Saturday 13 December 2014

Reminiscing...

With Christmas fast approaching and another year drawing to a close we have had a little time to reminisce about all the lovely ladies we have had the pleasure of dressing this year.
 
Everyone says it must be such a lovely place to work, and it truly is. We love hearing all about each individual wedding and learning about all the quirky little twists which make each day unique to the couple. We see tears of joy and lots of laughter, and there is no better feeling than watching someone discover that the dress they are in is 'The One'.
 
It's great when we get to see the finished result. So if you are a Shades of White Bride (no matter how long ago!) don't forget to send us a photograph by e-mail or on social media, or next time your in St Ives pop in with one!

Monday 8 December 2014

Job Vacancy - Seamstress


Shades of White's family is expanding! Over the past two years we have been growing and would now love to add another seamstress (Part time) to our happy, creative and skilled team.  
 
We would love to hear from anyone with the following requirements:
 
  •  Have two full years experience or more, preferable in bridal.
  • High confidence and good references from previous employers.
  •  Experience in working with heavily beaded and lace dresses.
  • Speed isn't essential but the ability to take your time to produce immaculate results is.
  • Be personable and able to converse with the brides about their needs and dress alterations. Shades of White consultants do assist at every fitting but an ability to confidently and calmly explain processes is very helpful.


 
 
To apply for this position please don't send your CV, simply write a letter or send us something that you feel describes you, Either via e-mail or post. Aside from academic achievements we would like to know who you are, what you're about and what you could bring to our happy family.
 
 
 4 & 5 Manor Mews
Bridge Street
St Ives
Cambridgeshire
PE27 5UW

 

Monday 1 December 2014

It's just like Christmas!

It has been quite some time since my last post because the shop has been such a hub of activity!

Our Christmas windows have gone in and we are preparing for tomorrow evenings VIP pamper event for all of our lovely brides (Whilst munching on a mince pie!)

Whilst busy getting ready for Christmas we have loved seeing all of the snowmen pop up around St Ives. The official count day is Saturday 20th December and there are some great prizes to be won! To vote for our Olaf to win go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Ives-Snowman-Festival/169313673260254?fref=ts



Wednesday 1 October 2014

The National Wedding Show September 2014

We have now just about recovered for our weekend away at the National Wedding Show at Earls Court. What a busy weekend we have had, we lost count of the number of brides we met! It was such a great weekend topped off with some very happy brides finding their dream dress.


If you didn't make it this year that's ok, as we did some research for you and hunting out some fantastic wedding suppliers that are most certainly worth a look!




 These Fantastic Cakes were by a very talented lady called Faith Jones, and she delivers!! www.faithjones.co.uk



We had quite a lot of fun on the Happy Wedding company stand! They had a great range of wooden photo booth props as well as a very unique selection of wooden personalised wedding stationary. www.thehappywedding.co.uk

The beautiful flower display is by Amie Bone flowers. She really knew how to create drama for your center pieces. www.amieboneflowers.com/justhire



 We hope this gives all our brides a little inspiration!




Wednesday 3 September 2014

Sunny September Shopping!

As the nights start to draw in, the tights go on and we start counting the Saturdays until Christmas we are astounded at how quickly this year is going! This Sunday we are off once again to one of our favourite places, Harrogate, to submerge ourselves in all things Bridal!

Each September brings new excitement as we get to live every girls dream...shopping for numerous Wedding Dresses!! This year we are on the hunt for some new designers that we have been keeping an eye on so watch this space!


It's such a busy show we will need to be well rested and have comfy feet for all the walking, so we are going to spend our Saturday evening watching the fabulous St Ives illuminated boat parade from our shop balcony! If you're local it's definitely worth a look and if your not come along and join the festivities!!

Due to our Harrogate trip the shop will be closed on Monday 8th September, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

 

Friday 22 August 2014

Bridesmaids Bash!

