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This morning we are playing dress up, as we chat to Brides Up North Featured Supplier Chloe of the newly opened North Yorkshire bridal boutique Rocks & Roses about all things lace and tulle. I’m such an enabler (and not at all sorry about it!), I know!
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Chloe says: After completing a fashion degree at Northumbria University, I knew I wanted to be involved in the bridal industry. However during and after my degree I worked for a large high street fashion brand, and I was progressing steadily. It wasn’t till later that I took a leap of faith with a brand new bridal store as the manager. It was in the field I wanted to be in, but unfortunately the owner lacked real passion and enthusiasm for the industry. It quickly became clear that I wanted to immerse myself in the world of weddings, the way it should be!
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So I opened Rocks & Roses in March 2012. I actually have to give total credit to my Mum for the name, she once upon a time wanted to write a book called Rocky & Rosie, and although the book has never been started the name has always stayed with her. After discussing for hours, days and weeks, many other possibilities it became clear that Rocks & Roses had just stuck, and I’m so pleased it did!
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What wedding gowns do you stock?
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We stock a beautiful collection by Annais Bridal. They were brand new to the UK last year, and Rocks & Roses is currently the only stockist throughout North Yorkshire and the North East! They have such a great focus on quality and design, using hand made lace from places such as Italy and adding intricate beadwork by hand.
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We have recently taken on a collection of Amanda Wyatt dresses, which I absolutely love. From simplistic to fairy-tale they’re beautiful. All of Amanda Wyatt’s dresses are designed with real women in mind. She understands that not all brides are a size 10, and designs dresses to flatter every shape and size.
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The other bridal collection in our boutique is Gallery by Private Label, a capsule collection of destination dresses for the lucky brides jet-setting off to exotic locations. This range is perfect as you get the style and quality of the other designers, but are much lighter with what I call “travel-ability”. In the future we hope to stock a larger range to keep up with demand for destination weddings.
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What lines of bridal accessories do you stock?
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The accessories are from Studio Bridal, Annais Bridal and Amanda Wyatt, made up of both vintage style and modern pieces that are hand made or hand finished. We stock a beautiful range of hand made crystal tiaras in a variety of colours and styles as well as a fabulous range of shoes, which can be ordered in colours to match the dresses or theme.
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Kasumi
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Where are you located?
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We are located just off the prestigious Northallerton High Street in North Yorkshire. We are No. 6, Zetland Street, above Cowley’s Cycles. Look out for our little topiary tree that stands at the entrance. There is free parking on the high street, and its a two minute walk from the long stay car park near Barkers department store.
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Can you give Brides Up North an idea on price?
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The bridal gowns range from £525 – £2,000. We also stock a collection of sample dresses, which are available “off the peg” and start at just £225. All brides are offered an interest free payment plan, allowing them to pay for the dress in instalments.
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Emporia
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Do Brides Up North need an appointment?
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They don’t need an appointment, but we do recommend that they call ahead to ensure we can spend as much time with them as they need. We do however appreciate that finding “the one” can take time, and therefore offer exclusive 1-2 hour appointments during the week, if booked in advance, where we will ensure that no one can interrupt the appointment.
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We also open Sundays 11-3pm, which is handy for busy brides.
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What can Brides Up North expect when they come in for an appointment?
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At Rocks & Roses we offer a relaxed and friendly approach to finding “the one”. The boutique is spacious and private, allowing brides to feel comfortable and at ease when trying on dresses. During the appointment, our attention is solely on them, to give as much advice and guidance as we possibly can. We do like to suggest that brides only bring those whose opinions they value most. Choosing your wedding dress is a big decision, and bringing people that are only interested in what they like, can make the experience confusing and less enjoyable.
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Rosaria
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What is your current favourite wedding gown that you stock and why?
