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Is that the sound of sleigh bells I hear?
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Every year I send out a Winter newsletter packed with good cheer and a little run down on what’s been going on at Brides Up North over the past 12 months. If you are one of our 16,000 (16,000!) subscribers who have already received this in your inbox, double the joy for you! If you don’t already subscribe (and why ever not?) you can do so quickly and easily using the little black Sign Up box on the right of the screen. No spam, ever.
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So, Christmas jumpers at the ready… it’s that time again! I’m sending warm and fuzzy feelings to all of you, and wishing you a Christmas time filled with good food, good company and good TV.
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Fun & games in the Blacktie Photobooth at our Nostell Priory show!
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If you are already looking ahead to your Spring 2013 wedding – BIG congratulations! I hope that you will come back and share your Real Wedding with the Brides Up North community. In the meantime, you can also join the party over on the Brides Up North Twitter and Facebook pages.
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These last 12 months have been truly amazing for the growth of the Brides Up North brand. A huge thank you to each and every one of my readers and industry colleagues for your love and support in 2012. It doesn’t go unnoticed and is massively appreciated.
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With Brad at the Brides Up North Tweet Up North West
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I said it in a blog post the other day, and will say it again here: I am passionate about our mission: bringing fabulous local wedding suppliers to the attention of fabulous local brides, helping to connect and build strong bridges between hardworking small business people in the regional industry, showing that the North has style and having a lot of fun whilst we are at it. The Northern Revolution is in full swing, and I’m already looking forward to a very exciting 2013. But first, grab a mince pie, and let’s look back as we recap on a very pretty year… I couldn’t have done it without you.
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The Northern Revolution goes viral!
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In January 2012 Brides Up North was proud to attend the inaugural Wedding Industry Awards as a regional judge. Brides Up North was also nominated in the Best Wedding Directory category for The Bridal Magazine Awards 2012 and asked to contribute to Bridal Buyer Europe.
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Addressing the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, Spring 2012
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In February 2012 the first Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibitions in Yorkshire took place – with a sell out on exhibitor spaces and a record attendance at the venues. I addressed The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners in a special "Blogging For Business" seminar and also spoke at both the Forward Ladies’ Positive Womens’ Days in Runcorn and Leeds. Brides Up North also featured in Hitched Magazine and The Journal.
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Just open for business at our amazing Allerton Castle event
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In March 2012 we hosted the first Brides Up North Super Showcase Grand Wedding Exhibition in the North East (again a sell out on exhibitor space and another record turn out!) and I was invited to join National glossy Wedding Magazine as a regular columnist. I also joined Graham Bell of Ski Sunday to take part in and complete the Ski The World Challenge with Wedding Ideas Magazine for The Make A Wish Foundation.
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In April 2012, the final two Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibitions in Yorkshire were another huge success, again complete sell outs and record attendances for the venues: Nostell Priory and Sarah Beeny’s Rise Hall. I was also invited to be the guest speaker at the North West Wedding Vendors Party with designer Caroline Castigliano.
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A busy & beautiful Brides Up North Yorkshire Tweet Up
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In May 2012 Brides Up North reprised the successful Brides Up North Tweet Up wedding industry networking events with a sell out party in the North East (click here to see a video from the event). I was also invited to be headline sponsor and presenter at The North of England Wedding Awards to take place later in 2012, and re-invited to sit as a consultant judge for The Wedding Industry Awards 2013.
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In June 2012 Brides Up North hosted two more sell out Tweet Ups in Yorkshire (click here for the video) and the North West and I took part in a press trip to Cyprus with Brides Up North Featured Supplier Thomson Weddings on behalf of both Brides Up North and Wedding Ideas Magazine.
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In July 2012 I saw my first monthly column published in National glossy Wedding Magazine, all about the trend for All White Weddings. Brides Up North also had a column in Mosaic Brides Magazine and was interviewed and took part in a photo shoot for Fabulous Magazine about the origins of Brides Up North and the rapidly growing brand.
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On location
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In August 2012 Brides Up North had triple page features printed in regional glossies LovedUp Magazine and Darlington Weddings and I began to put the finishing touches to plans for a busy Autumn season ahead.
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Brides Up North is proud to support and have been featured heavily in many National bridal titles in 2012
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In September 2012 Brides Up North hosted three more record attendance bridal events – the Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibitions at Nostell Priory and Allerton Castle in Yorkshire, and the Brides Up North Super Showcase Grand Wedding Exhibition in the North East – beating even our own record footfalls in Spring 2012. I also hosted and presented two industry gala dinner awards ceremonies celebrating the winners and finalists in the inaugural North of England Wedding Awards (you can see a video here). Brides Up North also saw another column printed in National glossy Wedding Magazine focussing on modern glamour for grooms and I enjoyed a long lunch with one of my design idols – the amazing Caroline Castigliano – courtesy of celebrity chef Simon Rimmer and Lace Bridal.
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Lunch with Castigliano
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In October 2012 I was invited to sit on the judging panel for the Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards 2013 and hosted two more record attendance Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibitions at The Mansion and Sarah Beeny’s Rise Hall.
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In November 2012 we were looking ahead to Christmas! Brides Up North HQ was covered in tinsel and twinkle as we prepared to host the first ever Brides Up North Chirstmas Party. This month also saw a further feature in Wedding Magazine plus my votes were cast as part of the prestigious juding panels for The Wedding Industry Awards and The Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards in 2013. I was also invited to be a guest speaker as part of a handpicked line up of industry experts at the inaugural UK Wedding Conference, set for November 2013.
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Hosting the inaugural North of England Wedding Awards
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In December 2012, Brides Up North hosted a very special, glittering Christmas party at Thorp Perrow in North Yorkshire for our industry friends and readers. To round off a happy year, we also announced plans for brand new bridal event venues in Spring 2013 and a very exciting collaboration with Manchester Fashion Week 2013 (MCRFW 2013). More news soon!
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As we move into the New Year I’ll be working on some more very special Brides Up North projects that I can’t wait to share with you (watch out for some snazzy site updates too!), welcoming a new member of staff to the Brides Up North team and looking forward to a jam packed calendar of Brides Up North events for 2013.
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It’s not just the business that’s grown in 2012 either! My personal highlight this year was finding out that my husband and I are expecting our first baby in early 2013! We can’t wait to welcome Baby Brides Up North to the World shortly and are so blessed.
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Our fabulous Brides Up North Christmas Party!
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As I said earlier today, I’m not shutting up shop completely on these pages over the festive period. I wouldn’t leave you out in the cold like that with only a soggy sprout for company now would I?! We’ll be celebrating Christmas in style here at Brides Up North with a daily post recapping on my personal favourites from a year’s worth of gorgeous celebrations (The 12 Weddings of Christmas, if you like!) to bring us into the New Year. So sit back and enjoy, as the Northern Revolution rumbles on…
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Merry Christmas!
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Love, Julia xxx
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Blacktie Photobooths, Martin Hambleton Photography, Brides Up North, Caroline White Photography, India Hobson Weddings, Katy Lunsford Photography, Wooden Hill Images, Limelight Photobooth Hire
This is not a sponsored post
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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