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...

Thanks for your thanks!

Ask any of my friends and family and they'll tell you I'm all about the Summer! Long evenings spent pottering around my garden; walking the dog; sitting outside the local for a drink with friends; lapping up whatever warmth comes our way. I don't do the dark, cold, and wet that come with the Winter months. Not easily anyway. So, it used to be, before launching Glorious Tiaras 3 years ago, that I would welcome Autumn and it's vibrant colours with an edge of melancholy at the thought of the dark months ahead.

How that's changed in recent times!

Why?

Because after the rush of summer orders, summer weddings and Glorious summer brides, come the pictures sent to me, by my brides, of them wearing their Glorious accessories on their amazing wedding days! Those pictures never fail to make me feel a warm glow, and really do brighten up the dullest of days!

Image courtesy of Chelsea Shoesmith Photography

Then there are my brides reviews of my work. All reviews are important to me and my business. It's through knowing what I did well; what my brides appreciated about my service; and what is sometimes left unsaid, that I can develop plans to continue to improve what Glorious Tiaras offers to brides. And above all, knowing that one of my brides has taken the time out of her busy, post wedding schedule, to write a review, send a card, or an email, leaves me with the best of feelings about what I do.

Reviews are amazing tools. They reassure future Glorious brides that I am good at what I do, that I'm friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, helpful, and that Glorious accessories are exactly that - Glorious!

I use those valuable reviews on social media, when I'm entering awards, and as a tool to help me plan for my business, so when they pop up in my inbox, I can't help but feel happy.

Autumn is also the time when I work on new designs for the following year's collections. Spending time gathering inspiration, settling on a theme, sketching, and trying out new ideas, before finally getting to work on designs that are going to bring my brides looks to life next year, is a joyous and exciting time.

So, far from dreading the shortening of days, the changing colours, the need to throw on a few extra layers, I say 'bring it on'! Bring on the brides, the reviews, and the plans for the fresh 2016 wedding season.

Glorious Tiaras and Dollface Make Up - We do!

It's gives me goosebumps and great happiness to announce a very exciting collaboration between Gemma Lucas of Dollface Hair and Make Up, and myself, offering the Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester bride-to-be an incredibly useful service!

Gemma Lucas - Dollface Make Up
www.dollfacemakeupstudio.co.uk

Heidi Reid - Glorious Tiaras
www.glorioustiaras.co.uk

I first met Gemma in the autumn of 2014 having spotted a few of her make-up related updates on Facebook. I took my then, very sorry eyebrows, to her Cheshire studio for a HD makeover (love the results), and we got to chatting about her bridal hair and make up service.

Gemma is a very experienced make up artist having trained and worked as an Advanced Artist for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, worked backstage on Britain's Next Top Model, The National Wedding Show, and the Scottish Fashion Awards.

Bridal hair and make up with Dollface
www.dollfacemakeupstudio.co.uk/gallery/bridal/

Our make up, brides,  and hair accessories chat, led us naturally to a problem that many brides-to-be face when trying to choose a style that suits them, and that they love, for their wedding day look. Gemma explained how difficult it is for many of her clients to envisage what their style might look like when teamed with an accessory. A chignon accessorised with a large diamante comb, will look very different teamed with a smaller comb, or with a scattering of crystal hair pins, wrapped with a fluid hair vine, or set off by a pearl laden band. Without those accessories to hand, to play around with during a trial, many of Gemma's brides were struggling to find a style that they were confident enough with to have it replicated on the day of their wedding.

I think you can guess what happened next...!

From here on in, when you book and attend your bridal hair and make up trial with Dollface Make Up Studio, you will be treated to a full 'try on session' with a choice of Glorious bridal hair accessories, as part of your trial. That way you can know for sure whether you suit a cascade of pearls running freely around your fishtail plait, or a glitzy Hollywood glamour comb tucked neatly down the side of your half up do.

Ava side tiara
www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/side-tiara-ava

There will never be any pressure for you to place an order for any of the accessories used during your trial, but of course if you do fall head over heels in love, Gemma will tell you where to find me and my very wonderful HD brows!

If you'd like to book a bridal consultation with Dollface you can contact Gemma at:

www.dollfacemakeupstudio.co.uk
info@dollfacemakeupstudio.co.uk
07816 291001
www.facebook.com/dollfacemakeupstudiouk
twitter.com/DollfaceMUp

Dollface Makeup Studio
Mawson Hairdressing 
42 Chesterfate 
Macclesfield
SK116BA

Glorious Tiaras can be found at:

www.glorioustiaras.co.uk
glorioustiaras@gmail.com
07904 301059
www.facebook.com/glorioustiaras
twitter.com/glorioustiaras

Glorious Tiaras
Makers' Place
Heritage Centre
Roe Street
Macclesfield
SK11 6UT

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A KEY PIECE FROM THE GLORIOUS 2015 COLLECTION!

I have some very exciting news for you this wintry November weekend! The Glorious 2015 range of accessories launches in our on-line store today, and with it comes your chance to win your choice of one of the key pieces!

