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So far Treasured Brides has created 19 blog entries.

Are you a Treasured Bride?

Treasured Brides

Are you a Treasured Bride?

Happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2024!

So, to start with I just want to say I’m already so positive this year is going to be a GREAT year, not just a great but a GREAT year for me personally and for my beautiful Bridal Boutique, Treasured Brides.
I know this to be true as my lucky number is 44, so I feel even if its just a 4 then that must mean I’m in for some amazing successes and achievements, right?

I’ve already written some goals for myself of things Id like to achieve like spending more time with people I care about, taking longer daily walks with my doggy (even in the rain!!), achieving some sort of challenge be that a climb, a walk (not run!!), do some things for charity. Id love to go back to Uni but I know there’s no way there’s time for that in my life, so I haven’t even put that down!!

Wedding dresses York

As for my lovely Business, I’d like to keep building it and meeting lots of wonderful new brides whilst continuing to care for my historic brides, but I must be honest I really do not want it to be too big. I am ambitious but my ambition is to keep doing what I’m doing and making so many lovely ladies so happy. I have a lovely Husband and two gorgeous boys (and a dog and a cat) and to me a work/life balance is so important.

I really do not want to get to the point where the balance shifts (which it easily could as I love meeting my brides) and I don’t want to have to take on staff to help me run the boutique. To me I’ve always wanted it to be ME that meets with every bride and helps them to find their dream gown. I feel its only me that can guarantee you get the experience that I shout about as it’s my business. For me my primary focus is to keep continuing to attract the right brides, my brides, Treasured Brides. Brides who value a truly unique and personal experience. Brides who really care about the service they receive especially at such a special moment in their lives. Brides who care about having the experience they wanted but thought they may not get and are so grateful.

York Wedding Dresses

So, who is a Treasured Bride? You may be asking.
A Treasured Bride is someone that really is lovely, caring and kind. She’s someone that’s confident but also sometimes not confident, she’s not someone who thinks she’s the bees’ knees or thinks she absolutely amazing at and in everything, she’s the person whose friends think she’s wonderful and she genuinely cares and loves those around her, she’s the person that may come on her own but will more often want to bring some very special guests with her, she’s not someone that wants to bring 10 friends and spend 3 Saturdays going to 3 different shops on each day (her time is more precious than that). She often says she’s indecisive but then is shocked by how easy it was to find her gown with me at Treasured Brides, she usually likes dogs and prosecco or at least one of the two or very very occasionally neither but only due to allergies!!! One thing my brides are not are BRIDEZILLAS (well I may have had 1 in 8 years but that’s pretty good I think!!). I’m not saying they don’t get a bit harassed through the wedding planning journey but when it comes to finding the dress with me, we are a Zero stress zone. She’s someone who knows herself and trusts her own opinions but also values and treasures the opinions of those around her, she’s someone who’s marrying the love of her life and the main thing she’s looking forward to on the day is saying “I DO”. She’s someone who doesn’t want her gown to take over her, she doesn’t want to be playing dress up or hiding away, she wants to feel like herself and comfortable in her own skin and her new gown is simply like her second, stunning skin, perfect for such a special occasion!!

Yorkshire Wedding Dresses

I know a lot of emphasis nowadays can be put on the success of something is in numbers, how many people work in the business, how many followers do you have on your socials, how many bridal appointments do I have, how many other bridal boutiques are near me etc etc. I just want to continue to attract my type of Bride and give them the most wonderful experience EVER which ultimately leads to them finding their dream gown. I work very hard to make sure my socials, my website, when I meet you at a wedding fair, any emails or messages you get from me are all coherent with each other. Savvy brides nowadays tend to research where they want to visit and I’m pretty sure that most brides walk through my door and they get what they expected, a lady whose super happy with a big smile whose genuinely excited that puts you at ease straight away.

Please be prepared for a hug when you leave, I am a hugger!!!

So, if you think you’re a Treasured Brides then I think you’ve found your safe space here. I look forward to meeting you all very soon.

Zoe xxx

Wedding Boutique

Wedding dress appointments at Treasured Brides?