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Ooh that’s a tough one, I love them all in different ways! I suppose for being so extraordinary I would say Kasumi by Annais Bridal, a tea length dress with hand made lace and feather detail on the skirt and a detachable halter-neck. For brides looking for an unusual or vintage style, this corseted dress offers just that. If I wore this it would be with fuchsia pink heels and a matching lipstick! This dress is available to order in all sizes and priced at just over £1,000.
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Is there a particular style of wedding dress that is popular with your brides at the moment?
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Surprisingly the most popular has been Rosaria, the plainest dress in the collection, but such a stunning style that just speaks for itself. The brides trying it on haven’t been enthralled but when they’ve tried it, have had a complete change of heart. It doesn’t have any “bling”, but with some sparkly accessories, a little bolero or a beautiful lace veil, this dress comes to life. It has a corset back, which gives such a gorgeous silhouette, and being so simple there is the option to change their look throughout the day. It works for both petite and curvy girls, its fab and oozes understated elegance! Available to order in all sizes and priced at £995.
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Folie
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How does Rocks & Roses provide a superior experience to other wedding dress boutiques?
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I’m sure many stores will also say the same: we want to offer our Brides the very best service and attention to detail, but after only four months, this really has been the thing that everyone has commented so positively on. We are patient, understanding and honest. We will not push you into a sale, it has to be completely your choice. If we feel you’re not sure or you would like to try a few more styles just to check, we are happy to give you our time and expertise to find the right dress for you. We have already had brides from as far as Somerset, Leeds and Huddersfield coming to us on recommendation alone. In such a short time, we feel this says a great deal about our service.
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We also provide a very distinctive collection of dresses. Offering our brides something completely unique is something we are very keen to do. We have started with Annais Bridal, and would love to add to our collection with new and even graduate designers over the coming year.
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Do you stock bridesmaid dresses?
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We stock a fantastic range of bridesmaid dresses from Colour by Kenneth Winston. This collection is also fairly new to the UK and is very diverse; you can choose any style, in any length, colour and size. It also provides the opportunity to have bridesmaids in different styles but all the same colour, ensuring that they look and feel great in their dresses. There’s nothing worse than grumpy bridesmaids in your wedding photographs! Sizes available from 4-32 priced between £170 and £280. We also stock a great selection of “off the peg” dresses starting at just £69.
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If you purchase a bridal gown from Rocks & Roses you will get 10% off your bridesmaids and flower-girl dresses.
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We also stock a capsule collection of Mother of the Bride/Groom outfits, available in a variety of styles, colours and sizes.
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Mandy
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Who would be a Rocks & Roses bride?
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We would like to think that any bride looking for her dream dress would like to come and pay us a visit. We have a beautiful boutique and a fabulous selection of dresses from traditional to contemporary. We don’t just cater for petite or curvy brides, so we believe we have something to suit all shapes and sizes. Our collections are also very unique, so for brides looking for something extra special, we would love for them to call into Rocks & Roses.
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What gown would you choose for your own wedding day?
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If I were to get married I would like to think I would wear a very fitted fish tail or mermaid dress like Coco by Amanda Wyatt. Having said that, like most brides, I haven’t tried many on and will probably end up choosing something completely the opposite (like Mandy by Annais Bridal!) Being in the industry has made me very open-minded about trying different styles, so I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see!
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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you/ find out more?
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They can contact the boutique on 01609 258 518, visit our website www.rocks-roses.co.uk or email us at rocks-roses@live.co.uk
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Don’t forget that Rocks & Roses are having a sample sale THIS WEEKEND from 11th – 12th August 2012. All current collections including some brand new 2013 dresses from Annais & Amanda Wyatt will have up to £100 off. The sample dresses (mainly discontinued styles) will have up to 75% off.
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Please call Chloe at Rocks & Roses on 01609 258 518 to reserve your place. Appointments are recommended.
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 supplied by Rocks & Roses
Rocks & Roses is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier, and this is a sponsored post
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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comments
I love all of the earrings…. fantastic!