TDR Bridal Birmingham

Category: Blog

Wedding Dress Designer Weekends West Midlands

What is a Wedding Dress Designer trunk show?

A trunk show features a particular designer’s collection, usually featuring their newest collection and it is the perfect opportunity to view and try brand new dresses before they are available in any stores. A trunk show is a unique opportunity with TDR providing a unique and personal experience.

What are the benefits?

Trunk shows are one of the most exciting events in bridal and they are certainly not to be missed by ANY bride!

Throughout the duration of our trunk shows there will be price incentives, so please ensure you bring those who are crucial to assist you in making your final decision and look forward to receiving the best possible price.

How long do they last?

Trunk shows will be WEEKEND ONLY and one trunk show will last the duration of one weekend.

How do they work at TDR?

During trunk shows we will work by our usual appointment system, meaning it will be a first come first serve system and due to limited availability please ensure you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Brides are welcome to try on any other gowns in store alongside the trunk show collection.

We will be posting regular updates about our forthcoming trunk shows so make sure you keep an eye out to ensure you do not miss out!!!!

See you soon!

Upcoming trunk show dates

13th-14th January 2018 – Rebecca Ingram

The newest addition to Maggie Sottero Designs, Rebecca Ingram offers timeless elegance and superior quality to the value-conscious bride. The inaugural Olivia collection features flattering silhouettes, understated embellishments, and flirty illusion details in an array of charming colorways. We’re really excited to have this Designer weekend with most dresses retailing at around £995 – £1500 plus our in-house buying incentives, helping you to save as you buy!

20th-21st January 2018 – House Of Mooshki

Specialising in cutie pie short 1950’s inspired tea lengths we just adore the House of Mooshki Collection! Dresses can be customised to your perfect style with sleeves, necklines and lengths to create wedding dress just for you! We’re the largest stockist in the Midlands and were the first ever UK Mooshski stockists so we know all there is to know about these fabulous dresses! Most Mooshki dresses retail at around £1200 – £1500 plus we’re offering our in-house buying incentives, helping you to save as you buy!

27th-28th January 2018 – Ronald Joyce

A wonderful friend of TDR, Italian born Designer Veni Infantino has a unique creative style and produces elegant, stylish, feminine wedding dresses which are timeless in design. Veni combines classic design with modern fashion innovation and stunning embellishments which here at TDR we are truly captivated by. Veni knows the female form and her designs emulate this knowledge. Come and see her brand new 2018 Collection instore. Ronald Joyce dresses are around £1500. This weekend we’re offering our in-house buying incentives, helping you to save as you buy! One not to be missed!

Justin Alexander Signature 9901

3rd-4th February 2018 – Justin Alexander

Pure opulence! That’s how we would describe Justin Alexander wedding dresses and oh are we excited to show you the new 2018 Collections! As a Platinum stockist we have unrivalled assistance from Justin Alexander and are the Birmingham go-to store for this amazing brand. Justin Alexander gowns have vintage appeal with a modern edge. Made for the bride who wants to embrace timeless elegance on her wedding day. Surprising cut-outs, sleek lines, graphic treatments and abstract beading are to be expected. These dresses retail from around £1200 – £1800. Calling all brides! There will be some amazing in-house offers! You need to book early for this Designer Weekend!

10th-11th February 2018 – Sottero & Midgley

We are a Premier Retailer for this stunning brand and we’re so excited to show you the full collection!! Featuring alluring details, luxe fabrics, and cutting-edge designs, Sottero and Midgley is inspired by the chic and glamorous bride. Calling all West Midlands Brides 2 Be make a bold statement on your wedding day with plunging necklines, show-stopping trains, and opulent embellishments from these haute-couture collections. These dresses retail at around £1700 – £2500 plus we’re offering our in-house buying incentives, helping you to save as you buy!

MORE DATES RELEASED IN THE NEW YEAR!

15/12/2017
Enzoani Brand Ambassadors

On Wednesday we had our Brand Ambassador Training Programme for our amazing Designer Enzoani. We have carried this label instore for 10 years now and every year we are just amazed by the forward thinking designs that KC, the Designer creates. His fit on every dress is just like a second skin and every bride who try’s an Enzoani dress will just fall in love all over again.

Enzoani Platinum stockist, now Enzoani Brand Ambassadors

So, being an Enzoani Platinum stockist for the last four years, we were delighted to find out that we have qualified to become Enzoani Brand Ambassadors. This entailed a rigorous training programme for us all, with tests on our knowledge throughput the day and a certificate if we passed.

