Tag Archive: wedding dress shop London


A Winter’s Fairytale

February 15, 2013

Today, I am delighted to be sharing with you a selection of images from a bride that many of you will know.  The lady in question is busy, busy, busy - she’s not only a professional actress and singer, but also offers holistic therapy and coaching. Phew!  And if that wasn’t enough, she writes a wedding blog for all British Brides-to-be with a special emphasis on Black brides-to-be.  Yes, I’m talking about Nova of Nu Bride – many of you will be followers of her blog and on social networks such as Twitter (@nu_bride) and like me, loved reading about Nova’s experiences in the run up to her wedding day as well as the informational blog posts.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nova at the White Gallery (www.whitegallery.com) in London last year, indeed one of my gowns from the current 2013 collection was named after Nova’s mum, Avril!  I was therefore delighted to find out that Nova had already chosen to wear a Madeline Isaac-James gown upon a visit to one of our stockists - very fitting as it turns out given Nova’s acting roots, as the gown is called Titania – after William Shakespeare’s Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Nova’s wedding was in early November last year, so it wasn’t quite a ‘Midsummer’ event, however, in keeping with this Shakespeare theme, we’re calling this A Winter’s (Fairy) Tale!  Nova says “It was showtime on the 3rd November, a beautiful autumn crisp sunny day…..it was a truly magical day full of nerves, tears, joy, naseau and overwhelming giddy excitement….and I got my happily ever after…”

We’re delighted to share some of the images from Nova’s wedding day on our blog today – her wedding looked amazing, and of course, she looked simply stunning in her beautiful Madeline Isaac-James ‘Titania’ gown!

We love the simplicity of a single red rose in Nova’s hair, which is swept elegantly to one side.

We have to say we think Nova looks exceptionally calm getting ready for the wedding ceremony – and her bridesmaid is doing a great job making sure the corset back of the gown is perfectly tied!

We all LOVE the image below of Nova walking down the aisle to meet her handsome groom!  Her photographer at JK Photography (www.jk-photography.net) has captured the emotion in Nova’s face perfectly!

The ‘Titania’ gown is a fabulous silk shantung gown with a beautiful Guipure lace over, with the ‘leaves’ on the lace ‘falling away’ from the bodice down the full length of the dress.  This is also quite an unusual design as the train of the gown is beautifully pleated – creating a real feature of the back.  Nova has teamed up the Titania gown with a fabulous full length veil – stunning!

Nova continues: “Thank you very much for being part of my wonderful journey. I have grown so fond of the wedding industry and Nu Bride is still growing, so I hope to continue in it in some way.  Natalie – you make fairytales come true. I never thought I could be a princess until my actual wedding day and my dress transformed the way I feel about myself. I am in awe of what you do and for how you make brides feel. Thank you being part of my happily ever after!”  Thank-you Nova for such lovely words – the pleasure was truly ours – and thank-you for choosing to wear a Madeline Isaac-James gown (and wearing it so beautifully!)

The final image we’re sharing today is from the first dance - how truly romantic and lovely is this? If you want to read more about Nova’s wedding journey as well as interesting news and hot tips, make sure you read her blog at http://nubride.wordpress.com/.   So all that remains for this post is to say congratulations again to Mr & Mrs Nu Bride – we have been honoured to be a small part of your big day – and thank-you for sharing these images with us!

Photography:  JK Photography. www.jk-photography.net

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Behind-the-scenes at the Madeline Isaac-James 2013 Collection shoot

June 23, 2012

One of the most important decisions for a shoot, other than choosing a team that you can work well with and will help you create amazing images, is the choice of location.  For the first time ever, we decided to shoot the entire collection in a studio rather than on location and when we got up last Monday morning we were so pleased we’d done so given the terrible weather!

As with all campaign shoots, it was an early start for us to make sure that every single dress was packed and ready to go, and that nothing was missed, but pretty much bang on schedule we left at 6am – London-bound, ready to work with our amazing team for one of our key shoots of the year.

