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It’s Friday afternoon.  I feel like some fabulousness is in order.  If you are a North East bride in search of a wedding dress, things are about to get a whole lot more simple.  Today I chat to Brides Up North Featured Supplier, Simplicity Weddings all about their gorgeous boutique in the pretty village of Shotley Bridge, and their even prettier gowns!

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Simplicity Weddings will be at the Brides Up North Super Showcase on Sunday 4th March at Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham.  Do you have your name down for a limited edition Brides Up North shopper goody bag?  Click here to register.

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What’s the story behind Simplicity Weddings?

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Simplicity Weddings opened in March 2009 so we are coming into our third year. We started as a handmade, bespoke wedding stationery company working from home. This quickly progressed to wedding planning for a local venue and thus developing a passion for the wedding industry. After approximately one year of planning and research, we found our premises, took the plunge and have only ever looked forward!

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What wedding dress designers do you stock?

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At present we stock Alfred Angelo, Mori Lee, Tia by Benjamin Roberts & Pure Bridal by Romantica. This gives us a broad range of styles and fabrics but all in an affordable price range without any compromise on quality or design. Our samples range in sizes UK12-18 but can generally be ordered in sizes UK8-32.

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What lines of bridal accessories do you stock?

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We have veils, tiaras, hair accessories and jackets by Linzi Jay & shoes from the Rainbow Club collection. Our Linzi Jay accessories can beautifully complement our dresses and provide the all important finished look – I can sell the same dress to two girls and they both look completely different after they have accessorised to their individual personalities! Rainbow Club have some fabulous satin shoes, in a range of fashion forward and more traditional styles from flats to platforms. Their satin can be dyed to perfectly match a colour swatch using the Colour Studio service and we also offer the click and collect service in our store.

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Where are you located?

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Simplicity Weddings is based in the small picturesque village of Shotley Bridge in Co Durham. We are actually becoming a bit of a wedding village with a florist, photographer, independent jewellery shop, fashion boutique, holistic therapy salon and unique gift shops!

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Can you give Brides Up North an idea on price?

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Our current bridal price range is £299 – £1200. However, we always have our sale sample gowns from £150. Our Bridesmaids dresses range from £140 – £265 and we have Flower Girls dresses at £99.

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Do Brides Up North need an appointment?

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Ideally yes! We always recommend booking an appointment and then our time is guaranteed when you arrive. We spend one hour for dress trials as this allows for a few styles to be tried but does not end up being “ivory overload”. We welcome second appointments to re-try any styles or to narrow down selections.

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What can a bride who comes to see you expect?

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We provide a personal yet professional service. We have approxiately 60 wedding dress styles and accessories to complement. Our wedding dresses are situated on our first floor which allows your appointment to be totally private and you can treat the space as one large fitting room. You can touch our dresses and have a good look through our rails, nothing is covered or hidden!

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We have a very relaxed atmosphere in the shop and don’t use any pushy sales tactics – we strive for all our brides to find their perfect dress and have their perfect wedding. We have introduced a new payment plan option allowing customers to set up a standing order to pay for their whole order with us. We can style your whole wedding party and ensure you have your perfect theme without needing to go from store to store.

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Which are your current favourite wedding dress designs?

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I currently have two favourites that I can’t choose between! Mori Lee 4865 & Alfred Angelo 2243. Mori Lee 4865 is a gorgeous strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline in a delicate organza draped fabric. There is a full layer of lace underneath with delicate sequins that catch the light and subtly sparkle. Alfred Angelo 2243 is a dropped waist style with a lace bodice featuring broad straps and a full back. It has a tulle skirt and banded waist which can be made in any of the 60 Alfred Angelo colour palette. This is a fabulous dress, with a designer look for only £549.

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Which wedding dresses are your best sellers?

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Our bestselling style for 2011 was A-line with a ruffled skirt. For 2012 our Brides are looking at a wide variety of dress shapes, with lace detailing proving popular. I believe it is detailing that goes through trends as brides will always choose different shape dresses to suit their body shapes.

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Do you stock bridesmaid dresses?

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Yes! We currently stock the Dessy Collection and Alfred Angelo and have over 70 styles to choose from in over 60 colour options. We also have Flower Girl styles for the younger members of the wedding party. We have styles that are full length, tea length and cocktail length and also in a variety of fabrics including satin, taffeta and chiffon. We have samples in size UK10-18 but can re-order dresses in UK4-32.

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What about menswear?

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We have a suit hire service in our shop – Simply Suits. We are authorised stockists of The Ultimate Formal Hire Co and can provide suits in a variety of styles from Prince Edward to tailcoat and informal suits. They are available in a variety of colours including black, grey and navy and in a wide range of sizes and lengths. There are contemporary and traditional design waistcoats and a large selection of tie colours to complement any wedding theme. Our suits generally arrive 10 days prior to your wedding date so there is no last minute stress to achieve the perfect fit.

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Are you married?

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Yes, I got married in June 2008 and my Husband now runs our suit department! I wore a Romantica of Devon dress called Amarillo. It was an ivory satin A-Line gown with embroidered detail on the bodice and train. Choosing my dress now, I would still go for an A-Line shape dress as it’s best for my figure however maybe something with more of a vintage feel.

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How can Brides Up North contact you or find out more?

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Our shop is open Wednesday 10am-4pm, Thursday 10am-7pm, Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and we offer appointments on Sunday. You can telephone us on 01207 504941 for more information or send us an email at simplicityweddings@googlemail.com. Alternatively we have a lot of information on our website and also our Facebook page.

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 provided by Simplicity Weddings

Simplicity Weddings is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier

Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier

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