We started prompt at 10am with a video of the offices, distribution hub and quality control standards in place. This was followed by every single bit of information you could possible imagine about all things Enzoani, from the Designers credentials, the fabric choices, the measuring, including Made To Measure, the additions and changes that could be made, lead times, why they take so long, the work involved on every single gown before it leaves HQ, their seamstresses, the hand beadwork, the ordering portal and processes, the fabric choices…Absolutey everything!

After a long 6 hours of training we were tested on our knowledge. I am delighted to report, we all passed! We’re now the proud owners of our Enzoani Brand Ambassador badges and certificates. Our knowledge is immense and we’re just so proud to achieve this coveted accolade!

Thank you so much Enzoani!

22/11/2017
Best Bridal Retailer West Midlands

Oh wow! Just not back down to earth yet but got to tell you our news!

We have just won The Wedding Industry Awards Best Bridal Retailer West Midlands for THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING!!

This Award is like no other. It’s tough, really tough…It’s voted for by our brides, only those married within the last year, who have genuinely been a TDR Bride.

So no, “click and vote” here folks, this is the real deal. Every bride has to register with TWIA, give us marks out of 10 on many different aspects of our service and then make comments at the end. We don’t get to see these comments or votes until the very end, after the winners in each category have been announced, all we know is how many votes we’ve had and who they’re off.

Because we have won the West Midlands heat, we are off to London in January 2018 for the National Finals! Last year we got Highly Commended in the National Finals so we’re keeping everything crossed for 2018!

We never forget though that none of this would be possible without our amazing brides who trust us with the most importance dress they will ever wear, and for that we are truly grateful.

13/11/2017
National Wedding Show Birmingham

It’s that time of the year again! We are off to meet thousands of new brides at the NEC Birmingham for The National Wedding Show.

We just love this show because there’s so much variety and choice, not just for wedding dresses, but cakes, venues, wedding rings, bridesmaids, Mother of The Bride Outfits, Prosecco Bars, Wedding Stationery, Room Settings, florists, you name it… it’s there!

We usually take around 150 dresses from our new collections, so you can be sure to see our newest designs. Brides often say we’re one of the nicest stands to visit as we’re all so happy doing our thing!

We will be on the catwalk with our amazing exclusive NOYA Collection by Rikki Dalal too, so you can really see what all the hype is about.

We don’t expect you to buy at the show, you need to come into store and see what we’re all about before you part with your hard-earned cash. We are proud RBA members, assuring you of our expertise and business acumen too, so you know you are in safe hands.

Look forward to seeing you there!

27/10/2017
World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

We had a fab fun time at The Dressing Rooms on Friday with coffee and cakes galore cooked by ourselves and our fabulous brides!

The bunting was out, the table was laid, the cakes were ready for our Macmillan Coffee morning.

Proud to have done our bit for such an amazing charity raising £118.56 to go to such a worthwhile cause, close to our hearts. Well done to everyone who attended and thank you so much for the recipes!

We will definitely be using them next year!

29/09/2017
Best Bridal Retailer but can you believe it! I didn’t do my hair!

The biggest event of the bridal industry is the Harrogate Bridal Show where the very best Designers in the Industry from across the World along with almost every Bridal store in the UK and Ireland and hundred of overseas visitors gather together to do business and buy from the following years new collections. We were in the running for Best Bridal Retailer.

I love this show more than any other…well…(maybe Barcelona has the edge on the weather!) but really it is a truly magnificent Trade show where I am inspired, many times overwhelmed and always in awe at the choice and designs created. Exquisite laces, soft tulles and stunning crisp silks in abundance make for heady displays which we must be really focused with and not get carried away by. Always with my brides in my minds eye, I buy collections from the very best in the industry, Mori Lee, Ronald Joyce, Sottero & Midgley, Justin Alexander, Mooshski and Enzoani.

There are many social events happening over this 3-day, 4 night event, the most exciting for all bridal shop owners being The Bridal Buyer Awards, hosted at the Harrogate Convention Centre, this black tie event attracts hundreds of guests, not just retailers but suppliers, designers and the media.

The finalists had been announced a few months before and I’m delighted to say The Dressing Rooms was up there! In my mind, we really were playing with the big boys so there was no way little old me from Halesowen had got a chance, but it was an absolute honour to have been shortlisted, so I was more than happy with that.