I have to say, it’s not often you get to work with such an amazing team but we were lucky to be working with the best-of-the-best in the bridal industry – a true ‘dream team’ of professionals who insist on perfection and quality at all levels.  Styling the shoot was Astrid Joss (the Fashion & Beauty Editor of Conde Nast Brides magazine); with Inanch Emir, celebrity hairdresser and multi-award winning Artistic Director of Inanch London (www.inanch.com); award-winning makeup Artist, Sarah Brock described by British Vogue as ‘the go-to makeup artist for award winning bridal makeup’ (www.sarahbmakeup.co.uk) ; ace photographer Jonathan Ryan (www.peoplebyryan.com) assisted by the lovely Nadine Burzler (http://www.nadineburzler.com/); fab videographer Luke Adams of Adams Multimedia (http://www.adamsmultimedia.co.uk/adamsmultimedia.co.uk/Blog/Blog.html) who will be producing a great BTS video for Madeline Isaac-James which you’ll see very soon; Heather Cole of Evelyn Cole Flowers (www.evelyncoleflowers.co.uk) who created THE most fragrant and beautiful arrangements ever; Jane Hardman-Ferris who made some beautiful pieces of millinery (www.hfcouture.co.uk); with the fabulous Stress Free Hire providing a selection of props for us (www.stressfreehire.com) and of course, the ever-wonderful team at Madeline Isaac-James who for this shoot included Natalie, Gwyn and our intern Phuong.  A huge thanks to everyone involved, it was a great day and an absolute pleasure to work with you all.

The main campaign images will be released next week, but in the meantime, here’s some snapshots of the behind-the-scenes action!

The finished images will be released next week, and we’ll shortly be releasing the behind-the-scenes video, so keep checking back!  Our thanks again to everyone involved in this shoot xx

 

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A Very British Affair: Behind the scenes at a shoot at Farnham Castle

April 17, 2012

Who would have thought that a throw-away comment to the lovely Heather Cole, Senior Designer at Evelyn Cole Flowers would have resulted in a fabulous team being brought together for an amazing bridal shoot just a few weeks later?

Having decided to work together to showcase the talents of a number of wedding suppliers and related businesses, mostly from the Surrey/Hampshire area, we decided to focus on a theme inspired by the forthcoming Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  The shoot was split into two very distinct elements – a fresh, funky Cool Britannia look; and a softer, more romantic English Rose look – and who better to capture that than photographer, Naomi Kenton who has been kind enough to provide us with a sneak preview at the very end of this post.  Until then, I’m afraid you’ve got my dodgy camera-phone photos!

So to the venue: we’re very lucky to have a beautiful Castle right on our doorstep -Farnham Castle – which has a wealth of history and intrigue surrounding its 900 year history.  Today this stunning Castle is one of the most important historical buildings in the south of England, and creates a picturesque backdrop to compliment the style and splendour of wedding celebrations.

The scene was set, the team was assembled, and some great wedding suppliers from all over Surrey and Hampshire met on a brisk Tuesday morning - all keeping a nervous eye towards the heavens as the weather forecast had predicted heavy rain from early afternoon!  Not quite what we had wanted after the unexpected heatwave the week before!

Elizabeth and Madeline still smiling despite the rain!

Despite the on/off rain, the entire team worked hard throughout the day to create some really amazing images and were an absolute pleasure to work with.  We can’t wait to see the images of the models with British Bulldogs ‘Alfie’ and ‘Lou’ as well as ‘Jamie’ the horse – you’ll need to wait until the official images are released to see them though!

If you’re planning a Cool Britannia theme wedding or looking for inspiration for a more traditional affair, then don’t miss them – we’ll be showcasing the work of some really amazing suppliers!  Keep an eye on the blog for more details of when they’ll be released; and of course Facebook and Twitter, as we’ll be sharing the official shoot images very soon.

Don’t forget to tab down after the list of credits below to see a couple of sneak peeks from the shoot!  Huge thanks to the following people who made the shoot possible; and whose hard work was much appreciated!

Madeline Isaac-James dresses and styling by Natalie Gladman and the wonderful team at No.10 Bridal in Farnham – Paula, Gwyneth and James;

Floral designs and displays by Heather Cole at Evelyn Cole Flowers;

Photography by Naomi Kenton;

Venue: Farnham Castle, Castle Street, Farnham, Surrey.

Millinery by Beverley Edmondson;

Jewellery by Paula Marsh of The Vintage Sparkle Company;

Make-up by Joyce Connor of BridesandBeauty

Hair by Elise;

Wedding cake by Emma Waddington of Gifted Heart Cakes;

Pop cakes by Vanessa Albury of Party Pop Bakery;

Venue Styling/Accessories by Stree Free Hire; The Contemporary Home; Paper Poms; Pipii;

Stationery by Glasshouse Stationery;

Car by Barons Farnborough Mini;

Models: Elizabeth Pick; Juste Juozapaityte; Madeline Gladman.

British Bulldogs – Alfie and Lou; Horse – Jamie.  Thanks to their owners, Natalie at Madeline Isaac-James and Clare Goodwin-Hill.  You’ll need to see the ‘official’ images to see how gorgeous Alfie, Lou and Jamie are…

No animals or children were harmed during this shoot.  The sweets, cakes and cakepops were, however, quickly demolished afterwards.  Yum.

Now for a little preview of some of the ’official’ images from the shoot… Keep checking back to see details of where/when the full shoot in all its glory will be published!

