SOUTHAMPTON
Brides
SBRIDES FEATURE
November 2010 ISSUE 25 £3.50
FROM THE PUBLISHER’S OF VOGUE & GLAMOUR
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Picture Perfect Wedding One of the most important days of a woman’s life is her wedding, we talk to someone who knows only too well what brides are going through
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very woman dreams of her
For a woman, though, one the “I’m not trained with the fashion
perfect wedding, I have.
most important thing is, of course, of dresses but I understand them,
Ever since I was a little girl I
buying the perfect dress.
have been left under the illusion it
Not finding the perfect dress? We have the person for you...
it runs in my blood.”
Andrea Kehoe is one of the people Wearing a sharp black suit she
is going to be a fairytale. With mice that you will get to know when seems at ease in her own shop, I
50
of the best honeymoon destinations Beautiful cakes you won’t be able to resist
sewing the perfect silk dress for me
choosing your dress. She is the
cannot help but feel she seems a
and bluebirds singing gooey love proprietor of wedding dress shop
bit on edge. “Excuse me if I seem
songs in my ear.
jittery, I’ve been here since quarter
We have Cinderella and Snow White to thank for that, but when we grow up and are newly engaged to our own Prince Charming
“I’m not trained with the fashion of dresses but I past eight and had to drop the kids understand them, it runs in off on my way. On my third cup of my blood.” coffee already,” she laughs.
Josephine’s near the centre of We sit in the comfy chairs, and
everything seems to become too Southampton, where she has been
I take in the surroundings. Rail
real. Brides now seem to be scared for 15 years now.
upon rail of dresses catch my eye,
of planning their own special day.
not bagged up and hidden away
Andrea has been in the industry
But, we can be safe in the knowledge long enough to know how it works; but on display in all their beauty. that people will be there to guide us “my mother started the business “Costs more with all the cleaning along the way. From cake design to from home so I’ve grown up with of the dresses,” she jokes, “but the venue, from transport to the rings.
wedding dresses,” she explains. first thing I want a bride coming >
NOVEMBER 2010
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SBRIDES.CO.UK
the moment, which is another way
carries, “we have the Phil Collins
between American and British
you can play with colours.”
collection.” Before I even think to
wedding
It’s not just colour that Andrea
ask, Andrea chips in saying, “no, not
Americans, there is a brashness
says is important, “I am helping
that Phil Collins. This collection is
about them. Almost like the dress
someone make one of the biggest
simply stunning, they’re feminine,
is saying I’m here, lets get the party
decisions for their special day.
flattering and well priced.”
started now, and as I said before
They need to think not only about
“But the collection that has taken
they love theatricality.”
size, but how it fits, shape and if
both the supplier and me by
“British dresses on the other hand,
they feel comfortable in it.”
surprise is ‘Essense.’ An Australian
from the likes of Ian Stuart, are full
“Sometimes the bride will be
company that we started dealing
and traditional ball gowns. You
dresses;
standing in the INSIDE ANDREA’S SHOP, JOSEPHINE’S
go off the subject
them a mile off and you say, ‘oh that must be a British
after
dress’ because it is
all they’re only
more of a national
going
identity for us.”
to
talking
be about
The
British
the dress briefly
wedding
dress
on their special
industry
does
day.”
not
how
“This’ll go on for
mainstream
work
a while, we’ll end up talking about
with back in September of 2008.
fashion does though. “We tend to
our dogs or something like that
We are the only bridal shop in
work with two main seasons rather
then I’ll say ‘oh, you seem really
Hampshire who deals with them.”
than the four, one will be in March
comfortable in that dress.’ Then
“The structure of the dresses is
which is mid season and then
her mother will chip in and say,
one of the reasons why we started
usually September which is spring/
‘oh yeah, you do you know.’ It is
working with them. They don’t
summer for next year.”
just about making the bride feel as
follow the American theatricality
“A lot of people think that bridal
comfortable as possible.”
or the English fairytale dress. They
is behind your normal high street
into
bring something new to the table.”
fashion when actually it is ahead.
what sort of designs the shops
Andrea explains the differences
We will see something in bridal
The
conversation
leads
PHOTOGRAPHY BY S.MERRITT
wedding
dresses,
MODEL WEARS DRESS FROM THE ‘ESSENSE’ RANGE £1,099
the
can normally tell
dress and we’ll
of
“With
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NOVEMBER 2010
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NOVEMBER 2010
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SBRIDES.CO.UK