I was so busy that day, working, buying, concentrating, dashing from one designer to the next, trying to cram in as much as possible to get the most out of my time there, that I just didn’t have time to get ready for a 7pm start. So, a quick dash back to our apartment, a wash, a bit of makeup and a clean frock and I was off to the Awards.The Dinner was lovely and much need after such a busy day and then the Awards began.

One announcement later…. OH MY DAYS!!!!! TOTAL SHOCK!!!

Best Bridal Retailer ENGLAND – The Dressing Rooms Halesowen

The Dressing Rooms Halesowen – announced as Best Bridal Retailer ENGLAND!! By my peers!! This was just totally unexpected!! I can’t even begin to explain to you how shocked, delighted, overwhelmed, amazed I was!! The first words out of my mouth? … “I didn’t do my hair!”

Well, I can honestly say, I really never expected that! I do my bridal thing every day because I love what I do, I have THE BEST TEAM and its down to them that this happened. Their hard work and dedication to TDR Brides is unmeasurable, they’re a crazy lovely beautiful fun loving hardworking totally committed bunch of ladies who I am truly thankful for every single day.

I have learnt only this…. Rebecca! For goodness sake! Next time… DO YOUR HAIR!!

12/09/2017
Introducing Riki Dalal Noya Collection to TDR Bridal

Hi ladies! Well… we have some very exciting news to announce here at TDR Bridal that we have been dying to tell you all about!

We are now official stockists of the beautiful Noya Collection by Riki Dalal and there are so many reasons as to why we are SO excited about this (trust me, you’ll understand the hype when you see these beauties!!)

Riki Dalal are a designer that focus on creating the ‘modern bride’ look, they believe that a new era of bridal couture is approaching, becoming bolder with a daring back, deep necklines and intricate details spreading worldwide.

The Noya Casablanca Collection has become famous worldwide for their exquisite couture bridal gowns, perfect for any bride seeking a modern piece that is sure to turn heads, and TDR are SO proud to now be a stockist! Oh, and did we mention…we have every single dress from this collection in store NOW!!!

So, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…. pictures!!!

‘ROMI’ a BEAUTIFUL two-piece gown.

The ‘IRIS’ gown – for that ‘sexy bride’ look.

‘JASMINE’ is truly an exceptional display of handwork.

The ‘NORAH’ gown – a true representation of the Riki Dalal’s style

The show-stopping ‘ASTER’ gown – a combination romance and a sexy twist

‘VIOLET’ is beautiful piece featuring 3D floral accents hand sewn along the plunging v-neckline which then waterfall down along the top of the skirt.

An unusual Riki Dalal style gown…’REINA’ provides brides a style for those seeking a royal princess look.

‘MONA’ is the stunning reinvention of a classic strapless mermaid gown.

The ‘Ellie’ gown – perfect for any bride looking for that 2-in-1 look

‘CELINE’ – where the back detail is truly a piece of art

‘Camil’ – an A-line beauty with cap sleeve accents.

‘Amara’ – Riki Dalal’s most popular design.

The beautiful ‘Ambar’ gown – perfect for the modern bride, daring to be different!

…and that’s a wrap!

We are so in love with every single gown from this beautiful collection, each gown beautiful in their own way and perfect for any bride ‘daring to be different’.

This collection is available to view and try on in store NOW.

To book your exclusive appointment call 0121 423 2777 (Option 1), request an appointment online or email marketing@tdr-bridal.co.uk

We can’t wait to meet you!

Lots of love

Rebecca and the TDR Team Xxxxx

11/07/2017
Wedding Dress Alterations – Seamstress Service
You have found your dream dress, it is perfect for you – the style, the colour, the cut – suit you down to the ground. It is right at the top end of your budget, but hey that’s fine as it is THE ONE and the only other things you need are your wedding accessories and shoes, right?

Wrong.

The Importance of a Good Seamstress

It is true that you don’t need to buy any other items to add to your wedding dress, however you may need something taken away from your dress or even put in – additional material.

It is vital you budget for wedding dress alterations, every wedding dress will or should need to be altered to fit you perfectly. This is where the importance of a good seamstress comes to the forefront.

We are not all the same size, yet dresses come in standard sizes – x cm around the bust, x cm at the waist, x cm at the hips. We aren’t made to these exact measurements and even if you are lucky enough to be a perfect size 12 for waist and hips, your bust measurements could be out. Unless you want the most expensive dress you ever buy to fit “not quite right but it will do” then always budget for wedding dress alterations.