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Let them eat cake!

October 11, 2011

Anyone who knows the Madeline Isaac-James team knows that apart from our families, we have three loves in life: Dresses. Shoes. Cake.

So it was with great pleasure that we learned all about the fabulous creations of a local Hampshire company, Gifted Heart Cakes – who’re (almost) just down the road from us – well, just down the M3.  How could we resist talking to someone who has managed to combine two out of three of our favourite things in one delicious place?!

Don’t you just love the cake on the left made for a very lucky lady’s birthday – Natalie soooo wants one (but with a Louboutin shoe – she’s so picky!)  Anyway, before we start talking too much about shoes (that’s for another post), we asked the lovely Emma Waddington, designer at Gifted Heart Cakes, to talk to us about her fabulous business…

Tell us how Gifted Heart Cakes started?

“I’ve always enjoyed baking and cake decorating as a hobby, I have been making cakes for around 12 years now. It started off with friends and family, and it progressed via word of mouth. My Nan was my initial inspiration as she has made wedding cakes for many years. I studied A level art and also did a Btec in Graphic Design, for me, decorating cakes is another extension of my artwork. At Gifted Heart Cakes we offer a bespoke wedding cake service. I tailor each cake specifically to my bride and grooms wishes. At an initial consultation we talk about wedding theme, colours, and personalities – anything that enables me to put a really personal touch to their design. We also make many novelty cakes (Birthday, Christening, Engagements and anniversaries to name a few). We pride ourselves on the level of individuality we give the cakes. But not only do they look good, they taste great too! Flavours range from Fruit and sponge to more adventurous flavours such as chocolate orange and white chocolate and raspberry.”

Where do you get your inspiration for your beautiful designs?

“I draw cake inspiration from everything!   Clothes, gift bags, greeting cards, evenwallpaper.  I can be walking through B&Q and something will catch my eye and I immediately think of what a pretty cake I could make. I also love anything vintage, beautiful colours or textures!”

What do you love most about what you do?

“I love the variety of what we do. No two cakes are the same and its such fun coming up with designs to meet people’s dreams. It’s also the best feeling seeing a bride on her wedding day overwhelmed with the cake you have just delivered.  We also recently delivered the cake below.  The bride cried when she saw it and I received this message from her which made all the hard work and stress so very worthwhile: “My dear Emma, I don’t know where to start… It was the first time I cried on my wedding day. Seeing the cake, you totally blew me away with the creation and so many people mentioned how gorgeous it was and tasted x. I loved the carrot cake, that’s my favourite. Thank you for dreaming even bigger than I possibly could and making my wedding day truly a dream come true xxxx Amanda”

What advice would you give brides to be when choosing a cake?

“Try to find a Cake designer whose style matches your own.  Your wedding is a once in a lifetime event and you want to be sure that your cake maker truly understands exactly what your dream cake looks like and can make it a reality.”

In addition to stunning wedding cakes, we couldn’t resist sharing the cake below.  Emma says: ”A recent cake I was asked to make was this dragon cake. It was a real challenge but well worth it to see the clients face!”

But, back to the wedding cakes!  Here’s a few more to wet your appetite….

Finally, if you could have your picture taken with someone special, who would it be and why?

“Corny but I would have to say my Nan – the lovely “Nanny Jean” My love of cake making came from her. She is a very special lady – the kindest person I know.”

Huge thanks to Emma for sharing this with us.  You can taste some of her gorgeous cupcakes at our Accessories Evening in the Farnborough boutique on Thursday 3rd November (6pm-9pm) – see http://www.madelineisaacjames.com/2011/10/accessories-evening-farnborough-boutique-thurs-3rd-november/ for more info; and if you can’t wait until then, why not contact Emma directly:

website – http://www.giftedheartcakes.co.uk

blog – http://giftedheartweddingcakes.blogspot.com/

facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Gifted.heart.cakes

twitter – http://twitter.com/Giftedheartcake

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The Wedding Ideas Awards 2011

January 10, 2011

In just a few days we’ll be at the Wedding Ideas Awards, celebrating the achievements of the wedding industry and congratulating the winners of various categories as voted by the readers of Wedding Ideas magazine!  This year, the awards will be held at The Brewery in London on Friday 14th January and we’re really looking forward to a fabulous awards ceremony and of course celebrating afterwards! 