How many people can I bring to my appointment?

I must be asked at least three times a day!!!!! When brides contact me to discuss their appointment I think it’s one of the most popular things that is asked about before or after they have booked. 

My answer is the Bride plus 3 (I occasionally will do 4 but will depend on the relationship to the Bride). For most people they are more than happy with this. 

wedding dress

Occasionally a bride may say “but I wanted to bring 4,5,6,7+” this is usually as they have more than 2 Bridesmaids and understandable they can’t choose between them. When you have a group of special friends as well as your family, your initial feeling may be that you WANT to bring everyone or you may feel you HAVE to bring everyone. Bringing everyone tends to be a recipe for disaster. 

The bridal shopping part of your Wedding Planning for some is the most exciting bit. Many have spend lots of happy moments thinking about it and have invested hours upon hours researching and pinning and boarding etc etc. For many it’s the bit they have put off right to the end and are nervous about!!!! 

Your experience of finding your dress should be a super special and memorable one. I don’t think that means you need to go to lots of shops, you just need to choose the right shops for you. Also, and I think most importantly you have to take the right people with you. Those that you trust and that will ultimately help you with your decision and be supportive. 

wedding dress

Most brides that come to me at Treasured Brides come as they would like to find their dress on that day. Having too many opinions can be awkward and upsetting for a bride and often will leave them feeling confused, upset and sadly not feeling like they can choose their Dream Gown on the day. 

I tend to find my Brides do not want to feel like they are in an episode of “Say Yes To The Dress”, bringing more than 3 guests can easily lead to this feeling. 

It’s so hard when many families are often not a traditional family unit. You may have Mum, stepmum, maybe your own children,siblings, half siblings, step siblings, Grandparents, Aunties, cousins, friends, Made Of Honour and that’s before you even think about your Bridesmaids. 

This time is really not a time you should be trying to please absolutely everyone around you. This is a time when you need to be a little bit selfish and think about what’s going to help you and more about who’s going to help you the most? Would having 4+ people really help you make your choice? In some cases it may well be that is would but through experience I can tell you it usually ends up in a confused mess!

I think one of the loveliest images you can get on the day is the Big Reveal!!! Traditionally the reveal has always been saved for the Dad. That special moment when your dad (stepdad, Uncle,friend etc) sees you for the first time, captured forever for you to reminisce about. What’s becoming more popular is The Bridemaids reveal and I absolutely love it. Seeing your wonderful girls, your ride or dies, your tribe, those that are often closer to you than some of your family and know more about you than your fiance!!! The first moment when they see you in your gown is so so special. Seeing their lovely friend that they have shared so many memories with as a beautiful bride is a moment they’ll never have again (hopefully!). Having the opportunity to capture this is priceless and one your unable to get if they’ve seen you in your gown already. 

wedding dress

Being able to bring them to choose your gown with you could be a nice opportunity but usually it’s not and is it really necessary? It’s a moment you can share with just 1 ,2 or 3 of the closest people to you in the world. You and they can then have that moments then you know your planning another moment saved especially just for your Bridesmaids, The Big Reveal!!! You can all then cherish this memory. 

I understand having to tell your wonderful girls that your unable to have them to your appointment maybe difficult but they are your friends. I’m sure when you tell them that you want to save the moment of them seeing you for the first time as a bride to the actually day they will see why. When you tell them that you want to capture their reaction to seeing you in a way they have never seen you before they will understand and will be excited about it too. 

If you can only take 3 guests or less please don’t see that as a bad thing just think that you’ll get more from your appointment and your then planning to capture a wonderful moment in the future. 

Good luck and maybe I’ll see you (and your 3 guests) in Treasured Brides soon x

Hope to see you soon. 