For wedding dress alterations by a qualified professional seamstress, you should budget for around £200 – anything less is a bonus.

When you buy probably the most expensive and luxurious dress you will ever wear it needs to fit like a kid leather glove made especially for you.

Here are our top tips when looking considering wedding dress alterations:
- Make sure that the Seamstresses work on site and the dress stay onsite
- Don’t just go to aunty flos kichen for a bit of sewing while she cooks a stew! Wedding alterations are an art and a skill and take years to perfect.
- All dresses arrive with us in a standard length, it is important to have the shoes for the wedding day so that we can get the perfect length for you.
- Invest in a good strapless bra. Once the dress is warm from your body heat the structure inside softens. A decent bra will give that little bit of extra support and you will not end up with that awful crease under the bust or keep tugging the dress up all day.
When a dress is fitted by a Qualified, Fully Trained Seamstress you will feel like it’s your second skin, and a perfect wedding dress will be transformed into YOUR perfect wedding dress.

Have you go any other hints and tips you found handy when you were getting your dress altered? I would love to hear them and share them with our brides.

Until next time…

Accept nothing less than perfection.
03/05/2016
My Top Tips For Wedding Dress Shopping

Wedding Dress Shopping should be one of the most enjoyable, fun and happy shopping trips you will ever go on.

For some though it can become quite stressful and not enjoyable at all. Here are some of our Top Tips to avoid stress and ensure that you find Your Dream Dress.

1. Decide right at the very beginning who you want to take with you.

This is so important, ask your self, do you trust them to be honest with you but kind and sensitive too, towards your feelings? Its lovely to have advice from family or friends but if you have the slightest doubt that the people you choose to share this occasion with, will not listen to YOU and what YOU want or won’t take your feelings into consideration when being brutally honest (in their opinion) then they are not the people you should choose to share your Buying Experience with. Its hard to please everybody because we all have different opinions and personal choices and buying a Wedding dress is a totally unique experience because of the emotion attached to it.

2. Choose the shops to visit carefully, in a planned and constructive way.

Ok so here’s the thing… Every Bridal Shop has a radius of Exclusivity on each dress label they carry. Depending on the Label it can be as little as a 5 mile radius up to a 25 mile radius on more exclusive brands. So, based on that, it is much better to choose to visit shops within a 5 mile radius of each other. That way you get to see lots of different Designers, Labels and Brands & styles.

Do your research…

3. Check out each Bridal Shops Reviews

Reviews are absolutely necessary in the Bridal Industry and EVERY Shop you visit MUST have Reviews somewhere on the internet. If you have planned to visit a Bridal Shop that has no Reviews anywhere on the internet, then you MUST ask yourself why? Do not be fooled by glossy websites and lots of google listings if there are no genuine Reviews online to back that up. Honesty and transparency are absolutely imperative when it comes to your Wedding Dress.

4. Are the Bridal Shops you are choosing in any Association or Affiliation?

There is only one Association in the Bridal Industry which is worth its salt and that is the Retail Bridal wear Association or RBA. This is the only Association that inspects its members stores & accounts, has a Strict Code Of Conduct, checks out the shops Suppliers and Credit Status, Plus has the added bonus of The Brides Protection Scheme. Its the same as buying you honeymoon from an Atol or ABTA registered Travel Agent. Don’t get hoodwinked by other “Associations” such as the BBRA, this is absolutely NOT the same.

5. Visit no more than 3 Bridal Shops.

A good Bridal Shop should have at least 150 different styles in store (we have around 300) so if you visit 3 good shops then you have had access to at least 450 and potentially 1000 different styles. Be careful, you don’t want to become “dressed out” or “desensitized ” by visiting too many shops and becoming utterly confused and probably a bit deflated.

6. Check the location of your shops and their opening hours.

Will the locations work for you later on, once you have ordered your dress? Is it easily accessible for Fittings? Is there a car park? What days are they open, do they offer a late night? You need to know all this information BEFORE you go into a Bridal Shop. If the location and Opening Hours are not going to work for you then there is no point visiting. Find shops which are convenient to you and your lifestyle.

