.
So it’s back to the office for most of us today, but it’s not all bad…
.
I’m thrilled to introduce you to Brides Up North Featured Supplier Charlotte of Fable & Promise this morning on the wedding blog. Never ones to do things by halves, the girls at Fable & Promise have even organised an exclusive fashion shoot at Blackpool pier to show off their gorgeous gowns especially to Brides Up North. Now that’s commitment to the cause.
.
These ladies will clearly go the extra mile to make your wedding day super special, and they are even offering one lucky bride the chance to win £1,000 off your wedding dress. Not bad for a day’s work! Keep reading to find out all about their wonderful service and how you can win.
.
.
.
.
Tell Brides Up North a little bit about Fable & Promise…
.
Fable & Promise opened its doors in September 2011 but is not an entirely new company.
Before Fable & Promise was born we were a much smaller business: Silver Lining Sewing Rooms, offering bespoke bridal design and professional alterations in Blackburn. Rachel worked there full time with me and mum giving up all our evenings and weekends to help out. We loved that environment and the opportunity to be really creative. We dreamed about the possibility of working together properly but the size and location of the business pretty much dictated how much we could grow. We’d effectively reached our limit in that environment and were looking at our future when we were approached by a local bridal shop looking towards retirement. They didn’t have to ask twice and the rest is history… 6 very short weeks later Fable & Promise was created.
.
.
.
.
What lines of wedding gowns do you stock?
.
San Patrick is our flagship bridal brand: we just love their innovation and style and the quality of their gowns is unrivalled. Their wedding dresses are simply stunning but we love them as a company too; starting out as lace manufacturer they are still a family company 90 years on and you can really tell they care about every one of their brides. It’s hard not to fall in love with them. Fable & Promise are a premier stockist meaning that we carry a wider range of styles than other retailers and we are the only stockist in Lancashire.
.
We are also very proud to stock Linea Raffaelli bridal gowns. Linea Raffaelli isn’t afraid to experiment and their designs really appeal to those brides with more adventurous tastes. Their exquisite designs can use fabrics woven with metal threads and their collections contain some beautiful alternatives to ivory that really flatter all skin tones. There was no hesitation in adding Linea Raffaelli to our collections.
.
We are also massive fans of Mori Lee. They have always been popular with our brides as their new collections are always fresh and extremely fashionable. They really know how to flatter all figures and add sparkle like no-one else. We’re really excited that we have also just extended our Mori Lee collections to include the Julietta range designed specifically for the fuller figure.
.
There is also a new range due in store in a couple of months but we’re keeping this one under our hats for a little while…
.
.
.
.
We hear that you have a bespoke service? Tell us about it.
.
Our bespoke service is really important to us. There are many reasons someone might chose to have a wedding dress or mother of the bride outfit made but predominantly our bespoke customers are after something they can’t find in available collections. We’ve made everything from romantic and ethereal floaty chiffon wedding dresses to ultra dramatic black satin encrusted with blood red handmade flowers. The excitement we feel when we begin a new bespoke creation is just immense and seeing it take shape can be quite emotional.
.
I think there is something about the whole experience too… you bring all your ideas and inspiration, have them transferred to paper, see the design come together in toile form and then choose fabrics and embellishments which results in a totally unique, entirely original work of art that only you will ever wear. That can only be a special feeling.
.
Our bespoke service doesn’t just stop at creating the perfect wedding dress. Our mother’s can also have a unique experience and love being able to have shoes, bags and hats made to match their bespoke outfit.
.
Between the three of us we have a wide range of techniques and expertise under our belt; we love the opportunity to get creative with fabric flowers and intricate beading and Mum loves nothing more than unleashing her creativity on a flat piece of sinamay and turning it in to a cocktail hat or flamboyant fascinator.
.
.
.
.
What lines of accessories do you stock?
.
