Established in 2012, bridalNEXT! is an initiative set up by Most Curious to support and promote fresh, fashion-led, new and innovative talent in the bridal industry. Not only launching them into the spotlight, we are also bringing them straight to the creative, stylish and cool loving bride and grooms.
bridalNEXT! will be taking place at the London 2015 show and is open to all wedding businesses launched since the 1 January 2012.
AND NEW FOR 2015 – ROCK ‘N ROLL BRIDE AWARD!
To propel our bridalNEXT!ers firmly into the spotlight, there will be a special Rock ‘n Roll Bride Award this year, given for possessing big-time innovation and directional qualities, chosen by the candy hair coloured expressive wedding queen herself Kat Willams, founder of the internationally famous and respected Rock ‘n Roll Bride blog and magazine.
We are dedicated to keeping bridalNEXT! a platform for new graduates and those truly starting out in their creative careers, which means that eligible businesses must not have launched their wedding business before 2012. And to ensure we are truly accommodating to start ups these stands are at a special up-and-coming- friendly price.
This year it is divided into Bridal Design and Wedding Service, there will be a Winner and Highly Commended Award in both - exciting!
CATEGORY 1: BRIDALWEAR
Velvet JohnstoneVelvet Johnstone provides bespoke and ready to wear collections for brides craving unique modern nostalgic romance.
From bespoke bridal gowns to comfortable pre-wedding day apparel..
velvet johnstone prides itself on making dream creations a reality. whether that’s the perfect gown for walking down the aisle, knock-out frocks for your rock n roll wedding guests or the ultimate evening outfit as she and her sweetheart dance off into the sunset together.
She is obsessed with the number eight and true love …..
Lorie XLorie x is a collection of bespoke bridal wear which is designed and created in East London. It is made up of bridal gowns, but also separates; and it offers something completely unique, with pieces featuring hand inked and photographic digital prints and invites brides-to-be to have input in the process. Garments are made from the finest silks, laces and jacquards. Brides can choose fabrics and style, using the pieces featured in the capsule range to inspire what can be achieved; and have their own print developed (if they wish). This ensures garments have their personality truly tied up in them, and no two will ever be the same. Print is not overly used in bridalwear currently, and it is something which is used in a subtle and romantic way, through either hand drawings or photographs to add texture and colour to garments. Digital print translates beautifully to silk fabrics and gives brides the opportunity to develop and explore their own ideas further than perhaps they would with other bespoke designers.
Cristina AdamiWe create limited edition collections of handmade garments, crafted using vintage laces combined with new pure silks, creating off the peg unique pieces (given the vintage lace each piece will differ from another) as well as providing a bespoke service on dresses and outfits to individual requirement.
With 10+ years of experience in the industry and having styled well know UK music celebrities, we're now proud to have launched our first ever bridal range in September 2014 and we look forward to continue creating the magic.
We love to be spotted on a stage! Among other things styling X-factor posh contestant Chloe-Jasmine took us on mainstream Tv and press.
With great thanks to Chloe for loving our dresses!
Olwen BourkeOlwen Bourke is a brand new, couture bridal wear company specializing in bespoke gowns for modern brides. Bourke began her design career with a couture dance dress company in London, working on gowns for dancers including the stars of Strictly Come Dancing and the ballerinas of the Royal Opera House. When clients began asking for white and ivory bridal versions of her designs, she expanded into the wedding world and launched her first bridal wear collection in 2014 at A Most Curious Wedding Fair.
The collection entitled Aislinn – the Irish word for “dream/vision”, is a whimsical, romantic and sophisticated collection for the fashion conscious, contemporary bride. Having grown up in Ireland by the sea, it’s no surprise that nature is a recurring theme in her work, with shells, flowers and leaf motifs featuring regularly in her designs. The collection features gold embroidered floral motifs, lace-inspired punched leather and handcrafted flower detailing. The dresses are all handcrafted in Bourke’s east London studio.
AM Faulkner BridalAM Faulkner Bridal is the brand new label from London based milliner Ann-Marie Faulkner.
Hats, headpieces and veils are designed and produced by hand using a mix of gorgeous high quality fabrics such as silks and laces and also contemporary, innovative materials such as plastics and metals and plants to create unique pieces especially for the fashion forward, trend aware bride.
Bespoke pieces can also be produced alongside the client to create something unique. AM Millinery was founded in 2012 and after numerous bridal commissions I decided start a separate label especially dedicated to all things Bridal -AM Faulkner Bridal.
Daisy Sheldon EmbroideryDaisy Sheldon Embroidery is a bespoke embroidery and design studio, based in Cheltenham in the Cotswolds. She specialises in bridal and lingerie, creating unique veils, working with brides on a one-to-one basis.