7. Don’t be frightened to make your decision.

Most brides instinctively know when they have found “the one”, pretty much the same as the man! You just know its right. However, if you are indecisive and worried about committing to buy, you really shouldn’t be. Statistics show that just over 70 % of all brides find their dress in the first Bridal Shop they visit. We have so many brides who LOVE LOVE LOVE the dress, then say, oh but I can’t buy just in-case i see something else. The fact is you will always see something else, of course you will, but there has to come a point where you say ” you know what, I’m sticking with this one” Just like the man, there are millions out there and you could just keep on looking…forever!

8. Know your finances

If you are going dress shopping, be prepared to buy. Don’t treat Wedding Dress Shopping as just a jolly day out because that mind set will not help you to find “the one” you will just become confused, disheartened and ultimately stressed. So many Brides are amazed when they find their dress at the first shop they visit but why? if you are going to Sainsbury’s to buy a lettuce, why would you be surprised to find the perfect lettuce when you got there? Have a clear understanding of your budget and discuss this if you need to with each shop before you book to visit them.

9. After Service

Again, this is about doing your homework on each shop you plan to visit. Do they offer free storage? Do they have an “In-house” alteration Service? Will they Steam, Prep and Pack your dress for you? Do they offer a delivery Service? These are all important things you need to know.

10. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!

Above all remember this is a Once In A Lifetime Experience – Wedding Dress Shopping should be the most enjoyable, happy experience you could ever imagine, with a good splash of luxury and Top Quality Service thrown in for good measure. Enjoy and cherish every second.

I hope these tips help you all

Rebecca xxx

29/04/2016
Justin Alexander Bridal Design

Justin Alexander Bridal Design is a multi award winning wedding dress label, which has been on the bridal fashion scene since 1949! It has been over the last 20 years that the brand has sky rocketed in popularity and is now renown across the globe. The heritage and ethos behind this power house designer is just a few of the reasons we are so pleased to be able to stock the magnificent dresses created year and year.

Justin Alexander gowns have been at The Dressing Rooms for over 6 years, and what first attracted us to the designer was the breathtaking, innovative and beautiful designs. The label has in fact won many awards for being an industry leader and trend setter. Although, once you dig a little deeper into the styles and designs you can see that the designer takes inspiration from the past but re works it into a stunning contemporary gowns.

We currently hold around 25 different styles of Justin Alexander gowns and are one of the few bridal shops in the Birmingham area who are luck enough to be able to call it one of our labels. In fact, the selection of gowns you can find at The Dressing Rooms is soon to grow, in the new year we are delighted to say we will also be carrying the Signature range by Justin Alexander, as well as some other new exciting labels but more on that another time!

Another major draw, not just to us as a bridal shop, but to many of the brides who choose to wear Justin Alexander Bridal Designs is the brilliant structure each gown has. Whatever your body shape or size, a Justin Alexander gown will give you support and comfort as well as making your figure traffic stopping worthy. Trust me when I say; you know when you are wearing a Justin Alexander gown.

Of course, the fit, attention to detail and elaborate handcrafted beadwork comes at a price – these wedding dresses aren’t cheap! However, I would say they are amazing value for money. Aimed at the mid to high end market price point, each gown is stunning in both it’s design and structure and if your wedding dress budget is around the £2000 mark, I would say you should at least try on a Justin Alexander gown. We find that brides who are looking for a classic, romantic look on their big day often veer towards this designer, and brides who know style and substance can, and should go hand in on the biggest day of your life.

We have loved so many of the Justin Alexander Bridal Designs which have flown in and out of our doors in the last 6 years, and although everyone has a different favourite for their own reasons, my absolute stand out favourite wedding dress of all time has to be Style No. 8596 in Ivory/Oyster. It is simply divine; from the way it fits and flatters pretty much every bride I have seen in it, to the stunning textured lace, neckline detail and figure enhancing satin cummerbund around the waist. It is a showstopper, for sure!

Finally, another reason I love these gowns so much is that as a special keepsake to remember your beautiful dress after the big day (without keep dragging it down from the loft to try on) you can actually buy an original sketch of your dress by Justin Alexander – how amazing is that! I love the fact you can have such a special token of the most beautiful dress you are probably ever going to wear right up there on the wall – to look at and swoon after every day of your life – much like your significant other, right!?

That’s why I love Justin Alexander wedding dresses and hopefully now you know a little more about the label. Do you love Justin Alexander gowns? Did you get married in one? If so, which one? and what made you fall in love with a JA gown in the first place?

I would love to hear your thoughts and insights into this designer.

Rebecca x

30/09/2015