We are a bunch of magpies and love accessorising. Since we make a lot of our own accessories we maybe expect a higher standard from the designers we stock. We are careful to only carry lines that are handmade with the highest quality materials using the best techniques. That’s why we stock both Richard Designs and Liza Designs - they have very different styles but both are continually bringing fresh and inspiring designs in tiaras, veils and jewellery.
.
We are always on the lookout for new and interesting accessories to add that finishing touch. We have recently started stocking the most gorgeous crystal bouquets by Couture Crystal & Button Creations. They must spend hours collecting all the perfect trinkets to incorporate into each bouquet and the results are just beautiful. They can be completely personalised as well; adding family heirlooms and special charms or we can even save the hem lace from a wedding dress to be incorporated. We also love our line of lace parasols and bridal umbrellas by Chrysalin… entirely too practical in this British weather.
.
And we mustn’t forget our Rainbow Club and Rainbow Couture shoes and bags. Their designs are extremely fashionable and they offer a range of fits and heel heights. Their dye-ing service is also second to none and fantastic for bridesmaids and mother of the bride outfits.
.
All these ranges are supplemented by our own in-house ranges of bridal headwear, birdcage veils, handmade flower bouquets, shoe clips and garters. All of which can be modified to your heart’s content.
.
.
.
.
Where are you located?
.
We’re located in the centre of Blackburn, Lancashire – the heart of the textile industry (or it was). We’re lucky to be within easy reach of the M6 and M65 meaning we’re privileged to see brides travelling from Liverpool, Manchester and further afield. You can’t miss us really. We’re on the main road into Blackburn from Preston and fortunate to have off road parking.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Can you give Brides Up North an idea on price?
.
We are firm believers that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get beautiful design and quality fabrics. Our designer wedding dresses start at just £500 up to £2000 and with our bespoke service we really are able to tailor your design to your budget.
.
.
.
.
Do Brides Up North need an appointment?
.
We would always recommend making an appointment as we understand that it can be daunting to know where to start and difficult to navigate your way into layers of tulle and lace. We prefer to work by appointment as this allows us to manage our time and the workroom effectively and ensures you have our undivided attention. It is particularly worthwhile booking an appointment if you want to snap up one of our coveted evening or Saturday appointments and is essential if you know you want the bespoke service as space is limited. Don’t worry if you don’t have an appointment though as we will always try to make ourselves available and will endeavour to help our brides discover their style and find the perfect dress.
.
.
What can Brides Up North expect when they come in to Fable & Promise?
.
Fable & Promise really does offer something different to most bridal boutiques. We have a fantastic team who really do look after our brides. We’re also slightly eccentric which really appeals to those brides who want something more individual. We have been complimented time and again on our friendly and accommodating manner with many of our brides really valuing our ability to cater for the whole wedding party. Our brides really appreciate that we can take the stress out of making sure everything matches and everyone has found something that they really love to wear.
.
.
What is your current favourite gown that you stock and why?
.
This is one of our favourite games and one that has developed its own rituals. Whenever a new collection arrives at Fable & Promise all work stops, the boxes are broken open and the dresses brought out in a flurry of tissue paper and cellophane. The process of scrutinizing the designs begins and we love watching the team assess each new dress. This has actually recently developed into our ‘Dress of the week’ feature on Facebook … with nine of us at Fable & Promise there is definitely a wide range of tastes and it’s great to see how popular our choices are.
.
My personal favourite at the minute is Calais by San Patrick. I love the elegance and 1920’s influence and adore the effect that meters and meters of super soft tulle creates. It’s also flattering for every body shape and beautiful in any size.
.
.
Is there a particular style of dress that is popular with your brides at the moment?
.
We are noticing a couple of trends at the moment – 50’s inspired elegance with crisp lines and nipped in waists and romantic layers of lace.
.
.
How does Fable & Promise provide a different experience to other wedding dress boutiques?
.