We are finally ready for our official launch of our brand new Colour Boutique! It is something we are incredibly proud of and very excited about! So for one weekend only, 13th & 14th September, we are very lucky to have the entire Mark Lesley Bridesmaid collection and the brand new 2015 Kelsey Rose Pink collection in store. We will of course also still have our vast range of Dessy dresses as well so if you are looking for bridesmaid dresses it is certainly not to be missed!
 
Call now on 01480464774 or email info@shades-of-white.co.uk to book an appointment!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

David Tutera Delivery



Normally the summer holidays kick off and then...the rain comes! But this year haven't we been lucky? We know we go on, a lot, about how beautiful our location is but we just love it because it's ever changing. This summer the river has been a hype of activity with narrow boats, day boat, canoes and row boats all leisurely floating past.

Our new designs for Spring 2015 have started to arrive and it's like Christmas everyday. Our third collection from David Tutera, their Spring 2015 range, has been proving very popular with brides practically trying the dresses on straight out of the boxes!


Friday 25 July 2014

Feeling HOT HOT HOT!

Wowzers what has happened to English weather...it's the summer holidays and it's hot!!! It's been rather warm for all our lovely new brides this week but we'd love it to stay sunny for all the ladies getting married this weekend.

 It's been a little while since our last blog because it's just been so busy!!

Over the last few weeks we have attended 3 wedding fairs at the Doubletree Hilton in Cambridge, the Marriott in Huntingdon and most recently the Sculpture Gallery at Woburn. We love going to wedding fairs because not only do we get to meet lots of new brides but we also get to meet lots of interesting people from the mad world of weddings!  We'd like to introduce you to a couple right now...

Firstly you NEED to look at the work of Mr James Russell at Flat Frog Films. According to the man himself the name comes from literally standing on a frog.....we're not convinced!! He creates beautiful films of your wedding day for you to treasure forever.

www.flatfrogfilms.com/weddings

The next one is for all you bridesmaids and Mums! Apfel & Bloom is a fabulous company set up by the lovely Julia. She designs and makes the most exquisite fascinators. Julia also hosts unique hat making Hen Parties, at which you can enjoy afternoon tea whilst learning to make your own headpiece! A great idea for quirky brides and those who love a bit of vintage chic!

www.apfelandbloom.com

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Sea Scouts, Cycling and Savvy Brides!

This weekend has been a whirlwind of excitement in Cambridgeshire. Not only has the Tour de France departed from central Cambridge, our very own 2nd St Ives Sea Scouts completed their Marathon Paddle and we've started our Summer Sale!!

After a packed out day of happy Brides on Saturday (grabbing some amazing bargains) Jo and I decided to relax on our balcony with a glass of wine whilst we waited in anticipation for the 2nd St Ives Sea Scouts to finish their marathon paddle. Starting at 6.00am the explorer scouts set off from Bedford for a full day of canoeing. They were joined along the way by some of the younger scouts at St Neots and Huntingdon. The 2nd St Ives Sea Scouts are based just along the river from us and are working incredibly hard to raise money to make some much needed improvements to their facilities.

If you would like to donate to this fantastic local group please contact the shop and we can put you in touch with the Group Scout Leader.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to escape the shop to watch the Tour de France departing from Cambridge city centre. I have to say the city was jam packed but it was worth fighting the crowds just to get a glimpse of the peloton. We then went home to watch the rest on the television and I have to say I was astounded at how Beautiful Cambridge looked.

Our Summer Sale is still on with some fab-u-lous bargains still to be had....don't miss out!!!


Friday 20 June 2014

Busy as bumblebees!

It's hard to know what to blog about this week as so much has gone on!

Lets start from where we left off on our last blog....our VIP girls night in! What a fantastic evening we had. We invited some of our favourite suppliers and all of our brides to an evening of all things girly. We were so overwhelmed with the fantastic response from our lovely brides and the shop was absolutely buzzing! It is definitely an event we will be doing again so keep your eyes peeled!