Joining my husband Clive and I (and of course, my lovely Mum!) on the Madeline Isaac-James table are:  Emma Tindley of Emma Tindley Couture (www.emmatindley.co.uk) – Finalist in the Bridal Buyer Young Designer of the Year 2010; Inanch, Joe and Vessy of award winning celebrity stylists Inanch London (www.inanch.co.uk); Tania, Renee and Kimberley (MIJ stockists); and Jon and Paula from The Vintage Sparkle Company (www.thevintagesparklecompany.co.uk). Paula of course, is also the designer of the Madeline Isaac-James’ accessory collection and in addition is a finalist in Best Accessories category of the WI Awards!  A big thanks to Inanch who is going to try and do something glamorous with my hair for the awards… (‘good luck’ springs to mind) xx

Madeline Isaac-James is sponsoring the Best Special Touches category – not THOSE special touches for the more puerile minded of you reading this (you know who you are)…. This is a category which celebrates the achievements of those individuals and companies that offer those additional products and services that can make all the difference between a good wedding and a GREAT wedding!  The finalists is this category are all very well-deserving and include Brides and Beauty; Giddy Kipper; Confetti.co.uk, Ambience Venue Styling and Bridal Gift Box.

Brides and Beauty (www.bridesandbeauty.co.uk) run by Joyce Connor, offers a customised mobile and home salon service of beauty treatments, massage and bridal hair and make up.  Based in Berkshire, but offering services throughout Berkshire, Oxfordshire, North Hampshire and Surrey, Joyce and her team are not only lovely, but are also very experienced, accomplished, highly qualified therapists and stylists.  Knowing Joyce personally (and her god-daughter who will be wearing a Madeline Isaac-James gown on her wedding day), I know that Joyce’s company will have been shortlisted because of its professionalism and the high quality of services.

Giddy Kipper (www.giddykipper.net) produce handmade, hand painted home accessories, decorative items and gifts from an old malthouse in rural Lincolnshire.
Originally formed in the garden shed in 1999 by business partners Heidi Bowman BA Hons and Steve Clawson (and formerly called FISH craft and design), Giddy Kipper produce excellent and original home accessories, small pieces of furniture, decorative items and gifts. All of the items are handmade by the partners and hand painted by Heidi.  Their ranges now cover fun stuff for Kids, the ever-popular seaside and rustic country-style.  We’re looking forward to meeting Heidi and Steve at the Awards!

 Well known to brides-to-be for its ideas and inspiration, online shop, fashion reviews and ideas (which Madeline Isaac-James has been featured on) and great planning and advice, www.confetti.co.uk is a veritable online bridal bible (to be used in conjunction with Wedding Ideas magazine OF COURSE)!  Check out this site for great competitions, ideas, and style tips, as well as a great forum to discuss all aspects of your wedding.

Ambience Venue Styling (www.ambiencevenuestyling.com) provide a stylish and elegant Wedding Chair Cover Hire service and also supply numerous other venue decorations such as table decorations, table linen, top table sashes, bay trees and other finishing touches.  Ambience is a national network of self employed venue stylists, all working to the highest of professional standards and ethics.

The Bridal Gift Box (http://www.thebridalgiftbox.co.uk/) offer a great selection of stylish keepsake gifts, including bride & groom gifts, bridesmaids gifts, flower girl gifts, best man gifts, usher gifts, page boy gifts and parents’ gifts.

Of course special good luck to Paula from the Vintage Sparkle Company for her nomination in the Best Accessories category – and Kirstie of Flo and Percy whose gorgeous vintage inspired pieces are also stocked in our boutique!  In a very competitive category with fab fellow jewellery companies  Tantrums & Tiaras, Chez Bec and Glitzy Secrets, we wish you and ALL finalists lots of luck!  xx

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Amazing January offers at Madeline Isaac-James!

December 27, 2010

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are enjoying a few days’ R&R!  The refurbishment of our Farnborough boutique is in full swing now and we’re on schedule to re-open with a new look on 4th January! 

To celebrate the re-styling of the boutique as well as our Farnborough boutique’s 2nd anniversary, we have two very special offers for all brides-to-be who order their gown from us in January! 

First of all, we’re offering a massive 10% off all dresses purchased from Madeline Isaac-James’ Farnborough boutique between 4th and 8th of January 2011 – beat the VAT increase and save a little bit more!  And if that wasn’t enough, ALL brides who purchase their gown from Madeline Isaac-James’ Farnborough boutique between 4th and 31st January 2011, will be entered into a free prize draw to WIN the dress ordered*!  That means that one lucky bride will save up to £1,799 dependant on the value of the dress ordered!  Don’t miss this amazing promotion and book your appointment at Madeline Isaac-James Farnborough as soon as possible (we will be checking emails prior to the boutique re-opening on 4th January, so feel free to email your request).

*Dress must be ordered from our Farnborough boutique between 4th and 31st January 2011, and deposit paid at time of order placement.  The lucky winner will have her deposit refunded and no further monies will be due in relation to the dress other than alterations fees or design change fee (if applicable).  Winner will be announced and contacted w/c 14/February/2011.

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