I also offer a bespoke monogramming service, to personalise wedding veils or garters with a beautifully embroidered monogram or wedding date.
'Beryl' the Cornely, is a beautiful 1920's machine which creates a decorative chain stitch. She is named Beryl after her original owner Beryl Johnson, who wrote one of the only books on Cornely machines 'Advanced Embroidery Techniques'.
StephieAnn DesignsStephieAnn creates luxury lingerie and nightwear inspired by British poetry. The collection includes knickers, bralettes, kimonos, nighties, camisoles and shorts for the wedding night and honeymoon. StephieAnn’s bridal range features ivory silk satin and blue embellished detailing. Each item is packaged in a fabric bag containing organic lavender, bags can be embroidered with the wedding date.
The SS15 debut collection, Hammer Through Daisies is inspired by the poem, And Death Shall Have No Dominion by Dylan Thomas who expresses his belief in everlasting love and the notion that love never gives up. I chose ice to destroy flowers in a poetic manner, freezing flowers so alive in beauty, capturing ice crystals. Although I eventually shattered the flowers, my photography and drawings are still beautiful and ethereal, as is Thomas’ love.
My artwork is digitally printed onto 100% silk satin and made in Britain into lingerie and nightwear using couture techniques. Every design is distinctive and features exclusive textile techniques. After my fabric is printed, I embroider and embellish the surface by hand.
Love Art Wear ArtLove Art Wear Art bridal shoes are beautiful, luxurious, hand made shoes that will add the perfect final touch to your wedding. Feel feminine and elegant in this range of vintage inspired courts, sandals & ankle boots. The shoes are made from the highest quality kid suede, luxury satin, metallic and glitter finished leather. All shoes are leather lined with an embossed natural leather outsole. The attention to detail is exquisite and each pair is individually numbered with a tiny metal banner on the breast of the sole. All styles are part of limited runs with only 150 pairs made per style to ensure a very unique shoe for your wedding day.
The fact that we offer only 150 pairs per style and colour makes Love Art Wear Art shoes something really special!
CATEGORY 2: THE SERVICES
Lemon Tree CakesA wedding cake designer based in Bethnal Green, East London creating sublime cakes and pristine sugar flowers. All cakes are created to look like works of art.
Mon DessertMon Dessert is a fine patisserie business. I supply centre piece cakes through to dessert table intricate petit fours and wedding favours. I often add a bit of a twist to the flavours. Combining influences from my Asian background and my French love affair… Think beautiful towers of macarons flavoured with cardamom and mango… With a background in workgn at a creative advertising agency! The name actually comes from a French film called Germinal where Gérard Depardieu's character refers to his "Mon Dessert" as when he has his way with his wife! I promise the desserts on offer are a much more sophisticated than his character in this film!
Insta WeddingThe husband and wife team offer professional wedding photography but also offer a pioneering service where they photograph and edit weddings using iPhone and instagram! Within 24hrs brides have beautiful social media ready pix back for them to post to Facebook/instagram.
With social media being so important, everyone posts pics of the wedding. By the time the professional pics come people are bored of seeing the wedding/don't get to see these pics. So the lasting impression is of the original pics. With Insta weddings the bride gets to show off beautiful pics straight away.
Natalie J WeddingsLondon-based wedding photographer and UK destination wedding photographer – photographing weddings in a creatively-documentary style! background is in fashion photography (
www.nataliejwatts.com) – credits include ASOS.com, Elle UK, Coast, Vidal Sassoon, Tesco, Argos, Sweaty Betty, Cosmopolitan amongst many more and she has photographed personalities including Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Kelly Holmes, Dita Von Teese and renowned artist Antony Gormley. My creative editorial photography led to many people enquiring for me to photograph their weddings and in 2012 she started her wedding photography business.
Flowers By KirstyFlowers by Kirsty predominately is a wedding florist, but provides other normal florist services. I also do 'extras' for weddings too, including table plans, table place settings and wedding favours.
She has two goldfish as mascots and wears her Blue Peter badge that she won when she was 7 for good luck when she makes her creations!
She decided to give up a career in breakfast radio to follow a longing desire to set up her own business and get creative. She says ‘the advantage of having no training in floristry has allowed me to make it up and not follow boring rules when it comes to flowers. This restriction free approach hopefully comes through my creations so no one wedding is the same.’