Zoe Cornwell

Treasured Brides

T-01904 862144

Photography by Hannah Brooke Photography

Beautiful Zyla Wedding Gown

I recently got married wearing the beautiful Zyla gown, the MOST amazing dress I have ever had the privilege of wearing.
The wedding was unusual & very special, including a convoy of traditional Coble boats transporting our guests down the River Esk, in North Yorkshire, & the reception was at my dad’s own boatyard which we transformed into a beautiful and rustic space for a night of Irish dancing & canoes full of booze.
Thank you again for helping me find my dream dress, you were bloody brilliant!
Kind regards,
Ruby x

A Message from the Bride

Hey Zoe,
Thank you so much! The girls worked wonders to make me a princess but the gown made it for me!
My photographer was called Gill Haves, her website is: https://www.unfurlphotography.co.uk/
The hair and makeup was done by Frankie Hyde (@FrankieElizabethHair) & Gaby Jones (@ByGabriellaJones)
The flowers were done by a local lady called Sally Wardell.
Dream Wedding

My dad is the last traditional Coble builder in England, and a local legend. He owns a boatyard on the River Esk near Whitby where he has worked for the last 40 years. Both my brother and sister celebrating their weddings here, so it only felt right that I did too.

My dad worked hard to single-handedly transform the working shed into a beautiful venue, keeping the rustic edges, boat signs & all the tools he has spent hours creating cobles with. Over a year of work saw the venue transform from a shabby shed, to an open space perfect for dancing, a 50ft extension on the side ensured that we had plenty of space for our guests. I’ve attached the photos of the progress, it’s pretty impressive! 
St Hildas – Sneaton
We were married in a tiny church in a village nearby, called St Hildas – Sneaton. Our guests & ourselves then enjoyed a pint in our local pub (The Bridge Inn, Ruswarp) whilst we waited for the tide to rise enough to get the boats down. 
We boarded the boards & sipped on prosecco whilst gliding down the River Esk, North Yorkshire in a fabulous convoy. Local friends played ‘Congratulations’ on their ukeleles as we passed. 
After we arrived in style, we were greeted by more guests at the reception, covered in confetti we made our way up the gangway to the gorgeous outdoor area of the Boatyard. Drinks flowed and the sun shined, we were really really lucky with the weather. 
Ben Laws (Java Whitby)
We then headed inside and filled up on food from Ben Laws (Java Whitby) who catered the tricky event. Everything for the wedding (including the caterer, the furniture, the bands equipment) was floated up the river on the tide as there is no road access, it’s a logistical nightmare but we made it work. Ben created a beautiful American style BBQ complete with smashed burgers and bratwurst sausages.
A Good Old Knees Up
After the food, our favourite band Stout Boots played their Irish rock music and we had a typical knees up! Followed by the local legends ‘Sunbeam’ and lastly ‘Hazzard County’. Guests enjoyed the Booze Canoes that were brimming with beers and ice, as well as hand-pulled lager & beer which were kindly contributed by The Whitby Brewery, we also build a self-service spirit bar & plenty of shots too! 

We danced until the early hours & I finally stumbled home at around 4am with my new husband, the day was unforgettable for many, especially us.

Finding your perfect wedding dress!

Back when I got engaged in 2011 (gosh does that make me feel old), I always assumed I’d have the perfect wedding dress shopping experience. I imagined relaxing a beautiful boutique, sipping champagne with my bestie and us both crying as I tried on different wedding dresses.

 

What actually happened was this. I got a hand me down dress from a family member who worked for one of the designers and had some returns that were my size!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my dress. And once I’d found it I stopped looking, but I missed out completely on the wedding dress shopping experience of my dreams!

Thankfully now that I am a wedding photographer, I have made friends in the industry who have their own Bridal Boutiques, and I can still hang out in them. One such friend is Zoe from Treasured Brides and we decided we’d do a collaborative blog post on finding your perfect wedding dress.

Zoe’s top tips to help you find the perfect wedding dress

Woo Hoo you’re engaged and you’re now thinking about (if you haven’t already been doing for years!!!) your dream Wedding Dress!!
Below are some tips that will hopefully help you plan where to visit and give you some ideas on how to prepare.

1: Do your Research!

Have a Google at what Boutiques are in your area. Talk to your friends and see where they found the perfect wedding dress. Ask them about the wedding dress shopping experience they had and see if what they are saying is important to you? Think about the type of experience you would like to have.

