rustic? Vintage?
  • Think about the bridal 'team' - Do you want your bridesmaids to have hair accessories that compliment, or contrast with our own? A simpler version of your theme often looks effective. Or pieces that tie in with your look, be that Grecian, floral, pearl, or crystal. It's often fun to bring one or all of your bridesmaids along to your consultation. They can take pictures of you wearing different hair accessories for future reference. They can share the fun of the 'girly try on', and they can have some input into what they would feel excited about wearing.
  • Let your designer know your wedding date, and don't delay in booking them if your wedding is less than 6-7 months away! Accessories are often one of the last things that brides organise. However, designers get very busy during 'wedding season', April - August, and usually ask for around 4-6 weeks to complete your order. If you've seen their work, checked their client feedback, and are happy with the ideas from your consultation, then give them your date, and book them to start work!





Wednesday 30 March 2016

Hair band or hair comb?


The Sofia headpiece was one of my 2015 best sellers. Hand crafted using Swarovski crystal navettes, the version of Sofia filmed in this short video was designed using crisp, white pearls, and set on an ivory satin wrapped hair band. Our bands can be wrapped in a choice of ivory, chestnut or black ribbon, to blend in with your hair colour. This way the band is disguised with the emphasis being solely on the accessory itself.

I'm often asked if I could set this design on a hair comb, and whilst I could, I would advise against an accessory of this size and weight being set on a comb, as it would take some serious scaffolding from your hair dresser to hold it securely in place! What I do recommend for brides who love the versatility of a headpiece set on a comb, and who adore Sofia, is that they opt for a slightly scaled down version of the Sofia headpiece. A smaller version, using smaller navettes, has just as much impact, without the risk of her ending up on the dance floor after an energetic first dance!

http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/wedding-accessory-tiara-sofia


Real bride Laura wears Sofia
Real bride Laura wears Sofia