One Flew OverWe are two friends, doing what we've dreamed of doing! For Charlie and Jess, doing flowers was always Plan A. After a while spent doing Plan B, C, ...the pair embarked on their floristry career courses and the idea for One Flew Over was born over a cup of tea. It has continued to grow ever since thanks to a bit of hard work, a lot of lack of sleep and an enormous amount of support from friends and family. With a passion for seasonal stems and natural beauty, the business grew out of the house and into the city. The pair are capably assisted in their duties by a green pawed quadruped named Oscar Lost Cat, who is particularly good at dealing with left-over ribbon cuts.
Pea Green BoatBased in North London, Pea Green Boat is an online party paraphernalia emporium stocking beautiful, original and stylish decorations, stationery, tableware and accessories for wondrous weddings and celebrations. Drawing on their backgrounds in interior design and film production Tessa and Zoe established Pea Green Boat in 2014 to bring a modern, creative and fun aesthetic to the world of weddings. Our range of bespoke, sometimes handmade, always special pieces, is sourced from all over the world with a large proportion made right here in the UK.
“We love weddings, parties and celebrations of all sorts and we believe that creating a fun, gorgeous and love-filled atmosphere is absolutely the most important thing – but never at the expense of sanity! We aim to provide a curated range of gorgeous wedding accessories and decorations to take the stress out of making these choices. Wedding planning should be a joyous affair and we are overflowing with ideas on how to put things together for maximum impact – and we relish questions and conversations with our customers.”
HEY (HEY STYLE LTD)“We are a creative prop hire agency. Like your show, we aren’t restricted to one category such as vintage, rustic or bohemian as we want to offer props that are as original as the couples themselves. We source and produce an eclectic mix of props that look great, but are a little different to the average mainstream prop hire offering. So if a bride and groom want a lightning strike for their dance floor, a huge cinema sign for their entrance, or a table full of pineapple ice buckets; they should come to us.
We’re not too cutesy (so don’t stock too many things with hearts), but we do love great design and creative ideas. How about an army of gold robots, a neon flower bike or a bespoke piñata?
And some might think that it’s a curious decision to set up a new prop hire business, when you’ve spent the last 4 years building up a successful events agency (
www.seenpresents.com). That’s what I’ve done – because props make me happy, they’re my passion, I get overly excited every time I see something new and end up filling my house with finds; so I decided the time was right to set up HEY and do what I love the most. Our site will be live in February 2015 so we’re busy scouring, hunting and producing bespoke stock.
Bride to BijouxBride to Bijoux is a unique, bespoke wedding service offering creative direction, styling and sourcing for brides to be. Newlywed fashion editor turned wedding stylist Joanna Shiers provides a modern approach to matrimony – inspirational, imaginative, creative consultation for every visual aspect.
Most Curious Thing:
Joanna’s exquisite eye for detail transforms the look and feel of any celebration with original vintage props from her carefully curated archive. Some items are available both to hire as individual pieces as well as en masse for complete space styling. Delivering holistic wedding design linking the interior and fashion elements of your celebration, Bride to Bijoux also offers a growing collection of vintage wedding dresses, furs, veils and accessories available to hire or purchase, as well as made to measure Hen do headpieces.
CL.AM CorrespondenceHusband and wife team Chris and Annahita, otherwise known as 'CL.AM CORRESPONDENCE. “We specialise in quirky fashion and travel inspired wedding stationery; including save the dates. wedding invitations, cards, place settings and personalised notebooks. We design everything ourselves and all are products are made in England. We aim to appeal to alternative bride and grooms who want something original, colourful and completely different to other wedding stationery out there!” aztec prints, tropical blooms and graphic style takes over from twee!
Hollyhock LaneHollyhock Lane is a wedding stationery company providing everything from invitations, save the dates, maps, menus and table plans and any other paper goods that can be printed for your wedding. Currently I have 11 'ready to print' designs which can be personalised with your wedding details and preferences but I also offer a luxury bespoke service for couples wanting something completely unique and personal to their wedding.
Most Curious Thing:
The most curious thing about my designs are that they’re covered with detailed illustrations, collages, paintings and patterns making each item of stationery a little piece of artwork in it's own right. All the designs are first created on paper by hand before being converted so they can be professionally printed onto luxury recycled card with a vintage finish. Each design has a hand crafted feel to it whilst managing to look modern and fresh.
Oh SquirrelLaunched in 2012, Oh Squirrel is a handmade stationery & gifts brand. Every product is hand finished by designer Katie in her beautiful studio in lovely, leafy Muswell Hill, North London.
Katie is inspired by nostalgia, old furniture and household objects, conversations overheard on the bus and general day to day life. Her most popular products are her unique take on making the Hen Party classy, in the form of a range of wearable accessories and decorations, and her hand stitched cards with a very cheeky sense of humour.