Have a look at the designers boutiques have on their website and see if you like them before booking appointments.

Look at designers websites that you have come across, on their sites you’ll be able to find where locally to you stocks their gowns.

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2. Social media stalking

As well as looking at websites have a look at boutiques social media pages. This will give you an idea as to whether you will like what they are offering.

Do you like the dresses that they are showing you and the look of the boutique itself? Is it giving you a vibe of somewhere that you will be comfortable. Ultimately, you need to feel safe, secure and confident that you are going to be looked after and cared for at your appointment.

I always welcome questions beforehand from any brides looking to book an appointment.

3. Think about your budget

Before you even set foot in a boutique think abut what you are happy spending on the perfect wedding dress. When doing your research have a look to see what the dresses start from, and what the most expensive dress is in each Boutique.

It’s better for you to visit Boutiques where you know they stock wedding dresses within your budget. You can save money elsewhere, on your shoes, underwear or jewellery for example.

4. When to start wedding dress shopping

It really is up to you when you start looking. 18-12 months ahead of the wedding is the average time for Brides finding the perfect wedding dress.

Be mindful that dresses can take around 4 months to arrive after they have been ordered. Then we need to allow for the final fitting 3 months before the big day.

Do only start to look when you are ready to fall in love with and commit to finding your perfect wedding dress. Wedding dresses do get discontinued. So don’t risk being in a position when you find and fall in love with the perfect wedding dress but can’t say “Yes to the dress” just yet.

5. Think carefully about who to bring with you

When thinking about who you would like to take with you to your appointment, please ONLY take
supportive family and friends! Most boutiques limit the number of guests purely to make the experience the best for their Brides (Treasured Brides is a maximum of the bride plus 3 guests).

Finding your perfect wedding dress should be a special and memorable experience and not an episode of a wedding dress TV show. If you plan to go to more than one appointment, always take the same people with you. This can help avoid confusion and a situation where your bridesmaids love different dresses from different boutiques!

You can end up feeling like you’re choosing between bridesmaids rather than the wedding dress
itself!

Also, remember you can go wedding dress shopping on your own!! No one knows you better than yourself.

6. Be prepared to try different styles

Brides tend to fall into one of two camps. They either feel they know exactly what they want or like most, or they have absolutely no idea.

At your appointment, you should have the opportunity to try all the styles and silhouettes. At Treasured Brides, you’ll have the opportunity to try simple and elegant gowns to big, sparkly dresses and everything in between. It’s important to try different styles so you can learn what feels like the most perfect wedding dress to you.

7. How will I know when it’s THE perfect wedding dress?

Brides always ask me this. My response is “When you’re swishing around and you just don’t want to take it off. Even when I’m telling you the next bride is downstairs and wanting to come in”. That’s when you know.

Once you’ve chosen your gown you just won’t want to keep looking, it’s very similar to when you have chosen your venue and your future hubby!

Thank you, Zoe! Click here to book your appointment to see Zoe at Treasured Brides! Here she is!

ENJOY finding your perfect wedding dress – it’s such an exciting time!

How do I decide which Bridal Boutiques to visit to find your Dream Wedding Dress?

Deciding which Bridal Boutiques to visit to find your Dream Dress.

How exciting, you are engaged and you’re full into planning mode and now is the time to think about your Dream Gown and where you are going to find her. You may be thinking all wedding dress boutiques are the same, think again!! Finding a boutique that fits your personality is so important. The experience of finding your Dream Gown should be one you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

You may be feeling super excited to get started but like many, you may be super nervous or more than likely a bit of both. Please do not worry. If you follow the tips below you will more than likely end up in the right place and be in your element.

1. Research- This is a great place to start. Google ‘Bridal Boutiques near me’ to get you started. Have a look at the reviews for the different boutiques. Reviews are so important as they are from other brides in the same position you are now. Do some Social Stalking!! Have a look at not only the gowns but at the boutique itself, does it give you the fuzzy feelings of somewhere you would like to be. Does the owner/team appear friendly and approachable? For you to find your gown you have to feel comfortable where you are and who you are going to be with. Have a look at websites and the designers they stock and their websites too.