The main difference of Fable & Promise is that you really can get everything your heart desires… without compromise. We have fantastic designer collections but if there’s nothing in our collection that ticks all the boxes we have the ability to turn your wildest ideas into reality. Nothing is beyond our grasp.
.
We are also passionate about helping people find other details for their wedding and like to encouraging relationships with other wedding professionals. There is some amazing talent in the wedding industry and it’s great to work with people who also share your passion.
.
We also love to play out and experiment with staged photo shoots and we had such fun with Zoe from ZT Photography and Gail and Kelly from Couture Crystal & Button Bouquets on our exclusive photo shoot for Brides Up North in Blackpool that it really didn’t matter that it was teaming down with rain and as blustery as anything on the end of North Pier. The day was coordinated by the The Wedding and Party Boutique with fabulous hair and make up by Hazel Tyler.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Do you stock bridesmaid dresses?
.
We have some stunning bridesmaid dresses to choose from and currently stock Mori Lee, Romantica, Ronald Joyce and Forever Yours bridesmaids. We usually have roughly 30 bridesmaid’s designs in our collection and with all of them available in up to 75 colours, up to size 34 and various lengths the options really are limitless. We also have a new range due in store in August. You could say we have a bit of an addiction. Rachel in particular is a sucker for a rainbow… if our suppliers arrange their collection in a rainbow it somehow seems essential that we have it all. Needless to say if you can’t find what you want from our collection you can always have something made.
.
.
Are you married? What did you wear on your wedding day? What would you choose to wear now?
.
My husband and I got married 7 years ago. Of course we made all our outfits ourselves back when Rachel was seamstress for another bridal shop and the idea of Fable & Promise or Silver Lining was only a dream.
.
I’m a dyed in the wool Goth and the idea of wearing Ivory brought me out in a cold sweat. I knew I wanted something unconventional and right up until buying the fabric I had planned to wear red. At the last minute I changed my mind and wore black. It was absolutely the right decision and I’ve actually worn my wedding dress several times over the years.
.
If we were getting married now I would probably choose something very similar but having developed so many techniques for embellishments would probably end up even more dramatic.
.
.
How can Brides Up North get in touch with you/ find out more?
.
Our website www.FableandPromise.co.uk is a great source of information and is continually being updated. Our blog and events pages are where you’ll find out about any news, events or special offers. We also have Facebook www.facebook.com/fableandpromise and Twitter www.twitter.com/fableandpromise accounts which are updated daily and give you more of an insight in the day to day goings on. This is also where you will find out about the other wedding businesses we are working with.
.
.
.
.
Do you have any events coming up that Brides Up North should know about?
.
We are actually hosting a wedding marquee as part of the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society Countryside Experience in Witton Park, Blackburn on 20th May. We have some fantastic wedding professionals on board offering a wide range of services from wedding flowers by Ewood Florist and photography by Colette Davies to the gogopod photo booth, Sweet Sensation Sweet Trees and Beautifully Vintage china hire. We also have some fantastic catwalk shows lined up showcasing some cutting edge designer gowns and excitingly for us we have invited some of our customers who have had bespoke creations made to come and strut their stuff on the catwalk too! We simply can’t wait!
.
We are also holding a fantastic Prize draw where we have decided to offer up to £1000 off a wedding dress at Fable & Promise as the main prize! If you want to get tickets or more information they can click here.
.
It’s going to be completely different to your standard wedding fair; for a start it’s in a marquee rather than a hotel or stately home. It’s also forming part of a much larger event and is just one of the attractions organised for the day. You will also be able to take in some fantastic craft making, community activities, classic car shows, animal displays and much more. It promises to be a fantastic family day out.
.
.
Shoot Credits Little Black Book:
.
Gowns: Fable & Promise
Images: ZT Photography
Shoes & Bouquets: Couture Crystal & Button Bouquets
Co-ordination: The Wedding and Party Boutique
Hair & Make Up: Hazel Tyler
.
.
Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 ZT Photography for Fable & Promise
Fable & Promise is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
.
.