Ava side tiara

http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/side-tiara-ava

This collection of 7, divine bridal accessories, incorporates side tiaras, combs, pins, birdcage veils, hair vines, and bridal cuffs, and are all designed with that old style Hollywood glamour firmly in mind.

Some like the Sofia side tiara, comb, and pins, feature dramatic clusters of crystals that Liz Taylor would have totally rocked, whilst others, like the Seren Birdcage veil, were designed to recreate the stylish, vintage elegance, of Hollywood great Sophia Loren.

Sofia side tiara
http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/tiara-sofia                                

Seren birdcage veil
http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/birdcage-veil-seren

The Seren range features tiny hand stitched and wired stars, that twinkle softly and subtly.

Seren hair vine
http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/bridal-hair-vine-seren 

All pieces are hand crafted by Heidi in her Cheshire studio, and can be adapted through a relaxed and friendly consultation, to suit your specific requirements.

To find out how you can win, head over to our Facebook page now, and follow those simple instructions! 

https://www.facebook.com/GloriousTiaras

Stockists enquiries are very welcome at glorioustiaras@gmail.com

Heidi x

• The winner may choose any accessory from the 2015 collection (Sofia side tiara. Sofia comb. Sofia pin. Ava side tiara. Seren birdcage veil. Seren hair vine. The unnamed crystal band!)
• The accessory will be hand crafted by Glorious designer Heidi Reid, and will have a 3-4 week lead time before delivery. 
• Work on the accessory will begin once the competition winner has notified Glorious Tiaras of their accessory choice. 
• The prize must be claimed before 1st March 2015
• Best accessory name wins! 
• The winner will be chosen by a panel of wedding experts. 
• The competition will close for entries on 7th December 2015
• The winner will be announced on 13th December 2015
• Competition is open to UK residents only

Rocking those Vintage Brooch Bouquets!

Glorious Vintage Brooch Bouquets
in stock at Rocks for Frocks

When exhibiting at wedding fairs I'm often asked if I have 'a shop', the short answer to this question is 'no'. The longer answer is that I'm proud to be a member of a growing army of small business women and designers who work out of a home studio. I have always welcomed visitors by appointment and pull out all the stops to make you feel very, very welcome when you pop by the studio to try on some of our Glorious hair accessories! However, I recognise that a number of my clients need to tie in their wedding shopping with other related stuff, which is why I was delighted when Gail of Rocks for Frocks approached me at an event to discuss stocking our bespoke vintage brooch bouquets at her outlet in Liverpool's The Wedding House.

The Wedding House,
Great Gorge Place, Liverpool

Crystal Vintage Brooch Bouquet
©E&MArts Photography

North West brides, if you haven't been, make time in your busy schedules to pop by The Wedding House! Several floors within this imposing Gothic building offer you the chance to talk to everyone from dress suppliers, cake designers, stationers, photographers and of course, accessory designers. A great starting point for the newly engaged, and the perfect place to tick off those final items on your wedding day 'to do' list.

Our bespoke vintage brooch bouquets are in stock NOW at Rocks for Frocks, 2nd Floor, The Wedding House, 3-4 Great George Place, Liverpool. L1 7AG.

www.theweddinghouse.co.uk/index.html

www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/section/bouquets

Glorious bride Hannah & how to order a bespoke bridal headpiece!

It was an utter delight to work with April bride Hannah earlier this year, and the process we went through to reach her completed hair accessory makes the perfect blog piece for brides-to-be unsure of how to approach their accessory buying.

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

Hannah first got in contact with me on via email, having heard my hair accessories discussed on Capital FM Manchester, by another of my brides-to-be!

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

Hannah had a very clear idea of the kind of hair accessory she wanted and helpfully sent me a handful of images from Pinterest (what did we do before Pinterest?), showcasing the look she wanted. We spoke on the phone, and Hannah described her dress; pinpointed that she wanted leaves in her tiara, and that she wanted her accessory to have a 'vintage feel'.

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

Hannah shared her budget with me, the date of her wedding and when she'd ideally like to take delivery of her hair accessory, and I went away to work up some ideas.

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

Having shared a number of images of fledgling design styles with Hannah, we settled on the look she liked, featuring crystal navettes, ivory potato pearls, and diamante leaves.

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

I kept Hannah posted with the progress of her design, sending her images and giving her the chance to comment and make any last minute changes.

Image © Delicious Photography http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk

Hannah notified me of her tiara's arrival with the wonderful message: 'It's arrived and it's perfect'! Just what every designer wants to hear!

So, why did the process work so well?

• Hannah had a clear idea of the theme she wanted her accessory to compliment.
• She discussed looks and shared ideas she liked.
• She knew how much she wanted to spend and was happy to share her budget with me.
• She was honest about the designs she didn't like, which enabled me to get to the one that she did!
• She allowed plenty of time for the design process to happen, contacting me 8 weeks ahead of her wedding.
• She was lovely!

And I think you'll agree, Hannah looks amazing in her bespoke Audrey tiara!!!

Photography: Delicious Photography, Lancashire http://www.deliciousphotography.co.uk www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Photography

Audrey Tiara: http://www.glorioustiaras.co.uk/tiara-audrey www.facebook.com/GloriousTiaras