Saturday saw the lycra come out on mass for the St Ives cycle race! There were some very impressive athletes. We've also got some very appropriate window displays in at the moment ready for the Tour De Frances arrival in Cambridgeshire!















Jo was a very proud Godmum this week as she went to watch her Godson, Kieran, play his first solo gig. There are lots of good things coming from this young man so keep your eyes peeled and follow him on Facebook @Kieran Bernstone Music.


 





















And during craft hour.....Thank you to Linda who popped in to help me finish my baby blanket for a very special little boy who we welcomed in to the world this week. Little Leo Burnett has totally stolen my heart!

Thursday 12 June 2014

VIP Girls Night In

Here at Shades of White we like to keep things fresh and exciting. Our brand new VIP events are our way of saying thank you to all of our brides. So tonight for the first time we are holding an invitation only VIP Girls night in. We have hairdressers and makeup artists at the ready, yummy cakes being baked, entertainment warming up and a fridge that can only be described as "well stocked"! Fingers crossed for a fabulous evening.....we'll post some pictures after the event!




In other news we are pleased to report we now have 6 beautiful Signets on the river, Mum and Dad are very protective so lets hope they last longer than the ducklings!!
 

Wednesday 4 June 2014

To veil or not to veil?

There are many stories and myths surrounding wedding veils, some of them are rather sweet and some of them, we think, come from drinking too many glasses of vino! Most people we meet believe that the veil is a symbol of virginity and modesty. Roman brides wore an intensely flame-coloured and fulsome veil, called the flammeum, apparently intended to protect the bride from evil spirits on her wedding day. (Although we are yet to be asked for a full red veil!) In Victorian times the length and weight of your veil was a symbol of your status. Even today the longest veil is called the Royal length.



Our advise to the modern day bride is this....just try one on!

Even if you are unsure whether or not you fancy wearing a veil at all there is no harm in trying. A veil for todays bride does many things. It covers the arms and shoulders whilst you are in church or the ceremony, it creates a beautiful frame around you and your wedding dress, and the tradition of it transports us back to bygone days.

The length of a veil can be important and is often dictated by the style of dress you choose so take a chance and give one a try........you might just surprise yourself! 

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Flowers, Family and Full weekends!

There were so many things going round in my head at 5.00am this morning to put in the blog I couldn't decide so I decided to tell you everything!!!!

Today we are very pleased the sun is still shinning as Jo is off to Chelsea Flower Show. Over the past couple of year a very good friend of our, Luke Whiting, from D'Arcy and Everest nursery in Somersham has been exhibiting at Chelsea Flower show, amongst others. This year his beautiful display has won him a silver guilt award and we could not be more proud!



Tomorrow I am off to Northern Ireland for the Bank Holiday Weekend to see my lovely cousin Matt get married! It will be the first wedding I have been to since we've had the shop so I think I will take much more notice of all the details! I can't wait to see Sandra's dress!



We are open on Friday and Saturday of the bank holiday weekend and our diary is looking packed!! With next week being Half term we are also having a PROMotion (did you see what we did there!) with a fantastic 30% off prom dresses.



Thursday 15 May 2014

How to lace up a corset back Wedding Dress.

As your wedding day approaches now is the time to decide who will be helping you to get in to your dress? Most dresses fasten with either a zip covered by buttons or corset lacing. We have put together some tips for all those brides who have corset lacing to take the stress away on your big day.



  • Give yourself plenty of time. We suggest at least 1/2 hour to lace up a dress, this gives you time to ensure it is as neat as possible for the photographs.
  • Start at the top and feed the laces thorough the first two loops making sure the lengths of ribbon are even.
  • Now start lacing downwards. Remembering it is just like lacing up a shoe.
  • Try to keep the laces as flat as possible as you go. It is much easier to lace it neatly rather than trying to correct it afterwards.
  • Once you are at the bottom now you can start pulling the corset in. Make sure the bride has positioned her bust in the correct place before you start.
  • When you have finished pulling in tie the laces in a knot at the bottom and tuck in. You may need to go up the dress to pull them down.
  • If you want to practise lacing up why not come along to one of the brides fittings and you can have a go before hand. We'll even give you 'Strictly Come Dancing' style scores out of ten!
Remember if you can lace up a trainer you can lace up a wedding dress!!!!