2. Recommendations- So many of my lovely Brides come from recommendations from other previous Treasured Brides. By you asking your friends, family or work colleagues about where they bought their bridal gown and the boutique experiences, they had it can save you so much time. When someone you know is telling you about the good and bad experiences they had its certainly worth listening. Listen to what they say and you’ll be able to judge what is important to you. Do you want an appointment only boutique? Would you mind sharing a fitting room? Would you like to buy off the peg? Do you want to be able to park easily? Are you happy with people walking by and peeping in the window? Was the person serving friendly or a pushy salesperson? Was there a great selection of styles? Was the after care exceptional? Etc etc. Work out what elements are important to you.

3. Consider what you think you may like: After doing some research, think about the styles you are attracted too and make sure the boutiques you’re looking at carry these styles. More often than not this style will not be what you end up with but it’s important you try on what you think you may like as well as other styles and silhouettes.

4. Is the collection range diverse: Look at the boutique’s designers and gowns to ensure that they have a diverse range of dresses and styles to insure you can try on a mixture of gowns. If you consider yourself to have a different body shape to others, make sure the boutiques you choose cater for you. Many boutiques are unable to cater for everyone so its finding what suits your requirements best.

5. Budget: This is one of the most important elements when choosing where to visit to find your gown. Please do not be tempted to visit stores that hold gowns that are over your budget. Even if you don’t think you have a budget, you probably do. Ask yourself, what are you honestly happy to spend on your Dream Wedding Dress? Most boutique websites will tell you on their website but if they don’t drop them a message or give them a call. There’s nothing worse than having a budget of £2’000 for example and you go to a boutique where gowns go up to £5’000 and the one you love is £3500, do not torture yourself!!! There’s plenty of choice for everyone’s budget so be true to yourself and do not risk having a disappointing experience.

So hopefully these tips will help you to find your perfect boutique to find your dream wedding dress. Please also remember that usually the only reason people go to more than one bridal boutique is because they don’t find what they were looking for in the first place. Often people go to more than one shop purely because they didn’t get the opportunity to try on enough of a range of styles of gowns. If you absolutely fall in love with a gown in your first boutique then that’s quite normal if it’s the right place and the right gown. People always say to me, how will I know if it’s the right dress and I don’t need to keep looking? My answer is always this “When your swishing around in a gown and you really do not want to take it off even when I’m saying that my next bride is outside and you need to go” that’s when you know!!!

Good Luck xx

Zoe

Credit: Hannah Brooke Photography

What should you consider When Choosing a Wedding Theme for your Big Day?

What should you consider When Choosing a Wedding Theme for your Big Day?

Congratulations, you’re getting married!! You may have it all planned down to the final tiny getail, but then I doubt you’d be reading this blog!!!! The main thing is to try not to get to stressed about your plans and try not to get to tied up in all the tiny details and remember WHY you’re getting married!! As important as it is as to how the napkins will be tied and which side of the plate the name cards will be placed, the only real thing that matters is that you are marrying you’re soulmate and you have a wonderful day to share with your nearest and dearest.

“Some of the main elements to think about are below to help you plan your perfect theme for your perfect day: …”

1.Personal preference

What do you and your partner like? Is there a wedding theme you’ve dreamt about since you were little? Do you read wedding magazines, watch films with weddings and even go to friend’s weddings and are drawn to certain styles? Have a chat about what you both like or are drawn too.

2.Season

You may want to tie your theme into the time of year. You may of chosen you’re favourite time of year to get married due to you liking the weather, colours or annual events that take place around your date. Pastels work well for spring weddings; bright colours are perfect if you’re having a summer do and browns and oranges look amazing for Autumn.

3.Venue

If you’ve chosen your venue, it will automatically bring an element of a theme.  It may be a barn so is likely to have a rustic theme associated with it.  It may be a 5* Hotel or grand castle so will have an element of grandeur about it, or it may be an ancient building so you may want to involve the architecture or history that surrounds it.  Have a think about your venue and what it encompasses to you both.

