2023! What a year it has been! We have achieved so much over the last 12 months and wouldn't of been able to do it all without you. Our followers, family & friends, our recommended suppliers and of course our Vicki's Bride family.
We started 2023 on a real high, winning our second Hitched award for 'Best Bridal Store in Kent'. We were also then listed number 16 of the best wedding dress shops in the UK. Being only 2 years old this has felt like such a huge achievement, to be recognised by such an established wedding company is such an honour. Not to mention being put in the same category as some of the other amazing bridal stores in the UK.
It was really important to us that this year we expanded our services that we offer our brides. We now have the most talented seamstress duo as apart of our team, offering in-house alterations to our brides once their wedding dress has arrived. Nikki & Tracy have over 25 years experience in the wedding industry, bridal runs through their veins and we feel so lucky to be able to have The Wedding Dress Surgeon as our recommend seamstress. We also started our wedding dress cleaning and boxing service to all brides. You can find out more about this service here.
We celebrated our 2nd birthday this year! 2 years of growing a family of the most amazing brides, helping brides find their dream wedding dresses and being a part of their very special journey. We can't believe how fast this year has gone, and we will soon be 3! We have so many ideas and plans to bring to Vicki's Bridal Boutique.
We had our annual trips to Bridal Week, London in March and Harrogate in September. If you follow us on social media, you will know we absolutely love Bridal Week! We are like kids in a toy shop every time we go. Catching up with our wonderful suppliers, but also fellow bridal shop owners that we have made friends with over the years. We always have such a good time, viewing new collections and designers. It's not all play, we do have to work there too, one of the jobs being choosing our new collections! Always a tricky task as we end up liking them all and have to narrow it down. The 2024 collection is beautiful, and we really feel like we are finding our style and place in the bridal industry. In the New Year, you can expect a new collection from Ellis Bridals! But if you can't wait, just take a look at our collections page for a preview.
Off the back of Harrogate this year we became the first Kent stockists of Jacqueline Louise Bridal, Bridesmaids Collection! We now stock a range of gorgeous Multiway Bridesmaids dresses and our brides have been loving them. We are now able to offer bridesmaid appointment for you and your bridal party. Booking can be made online.
We hosted two trunk shows this year with two incredible British designers, Sophie Rose Bridal and Kate Fearnley, both designed and handmade in the UK. We are on the hunt to find the perfect designer to add to our collection, someone with a difference. So watch this space...
We also become recommended suppliers for not one but TWO gorgeous venues in Kent. Vicki's Bridal Boutique is now listed recommended suppliers for bridal wear for The Oak Barn, Frame Farm and The Old Kent Barn.
A highlight of this year has to be being crowned winners of the Muddy Stilettos 'Best Bridal in Store in Kent' Award. What a moment this was. This award is public voted, so the fact that members of the public took their time to vote for us is incredible. We wish we could thank every single person, if you were one of those people, thank you so much!
Another pinch us moment has to of been hosting our first Kelsey Rose brand event. We had a wonderful evening with our recommended suppliers, Grace from Kelsey Rose and gorgeous brides-to-be, where we discussed all things weddings. Kelsey Rose sent us their entire collection along with hair accessories from The Bobby Pin and shoes from The Perfect Bridal Company and our brides loved it. Our event was a hit, and we can't wait to host another one! Kelsey Rose is by far our best-selling designer, and this year we were named 'Top Repeaters for 2023'.
And of course, our family grew by one more this year as Hannah welcomed her second daughter into the world. Lily Longworth-Smith. These are just a few of our highlights from an incredible year, it has been so great to be able to reflect on what truly has been a great year for Vicki's Bridal Boutique. Thank you again to everyone for your continued support on a daily basis. It really doesn't go unnoticed. We pinch ourselves every day that this is our real life, we are living our dream.
So, that's a wrap for 2023...see you in 2024! We can't wait!
Hannah & Megan xx