Friday 25 April 2014

Mooshki Designer Weekend


For the brides out there who feel that Wedding Dress shopping can be a bit of a minefield Designer Weekends can be a really good place to start.
 
So what happens at these events? Well a designer weekend is basically your chance to see a designers full collection in one place. The collection can comprise of any thing up to 50 dresses on top of what we already have in stock so it is a great opportunity to try on lots of different shapes and styles.

Sometimes we are also lucky enough to have the designers themselves come to visit the shop. They really add to your experience as they know which body shapes they designed each dress for and will be able to advise you on your shape. They also have a natural flare for styling and can add just the right accessories to complete your look.

 
 Our next Designer Weekend is on the 10th & 11th May and we are so excited that the designer for House of Mooshki will be coming to join us. Olivia will be on hand on Saturday 10th May from 9.30am - 5.30pm to inspire and stun you with her truly beautiful collection.

Appointments are booking up fast so call today to avoid disappointment.
 
01480464774


Friday 11 April 2014

Brides from near and afar!


What a week it has been! Since getting back from our very exciting buying trip last weekend we really haven't stopped!
 

                                         We had a truly fantastic time buying some stunning new dresses for the shop. It was great to see how the new collections from Justin Alexander and Ellis have moved on. We also bought a new label called Sonsie which we are thrilled about and can't wait for it to arrive in the summer. 
 
It is lovely when we hear how far brides have travelled to come to our shop and this week we have met lots of new brides, some from St Ives, some from Scotland! All equally delighted to find their dream dress!  
 
This coming Sunday, 13th April, we will be at the Corn Exchange in St Ives for their Wedding show. This is a brilliant opportunity to meet lots of local suppliers, get some great ideas and see our dresses on the cat walk.

 

Thursday 3 April 2014

Breakfast Meetings and Cocktail Bars!

This week we are sampling both ends of the glamour spectrum!

 This morning we were up very early to attend the launch of the Hunts Post Business Awards 2014. We were treated to tea and bacon sandwiches whilst we listen to some great advice from both the organisers and previous winners about the entry process.
Come Saturday we go to the other end of the glamour spectrum as we head to the capital city for our spring buying trip. This is a great opportunity for us to catch up with our suppliers, discover new labels and get a feel for the new styles coming through. If that wasn't enough we are attending a fabulous dinner and an exciting cocktail party!

Wednesday 26 March 2014

DESSY!

Over the Christmas period, instead of having a rest, we decided to expand our shop to incorporate a Colour Boutique. This new shop houses all of our prom, evening and bridesmaid dresses.

Dessy have a fantastic bridesmaid collection which includes both cocktail and full length gowns in a vast array of beautiful colours and they go from size 00 - 32.

One of the main reasons we love Dessy is because they have a fabulous interactive website (www.dessy.com). Having spent a bit of time playing this morning we've discovered they have a section where you can create your own wedding mood boards! (http://www.dessy.com/styleboard/)




The other reason we love Dessy is because they do co-ordinating men's accessories so it takes the stress out of trying to match up cravats, ties, waistcoats and pocket squares.



Friday 21 March 2014

Spring Watch!

Here at Shades of White we are very lucky as we have a fantastic location sitting right on the edge of the Great River Ouse. As the seasons come and go our view is ever changing and evolving. All of our brides and their guests really enjoy sipping their tea whilst watching the river floating along, and what ever the weather there is always something to look at.

 
As the daffodils start to flower and the meadow turns lush and green there is only one thing on our minds.......DUCKLINGS!! Yes we are now on duckling watch. Any time from now until the summer months we will start to see little fluffy yellow dots bobbing along.......we'll keep you posted!