3.Budget

Really think about your budget before you get started be realistic and honest with yourselves and each other!!! Its so easy to get carried away and before you know it you’ve blown the budget and the planning process turns into a very unpleasant nightmare.  If someone else is helping you, partly or fully then sit down and get a figure from them. Its so hard to have to keep going back and asking for more so your better to know where you stand before you start.

These are just the main things to think about, there are obviously more but thinking about the elements above will help you plan the most perfect theme for your big day.

Trunk Show Announcement

Trunk Show-Saturday 16th October-Sunday 17th October 2021

I’m so excited to be one of the first Evie Young Stockists in the world to have the brand new “Heritage” collection in the boutique for one weekend only!! For this weekend I will have the full collection for you to try on in-store, be prepared to fall in love and find your dream gown. The appointment will be 1.5 hours and can be booked via the website www.treasuredbrides.co.uk (please only use the Evie Young Trunk Show option).

As a special gift, you will receive a 10% gift off your gown for any orders placed this weekend only!!!!!

Please only book an appointment if you’ve 1. Tried other boutiques and haven’t found your dream gown or 2. If like many brides this is your first experience trying on gowns but your prepared that if you fall in love with “The One” your happy “To Say Yes To The Dress” on that day. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to get the gowns back again for you to try on another time.

I look forward to welcoming you into this boutique for this wonderful weekend and helping you find the gown of your dreams.

Please check out Evie Young at https://evieyoung.com/

***The images of Evie Young on my website will NOT be the gowns I will receive in the boutique for the Trunk Show because the new collection has not been released to lovely brides yet I’m unable to show you but please rest assured they are absolutely divine and you are going to love them.

Exciting News!! New Bridal Gowns

We have an amazing designer arriving at Treasured Brides in July. It’s the perfect time for when we reopen our doors on 11th July!!!

“All New Wedding Gowns”

  • wedding gowns york
  • wedding gowns york
  • wedding gowns york

Covid-19 Update

Covid-19!!!! Move we have plans and wedding dreams!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, what is happening in the world at the moment? It seems so surreal doesn’t it. Literally 2 weeks ago we were walking around without any real serious worries. Certainly not really concerned about what this funny virus whom name relates more to a popular beverage had with a juicy slice of lime on a summer’s evening, CORONA!!!

I know I was full of bridal appointments 2 weeks ago. Lots of excited brides were coming in with their friends and families full of stories about their big day. I love hearing all the amazing ideas, plans, worries and issues along with the ideas of their perfect gown and the excitedness of finding their perfect gown!

My busiest months were in front of me. The dresses were all steamed and looking gorgeous, the Boutique had been moved around so everything was fresh, accessorises cupboard was full of all things sparkly and the fizz was in the fridge. I was ready for an amazing season and excited for meeting so many new brides and their guests and giving them the best experience.

Then all of a sudden everything has been put on hold. Like your big day possibly! But it is just that-on hold!! Not not happening, just not happening at the moment. It’s so hard when you have something so exciting that is around the corner but frustrating when you can not finalise plans as so much seems up in the air.

Me and you are in the same boat and I feel for every single one of you. We have plans and dreams and we are going to achieve them. At the moment things aren’t necessarily moving as fast as we’d like and we are completely not in control and we just have to wait.

We have to remember this will all blow over and we will come through it. My beautiful boutique will be there waiting to show you all the stunning gowns and can not wait to help you find your perfect gown. And your wedding will still be in the planning. It may not be exactly what you were planing. You may not have as many guests as you planned and it may not be on the initial date you had but it will happen, I promise.

Together we are going to get through this and I’m soooooo excited about the future.

See you soon

Zoe xxxx

Happy Birthday Treasured Brides

“We love to celebrate…”

4 years ago today I took an exciting leap of faith and opened Treasured Brides. There have been tears of sadnesses along the way but mainly tears of joy!!! I’m so happy to of met copious amounts of truly wonderful people I genuinely feel extremely lucky. I look forward to the next year and all that comes with it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Xxx

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